sir_springer

I'll tell you who is probably praying that Stronach wins. Jack Layton. It would be his ticket to Stornoway...gift wrapped, no less. BTW... Similar poll over at Free Dominion also has Harper at 65%.

If, by the wildest stretch of imagination possible, Stronach wins this thing... We're toast, simple as that. Martin will throttle her, as will his bloodthirsty Liberal machine. I would go so far as to say that, if Klein backs her, he runs some serious risks within his own party on the homefront with his own membership. There is, frankly, an anti-CA stink coming out of the east regarding this whole process. When the "good ol' boys" of the PCs would rather back someone with virtually NO credentials whatsoever for the job over someone of the proven abilities and trackrecord as does Harper possess, it's a pretty sad statement about the political realities of this country, IMHO. To put a fine point on it... If Stronach can and does actually win this race, then I will have final confirmation that I have been kidding myself for about 15 years regarding the future of the west within Canada.

Follow the link... http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...5///?hub=Canada Parts 1 and 2 on the RHS for video. He was awesome! Ripped the hell outta Paul Martin! Best I've ever heard him.

http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=tem...te_id=46〈=e Note that, if you don't happen get CPAC locally, you can watch it on your computer. Top RHS of that page, there's a live broadcast option. Should be on about 6:30 or 7:00 Eastern. BTW... Real Player has a new version out today. Might want to upgrade first.

Harper set to enter the race Last Updated Mon, 12 Jan 2004 8:44:35 OTTAWA - Former Alliance leader Stephen Harper will officially announce his candidacy Monday to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada. Harper's announcement is expected to come as the only official candidate, Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice, will say he's stepping out of the race because of a lack of funding. Harper, who is considered the front-runner for the March 19-21 leadership vote, will kick off his leadership bid at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park. The 44-year-old Alberta MP will also officially step down as Leader of the Opposition. Veteran MP Grant Hill will take over although Harper will continue to live in Stornoway, the home of the official Opposition. Former Tory leader Peter MacKay is expected to announce Tuesday whether he'll run. Other potential candidates expected to make their decisions this week about running include Alliance MP Chuck Strahl, former Ontario health minister Tony Clement and Belinda Stronach, CEO and president of Magna International Inc. The Conservative Party of Canada was created after members of the Alliance and Tory parties voted overwhelmingly in December to merge. Written by CBC News Online staff

BlueDraft is reporting that Runciman is going to back Stephen Harper. Comment from the rest: "DOH!!!"

That is nothing more than Liberal spin in order to affect support for Harper within the CPC ranks. I assure you, the prospect of Martin going against Harper in a national debate, especially a televised one, does not foster any fuzzies within the Liberal camp. They, more than most people, know all too well of Harper's strengths, particularly in debate. He's the last person they want to see win this leadership, believe me. So naturally, they're proclaiming that he's their favorite. First, they said Lord would be a problem for them. Now they're saying that Clements would be a problem. Clements??? Yeah, right!

