betsy

Definitely a better victory than Dion had! Though it isn't a majority, a solid minority is still a victory. Yeah...especially considering the ace team of the Liberals were actively campaigning to unseat him - CHRETIEN, PAUL MARTIN, BOB RAE, IGNATIEFF - and Harper, the one-man army emerged the victor. And to boot, gaining additional seats for the Conservatives! So yeah! I say bring it on! That should put an end to that silly talk about forming a coalition. I'm very happy too to see him stay! He has another chance to show his leadership skill. And you know it never hurts to have all the experience....the longer the people get to know him....if he keep handling his leadership well, the more people will trust him. Then the Oppositions can't use the "scary Harper" theme anymore. With a good advice from those who know how to resonate effectively, especially in Quebec......you might be looking at Harper for a very, very, very long time. Who knows, a few years form now....you'll be here on Maple leaf...with us on the Conservative side!

The Liberal leadership will be the next interesting thing to watch if Dion loses.

Yes it may be intact....but the missing part could very well become a portion of interest as well. That tape is crucial evidence. Of course there'll be questions. I am not making any judgement. You and I cannot really say for a fact that the author did not have access to any sophisticated tools...or that he did not have any help from anyone who could.

Here's an excerpt of the latest report: New report casts doubt on Cadman affair tape Updated Mon. Oct. 13 2008 8:10 PM ET A new report has cast doubt on the authenticity of a taped conversation which the Liberals say implicates Conservative Leader Stephen Harper in a bribery scandal involving the late MP Chuck Cadman. CTV News reported Monday that two audio experts, hired by the Liberal Party of Canada to analyze the tape, found that "the recording cannot be shown to be complete." The latest, Liberal-funded report states "it can be postulated that the original ... tape recording was digitized, edited digitally and the electronically placed on the evidence tape associated with this dispute." However, the report also states that it would be impossible to determine if such an alteration was even made, and that the journalist who recorded the tape -- Tom Zytaruk -- likely did not have the tools or knowledge necessary to alter the tape in such a fashion. "While the process would be relatively simple to carry out in a laboratory such as ours, its realization ... would have demanded more sophisticated technical knowledge and equipment than is apparent in the examination of Mr. Zytaruk," the report says. The experts also found that the tape "cannot be shown to be complete" because of apparent missing sections and an interruption. Zytaruk has said he stopped his tape recorder and started it again during his interview with Harper. Key words: cast doubt on the authenticity. Tom Zytaruk likely may not have the tools or knowledge...but perhaps somebody else does. Perhaps Tom Zytaruk has an accomplice who has the technical knowledge and had access to sophisticated tools. The missing sections are also crucial. What's in that missing section? Having that section in that tape may be evidence that negates their allegation about Harper. Perhaps by taking that section out, it changed the context of the interview. Who knows? That's the thing about this. A lot of questions that need answers. I find it hard to believe that if you have an important interview with a Prime Minister....an interview that you would include in a book.....why would you tape over some parts of it?

The Deputy Leader named one specific website that's manned by the Liberals. Vote for the Environment.

The Liberals are well-known for corruptions. This only shows nothing has changed! Only getting uglier for now it's tampering with the voting process.

So did I!

And yes, she did sell out her party. This woman that they're trying to paint as "authentic" and "refreshing" is just as easily comfortable making side deals and getting in bed with the Liberals just like any hardened politicians. To be so intuned to the sleazy ways of politics and for a rookie at that, what more with a few years of experience to hone this skill. She is of the very same mold. Nothing authentic or refreshing about her. I feel sorry for the Green Party. They need votes to raise funds and May is giving it to the Liberals. I betcha the Liberals had hatched this plan with her right from the very start!

Nah. The Liberals USED the environment issue! The Green Plan is not for the environment....it's not even going to reduce gas emissions. It's a pay-to-pollute policy. It is just a tax grab scheme. The Green Party Deputy Leader said they were naive into believing the Liberals, that in the end the "Red Machine" is just the same-old, same-old. If your main priority is for the environment, look to the NDP and the Conservatives...and decide which plan you agree with.

Whether he understood the question or not, is not the real issue about this incident. That's just superficial. We're not talking about just another interview of a starlet in Hollywood. We're talking about this man who's vying for the position of leader of Canada. A leader expected to be quick-witted to handle any kind of situation, including the poorly-worded questionaire of one rather poorly-prepared journalist. The Liberal Party no doubt felt embarassed by that incident having their leader clumsily fumbling through a scenario that he should've been prepared to expect. Think how Canadians would've felt if this interview happened on foreign soil with him as our Prime Minister. It is a big deal! That's why CTV decided to air it! They may be saying the ballot issue is all about economy....but it still all boils down on leadership! Why isn't Dion prepared to face that kind of situation? He perfectly knows his weaknesses, doesn't he? After all he volunteered his alleged hearing problem where-in the English language is jumbled. It was bad enough that he was caught with his pants down....but worse, he did not know how to pull it up! That interview plainly showed Dion is not quick to improvise or to maneuver out of a difficult or unexpected situation.

Oh boy, quite an interesting turn. And equally ironic too since this time, the report's by the expert hired by the Liberals!

