Well I have to admit that I too am now deep into the Canadian summer, and don't feel like writing about politics, or doing anything too strenuous. I just want to have fun with my buddy Sébastien.
As humble as that might be.
Yikes. How low have I fallen?
But I just HAD to share this great joke with you.
It seems that Stephen Harper and his fellow oil pimp Brad Wall are about to declare war on the Con Senate !!!
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall are expected to appear together Friday to call for the abolition of the Senate, according to a source familiar with their plans.
The Senate has been a constant thorn in the side of the Prime Minister, who has gone from railing against its lack of accountability and pushing for reform as a member of the opposition, to being tarnished by its excesses as a series of a scandals consumed Conservative members of the Upper Chamber in recent years.
Isn't that hilarious? When I first heard the news I didn't know whether to giggle or gobble.
But since it comes from John Ivison, so you KNOW it comes from the PMO, I think I better try to explain why I think Harper is capable of doing it:
(1) He's DESPERATE...
David Parkins/Globe and Mail
It's all going horribly wrong. The surplus has fallen out of the pie and is lying on the floor next to the loonie. So he's not a great chef, or a Great Economist Leader.
(2) He can't scare Canadians with the Great Terrorist Menace. No matter how hard he tries.
Foreign Affairs bureaucrats were told this spring to produce three terrorism-related statements for minister Rob Nicholson to make to the media each week, ahead of a fall election in which security and Canada's response to terrorism are expected to be key issues.
(3) His frantic prayer sessions with Jason Kenney have so far failed to yield any results...
(4) His position on the Senate has always been confused. Once he vowed to reform it. Then he promised never to appoint any Senators.
Only to appoint FIFTY-NINE lousy ones.
And you know how that turned out...
(5) With this latest senate scandal growing steadily worse.
A former Conservative senator faces a second ethics probe after an investigation into his office unearthed allegations of harassment and bullying, The Canadian Press has learned.
And threatening to make even more Canadians question his abominable judgement AND his phony reputation as the great defender of women and children.
Meredith is already under investigation by the Senate’s ethics officer after published allegations last month that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl.
And with the trial of Mike Duffy scheduled to resume in just over two weeks, he clearly wants to send out this message:
Hey don't blame me, I want to ABOLISH the Con Senate !!!!!
Or I know NOTHING !!!
And of course it won't work. Canadians will see through this scam, as they have seen through all the others.
I don't know whether he's trying to make Tom Mulcair look good, or Justin Trudeau look bad eh?
But it will only make him look like a man now so desperate he's capable of saying or doing ANYTHING.
He will not escape his monstrous creation so easily...
And along with all his other crimes it will help bring him down.
And hopefully send him to jail.
OK. Now back to what I was doing....
Is it the weekend yet?
Hello Summer.
Bye Bye Harper...
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So harper walks into a bar with a pig tucked under his arm and the bartender looks up and says "Hey! Where the hell did you get that!?" So the pig says: "Oh, I just picked him up wallowing in the gutter in the alley!" :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!!!
hi anon....good one. I often feel guilty slandering the poor innocent pigs of this world by comparing them to the Harper Cons. But of course the ones I use are the pigs from Animal Farm, the ones who walk on their hind legs, oppress the other animals, and pretend that they are humans...
DeleteAbolish the Senate? It must be party time a NDP headquarters. Suggested line for Thomas Mulcar, "The NDP has long held that Canada should abolish the Senate. Now I see PM Harper wants to abolish the Senate. Why now? Maybe because he wants to bury some of his bad decicison. Mike Duffy, Pamala Wallein (insert more names here) are all his appointees.... "
ReplyDeleteBTW"Meredith is already under investigation by the Senate’s ethics officer after published allegations last month that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl." Should that not read "under investigation by the Senate’s ethics officer & the Police" in the link you supplied? Where are the Police?
hi jrkrideau...yes you're right, it's a strange way to prove that the NDP are unfit to govern. And of course it's all a massive distraction to try to put some distance between himself and the corrupt mess he created. As for the Meredith case I don't know the sordid details. But all I know is that he is just another example of Harper's appalling judgement, and he will not escape that scandal so easily...
Deletehttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/conservative-support-among-voters-jumps-as-childcare-cheques-doled-out-poll
ReplyDeleteWell, this is interesting.
It's just one poll. The methodology is a bit peculiar. But the sample size is really, really good. Nobody else ever seems to bother doing 5K for sample size.
We'll have to wait to see if this is reflected elsewhere.
Still, if Ontario does indeed vote for Harper, something deemed likely by some, since Ontario likes have opposite end parties in power when considering the federal and provincial governments, the Harper government will return, and we'll get four more years of photoshopped images from you.
Harper might be good at absolutely nothing except... winning elections.
Good luck with your prognistications. Humour me and revisit them on October 20th.
I found the new Mainstreet poll claiming a new significant Cons lead very interesting too, especially since it conflicted with the Forum poll that appeared just a couple of hours after it (Forum still has the NDP leading as it had for several weeks). Both polls had surveyed over approximately the same few days post UCCB cheques; Mainstreet surveyed over 5000 while Forum only about 1000.
