A strange thing happened last night. I wrote a post that was published on Progressive Bloggers, but had disappeared early today. So I'm repeating it under another name in the hope that it won't happen again. And what I wanted to say was that although I have always known that Andrew Scheer was a racist, he was able to hide that racism from most Canadians. Until suddenly he couldn't. When one of his Con MPs attacked Canada's top doctor in the most disgusting manner.
As I'm sure you remember, the last Con leadership race was an absolute horror show that seemed to go on forever. And despite the large number of candidates stumbling around only managed to produce a loser like Andrew Scheer. Well now the Cons are trying to speed up the process by announcing that the new leader will be chosen next June.
In my last post I looked at the ugly way Andrew Scheer reacted to the swearing in of Justin Trudeau's new cabinet. And I suggested he was still bitter at the way Trudeau had humiliated him. But now I think something else was also bothering him. He was hearing the sound of sharpening knives, as an issue that helped sink his campaign came back to bite him again.
It's been almost a week since Don Cherry opened his big mouth, let out another bigoted roar, and for once didn't get away with it. And while his supporters are trying to whip up support for him. So is Cherry, even more desperately...
Almost every day for more than two years Andrew Scheer has attacked Justin Trudeau in the vilest and most cowardly manner. But now that the Liberals are exposing the bigotry and religious fanaticism of one Con candidate after the other, he's not happy, as you can see from the look on his face. And from the way the Con campaign is going up in flames.
When I last wrote about Andrew Scheer he was marching in an Acadian parade in New Brunswick. And being made to look like a fool by Justin Trudeau. As well as a loser and a serial liar. And although Scheer was missing from this parade in Montreal yesterday.
As I'm sure you know by now, Andrew Scheer has been trying to soften his image. By among other things promising to give the medicare system he wants to privatize, a shot in the arm. Or more likely one in the heart. But sadly for Scheer his PR offensive went horribly wrong over the course of the long weekend. When he was exposed first as a gun nut, and then as a bigot. Again.
It's the one question Andrew Scheer would rather run away from than answer. For he knows that if Canadians ever learn the truth very few of them would vote for him. But his dark secret will not go away. And Michael Coren is the latest to ask this burning question.
It's not easy to get back to the sweltering heat of the city after spending two days sailing through the coolest part of Lake Ontario, far from the madding crowds, and our increasingly grubby political scene. But if I have to get back into the political arena, and I do because my holiday is over and the election is now just twelve weeks away, this story will do just fine.
I have never understood why the Cons and other toxic Trudeau haters get such a perverted pleasure going after our prime minister and his family. But I do know it's not healthy, I do know it's not Canadian. I do know that this is the kind of horror show you get when you let those haters poison our country.
In the Ukrainian capital of Kiev yesterday about 8,000 people took part in a Pride march, that country's biggest one ever. It was a proud moment for that country's oppressed LGBT community. But police had to protect the marchers from neo-Nazis and other fascist scum who were threatening to attack them. And if you thought that a similar threat couldn't happen here, at Canada's biggest Pride parade, you'd be wrong.
This month will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots that helped spark the rise of the gay liberation movement. And all over the world Pride marches are taking place to celebrate the anniversary, and fire up the seemingly never-ending struggle for basic human rights. A struggle that continues all over the world, even in Canada.
It was a neighbourhood party that began in a subdued manner, with Raptor's fans lining up for hours in the pouring rain to get into Jurassic Park. But it ended with me needing a full day to recover. For when the final buzzer sounded, and the Raptors were the new reigning champions, a massive roar rocked the neighbourhood. And the place exploded.
As you may have noticed, Andrew Scheer has been trying to remake the image of him and his Cons. Trying to convince Canadians that he's really a nice guy. Not the man commonly known as Schmearmonger, the depraved leader of the most bigoted party in modern Canadian history. But unfortunately for Schmear, his record speaks for itself, and ugly is ugly.
In normal times, in a different Canada, a story about Andrew Scheer's monster bigot problem would be enough to end his political career. For his bigotry couldn't be more disgusting, or more damaging. Especially at a time when he has finally decided to tell us who is the real Scheer. Which should be a laugh, or a scream. But here's the really scary part.
For nine long weeks Justin Trudeau has been forced to defend himself from the Cons and their media stooges, who tried to use the fake scandal to destroy him. But that scandal finally passed away the other day, not with a bang but a whimper. And now Trudeau is putting on the gloves again.
It was one of the most grotesque interviews I have ever seen. Two right-wing Christian fanatics on the bigot Rebel, discussing why they could never support a harmless motion condemning islamophobia, not long after a gunman killed six Muslims in Quebec City. And then cheerfully making plans to go duck hunting together. Andrew Scheer and Faith Goldy's torrid on-air romance ended abruptly when Goldy was exposed as a neo-Nazi cheerleader at a deadly rally in Charlottesville. But I'm sure the memories of their time together must have come flooding back the other day.
If the situation hadn't been so tragic it would have been hilarious. Although I'm sure Andrew Scheer wasn't laughing, just keeping a very low profile. For yesterday had to be one of his most humiliating days ever. First he was revealed to be a religious fanatic and a bigot. Again. And then he was made to look like a weakling AND a monstrous Con clown.
It's a double blow for Andrew Scheer. The fake scandal is fading to black, but the other real scandal isn't going anywhere. The scandal where he revealed his true colours, by addressing a gathering on Parliament Hill riddled with racists, far-right extremists, and white nationalists like Faith Goldy, Scheer's old Rebel crush. A real scandal that now has many Canadians wondering where Scheer would take this country if he ever became prime minister. And the problem for our would be Trump is, it's a scandal that Scheer won't be able to escape, for at least three good reasons.
I was incredibly impressed by Michael Wernick when he appeared before the Justice Committee for three big reasons. One, he blew the fake scandal right out of the water. Two, he said the original Robert Fife story in the Globe, upon which the whole hollow scandal was constructed, "contains errors, unfounded speculation and, in some cases, is simply defamatory." Which was music to my ears. And three, he issued a grim warning.
