jdobbin

Yes, actually. Many countries went into deficit in those so-called boom years. Not Canada. The nonsense appears to be coming from you. The Tory government itself has said much of the money is being spent or in the process of being spent. I'm afraid it is you that is delusional. The Tories say the money is being spent now and only about 20% had not been allocated as of yet. http://www.kelowna.com/2009/07/09/canada-f...-more-stimulus/ At least half the stimulus package will have been spent by the end of the year. The rest is in projects expected to stretch to the end of next year. However, you seem to think very little has been spent at all. Of course this is all on top of the massive spending already committed in the previous budget. What will help areas hard hit is continued infrastructure work. 80% of the money has already been committed now, half the budget for stimulus will be spent by the end of the year.

So you'll stick with your 100 settlers position. Okay. And your source is impeccable and the real number is only 100. Given that all you are about is on settlement, I think we know where your support lies. You have a hard time convincing otherwise when you can't even say that Hamas is a terrorist organization not even interested in talks.

I think the namecalling is uncalled for. I am just trying to figure out your stance.

Well, since he hasn't seen the platform, it is hard to guess what his issues are with it. Ignatieff didn't want to do what Dion did which was not have anything solidly laid out on a variety of issues or relying heavily on one policy out in the open while the other parties kept theirs hidden and attacked the Liberal one. As Jane Taber has reported, Ignatieff took time in July to go over what was prepared. It seems for all the media that was complaining about an election in the summer, they all seem to want a summer campaign to cover.

In support of Iran?

Considering the Liberals managed to run no deficits for many years and cut spending and taxes at the same time, it is hard to imagine they could do worse than the present Tories. The government itself has said that the majority of money is spent or being spent now so this idea that nearly none of it has been spent in a mystry. Where did you get that information? In June we were in deflation for the first time in 15 years. Without government spending, it would have dipped even more dramatically. Flaherty himself said that employement was going to be stuck at 9 or 10% in the worst hit areas, manufacturing was going to continue to suffer in part to world demand and high Canadian dollar. If the Tories wish to make some cuts, they can reduce their polling and government ads. Put money into infrastructure where people get back to work fast.

I provided you the Washington Post story and that information is repeated all over the media this week. The same numbers are stated a few times. http://en.rian.ru/world/20090721/155573384.html It was an Hareetz who first reported that number. You insist that there is but 100 or so people being talked about and provided an old NZ story that doesn't even refer to the settlements in question. Your support of Hamas and not being able to admit they are a terrorist group colours your entire view, it seems. Your party Hamas is not up for any of that. They are not even at the table.

You are aware that the Harper is the PM, right? The Tories had their own coalition plans with the NDP and Bloc which they try to deny but the paper trail betrays them. There was not insistence on a $30 billion stimulus. That was debunked by John McCallum one day after the Tories started shouting about it. The Tories have been drawing large numbers out of EI for their own purposes. Don't act high and mighty about it. The difference is the Liberals ended the deficit while the Tories started spending and have produced a deficit. You just finished a but the Liberals argument. Harper is PM now. He owns the deficit and misspending the led to it. Other provinces have been able to stimulate their economy without going into deficit.

Your support of Harper and how they spend and the excuses you make about it really defies what real conservatives talk about. It is possible to stimulate the economy and not spend like drunken sailors on polling and government ads on TV.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32133816/ns/po...new_york_times/ Yeesh, one can imagine what might have happened if Cheney had been President.

By going to Iran?

Some of the experts are saying that the recovery would be assisted by an easing of the heavy stance on inflation. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-inves...article1222938/

Hard to see where there will be large scale inflation even with the spending when predictions of further slides in oil prices among other things pretty much ensure low numbers.

What inflation? Last month we registered the first deflation in 15 years.

The 23 settlements have around 8000 people living in them. That number comes from a couple of sources.

While Harper's people today said no compromise, no changes. Period.

It is the only reason that the NDP lasted as long as it did. The support went up each month after that to defeat the NDP and the Liberals were punished for propping them up/ And it didn't have to be that way. The NDP became a non-entity in governance. It was mentioned by analysts, the media and it certainly didn't go unnoticed by the electorate. The economy was charging ahead and the fear language used by the NDP simply produced an even greater turn to the main opposition. Developing the policy that will needed for August and into the fall was a priority. The fundraising teams and organizational people have fanned out. Rocco Rossi has been everywhere bringing in cash and getting new members signed up. The party needs the policy and platform in place for this fall. It increasingly became clear in the spring that producing ideas on the fly was not the answer.

Layton went down to the States a few months ago to talk about healthcare and Tommy Douglas... and he returned. On MSNBC the other day he said he going back to the States shortly to argue for universal healthcare...and Tommy Douglas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u8n3pZBd5A Be sure to get after him as well when he leaves again. I agree that the posturing was stupid. However, I'm sure you and others would have called Ignatieff irresponsible to take the country to an election. I'm becoming more convinced that the Tories will call an election themselves in the fall. Despite the talk of the economy growing, it comes with talk of a higher dollar which will still hurt plenty. There is also talk of oil dropping much further this winter. That would be devastating in western Canada,

That you support?

According to the Hill Times and from what I have heard, the platform and policies are being derived from convention and from the committee that was going to the grass roots. http://www.thehilltimes.ca/html/index.php?...atform/&c=2 That report was sent in at the end of June to party headquarters and my understanding was that it was going to take some time in July to work through the details, not the least which is when and how to unveil the various policies. Do it too soon and risk everyone campaigning against your policies while keeping theirs hidden. Do it too late and risk being labelled as not having any policies. My guess is that some general principles on the economy will take precedence throughout August. The Tories today are already hinting no compromise on some issues and laying down the gauntlet. I think Ignatieff should simply remain calm, say that he looking to find a deal but give no indication of how the party will vote until it actually happens.

But support Iran?

Then welcome to the party.

How can you be sure that we aren't?

Because we are the world.

My understanding was that Ignatieff was awaiting the feedback from the party on the platform and policies. The deadline for that was the end of June. There was also to be the summer examination of EI which has just begun now. You are full of crap. And was in Britain a few days and according to political reporters has been in Ottawa the rest of the time at party headquarters. By all means, vote Layton in next election. He has a plan.