Pell... I'm sure you know where to find election results on Election Canada's website. Best you go back and take another look. Prior to the emergence of the Reform, British Columbians elected as many as 19 NDP MPs. Why? Protest vote against the Liberals and PCs, no other reason. When the Reform showed up, the NDP tanked here, and tanked big time. In 2000, Riis in Kamloops, long time NDP MP and very popular, got thumped by 20,000 votes, if I recall correctly. As little as 3 months prior to the 2000 election, the Liberals had a healthy lead over the CA in polling. Once the election was called, that immediately reversed, and the CA took roughly 50% of the vote. That has been the case for the last three elections out here. It will repeat itself again this year. The bulk of NDP support in this province is within a few ridings in the Vancouver area. Outside of that, it is spread wide and thin. Provincially, the NDP just had a leadership convention. It drew 800 delegates, and they elected a virtually unknown woman, a social worker, for their leader. What I saw and heard of that leadership race, I can tell you that it was about as dull a political event as I can ever remember in this province. I take this as a solid indication of just how totally in disarray is this party. And any support at all the NDP hopes to get federally will come from this provincial core. Don't kid yourself about NDP prospects in this province, pal. It ain't gonna happen. Martin is enjoying a honeymoon with the electorate right now...which will not last. Already he is floundering on major issues. Out here, the gun registry is a very major issue across the entire province, and even within Vancouver. Martin has shown that he has no intentions of gassing that POS. Whatever support the polls are indicating for this fraud right now, will almost certainly begin to deteriorate from here on, and crash upon the call of an election. People are quickly learning out here that, at the end of the day, Martin is no conservative by any stretch; he's a Liberal through and through...and that is the kiss of death in this province. Fact is, partner, if this poll shows anything at all, it is that the NDP's support nationally has topped out. It has not grown at all beyond the 14% range it achieved following Laydown's leadership win. Historically, the NDP often hover as high as that during midterm polling...only to collapse back into the 8% to 10% range on election day. Broadbent took his numbers as high as 45%...and got 20% on election day. Whatever pump Layton managed, has topped out, and in all likelihood will now begin to fall back as the reality of an impending election begins to sink in with voters. Bi-elections are irrelevant, always have been, always will be. They amount to little more than entertainment value. General elections are entirely another matter. They are about electing governments and Prime Ministers. Layton, not by any stretch of the imagination, is not even remotely perceived as "Prime Ministerial" by any but the most ardent NDP supporters. The one thing that the Liberal Left media are avoiding is the reality of the ultimate effect of merger of the CA and PCs upon voter psyche. For a decade now, voters have had it pounded into their heads by the Liberal Left that neither the Reform/CA or PCs had a chance while they remained divided...and a great many bought into that theory. Now, as they seriously start to ponder their options heading into the coming spring election, that same theory stands a very good of chance of coming back to haunt the Liberal Left. Because if that was so apparently true then, then the reality of a single conservative option now, conversely, must have a very good chance of succeeding. This singlular perception amongst voters can, and almost certainly will, be a considerable motivating factor to those who desperately want a real change of face on the federal government. The fact is, Paul Martin cannot call a general election soon enough to suit his own ends. He knows damn well that the longer voters have to judge him and his government as to whether or not they in fact represent a real change, the more certain it is that voters will conclude that they do not. Novelty is a fleeting thing, partner, no different in politics than anything else. The novelty voters are experiencing with Paul Martin will quickly fade, primarily because there is damn little novelty with this collection of old faces to begin with. A great many people liked to think that Chretien was the real problem with the Liberals, and so they are breathing a collective sigh of relief now that he is finally gone...which currently is providing Martin what I would call the "sigh" factor, and is thus propping up his numbers in polling. Nevertheless, the same issues and problems that faced Chretien still face Martin. You think the Liberal caucus has changed its stripes suddenly? No. Same collection of clowns that it was a month ago, a year ago, three years ago. Or, as they say, same shit, different pile. If he thought he could get away with it, Martin would call an election tomorrow. But he's hamstrung by a few critical things: a) The creation of the extra ridings out west, which will take time to affect. He jumps the gun on this one, he proves conclusively that he doesn't give a damn about the west. He needs a budget in order to somehow show that he's different. It ultimately won't, but at least political imperatives dictate that he tries. c) To call an election while the CPC, his primary competition, is in the midst of a leadership campaign would be generally perceived to be the act of a total asshole. His biggest fear is that this leadership race will spark momentum for the CPC heading into that election, just as did the CA's in 2000, and which posed a serious threat then to the Liberals. It was only the combination of a vicious Liberal campaign, and Stock's ultimate unpreparedness for federal politics, that saved the Liberals from defeat, or at least a minority government. Martin knows Harper, and thus knows that Harper, unlike Stock Day, will be all too prepared to go head to head with him. And Martin knows very well that Harper will be, in the political arena of an election debate, an exceedingly formidable opponent. The Liberals' attention to the NDP right now is merely recognition of the fact that, as I said, they are all too vulnerable in Ontario to the NDP bleeding off Liberal votes. Should the NDP suck up even a 10% gain in support there, the consequences to the Libs could be catastrophic. The numbers solidly indicate that the combined conservative vote within those 70 to 80 ridings in which the CA/PCs pulled 30% + last time, poses a huge threat to at least 30 to 40 Liberal MPs this time. When you factor in a 10% drain by the NDP, that number increases substantially. Which is precisely why Harper mused about a year ago that he wished the NDP were a more credible factor in federal politics. While a 10% shift in Ontario to the NDP won't win them any more than 2 to 4 ridings, it could quite feasibly win the CPC as many as 60. Lastly, keep this in mind: If the electorate, during the election, begins to sense at any moment that a change is within reach, the entire election will spin on a dime immediately. The CPC, without a leader, is already hovering at 25% in polling...which, if I recall correctly, is even better than where Mulroney was sitting in 1984. I would suggest that, at any time henceforth, should that number trend upwards beyond 30%, things will start to get real tacky for the Liberals. Momentum. People love it, and are motivated by it. Especially people who are fatigued with the status quo. And Canadians are incredibly fatigued with this collection of clowns, of this there is no doubt...including amongst Liberals.

