Will the Gay Marriage Issue Tear the Cons apart?

For almost ten years Stephen Harper never ceased to show his contempt for gay Canadians.

He voted against every gay rights bill that came before parliament. He cut off funding to all LGBT groups.

And he never changed the party platform that calls for same sex marriage to be banned.

But now with their convention only weeks away, that issue may be coming back to haunt the Cons.

John Ibbotson's Scary Journey Into Harper's Head

Ten days ago the Globe writer John Ibbotson was awarded the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, for his book Stephen Harper.

With the jury praising him for managing to "put us inside Harper’s head during some of the most critical moments of his life."

But although I've always been interested in meeting the voices in Harper's head, and asking them to explain themselves, I haven't read the book.

Not after I read Bob Rae's review, and what he had to say about Ibbotson, and what Ibbitson had to say about Harper.

When the Pentagon Claims that Bombing a Hospital is Not a War Crime

On the night of October 3, 2015 A U.S. AC-130 gunship attacked a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz, run by the humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

And despite frantic calls from MSF doctors kept up its attack for half an hour.

Forty two staff members and patients were killed, many of them burned to death in their beds.

But today the Pentagon released a report claiming that murderous assault was not a war crime. 

Stephen Harper and the Secret Society

Well no doubt Stephen Harper is waiting anxiously to see whether his lawyer's letter on the Duffy trial has convinced Canadians that he acted honourably.

And helped repair his soiled legacy.

But since we know he's doomed to disappointment.

I'd be fascinated to know what he might tell the members of his favourite secret society, when he pays them a visit this weekend.

Why Are We Still Building a Monument To Stephen Harper?

Well it's going to be a lot smaller than Stephen Harper had hoped.

And it won't be erected right in front of the Supreme Court, on the ground reserved for a new federal court building widely expected to be named after Pierre Trudeau.

So Harper could moon both of them for eternity.

But the man who brutalized this country for so long will be getting his monument. 

The Duffy Trial and Stephen Harper's Lawyer's Letter

When the judge at the Duffy trial delivered his verdict, and his scathing indictment of the Harper PMO, I couldn't help wondering what Stephen Harper must have been thinking.

And now we all know. He wasn't too happy. He must have been furious.

Or humiliated beyond recognition.

And had instructed his lawyer to write an open letter to Canadians.

There's a Reason They Call It the Conservative Broadcasting Corporation

As you know, I frequently question the judgement of the hapless stooges who run the CBC.

I question how they let a shabby tea bagger and climate change denier like Rex Murphy act like the high priest of Big Oil on The National, their flagship news program.

Or for that matter, why on the day the Duffy verdict came down, with its scathing criticism of the Harper PMO, the National led its newscast with fifteen minutes on the death of Prince.

But then there's a reason they call it the Conservative Broadcasting Corporation. 

The Con Clown Kellie Leitch Vows to Re-Criminalize Marijuana

Just a few days ago Kellie Leitch was blubbering about how sorry she was to have hurt Canadians with her racist barbaric cultural practices campaign.

And her foul snitch line.

But now she's found another way to hurt Canadians.

And send even more of them to jail.

Stephen Harper and the Incredible Shrinking Legacy

Once the swaggering bully must have thought that his monstrous legacy would last forever.

And that he would change this country and its values beyond recognition.

But only six months after he was defeated, what amazes me more than anything else is how quickly Stephen Harper's legacy is shrinking.

Will the Cons Bring Back Stephen Harper From the Dead?

It's almost impossible to believe. It's like a scene out of an old made in Harperland horror movie. 

Stephen Harper may have led his Con zombies to disaster. His depraved rule may have disgusted more Canadians than any other leader in modern Canadian story.

But it seems many of his faithful followers miss him so much, they want to bring him back from the dead.

The Duffy Trial: Why the RCMP Still Doesn't Get It

Almost two years ago Gilles Michaud, the RCMP's Assistant Commissioner, held a splashy news conference to announce that the force had laid no less than 31 charges against Mike Duffy.

And despite the way the trial went, a few hours before the verdict came down, he sent out a memo to staff members.

Which in retrospect couldn't be more absurd.

Now Will Margaret Wente Finally Be Fired?

When I last left Margaret Wente just over a week ago, she was bobbing merrily up and down along with the rest of the Con media, in the wreckage of the Harper regime.

Still praying for a miracle, and the destruction of Justin Trudeau.

But sadly for our Queen of the Globe, her deathly companion's prayers didn't work.

And she is still a snooty Con hack, and a serial plagiarist. 

The Con Porker Cheryl Gallant Disgraces Herself. Again.

It's been just over a month since the ghastly Con hog Cheryl Gallant last disgraced herself.