DeleteSo I decided to look further into Mainstreet's track record (I know Forum's record). As far as the final result of the recent Alberta election was concerned, Mainstreet was right there with Forum and EKOS in correctly calling for a majority NDP win in the few days (polls reported around April 30) just before the election. So far so good. However there was a big difference between the Apr. 21 polling done by Mainstreet and Forum: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Poll+tracker+2015/10935147/story.html
Note that Forum had already correctly predicted a significant NDP lead on Apr. 21 poll with a sample size that was only about 800 while Mainstreet, with a sample size of over 4000 (and thus should have been more reliable, at least theoretically) had wrongly called for a tie between NDP and WR. Lesson here: a larger sample size need not necessarily be correlated with more accurate polling results.
Will be interesting to see what EKOS shows later today, that is, if it agrees more with Forum or Mainstreet, and either confirms or refutes the new Cons lead. BTW, as election gets nearer, I expect we will be seeing more and more conflicting polls, just as we did in the last Ont. election (I think the general concurrence of the Alberta polls in the last few days before the election was uncommon, probably because the NDP lead was so significant and widespread throughout the province).
hi anon 10:54 am ...yes I've seen that poll and I do find it quite shocking. Firstly because it's so out of line with other polls. And secondly because I can't believe that so many Canadians can be bought that cheaply. Because when you're getting about $10 bucks extra a month it is cheaply. But I know you'll be sorry hear that even if that Mainstream poll is right, I don't think that bounce will last long. The winds of change are still blowing in our favour, and that on October 20 I will be celebrating not you... ;)
Deletehi anon 3:09 pm ...that's interesting, and reassuring to know that a large sample size does not mean a poll is true. And of course at this time when many Canadians are disengaged from the political process I wonder how accurate any poll can be. I would find it extraordinary if the Cons had gained such a bounce so quickly, and if it was true even more extraordinary if it lasts. The Cons have been trending down for a long time, and I doubt anything can reverse that....
DeleteThe desperation is now so out of control I have to wonder what he'll promise us next, open and transparent government?
ReplyDeleteGive up Stevie, your legacy is sealed and will forever tarnish you for the crimes you've aided and abetted while in office.
JD
hi JD....I believe Harper will promise anything at this stage, for this Senate gambit is so obvious the man is clearly desperate. He can't hide it it shows. So I still believe that while the election may be close, we will eventually get enough seats to overthrow him...
Deletecan you, please, offer a word of comfort on today's news that the CONS have vaulted to a huge lead voter support?
ReplyDelete38% !!!!!!!!!
%@*#!!!!!!!
what is this? are canadians really that %@*#-ing blind or stupid or hard of remembering?
today is a dark day. no christmas in july. just -45ºC in the middle of canadian summer.
hi Luce....I don't know what to think about that Mainstream poll published in the National Post. It's so out of line with the others I'm going to have to wait for other polls to se if it is true. But don't worry even if that bounce is true it won't last for long. And the prospect of another Harper majority will motivate progressives ever more than they already are. So it could actually help us win. I'll have some more thoughts about that in another post soon....
DeleteIts like a hot air balloon that's sinking, you throw off all the ballast you can find it the hopes you will make it back to base safely or win a majority in Stevie's case. Not a bad strategy as you can blow a lot of smoke over other issues and "I fired him" has been the normal response when close associates get caught. The problem is that unless you have oiled the gears sufficiently beforehand it can come back and bite you. I am sure he has oiled the main players in the Senate with promises of cushy severance packages and lucrative jobs afterwards but its going to take a lot of oil to keep the secrets and backlash under control. Overall it seems like a desperate move but completely inline with the disposable nature of his supporters as soon as they are reclassified as ballast. An absolute marvel of humanity!
ReplyDeleteRT
hi RT...yes that's a pretty good comparison. The Cons can throw all the ballast they like over the side, but it won't do them any good if there is not enough air in the balloon to carry them over the finishing line. There is certainly enough hot air in harper but as for the Con balloon I doubt it...
DeleteSimon: Since you are already laughing, let me try to make you laugh even more. Just don't fall off your chair laughing, OK? Here, this self proclaimed Liberal is suggesting this was a game changer, a smart and bold move, and had stolen a main plank of the NDP: http://warrenkinsella.com/2015/07/harpers-senate-game-changer/
ReplyDeleteReally, Simon, with this move, according to our man above, Harper had stolen the NDP plank to abolish the Senate ..... don't fall off the chair, now.
However, if the above was a typical Liberal supporter response (I suspect it was not), Trudeau is in deep sh**, eh?