Okay, I'm getting tired of all this blathering about how the NDP are mystically going to somehow become the Official Opposition. 61 seats??? Let's dispell this nonsense here and now. From 2000 election results in Ontario, supposedly where the NDP are going to make this big breakthrough: # ridings in which the NDP got: < 5%: 43 > 5%, < 10%: 36 > 10%, < 15%: 11 >15%, < 20%: 4 > 20%, < 25%: 5 > 25%, < 30%: 1 > 30%: 3 In summary, the NDP received less than 15% of the vote in a total of 90 ridings. Contrast this to... Combined votes of the CA/PCs: < 10%: 2 > 10%, < 15%: 3 > 15%, < 20%: 4 > 20%, < 25%: 6 > 25%, < 30%: 12 > 30%, < 40%: 33 > 40%, < 50%: 33 > 50%: 10 The CA/PCs received over 30% of the vote in a total of 76 ridings. Anything over 30% would be considered to be within reasonable striking distance of the incumbant. Another striking thing I noticed was that where the CA/PCs were strong, the NDP were almost insignificant, usually below 5%. Now... For the NDP to win 61 seats would require such a literally earthshaking swing in popular support in Ontario as to be almost unimaginable. In reality, were the NDP to increase their share of the overall vote in that province by a remarkable 10% across the board, presumably almost entirely at the expense of the Liberals... They might pick up 2 to 4 ridings, tops. However, this could lead to the CPC conceivably gaining as many as 50 seats or more. That is the reality. 61 seats, my ass! The NDP are in no position in this country to do better than 20 total...and are facing the very real risk of being obliterated, should the vote polarize. Which it will.

Yes, I'm deffinitely interested in Lawrence Martin's assessment of the political scene in Canada. Why don't we just ask Paul Martin or Jean Chretien instead, same difference. All three are "Liberal" down to their toenails.

Far as I'm concerned, Harper is merely doing his best to make sure that the new party is not tainted by old practises involving corporate funding of their chosen ones. IOW, he's attempting to keep the party true to Reform/CA principles of grassroots democracy. More power to him. If that's to his advantage, I could care less. After watching how Martin was raised to leadership by his corporate cronies and a $12 million slush fund, I find Harper's approach refreshing and reassuring.

I noted here months ago that Martin's style under pressure was remarkably lacking. I said then that he stammers and stutters, that he avoids eye contact, that he looks above his audience, and that he avoids controversy like the plague, unwilling to take a stand on anything, always looking for a soft landing. Now this same thing is being noted by pundits as Martin finally has emerged from behind Chretien's skirts into the limelight. His conversation with Peter Mansbridge was horrible. He was all over the bloody map on issues. He dodged questions, literally stumbled his way through all of it...and then looked pleased with himself when it was all over. The illusion is crumbling...and not even all that subtly, either. On the other hand... Harper's demeanor and confidence in the limelight continues to grow almost exponentially. He is calm, assured, confident, non-evasive, and thoughtful. He knows of what he speaks and where he stands, and is unafraid to go wherever that leads him. The contrasts between him and Martin are, and increasingly will become even more so, stark. Here's something to think about: All things are relative. In the heat of an election, Martin's performance will be relative to Harper. This reality was what ultimately caused Turner to crash and burn. On center stage, where he could be compared to Mulroney, he looked pathetic as he stumbled and stuttered and tripped over his own words. And in that moment, his and Mulroney's political careers spun on the proverbial dime. If there is one thing that damn few in the know doubt, it is that, within the context of debate, Stephen Harper can be, and usually is, in a word, devistating. There are few his match. His wealth of knowledge is at the tip of his tongue, he is sharp, he is quick as hell, and he is acutely articulate. And, most importantly, if he gets fired up, he gets even tougher and better. Paul Martin is in for the fight of his life.