By using the memory of the murdered soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirillo to peddle Easter hams at a fundraising event.

And using his death to smear migrants and refugees as terrorists, and attack Justin Trudeau. As only that porky bigot could.



Well now she's made a fool of herself again.

Michael Harris On Why the Truth In the Duffy Case Must Be Flushed Out

Yesterday I wrote that the RCMP owed Canadians an explanation about  the way it handled the Duffy case.

Because it has raised some disturbing questions about the relationship between the police and the Harper regime, that strike at the heart of our democracy.

And now Michael Harris has a lot more questions for everyone involved.

Rona Ambrose and the Kids in the Short Pants

As I've mentioned before, it's one of the enduring mysteries of the post Harper era.

Why does Rona Ambrose keep insisting she's the leader of the New/Nouveau Conservative Party?

When the talking points and the propaganda that pours out of Con headquarters seem so horribly familiar...



So I'm glad to see that even some in our Con media are asking the same question I ask myself.

Duffy's Revenge and the Ashes of Stephen Harper's Legacy

I'm pretty sure Mike Duffy must dream of telling Stephen Harper what he thinks of him. 

Dream of suing him, and his little monsters in the PMO, and his Senate stooges, for what they did to him.

But his legal options are limited. 

His lawyer says he is battling serious health issues.

So it probably was his last hurrah.

But what a hurrah it was.

The New Donald Trump and Ted Cruz's Scary Attack Ad

Donald Trump has been on his best behaviour recently, as he tries to change his tone to try to look more presidential. 

Donald Trump defended Saturday his method of striking a different tone at rallies than he does behind closed doors with party officials. 

"When I'm in a room, talking, you're one way, when I'm out here talking to you people, I've got to be different, alright. I mean I can say basically the same thing," Trump told the crowd in Waterbury, Connecticut.

But that hasn't stopped him from going after the man he calls Lying Ted Cruz. 

The Duffy Trial: Why the RCMP Owes Canadians an Explanation

When Justice Charles Vaillancourt acquitted Mike Duffy, he brought down his gavel on the head of quite a few others.

He savaged Stephen Harper's PMO for the way it had tried to cover-up a scandal. 

He heaped scorn on the Senators who had treated Duffy so badly, and on the crown for the way it prosecuted the case.

And as Neil Macdonald points out, without singling them out for special treatment, he also raised some disturbing questions about the conduct of the RCMP. 

The Duffy Verdict and the Cowardly Con Losers

Nobody really expected Stephen Harper to comment on the Mike Duffy verdict. Not after the way the trial judge blasted the sleazy behaviour of his monstrous PMO.

And he didn't. His office didn't even respond to media requests for a statement. 

But he wasn't the only Con running for cover.

Why Bernie Sanders' Campaign Must and Will Continue

Bernie Sanders is still attracting huge crowds to his rallies.

He still has the enthusiastic support of most young progressives.

In every one of the last three months, he has managed to raise more money than Hillary Clinton. Even though donations to his campaign average only $27, compared to the thousands Clinton gets from her wealthy supporters.

But after losing the big New York primary, the establishment voices calling on him to end his campaign, are getting louder and louder.

Michael Harris on the Duffy Verdict and the Harper Nightmare

In one of my last posts I looked at the fallout from the Duffy trial. 

Celebrated the way the judge's scathing indictment had damaged what was left of Stephen Harper's legacy.

Rejoiced at the way it must have left him quivering in his closet.

And of course roared with laughter at how Mike Duffy's acquittal turned out to be the ultimate payback. 

The Late Remorse of the Con Barbarian Kellie Leitch

I'll never forget this picture of Kellie Leitch taken during the last election, shortly after she launched her Barbaric Cultural Practices campaign.

And about the time she realized what a monstrous thing she had done. And what a terrible mistake she had made by selling her soul to Stephen Harper.

And now that she's running for the Con leadership, she wants us all to know that she's really really sorry.

The Duffy Verdict: The Judge Slams Stephen Harper's PMO

Well today was going to be the day Stephen Harper finally emerged from the closet where he has been hiding for months. The day the Duffy trial finally ended.

But sadly for Great Feathered Leader it seems he's going to have to stay there a while lot longer. Or move to Paraguay.

Because while the trial judge acquitted Ol' Duff of all charges, he blasted the Harper PMO.

The Con Propaganda Machine's Latest Assault on Justin Trudeau

It seems a long time ago since the days when the Cons were bombarding us with their foul attack ads.

Attacking Justin Trudeau over and over again, with ads that always ended by claiming that he's "just not ready."

Until the day he proved he was indeed ready, and crushed them beyond recognition.

But their ghastly propaganda machine survived the onslaught, and is still grinding out the same old garbage.