If anything, I think this is more likely to shore up support for Mulcair's attempt to abolish the Senate because Harper had lost all credibility on the Senate issue. It likely will also diminish Trudeau's proposal to merely reform the Senate. There is very little apparent difference between Blue Libs and Cons, thus if the Great Cons Leader now wants to abolish the Senate, it could be a wedge factor to steal some of those Blue Lib votes back from Trudeau.
hi anon...yes I think I know who you are talking about, and I certainly don't believe that this new Senate scam is a game changer. It only makes Harper look desperate, and makes Mulcair look prescient. And yes leaves the Liberals holding the Senate bag. Which may be another reason Harper is doing what he is doing, so he can try to make Justin look responsible for what the Cons have done. Good luck with that one...
DeleteHarper is not a Nazi, he just likes brown shirts.
ReplyDeletehi Steve...not Harper is not a Nazi, although he is acting like a fascist, and he is as Canadian as a three-dollar bill. We need to remove those aliens from power, and restore a Canadian government by whatever democratic means necessary....
DeleteHarper's announcement just made it more likely the NDP will be victorious in the election. It's a gift to Mulcair, and shows Harper's desperation.
ReplyDeleteThe chances of abolishing the senate are essentially ZERO (unless there is a change of some provincial governments) but it IS possible.
But of course Harper (and Mulcair) are using it as an election issue. Harper's poor choices for senators have been part of the problem.
Justin Trudeau's:
a) refusal to even consider a coalition
b) support of Bill C-51
c) and wanting to keep the senate
may be the 3 factors that results in Mulcair forming government--whether a minority or majority.
hi David....I think it is a gift to Mulcair, and I can't believe the Cons don't see that. My only explanation is that they indeed are desperate and making it up as they go along. As more evidence of that I see Poilievre has stopped shilling his porky plan in the shabby way he was doing it, which suggests that the PMO finally realized that he was making their plan look only too clearly like a vote-buying scam. The fact that he was able to get away with it for so long tells me that something is not right in the PMO....
DeleteDon’t spend that child care benefit, mom and dad
ReplyDeletehttp://www.langleytimes.com/opinion/letters/316014131.html
It’s UCCB Payday!!…Now How Much Are Your Child Benefits REALLY Worth!?
http://thefunnyaccountant.com/2015/07/20/its-uccb-payday-now-how-much-are-your-child-benefits-really-worth-a-city-by-city-breakdown/
Somebody should create a webpage that lists the names (and photos) of all "the boys in short pants" (aka the PMO)
ReplyDeleteHow Stephen Harper's inner circle has changed
Harper's cadre of advisers stacked with young partisans who don't talk back
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/how-stephen-harper-s-inner-circle-has-changed-1.2652571
if you can't fight them might as well join them and that is sort of what stevie is doing with his no more appointments routine. its a day late and a dollar short because he promised something along those lines, many years ago, then annointed 59 senators and we saw how well that worked out for Canada. He lied once, well he didn't follow through on his promise. Why would we believe him now?
ReplyDeleteHe looked ever so ugly with Christy Clark at their photop op in b.c. with the fires of hell behind them. It is interesting how Brad Wall got armed forces members to fight the fires and B.C. got to import fire fighters from Australia. Of course the premier of b.c. looked as tackie and cheap as ever in her too tight clothes. With her budget you'd think she could find someone to dress her. But the picture of Christy and Steve, with the fire behind them, priceless.
hi e.a.f...The fact that Harper waited for almost ten years to take on his Senate, and is only doing it two months before an election tells me all I need to know about this latest gambit. It is the product of desperation and the Cons are making it up as they go along....
DeleteHere's another definition for the Harper dictionary:
ReplyDeletemisspoke:
http://www.cagle.com/2015/07/the-real-meaning-of-misspoke
http://www.cagle.com/author/ingrid-rice/
Is it ethical to use firefighters as props while a forest burns in the background?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pressprogress.ca/is_it_ethical_to_use_firefighters_as_props_while_a_forest_burns_in_the_background
"His position on the Senate has always been confused. Once he vowed to reform it. Then he promised never to appoint any Senators."
ReplyDeleteHarper's position on Wright leaving the PMO has also been confused. First Harper said it was "with great regret" that he accepted Wright's resignation, then some days later Harper said (during a radio station interview) that he dismissed Wright.
Hi David....yes, and as I'm sure you know that changing reason is one of the things that has really bothered Wright and his lawyers. So I hope to hear much more about ghat when he testifies at the Duffy trial,...
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/DemocracyWatch
ReplyDelete*
Huh??
(Fri Jul 24, 2015) Canada PM Harper says on track for balanced budget this year
http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCAKCN0PY2D820150724?sp=true
Johnstone: Harper’s fiscal plan falling apart
http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Johnstone+Harper+fiscal+plan+falling+apart/11241133/story.html
Why A B.C. News Website Referred To Harper Only As 'Man In Blue Suit'
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/07/24/harper-british-columbia-infonews-wildfires_n_7867008.html
hi anon...well that is hilarious and good for the newspaper, because it was a cheap photo-op, and it did force firefighters to stop working so Harper could have his picture taken with them. I think some in the MSM are finally waking up and are sick of being pushed around by Harper and his PMO thugs. Which is of course how we want them to feel while covering the next election....
ReplyDelete