Much of the that NDP support is spread wide and thinly. 20% of the vote captured Super Mario about 6 seats in Quebec. NDP support tends to peter out considerably once people actually have to follow through in an election. If they actually pull more than 12%, I'll be amazed. Broadbent once actually was riding at 45% in midterm polling...but got 20% when it counted. Here's how one might break down the electorate: Out of 100 random people... 30 to 40 won't vote. (More on this later.) 8 will vote NDP come hell or highwater. 20 will vote Liberal. 20 will vote Conservative. This leaves that segment of the electorate that will entertain change, about 20% to 30% of the electorate. Few of these will ultimately entertain the NDP, except during an election in which the incumbant appears to be on safe ground, and change is not big on the minds of voters. Generally, unless a first term government really screws up big, they're pretty much a shoe in...and thus people feel freer to vote, some would say, their consciences on particular issues. It's following second and third terms that change polarizes the electorate...and third parties get hammered. That key element of the electorate...20 to 30 out of each 100 get to decide who will form the next government. Call them "swing" voters. They are the targets of campaigns. Now, that aside... Last election we saw the lowest turnout in recent memory, about 60%. These people, about 10 out of 100, stayed home, primarily because they were unmotivated to support the incumbant government, nor were they impressed enough with Stock Day. And key here is that they did NOT vote PC or NDP. It is these people who, if they are motivated, can and will return into the mix, and ultimately could prove to be ball busters. Ya see, the suggestion is that the combined vote of the CA and PCs could win about 30 seats in Ontario. BUT... That combined vote does not include this "10%" factor. When you factor them into the bigger picture, prospects for the Liberals suddenly become considerably more iffy. Because these people, who did not vote Liberal last time because of deep desire for change, are not bloody likely to this time, either. But if they perceive the very real prospect for change now being available, f'rinstance, because the CA/PCs are no longer splitting votes, they could very jump back into the fray and tip the playing field. If this next election sees a 70% + voter turnout, I would predict that the Liberals will go down to a stunning defeat. Here is an example for you to illustrate my point: Riding of Provencher, Manitoba. 1997 results: Lib: 14,595 Ref: 12,798 PC: 5955 NDP: 3137 Total: 36,485 2000 results: CA: 21,358 Lib: 14,419 PC: 2726 NDP: 1980 Total: 40,483 As we can see here, an additional 4000 voters turned out in 2000. The Liberal vote (for the incumbant) remained static. However, not only did polarization...because voters in that riding believed the CA had a real chance under Day...rip votes away from both the PCs and the NDP, it also motivated people to vote who did not in 1997. About 10%. The result of this additional 10% was that they virtually exclusively went to the party perceived to be capable of dumping the incumbant governing party. Now... If we home in on Ontario, we find that voter turnout in 2000 was only 58%. Doing a quick scan of 2000 results in Ontario, if I factor in a 10% increase in voter turnout: If the the Libs remains static, and CPC vote combines, and then we factor in this 10% heavily toward the CPC... 40 ridings immediately are up for grabs for the CPC. If the NDP skims away 10% of Liberal support, the CPC gains even more...while the NDP gain virtually nothing. Ya see? In 2000, the mood for change was there. Stock dropped the ball in the last weeks of the election for whatever reasons. A great many voters became disillusioned and stayed home. If Harper runs a good campaign, and thus appears credible, I think most of these voters will return to put their muscle behind the CPC in order to dump the Liberals, of whom they're simply sick and tired of hearing about...Martin or no Martin, makes no difference. At best, Martin is looking at a minority government. The CPC...under Harper...is capable of a minority government.

Layton is little more than a curiousity right now. A means for some people to tweek the Liberals by saying, "Hey! Smarten up or I'll vote for this clown. How'd ya like that, eh?" The only time people vote in any numbers for the NDP is when they think that they have nothing to lose. If Martin is perceived, by about 3 weeks into the election, as a given for a majority, then an unusual number of people may vote NDP on single issue grounds. If, however, Harper and the CPC are perceived to be a real threat to Martin, then the NDP vote will collapse virtually over night. If, as I suspect will happen, the vote polarizes between Martin and Harper, the NDP will get slaughtered in the ensuing stampede to the two camps on election day. How unfortunate would that be, eh? NOT!!! Frankly, next to Harper kicking Martin's arse, nothing would do my heart more good than watching the NDP get the big shutout. My tolerance for this collection of bozos ran out years ago.

Monday, January 12, 2004 at 6:30 PM Lansdowne Park, Exhibit Hall 1015 Bank Street Ottawa, Ontario Free Admission Look for a few surprize endorsements on Monday night. Read this morning that Fortier, who ran against Clark in 1998 for the leadership, is on board with Harper, and one of his top guns in Quebec. Suspect that Tom Long will be there. Looking for at least 50 MPs to line up as well. Will Stock show up? Bet he will. Betting also that more than a few Ontario MLAs, past and present, from Big Blue will also be on hand, Baird for sure. As for PC MPs...??? Now that would make it interesting, eh? I expect Harper to come out of the chute with guns blazing. Should be a good!