The Liberals and the Legalization of Marijuana

Wednesday was National Weed Day or 4/20 day, when all over Canada and the world people gather to celebrate cannabis culture and smoke up.

So one has to commend the Liberal government for the timing of this announcement. 

Federal legislation to legalize marijuana will be ready in a year, Canada's health minister told the UN at a special session of the General Assembly in New York today.

"We will introduce legislation in spring 2017 that ensures we keep marijuana out of the hands of children and profits out of the hands of criminals," Jane Philpott said in her prepared speech to delegates. 

Even though the timing for legalization does seem to me to be a little on the slow side.

How Young Canadians May Have Won Justin Trudeau His Majority

For months  before the last election, I worked with many others to try to get young Canadians to vote.

And at the end of that long campaign I addressed this last post to them. 

Show them that young Canadians will never never be slaves. Answer the call to save our country as so many have before you, even if that meant sacrificing their young lives. Stand up for your future and the future of our beautiful Canada. And with the power of your ballot destroy this monstrous tyrant.

Omar Khadr and the Power of Love

For most of his 29 years Omar Khadr's life has been an absolute nightmare.

Dragged off to Afghanistan, caught up in the horror of war, badly wounded, jailed and tortured in Guantanamo, abandoned by his own government.

And his struggle for justice continues.

But now at last it seems that horror story will have a happy ending.

How Justin Trudeau Disarmed and Conquered His Enemies

It's a strange world. Yesterday I wrote about how the Con media had underestimated Justin Trudeau.

Only to end up badly, or end up looking ridiculous.

Now one of those Harper spear chuckers, Michael Den Tandt, has been forced to admit   that they weren't the only ones to underestimate Trudeau.

Brian Pallister is Caught Stretching the Truth. Again.

Two days ago I told you how Brian Pallister, the PC leader of Manitoba, had been found to be spending a LOT of time in sunny Costa Rica.

And had lied about where he was during the height of the 2014 flood.

Well now it turns out that he wasn't entirely honest about his holdings in that Central American country.

And sadly for him, he appears to have been caught stretching the truth. Again.

The Con Media's Fatal Underestimation of Justin Trudeau

As I've mentioned before, the tired, hapless hacks in our MSM underestimated Justin Trudeau from the time he decided to run for office.

For them and their Con masters Justin just wasn't ready.

And even though he rebuilt the shattered Liberal Party, won a crushing majority, and is at the present time the most popular Prime Minister in Canadian history, they're still singing the same tune.

Even if they have to change the words slightly, as our deathly Marie Antoinette Margaret Wente did yesterday.

Hillary Clinton and the Mystery of the Missing Transcripts

It's the greatest mystery of the Democratic race for the White House. The haunting question that won't go away.

Why won't Hillary Clinton release the transcripts of the speeches she gave to big banking institutions like Goldman Sachs?

She says she won't do that unless other candidates like Donald Trump do the same.

And since I find that answer singularly unpersuasive, I'm forced to believe this.

Linda Frum's Ghastly Assault on the Governor General

Linda Frum is one of the worst Con hacks in the Senate. And she's always getting into trouble on Twitter.

Two years ago she caused a scandal, and made herself look like an idiot, by suggesting that Elections Canada shouldn't encourage Canadians to vote.



In an obvious and absurd attempt to help her good friend Stephen Harper, who was counting on suppressing the vote to help him win another majority.

And now she's going after the Governor General.

Hey Rosetta and the Anti Harper Song

At the East Coast Music Awards last night, the Newfoundland band Hey Rosetta was the big winner. 

Newfoundland's Hey Rosetta! won big at the East Coast Music Awards gala Thursday night in Sydney, N.S. The indie group -- formed in St. John's 10 years ago -- took home album of the year and group recording of the year for the album "Second Sight," and song of the year for "Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering.)"

And I couldn't be happier.

Not just because they're a great band. 

But also because I can never forget the song they released exactly two weeks before the last election.

Meet Brian Pallister the PC Leader of Manitoba AND Costa Rica

Brian Pallister is the Progressive Conservative leader of Manitoba.

And in just four days he is widely expected to be elected as the new premier of that province.

But now there seems to be some confusion.

Will he be the new leader of Manitoba or Costa Rica?

Rona Ambrose Makes a Fool of Herself. Again.

If she wasn't such a heartless Con one might almost feel sorry for Rona Ambrose, because it's all going so horribly wrong.

She doesn't know what she's doing, the Harper PMO is jerking her all over the place. 

Despite her best efforts to destroy Justin Trudeau he just keeps getting more popular.

While she hangs limply from her puppet strings.

And to make matters even worse, she's just made an absolute fool of herself. Again.

Bernie Sanders and the Rise of the Pro Democracy Movement

In New York City last night Bernie Sanders held a giant rally in Washington Park.

