Vancouver King

Absolutely, auto bailouts are coming from Washington and Ottawa. Too bad the handouts won't be tied to the 3 companies actually building vehicles that people want to buy. In addition to poor current sales, all 3 are losing billions by eating losses on lease returns - customers won't touch buyouts that price their returned vehicles well above market values.

All three attacks have been on sour gas lines - coincidence or is perpetrator trying to make a point without risking main pipe explosions/shutdowns? A terrorist with a conscience? The Albertan person of interest arrested previously is in jail on outstanding warrants and could not have planted this latest bomb.

Let's not be too tough on our American guest, imagine his burden dragging around a handle like Bush Cheney in the context of a world economy shattered by Washington Republicans, a calling card tantamount to screaming 'I am a political leper' as he skulks from forum to forum. Sarah Palin would seem an appropriate makeover for him.

Good plan...an equal opportunity critic. Yes, Vancouver Kingsway is my riding and it is a great relief to have a parliamentary presence that reflects the views of a majority here after 2 years + of a spineless, couldn't-care-less neo-conservative MP. Harper's politics are alien here ... finally we have a representative that actually represents.

You haven't got a clue. In 2006, when Emerson pulled his stunt, the Cons got 13.6% of the vote. How many generations will it take to legally elect a Tory in this Vancouver riding? Perhaps the Cons should begin with a less daunting task - like electing any MP, anywhere in the nations three biggest cities.

You forgot the NDP highlight of the night here - stealing a seat from Harper in Emerson's old riding. Voters finally had their say on Emerson disenfranchising them, resulting in a pox on both the Con and Lib houses movement and yielded an NDP gain. How sweet it was....

Canada's auto industry was established to reflect Canada's share of the auto sales market and had absolutely nothing to do with benevolence from Uncle Sam. Lower production costs, ie. medical coverage, allowed the industry to expand here. BTW, are you considering a moniker trade-in? I understand McCain/Palin will be pretty cheap in about a week.

The reason Harper won is simple: a well meaning but incompetent opposition leader was no leadership match for Harper. Add in campaign resources (3 to 1?) in favor of Tories and the suddenly the most relevant question becomes: How did Harper avoid a majority? The smart money is now being placed on a Liberal majority in 2010.

The above article says year over year corporate tax paid was down 43.1%. And the recession hasn't even locked in yet. What ever happened to business paying it's fair share? Why not just hand the treasury's keys to the banks and oil companies?

This is the issue no one wants to touch except the NDP. Oh sure, Liberals always campaign from the left but once in power promptly forget their promises to eradicate child poverty and the plight of the poor. Tories, of course wear the misery of the marginalized as evidence of their political destiny. Only when widows and orphans beg for loonies on street corners will this problem be seriously addressed.

Will be interesting to see if this is an angry local reacting to property issues or eco terrorists acting on their ideology. Certainly hope it's not the latter as there are thousands of kms of isolated pipeline here in BC. It would be shockingly easy for terrorists to effectively attack this type of infrastructure.

who?

A Liberal return to power must begin with it's traditional base of Ontario. Right or wrong, Rae is perceived to have far too much baggage there from his former provincial regime. Likable and savvy won't be enough in the coming leadership race, a guaranteed winner is crucial for the debt-strapped Liberal party. Only Manley or Ignatieff qualify against that standard.

News flash on the late news: Dion will announce tomorrow (Thursday the 16th) he is stepping down as leader. Apparently he is going quietly with no night of the long knives needed. Go Iggy go.

Angus Reid and Nanos had the distinction of being alone in conducting a poll the Sunday before election day. Both overestimated NDP support by about 2%. Can't wait for comparison including Harris-Decima, Ipsos Reid and Ekos. The missing NDP voters can't be explained by strategic voting - did they stay home?

Harper gets to sleep by counting Republican elephants. Another costly war on drugs dove tails nicely with imprisoning 14 year olds with hardened lifers. Our newest minority will ensure this right wing neo-con nonsense remains a Harper dream.

You make some good points. In a caucus already top heavy with Western rural MP's, Harper must now accommodate another dozen or so from Central Canada. Layton was arguably the only other 'winner' of the evening but ironically shares with Harper the distinction of misreading Quebec's pulse despite investing major resources there. I see the highlight of Layton's evening right here in Vancouver Kingsway - David Emerson's riding. Conservatives and Liberals were beat-down here with barely 25% of the vote each as voters passed judgment on Emerson's floor-crossing to the Tories and the Liberal party for not seeing that action coming. The NDP's Don Davies will become an important voice in the party's expanded caucus. For the foreseeable future a metaphor for incompetence and stupidity will be Harper's Quebec campaign team. The Keystone Cops of Canada's political universe. Didn't they bother to vet the arts cuts before going public?

Thank you, thank you.....please, please hold the applause....can you FedEx my trophy? Those pesky independents are tough to predict, the cities remain wastelands for Tories and the knives are being honed over Dion's leadership...the more things change.....

Obama will be elected due to the stench of neo-conservatism in Republican Washington. America will be fortunate to rebound from Bush's laissez faire corruption without riots in the streets.

Conservative and Liberal govts both agree tax breaks for oil companies and banks have a higher priority. Wouldn't you rather see an Exxon V.P. build a nicer villa in Tuscany than a pensioner afford her prescriptions?

The Incumbent? The incumbent in the land of DOW has already reached his constitutional maximum - the closest thing to a presidential incumbent is Republican McCain and this comment sums up the GOP's election chances: David Letterman: "A back country hiker has discovered the remains of John McCain's presidential campaign".

It's as if today's DOW action somehow has a bearing on the biggest problem facing global economies - banks refusing to lend to other banks. Jobu's junior trader enthusiasm is cute, however the credit squeeze remains and the global recession still looms.

Duceppe's urgent tone reflects his concern that his party's overwhelming lead might lead to complacency by supporters. Standard strategy fare from a front runner.

And you made the wrong call, again, when you said the bottom was 8,000, sorry, not even bronze medal territory.

These are the Nanos final set of numbers for the election: CPC - 34.2% Libs - 26.7 NDP - 21.4 Bloc - 9.5 Green - 8.2 Above shows 2% gain by Harper over Libs compared to 2006 and considering the unusual splits everywhere, should yield an extra 12 to 20 seats for a stronger minority govt. this time. http://www.nanosresearch.com/election/CPAC...er-13-2008E.pdf