Stronach likely to enter race By BRIAN LAGHI From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Ottawa — The race to lead Canada's new Conservative Party is ready to burst wide open as auto parts executive Belinda Stronach and high-profile MP Chuck Strahl both appear poised to jump into the competition. "I'm telling you she's serious about this," said a source close to Ms. Stronach. "Things have changed for her." "She's very, very close," said another source close to Ms. Stronach. "She knows the personal sacrifice it's going to take, but she wants to ensure there's a strong leader that has the party well-positioned." The first source said the only possible roadblock to Ms. Stronach's candidacy would be family considerations. Ms. Stronach, who is president of Magna International Corp., has been a strong proponent of bringing the Canadian Alliance and the Tories together. She worked hard in the creation of the Canadian Alliance and acted as a facilitator in bringing together Stephen Harper and Peter MacKay late last year to cobble together the merger of the two parties. The source said Ms. Stronach had originally turned down the idea of running, but now wants to ensure that the new party gets a good kickoff. Sources would not say when Ms. Stronach would announce her candidacy, although she would almost certainly have to do so within the next week or so given that the leader will be crowned in March. As president of the large auto parts manufacturer, Ms. Stronach could expect to be well-financed. She might also garner the support of senior Tories such as former Ontario premier Mike Harris. Sources said yesterday that Mr. Harris has purposely refrained from endorsing former Ontario health minister Tony Clement for the job because of Ms. Stronach's possible candidacy. Meanwhile, sources close to Mr. Strahl said the B.C. MP is very close to making a positive decision. He plans to speak to party faithful at a Cambridge, Ont., constituency meeting tomorrow. Mr. Strahl has been the subject of a draft movement and party members trying to get him into the race said yesterday he is concerned the contest is not exciting enough for a new party trying to get off the ground. The race had been almost moribund until this week, with only Mr. Harper and Calgary lawyer Jim Prentice as candidates. But volunteers working for Mr. Clement confirmed that the former Ontario health minister is also deeply interested in taking the plunge. The group working for Mr. Clement's candidacy is preparing to meet today to discuss whether he should run. It's unclear, however, whether both Ms. Stronach and Mr. Clement would run, given that they both come from Ontario and would be relying on Ontario support. The field of candidates could conceivably jump to as high as six should PC caucus leader Peter MacKay throw his hat into the ring. A source said earlier this week that the deciding factor for Mr. MacKay would probably be whether he can raise enough money. Officials said the team needs about $800,000. A spokesman for Mr. MacKay said last night there is no date yet for when Mr. MacKay will make his decision public. "He's not said anything to anyone," said William Stairs. A crowded race could become more problematic for Mr. Harper, who is widely seen as the front-runner. The Alliance caucus leader would probably have more difficulty winning the battle on the first ballot, leaving room for also-rans to coalesce behind another candidate. However, party officials said yesterday that Mr. Harper still has strong support among Alliance members, who number about 90,000. He is expected to officially declare his candidacyon Monday. Meanwhile, reports out of Manitoba last night said that Alliance MP Brian Pallister has scratched his name off the list of potential leadership candidates and is now backing Mr. Harper. Mr. Pallister told the Winnipeg Free Press his decision comes after spending the holidays pondering his political future. With files from Greg Keenan and Canadian Press

Issue that will shape the next election? Three of them... Change, change, and change. Canadians are up to their butts in voter fatigue with the Liberals. Thus, Martin is deperately trying to market himself as a changed man, and a man of change, who will affect such upon Ottawa. I sincerely doubt that very many Canadians are buying into that line of crap. Something to reflect back upon... We were recently reminded that Stanfield was "the best Prime Minister we never had" (not in my opinion, mind you). Remember that he was up against Pierre Trudeau...and even so, he came within 2 seats of winning against him. The contrasts in image between Trudeau and Stanfield were rather stark. Paul Martin is NOT Pierre Trudeau...despite all his efforts to generate "Martinmania". And if anything, the contrasts between Martin and Harper work in Harper's favour, primarily due to generational gap. For about 18 months, Martin has had the advantage of hiding behind Chretien's skirt, speaking to Liberal crowds, avoiding controversy, picking and choosing his moments. For about 18 months, the entire media in this country has been totally rapt with the ongoing gong show that has been the Liberal Party, and its internal battles. We're into an entirely new phase now. Martin is front and center...and I'm already noting that he's not impressing too many pundits, or anyone else, either. His speeches are over the top apple pie shtick; long on superlatives, short on substance. He's all over the map on controvercial issues. He wishy-washy until hell won't have any more. In a word: He's "vulnerable". Now Stephen Harper finally has the target for which he's been patiently waiting for about 18 months. Me thinks it gets really interesting from here forward. Within the collective mindset of Canadian voters, there is pretty much only one way to affect change: Throw the bums out, period. All they need is a reasonably credible alternative. And that's all they're looking for, too. Not image, not glitz, not hoopla, not truckloads of promises and freebies. Just credibility, within the context of some reasonable sense of continuity. At the end of the day, it's all the crap of the last 5 years that ultimately going to torch this Liberal government. Try as he desperately will, Martin cannot extricate himself from that litany of crap. Hell, he approved the budgets, and signed the cheques for just about all of it. The NDP won't have any say in anything...and will be lucky to survive with party status, which I doubt they will.

