Ricki Bobbi

Getting this thread back on track the upcoming APEC conference was mentioned on Question Period. Craig Oliver said there would be no doubt that there would be meetings between Harper and Hu Jintao. Supposedly Hu Jintao wants to chastise Harper for his vote on C-250. Oh wait Normie's fascination with this issue only matters to him. And the 2% of the Canadian population who might base their voting decision on C-250. Not that they ever would have considered voting Conservative anyways...

It is definitely f*cked up. Everybody cries and howls about socons, but there is no valid reason to oppose this since the close-in-age clause was added. Talk about being out of step with average Canadians...

I still don't get how a 1 point cut in the GST is insignificant but a 1/2 point raise in the lowest tax bracket is helpful. Aren't these people going anywhere? Be it transit or driving they will be helped. GST applies to gas... Everybody ignores the working tax credit, but that helps the working poor the most. Add the GST cut, the childcare benefit and I still can't see a family that is better off under the Liberals plan. Show me the numbers and we can work them out...

I was wrong about the timing. Of course it shouldn't surprise you. The comment wasn't homophobic nor totally inappropriate. Your hypocrisy on the issue of inappropriate comments is galling. If it is a leftist group that says something, ie. the attack on Ambrose's hair, no harm no foul. But if it is anything directed at Svend then of course it was bad. If you want to be credible you should behave in a credible manner.

Selective editing. I take it you did that because you are backing off your statement that Emerson gave different *advice* to Martin and Harper.

Call him a socon all you want. But if you are resorting to using decriminalization of marijuana as a socon issue than your arguments are pretty weak. "Stephen Harper is *scary* *scary* *scary* because he won't decriminalize pot?" OK, but if that is what you have to use for a criticism of his actions you aren't going to find much electoral success.

Of course you do. It still doesn't provide any support for saying the advice Emerson gave Harper was different from the advice Emerson gave Martin. This is a man who represents a group that argued against a settlement and wants a trade war over the issue.

*IF* Iggy doesn't win the leadership. BC is a tight, hard-fought province. What current CPC ridings would it hurt in? The left-leaning ridings are all NDP or Liberal already. Quebeckers are going to be caught up in the "Nation" issue. The Conservatives will be the only true nationalist option in Quebec ... Afghanistan will be a sconed or third issue.

That is more than fine with me. I believe most Canadians would agree with you. That's why it is a good thing for the Liberals to get hung up on. The Conservatives would be more than happy if that were the main focus of the election...

Don't know. It has pretty much fallen off the radar screen as of late. Normie your pet issues, just aren't that important to most Canadians. The Liberal bill that died on the order paper before the last election went a little far. In it's original form it proposed an OUNCE, that is 28 grams as the benchmark for personal possession. Is that still Liberal policy? Seems like more than a 'few grams' of marijuana to me.

That is the issue with defining Quebec alone as a Nation. It is merely distinct society in other words. We all saw the vehement public denunciation of trying to introduce that term into our constitution.

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=7113 You know the advice Emerson gave Martin and Harper because a representative from BC Lumber company said Emerson gave advice to Martin? How did this guy know?

How do you know what *advice* Emerson gave Martin and Harper? You have got to be freakin' kidding to say something like that. Hmmm, futile efforts? The party is still leading all published polls. They would win an election if it were held today. Possibly a majority depending on the poll. Doesn't sound like futility to me.

Certainly Grewal is a joke. His instability would hurt. McVety, I don't think he is very well connected in the party. Harper is continuing to build a big tent Conservative Party. Most Canadians respect freedom of religion in our consitution. Should Christian Canadians have some voice in our country? Obviously not as far as you are concerned. I know it would be preferable to you if the Government mirrored your political views exactly and dissent was never allowed. Sorry even the Liberals had their share of socon MPs before the last election.

I would be willing to take that bet. If you get Kennedy on exactly the fourth ballot and I get every other candidate and Kennedy on some other balllot ... certainly. We live in the same city so it is doable. PM me if you are serious. I think Iggy is dead in the water. Expect to see Iggy and Rae all alone on the third ballot with Rae taking it.

Depends on whose optics. Love it or hate it there are socons in this country. Mulroney pretty much ignored them which lead to the rise of the Reform. Part of the reason for this appointment could be to throw a bone to that wing of the party. Ambrose has not been the strongest minister. Her personal choices for senior staff may have been part of the reason. Who does this choice hurt Normie? You hate the Conservatives even more now. The only people who care about staffer choices are the very politically aware who aren't likely to change their votes. It might make you loathe Harper more, but it doesn't really hurt the Conservatives politically... Just to clarify I know he is chief and not d of c, but chiefs do a lot of communications stuff...

Hundreds? There aren't that many people with Hill 'type' communications experience and connections within the party who could do the job. Corporate communications and being a director of communications for a Minister are very different jobs.

Paul Martin rejected the deal, not Emerson. The promise was to protect seniors, which they have done. While you were trying to be a smart*ss you actually stated the truth. Good for you.

Ahhhh.... the fact that Harper said something about Svend Robinson's arrest for THEFT was spun as homophobia. That one was also quite open to interpretation. As for your question it was neither homophobic nor totally inappropriate behaviour.

oops double post

A lot of provinces (BC, Nfld, NS among others) would probably claim to be a nation as described here. IMO, the whole "Is Quebec a nation?" debate generates a lot of heat but very little light. The UK is not a good model for Canada. Do the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland seem like anything we would want here in Canada?

Let's move it back to the thread topic. Howard Dean is not beloved in the Democratic Party. Even James Carville questioned Dean on CNN. Here's the source on that. James Carville is a real winner. Managing Clinton in 1992 and 1996. He is a much more respected figure in the Democratic party. Had the Liberals gotten Carville as their keynote speaker that would have been a real coup.

We also have a military that feels more self-assured because the commitment to the military and the mission is not in doubt ... anymore.

Good post. Regardless of what the left says there is still a majority of Canadians who support the mission.

That polls aren't even. Angus Reid released two polls within a week of each other that should considerably different results. One showed the CPC up seven points. The electorate is still volatile.