Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The Day Mike Duffy Pointed the Finger at Stephen Harper



It was the day Stephen Harper had been dreading. The one that has forced him to keep such a low profile some are calling him the invisible man of Parliament.

Or depending on your point of view, the invisible maniac... 



Driven crazy by defeat.

It was the dreaded day Mike Duffy mounted the stand, and pointed the finger at HIM. 

Senator Mike Duffy has testified that Stephen Harper benefited politically by having him capitulate to a Prime Minister's Office scheme in which he would admit he mistakenly made expense claims on his Ottawa residence and that he would repay the amount.

"Anything I did in this political manoeuvre was for the prime minister's benefit, not for mine," Duffy testified.


And after I read that and this:

Duffy's lawyer Donald Bayne asked the senator if he received numerous emails, verbal instructions and scripted statements to execute the plan as the "right thing to do." "Yes, including from the prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper. He said 'Nigel will make the arrangements.'

I couldn't help but wonder again, why was Nigel Wright not charged?



And why won't the RCMP tell us how they arrived at that decision? After promising to do that about a year ago.

Or for that matter, why was Stephen Harper allowed to get away with claiming he knew NOTHING?

And then there was exhibit 104, the picture of Duffy and the mad emperor. 



Not since the emperor Nero has the curl in a political leader’s little finger carried such freight of meaning. In the photograph it hangs there, pointing down, in the manner of a thumb communicating that most awful sentence—execution—and at the same time Prime Minister Stephen Harper is wrinkling his lip. 

The Emperor on his throne, and Duffy begging for his political life.

” ‘Prime Minister, when I wasn’t on Prince Edward Island, I was either here working in the senate or was on the road for you on the rubber-chicken circuit,’ ” Duffy recalls telling Harper. “He just looked at me with a blank look.”

Only to get the thumbs down for all the wrong reasons.

” ‘No no no, I know it seems unfair, I know you didn’t break the rules,’ ” Duffy says in his best Harper voice. ” ‘But the rules are inexplicable to our base. And therefore you’re going to have to pay the money back.

Which if true, tells us just about all we need to know about Stephen Harper. And his missing moral compass.

But what I find just as interesting is the sad scene between Duffy and Ray Novak, you know Harper's Robin...



He said he was begging Harper's top aide Ray Novak that he not be forced to admit a mistake and repay the expenses, just five minutes before he eventually went public. "I'm not a cheat, I'm not a thief. I don't break the rules and I was not going to embrace this kind of process," he said. "I was pleading with all these born-again Christians."

Not just because it says something about the power and influence of Ray Novak, the boy wonder who once lived in Harper's garage.

And confirms that the PMO was being run by a bunch of religious fanatics

But also because it reminds me how the late Jim Flaherty reacted when he heard Harper tell the Commons that Wright did NOT tell Novak about the Duffy bribe...



Which in turn reminds me of this key quotation.

Duffy described an “icy meeting” where Wright told him the repayment was “not a discussion.” Right after leaving the meeting, Duffy said he ran into Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and told him they had “decreed” that he was to pay it back. “He just looks at me and says ‘Mike, these people are F’ing unbelievable’.”

And tells me that poor old Jimbo knew what was going on in Harper's PMO, even if he didn't live to tell the story.

You know, I understand why Con operatives like Stephen Taylor are trying to play down the Duffy scandal...

It has been really embarrassing.

And I realize that Stephen Harper is not the leader he once was...



But Taylor is wrong if he thinks it wasn't a real scandal, or that enough has been said.

For it was a whopper of a scandal... 



And although justice may never be done.

By making Harper look like a liar over and over again.

It did help destroy his image.

And it did help bring him down...



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17 comments:

thwap said...

Stephen Taylor is a fool. A shameless hack. An amoral scum-bag.

Anonymous said...

Given these revelations, they better call Harper to testify(or at least try). I would love to hear his version of events.
JD

Marmalade said...

No Canadian in his right mind can believe that Mr.Harper did Not know all about what was happening! You will never convince me otherwise.....I will take this thought to my grave......I mean crematorium!

Anonymous said...

"I was pleading with all these born-again Christians."..... “He just looks at me and says ‘Mike, these people are F’ing unbelievable’.” Pretty well sums it up!!!!! These F'ing born again fools are Canada's own domestic terrorist organization!!!!!!! I would certainly would rather live with regular peaceful Muslims than these ignorant waste of human flesh fools!!!!! Pure evil these born again's are!!!!!! Makes me appreciate our "New Canada"!!!!!! anon FS

Anonymous said...

Is it possible to call Harper to the stand? I don't think so, maybe 'paliamentary immunity' or some such excuse.

Anonymous said...

'Sticky' Steve Harper should be brought to trial for his crimes against Canada.

e.a.f. said...

of course Wright wasn't going to be charged. that was the deal, sacrifice Duffy and let Wright walk. Works every time. The RCMP did the investigation, they report to Poulson and he reported to Steve.

In the picture of Steve and Duffy, you will notice the body language. steve is leaning far back, trying to distance himself from Duffy. Duffy, is leaning in. The picture says more than the words.

Lets hope Duffy walks on this. The Cons just can't help themselves. the party name says it all. Mix that with self righteous types and you have what we got.

David said...

https://ipolitics.ca/2015/11/12/harper-senators-may-not-be-able-to-claim-privilege-in-duffy-trial/

[snip]

Harper, who named Duffy to the Senate, stepped down as Conservative Party leader but remains an MP, prompting some to speculate that he is staying on as an MP to avoid having to testify in the Duffy trial.

David said...

http://riotwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DUFFY-BUCKS-980x711.jpg

Simon said...

hi thwap...you know if I could summarize my thoughts as well as you, my posts would be a lot shorter... ;)

Simon said...

hi Kathleen...no I don't believe that harper did not know what was going on in his own office. But the prosecution of this case has been fouled up right from the start. And Harper it was recently revealed uses post-its to write down his instructions, rather than writing them in the margins of documents, so he leaves no fingerprints. Which tells us what kind of a person he is. But denies us the proof we need to condemn him...

Simon said...

hi anon...yes when he was alive I gave Jimbo Flaherty a hard time, but he was always just a little more human than the rest of the Cons. I remember when he almost got into fistfight with Jason Kenney. So had he not died so suddenly who knows what he might have revealed...

Simon said...

hi anon...opinion is divided on this question. But from what I have heard it seems that while it might be technically feasible, Harper would be able to fight it in the courts, and delay a decision until long after the trial was over...

Simon said...

hi anon...hopefully at some point the Liberals will stumble upon some example of gross misbehaviour, or some scandalous cooking of the books, that they will be able to call some kind if inquiry. Because I agree with you, one is definitely needed...

Simon said...

hi e.a.f...yes something is not right or should I say not wright.Which is why I want to see the RCMP report. Their investigator seemed to think they had grounds to charge Ol' Nige, but something changed once he presented his report to his superiors. And I want to know why....

e.a.f. said...

Simon we "know" why. Its called politics.

Anonymous said...

I think the trial has been stopped to avoid key people being called to back the crown's case re: the 90K

Also think Duffy will be cleared... he did not break the rules because there were no rules!... that was very clear