Commie... Please understant that whatever I say here is not to be taken personally. I hope the government has better things to do than tend to "entertainment" of the people. Leftwingers simply cannot resist poking their noses anywhere and everywhere that they think there's some sort of problem, real or imagined. Thus, we have we have today in Ottawa: A government that is effectively some sorry sort of jack of all trades, master of nothing whatsoever. And it's spending truckloads of money in the process while giving taxpayers pretty much zero bang for the their bucks. Let the music industry look after their own problems. There are copyright laws there for them. The best solution will evolve from their ranks, not from a bunch of bureaucrats who don't know diddly squat about any of it, nor could care less because they personally have nothing invested nor at stake in any of it. Just what we need. Another bureaucratic toilet like the gun registery that cost billions and produces absolutely dick. A EEE Senate would solve the inequities of the current system. Unfortunately, the Amending forumula written into that POS called a "constitution" pretty much makes this impossible. Ultimately, real change in this area will require a government with a serious majority to finally take this problem by the gonads and deal with it once and for all. I can only imagine such a government being a "conservative" one. The Liberal Left don't have the nuts for it. I'm all for a Department of Defense that can actually fulfill its mandate. More on your land reform notions to follow. This is incredibly scary stuff, partner. I was immediately reminded of Mugabe in Zimbabwe. No offense intended, but this sort of extremism is born of naivite blended into some pretty wild-eyed idealism. One of the essential elements of democracy and freedom is property ownership...whether or not this is recognised by our POS constitution is beside the point. This particular idea ultimately would lead to insurrection by the people...because any government that thinks confiscation of property is legal just because they said so, is a damn dangerous government, and one most free people in a modern democracy will not tolerate. Nor should they. Nationalism of this nature is the hallmark of tyranny. Go spend some time studying your history, partner. Nope. I like the Clarity Act (initially written by Stephen Harper). It prevents the sort of crap with which the likes of Pariseau et al were trying to scam Quebeccers. If a province wants to separate, then a referendum should bloody well ask exactly that question, not the sort of drivel and deliberate misdirection as showed up on that ballot in 1995. You're entertaining politics as though it were a vote buying spree and little else. To "gain support" is little rationalization for what you're proposing. PEI has about two to three times more population than the entire territories. I suggest a tad more homework on this one. Personally, I find it bizarre that a government that currently is spending billions on dealing with the consequences of smoking and drinking, should now be trying to add marijuana into the mix. (And I've smoked enough of that in my own youth, and witnessed its effects on enough people, to know that it's not harmless. Required for "religious freedom"??? Please explain. IMHO, it is only a matter of time before the gay community takes the churches to the Supreme Court to force them to handle s/s marriage...and they get their way, which I think would be a travesty upon the institutions of religion. Civil unions are good enough. Oh? And what about all those people porking out on junk food to the point that obesity is now rampant among even our youth, which is promising to put a load upon the healthcare system hugely surpassing anything smoking ever has. Or what about drinkers? Or what about people who engage in dangerous activities? Or what about people who drive cars? Or what about people who play hockey? In essense, what about people who are just "living"? You going to tell me that one segment of our society deserves a cut on healthcare because they...what? Live cleaner lives? By who's standards? Yours? The governments? Doctors? Who? No offense, but this is yet another example of leftwing thinking in which blanket solutions are applied to cultural/social/economic based problems or realities in order to foster some sort of utopian idealism. It's called "social engineering"...or more to the point, "re-engineering". We need to eliminate the debt, to be sure. I would suggest you spend a tad bit of time pondering how we got there in the first place. Trudeau got the ball really rolling with his "Just Society" agenda. All those people holding bonds have money owed to them for those bonds. How do you suggest the government handle this? Confiscate the bonds anyway, tough luck? Print the money to give back to them? Need some more thought on this one, partner. Lots more. This one is so much crap I can't speak. The gun registry is a useless POS, contributes absolutely nothing to safe streets or crime prevention, and costs a bloody fortune. Registration equates to confiscation...as is emplified by your own thinking. Registration of firearms is, in fact, the single greatest threat to the freedom of this nation and its peoples. PERIOD! EEE Senate. Yep to the Ethics commisioner.

Kinsella was the Liberal snake who held up that Barney doll on national television and derided Day for his religious beliefs. It was just about the most dispicable exhibition I have even seen. He got the axe almost immediately following Martin's takeover from Chretien. This guy knows no limits too low to sink in fighting an election...which is why he's been a Liberal worker for so many years.

Deb Gray is backing Harper, as she had no hesitation in stating during an interview on "Mansbridge, One on One". Harper reportedly has at least 50 members of his caucus backing him. Stock Day's support is still up in the air, but was rumored to be favoring Bernard Lord. As was Jason Kenny also rumored to be. Now that Lord is out of the picture, it will be interesting to see where Stock lands on this one. Frankly, I think he kinda owes Harper a favor in return. Stephen certainly could have stuffed Stock back in a corner somewhere...but didn't. And Stock has benefited greatly from this opportunity, as has the CA. He's been a simply marvelous Foreign Affairs critic. Keith Martin stated a while back that he's backing Harper. I suspect that a considerable chunk of Ontario's Big Blue, now that the "Lord" incident is finally behind us, will swing to Stephen Harper. Tom Long was rumored, despite Lord's potential entry, to be leaning towards Harper. This is probably a given now. He was a leading organizer of Harper's Leadership Dinner in Toronto on June 16, and introduced him to the 1000 attendees is some pretty glowing terms. Note, too...Harper backed Tom Long for leader back in 2000. Early on, also stating their support for Harper were John Reynolds, Monte Solberg, Ray Speaker, and...according to what I read in the media at that time...Chuck Strahl. Our own MP, Jim Abbott, is a huge supporter of Stephen Harper. Looking pretty good so far.