What, do you think Dion is slurring French people everytime he speaks English? You think the French accent is shameful? And here I am thinking how sexy Hollywood French movie stars sound with their accent.

Why do you say it will cost as much? Explain please.

Besides, if Dion loses...there will be no next time for him. It's back to the Liberal Leadership race. Bob Rae and Ignatieff have been having a trial run campaigning...of course helping out Dion as a team. So they say.

That's the bitter lament of the Green Party Deputy Leader on Mike Duffy today, after he was asked if he felt the Green Party was taken for a ride by the Liberals. "We were naive," he said. There are numerous strategic voting sites on the net, and as it turned out, these are managed by Liberal staffs. They are after the Green supporters. He denied reports that Elizabeth May told the Greens to vote Liberal. The Green Party Deputy Leader implored Green supporters to stay with the Green because they need the money the party earns for each voter.

The Green Shift Plan is designed to woo voters! As simple as that! And yes, it is nothing more than a tax grab! It's not even going to do anything to reduce gas emission! What more, it will raise the cost of living. So yes, the population will get a double whammy! Neutral tax my foot! We'll be taxed to our eyeballs and Canada will end up being broke all because of funding a silly man's pipe dream. Even some of the usually liberal-leaning media are worried to the point that they've endorsed Harper! It is the Liberals who are trying to mis-represent their policy.

Dion's whole platform is based on his Green Shift Plan. So what is Dion's track record? Aside from being with the "old boys" that cooked up the atrocious boondagles of the gun registry, HRDC, etc..? Gas emission doubling up, that is!

I didn't get the chance to see that website. The Liberals must be bracing for the next lawsuit. No wonder Dion's been whining, "'e sues everyone ooo don't agree with 'im."

Because it's the most sensible thing to do for any politician in the midst of running a campaign! What campaigning politician would want any distraction from his message? Look what happened in all the gaffes involving all parties! Their messages were hijacked and the focus was on the gaffes instead of policies or platforms! Everyone is saying "we should focus on the substance!"

Just now,Duceppe is having a rally and his voice sounds desperate. He repeatedly urges Quebecers to go out and vote, that they should stop a Harper majority. Then he adds, "despite all appearances, the reality is Harper is close to getting a majority." Is this just simply a ploy to make sure that Quebecers do go out to vote....or...could it be true?

Depends on who's looking and from what angle. To me, it doesn't make sense for Harper to hire an expert only to prove him wrong....if he (Harper) doesn't truly think the tape had been altered. It also showed that Harper did not "buy" the expert into agreeing to his testimony....which opposition and supporters will no doubt accuse him of doing if the findings did show it was altered.

An excerpt from your link stated: "In the report Koenig concluded that the first part of Zytaruk’s interview with Harper, which contains the key portions that the prime minister has contested, was intact. The second part, beginning roughly one minute and 41 seconds into the tape, was a new recording that was made over the final part of the original recording, he said. But the first crucial minute and 41 seconds had not been altered." Now I'm curious what was that original recording in the second part? Why was a new recording made over the final part? As I stated before, the hearing is still going on. Let the court decide.

So, are you voting for Duceppe?

I spent almost an hour trying to google anything about the recent IMF report but I can't find a single article. Anyway, what I came across was a blog that indicate the same frustration. Comment by kody on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 11:12 pm: "Think about that for a moment: Canada’s performance/readiness relative to all other equivalent/G8 countries in this economic downturn, is perhaps the most relevant piece of information, in this election, but the media has decided not to report it. It has decided the public needs not see this when they make their decision as to who is best to lead the country in an economic downturn. Instead the media is content to parrot opposition attacks, and editorialize that Harper is being “defensive”, while at the same time knowingly withholding information from the public that would have a material impact on their decision and that would put a lie to the allegations the media are tacitly supporting. Aaron, you must be so proud of your industry." http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/10/08/btc-fam...-everything-ix/ Yesterday on Question Period, Jane Taber showed she's pathetically incompetent as a co-host of a political talk-show. She spent the precious 8 minutes interview with Dion pressing him with trivial petty questions as to whether he'll quit if he loses. Dion kept deflecting by insisting on talk about "substance" - which amount to him saying he is the best to handle the economy, and attacks on Harper's ability to handle the turmoil. Professional reporters would've easily latched on Dion's bold statements by challenging him what he thinks of the latest IMF report! But no. Taber failed to recognize the plump newsworthy piece of information and not even once mentioned that most recent report that contradicts Dion's assertion. Question Period fancies itself along the same league of Meet The Press....but it's just actually along the same lines as the Insider! No substance there. CTV should start revamping its political talk shows. One very promising reporter from the CTV that I would love to host Question Period show is Graham Richardson. He sits for MDuffy every now and then, and boy....does he ever know how to push buttons of either Conservatives, Liberals or anyone. He is tenacious in his questioning and refuses to be deflected! Jane Taber should be moved to ETalk.

The Ottawa Sun had an editorial that mirrors the message above. It had clearly endorsed the Conservatives. It was published yesterday. I can't find a copy of it to post here. The Ottawa Sun editorial began its article by saying this is one of those moments when we have to make a very important decision. Then it stated the reasons why the Conservatives must win.