And although it was one of the biggest rallies of the campaign, CNN and other TV news channels all but ignored the event, and Sanders' message.

“It is not just about electing a president,” Sanders said. “It is about creating a political revolution. It is about creating a government which works for all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors.” The crowd exploded in applause.

But it doesn't really matter because he is mobilizing the future...



And the pro-democracy movement is spreading all over the world.

More on Stephen Harper's Mysterious Visit to Las Vegas

Three days ago I told you about Stephen Harper's visit to Las Vegas, to meet with the shadowy right wing billionaire Sheldon Adelson.

And lecture Republicans on how to united their fracturing party.

But I wasn't able to determine whether Harper also attended the Republican Jewish Coalition meeting that Adelson was hosting that weekend.

That is until I saw this.

The Con Clown and the Phantom Constituents

Jack MacLaren is a Con MPP in Ontario's Legislative Assembly, an absolute clown, and a constant source of embarrassment.

Just over a week ago he disgraced himself by cracking a vulgar sexist joke at a fundraiser. 

A Progressive Conservative MPP made “crude and vulgar” comments to a woman who is his federal Liberal counterpart in an Ottawa Valley riding, embarrassing her and many in the audience at a “men’s night” cancer fundraising event attended by 350 people. 

And now he's in trouble again.

Tom Mulcair's Sad Return to the House of Commons

In some ways it was a stirring sight. Tom Mulcair returning to the House of Commons  after his humiliating defeat at the NDP leadership convention.

Standing tall and getting a standing ovation.

Two days after his fellow New Democrats made a dramatic show of backing over him, Mulcair appeared in the House of Commons, apparently determined to carry on. 

And when the Speaker called on the member for Outremont to ask the sixth question of the afternoon, Mulcair was acknowledged with a standing ovation, not merely from his typically peppy caucus, but from Conservatives and Liberals as well, a seemingly unanimous expression of appreciation.

But in other ways, the sight couldn't have been sadder or more depressing...

The Emergency Debate and the Children of Attawapiskat

I watched the emergency debate in the Commons on the crisis in Attawapiskat, and I heard some fine speeches.

Especially the one from Charlie Angus. 

No one can understand "how a country as rich as Canada can leave so many young children and young people behind," said Charlie Angus, whose sprawling northern Ontario riding includes the deeply troubled and isolated aboriginal community.

And let's hope that something good comes out of it because the situation couldn't be worse.

Why Rich Tax Dodgers Should Be Named and Shamed

The Panama Papers' scandal has revealed a steaming mountain or pyramid of corruption.

Where the super rich live high off the hog, while countries deprived of tax dollars grow more and more miserable.

So I'm glad to see that the Liberal government is planning to step up efforts to go after our own tax cheats. 

The Killer Drug and the Killer Cons

I took this picture yesterday of a humble monument next to a community clinic in Toronto.

It's believed to be the first monument anywhere, to those who died of drug overdoses or drug related causes.

But if we were to build a monument to all those who have died the same way all over Canada in just the last ten years, it would be massive.

Because our country has a huge opioid drug problem, and these days the most dangerous killer is the drug fentanyl.

Who Knew Harper Is Now Working For The Republicans?

As soon as I saw that picture of Stephen Harper a few months ago, posing for a selfie outside a Shake Shack in Las Vegas, I was almost sure I knew why he was really there.

Not to soak up the sun, or stuff himself with the Shack's crinkle cut cheese fries, or its almost legendary frozen custard.

But to pay his respects to this creepy Republican billionaire.

Why Canadians Need to Rush to the Rescue of Attawapiskat

Attawapiskat, the small First Nation's community on the edge of James Bay, is a place well known to many Canadians.

And sadly for all the wrong reasons.

Five years ago it had to declare a state of emergency to deal with a severe housing crisis.

Now it has had to declare another one, and the reason couldn't be more tragic.

The NDP Snatches Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

It could only happen in Canada. Or at an NDP leadership convention.

First the party gives the leader the boot.

In a dramatic rejection of Tom Mulcair's time as leader of the federal NDP, delegates gathered in Edmonton for the party's convention have voted in favour of launching a new leadership race. Delegates voted 52 per cent to 48 per cent to proceed with a leadership election.

In no uncertain terms.

Only to allow him to stay on for two more long years.

Why the Con Leadership Race is Turning Into a Nightmare

The Con leadership race was always going to be a spectacle only a mad emperor like Caligula or Stephen Harper could enjoy.

Especially since it was revealed that some Cons are so desperate they're thinking of bringing back Harper, to try to keep the Reformers and the Red Tories from tearing each other to pieces.

But whether Harper returns or not, the Con leadership race is already turning into a living nightmare.