PC4EVER... And I'll try to keep this brief. It was observed very early in Harper's first leadership campaign that he was moving to the center in order to attract support of moderates. He clearly thumped Stock Day et al. His core of support came from long time...i.e., hardline...Reformers, I remind you, of whom we can thus surmise had little problem with Stephen's political shift. Regarding perception: An observation for you. Do you think Paul Martin is really some sort of a "conservative"? Really? Or is he merely trying to be "perceived" as one? And if so, why? I'll tell you why. Because he "perceives" that someone like Harper...as did both Manning and Day...can find considerable traction with Canadian voters. Do not forget that Paul Martin knows Stephen Harper on a personal level, at least to some extent. I suspect that Martin, unlike so many others, would not be so foolish as to underestimate Harper. Martin is far more concerned about Harper than any real damage that idiot, Jack Layton, could possibly inflict...and he should be. More to the point, Martin is all too aware...and he would have to be a moron not to be...that the Canadian electorate is desperately looking for a real change in government from the Liberals. He knows all too well that, as I said, political fortunes can and do spin on a dime. And he knows all too well that this never happens until the heat of an election battle. Lastly, he knows all too well that Harper is an extremely capable foe, particularly in debate...where Martin himself does not shine nearly as well as some would like to think. Don't think that Martin has forgotten what happened to his old pal, John Turner. Martin isn't moving his party...contrary to the spin...to the right of center. He's trying to merely regain the center itself...before Harper beats him to it. A bit of political wisdom for you: Politicians do not win elections by moving to the center ground. Rather, they pull the center ground towards themselves. Ya see? Perception, right? Lastly... If you've ever played chess, you will know that he who plays the game six moves ahead of his competition, not only determines the direction of the game, but almost inevitably wins it as well.

Utter balderf**kingdash!!! That is only "perception" insofar as the Liberal Left media is playing it for all it is worth... And to the degree that the chattering classes buy into such mindless blather. The choice you have, whether or not you are aware, is to use your own God given brains to make your own judgements about who is best qualified to lead this new party... Or to let someone else do it for you. You want to know who freaks out the Liberals and their media mutts more than any would dare to ever reveal? Stephen Harper. Why? Because he's a real threat to their grip on power in this sorry ass excuse for a confederation. Because he's about as astute a politician any of them have seen in some time. Because he's packing a degree of intellect that is quite literally beyond most of their own capabilities to even begin to grasp. Because he's no one's lapdog; he stands alone in his determination to see change affected in Ottawa, and refuses to pay due homage to the "establishment" therein. Because he has political savvy a la Preston Manning and/or even Brian Mulroney. Because he operates at a level at least six moves ahead of just about everyone else. Because his record of accomplishment in just 18 short months as leader of a party that was teetering on the brink of the political abyss of obscurity has been, by all comparable standards, astounding. Because he, through all these skills and talents, has accomplished what just about everyone who is anyone thought was a virtual impossibility...and did so with incredible aplomb and acumen. Nevertheless... To paraphrase Stanfield: If this guy walked on water, the media would say he can't swim. Harper, IMHO, is the embodiment of the Liberal Left's worst nightmare come true. Sooner or later, that fraud Paul Martin is going to have face Stephen Harper...he can no longer hide behind Chretien's skirt. And Canadians, at that precise moment, are going to witness a true battle of minds and intellect. My money is on Harper all the way on this one. Because he is going to, a la Turner, thrash that arrogant son of a bitch beyond what anyone even dared imagine possible. It will be at that precise moment when the proverbial shinola hits the political fan in this country. And the grand illusion that Martin has plotted for ten years will crash down around his own ankles. You know what's so awesome about all of this? It's this: People are absolutely dying for someone to do exactly this to Paul Martin and his Liberal Party. Millions of people. Millions of voters. Their fatigue with these clowns and arrogant bastards is almost beyond words to encompass. They don't want image and hype. They don't want inuendo and mindless drivel. They've had their fill of that crap. They want principle, integrity, and respect. The want the real McKoy...for a GD change! And the moment they perceive the reality of Harper in contrast to Martin, all bets on the Liberals are off. Mark my words here. Paul Martin's back is up against the political abyss...and he damned well knows it, too.

I cannot possibly express enough just how much I resent the claim or notion that Harper winning the leadership of the CPC merely represents a CA takeover. That is a line of utter crap being propigated by the Liberal Left media for no other reason than their outright contempt of the Reform/CA movement, and anyone connected to it. Further, it is an outright slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of its members, past and present, as well as the millions of Canadians who have voted for the party. It is beyond outrageous to suggest or imply that only someone from the PCs is qualified to lead this new party. In fact, it is downright insulting. If Harper emerges as leader of this new party...and he damn well should...it will be for no other reason than that he deserves to. He is, beyond a doubt and bar none, the most qualified man for the position. To suggest that he is not merely because he was leader of the CA verges, in the extreme, on outright discrimination and bigotry. :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: It's bullsh*t that I am really, really getting fed up with and tired of enduring.

Follow this link... http://www.cbc.ca/news/ Scroll down, on the RHS there is a link to Parts One and Two of the yearend interview from last night's National. Martin was pathetic. I mean really pathetic. He refused to take a stand on just about everything. On Iraq and US relations, he was all over the map...and gutless as hell. Stephen Harper is going to tear this clown to shreds like no one can even imagine. Man, even Chretien was not this useless.

Harper's year of shock and surprise Don Martin National Post Tuesday, December 23, 2003 OTTAWA - Unless this year has only 19 days, there's no way to christen the obvious -- that being Paul Martin as Canadian Politician of the Year. The new Prime Minister's manifested destiny took only four simple steps to achieve. He entered a Liberal leadership race he was born to win, collected $12-million to finance a fight he never seriously fought, swept delegate nominations to end any doubt about his victory two months in advance and then mopped the convention floor with lone rival Sheila Copps eight hours after she conceded defeat. Then it was merely a week of waiting for Jean Chretien to announce his Dec. 12 skedaddle date and get down to work. Sorry, Paul. Too easy. Too predictable. A political inheritance, not a fight at all. But Stephen Harper, now there's a major feat of a man who deserves top honours for historic politics above and below the call of duty. Sitting in an Ottawa restaurant last week downing an Alberta sirloin and fries while sipping on a Coke, my choice for politician of the year appeared utterly relaxed despite his year of shock and surprise. There was not a hair out of place on his greying head and an easy grin often cracked across a boyish face featuring eyes the translucent blue of Lake Louise ice. Nobody could've predicted the zig-zagging Harper path of the past year, which started with the still-green Canadian Alliance leader surrounded by unenviable scenarios. Across the Commons aisle, he was forced to attack a prime minister on the way out. A dozen or so seats to Chretien's left was the rarely occupied desk of his real target, a Paul Martin spared Question Period inquisitions as a mere backbencher. Down the Commons to his far left scowled Joe Clark, a retiring Conservative leader who would never agree to the common sense mathematics of a merger. And hovering overhead were polling numbers showing Canadians and blue-chip donors were fed up with two rival right-wing parties and prepared to exact a terrible revenge on both in the next election. It was one bitter, ugly and hopeless mid-year situation. But flash forward to year end. Harper successfully cajoled new Conservative Leader Peter MacKay to reject the purple anti-merger Koolaid he drank with kingmaker David Orchard at the leadership convention. He chased MacKay through airports to keep the crumbling talks from falling apart. And he compromised enough on broad Alliance principles to convince 90% of the Progressive Conservatives to put their historic party out of its electoral misery and reunite with his party and its traditional Western roots. Harper can now claim to be a politician who was shrewd enough to know a deal had to be done, flexible enough to make it happen at the last opportunity and lucky enough to emerge as the only major contender to lead the new entity, barring any last-minute longshot draft of New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord. There is, one could argue, legitimate competition for top honours from MacKay, who sacrificed more and had to push harder to make the deal a reality as the lesser of the two party leaders. But the selling of his soul in the Orchard deal and his almost instantaneous U-turn on the anti-merger terms precludes him from consideration. So now, thanks to Harper and MacKay, Canada has a new Conservative party in a same-sects marriage -- a powerful Alliance which has collected the valuable Progressive Conservative dowry of its kinder brand name and gentler image. And it will likely be Harper's to make or break in an upcoming election year which is still almost impossible to accurately predict. While the polls suggest rivals should stand in shock and awe at Paul Martin's oncoming steamroller, compare pre-election polling in the seven provinces with election results in 2003 and there's a ray of hope for an Opposition many predict will be flattened by the Liberal re-election machine. Bernard Lord was supposed to win almost every seat in New Brunswick, yet he returned with a sliver of a majority. Lorne Calvert was supposed to be knocked off by the Saskatchewan Party, but roared back with an even-bigger majority. Ontario's Dalton McGuinty was allegedly doomed to be a two-time loser, only to bowl over the Conservatives under Ernie Eves. And "super" Mario Dumont of the Action democratique du Quebec was crowned Quebec's premier-in-waiting in the polls until the actual voting dispatched him back to fringe party status. If Stephen Harper can turn a coronated Paul Martin into a surprise election casualty of the reunited right, well, my politician of 2003 could well stage a return appearance in 2004. © National Post 2003