Progressive Tory

"As far as people back home are concerned, we've made our stand on the budget and I'm moving on . . . We could keep reliving things and reliving things but I don't think that's very productive for anybody." I hope they all think that way. Sitting as independants will get them nowhere. Provinces with more representation can afford a few independants, but if the majority ends up that way, why bother showing up? They have a better chance sticking it out with Iggy, since he has a very good chance of forming the next government. Their symbolic stand gave them headlines. Now let's move on.

No I think it was the RCMP. Clearly they have it out for the Conservatives ...... expecting them not to break the law and all that. How dare they.

Stephen Taylor's Blog. "English, French and Punjabi? Canada’s three official languages will be English, French and Punjabi should Jack Layton become Prime Minister according to the Indian Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs." He later posted: "UPDATE: Not true, says a spokesperson for the NDP who contacted me a few minutes ago via email. Turns out the reporter got the story wrong."

That's a great quote. The trouble with Harper is that he told his base to dump their ideological roots before the economic crisis. He has nothing left to lure them with.

What passes for Conservative these days has nothing to do with dictionary definitions. How does my admiring Preston Manning as a politician change anything? I admire a lot of people, for a variety of reasons. I would never have voted for him because I didn't like the Reform Party ideology. However, much of their platform made a lot of sense. I'm not as partisan as some people, and don't believe my tongue will fall out if I say I liked Preston Manning and Ed Broadbent. They were both great leaders. I voted for neither.

That's exactly right. Drop the kickback. (Like Harper ever would)

I read something somewhere. When Dion was leader donations almost stopped. The rate of donations increased with Ignatieff by percentage, and he was only leader for a very short time. He now has a new fundraiser, who used to run the Heart and Stroke Foundation's campaigns. Apparently he is very good. They certainly have a new approach. Much less needy. It inspired me to donate for the first time in my life. It will be interesting to see what happens next quarter. In the meantime the Conservatives have been forced to spend a lot in anti-coalition ads, and support the budget ads.

Wait till those boxes get opened. You might be in for a surprise. I won't.

Run that by him. He's hanging by a thread now. The last thing he wants is an election. We've already flogged this thing to death anyway. I think we should make it $ 10.00 a vote and eliminate the massive tax credits for political donations. That way funding has to be earned and no favours for individuals, resulting in less corruption. All Canadians who choose to vote get to support their party, in exchange for the politicians doing what all Canadains want; not just a chosen few. It would be cheaper for us and above board.

They're grasping at straws.

In a week it will be forgotten. Newfoundlanders are very passionate about Newfoundland. Avalon MP Scott Andrews: "I campaigned on this in the last election. I'm not going down the same road as John Efford [and] Fabian Manning. This is the same issue and I was elected to put Newfoundland and Labrador first, period." Judy Foote, who represents the southern Newfoundland riding of Random-Burin-St. George's, told constituents in an email that enough people have contacted her office about the budget that she has sufficient "hard evidence" about the feelings of constituents. Foote said the correspondence she has received shows "there is no question the people of Newfoundland and Labrador want their representatives to vote against the budget even if that means sitting as Independents." He would have lost them anyway. Their disapproval was a symbolic gesture. You have to respect elected MPs who are doing what they were elected to do. I would have been disappointed if Ignatieff had fired them.

You're not still on that kick are you, after learning that Harper took their virginity in 2004? Wonder what he promised Duceppe to get him to join his coalition then? A seat in cabinet as a confidant? A lap dance? The possibilities are endless.

This is hardly an issue nobody cares about. Did you read the comments at the end of the article? Admitting that the Calgary Herald is biased against the Liberals doesn't give the Cons a free pass on this one. Attack ads are one thing, but when you involve the RCMP, it becomes a very serious matter.

What difference does that make and what does it have to do with the Conservative smear campaign? This was dirty politics, though sadly not an isolated incident by the Cons. Wonder who Harper will sue this time. The RCMP?

So now we should get our news from Stephen Taylor. Isn't he the guy who said if the NDP got in they would make Punjab an official language? He is hardly a credible source.

LOL. I'm so glad you can laugh at yourself. That was a great line.

Most of it was under Calvert. Brad Wall set a different tone. Saskatchewan plans court fight on equalization "Tim Cook Canadian press REGINA – If Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants a legal fight over the federal equalization formula, Saskatchewan and its NDP government will give him one, Premier Lorne Calvert said Wednesday. The province will mount a legal challenge under the Constitution, arguing that Saskatchewan is being treated unfairly by the equalization program. "I regret in some ways doing this," Calvert said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press from Saskatoon. "It's a poor way to run an country when a prime minister stands up and says `sue me,' because this is going to take considerable time. It happens when you are in this kind of circumstance where you are betrayed by your own members of Parliament."

You will probably be surprised to know that there were many elements in the Reform Party platform that I liked. Just not the ideology. Preston Manning remains on my list of Canadian Politicians that I admire. He did not come off as phoney. He was passionate in his beliefs and I respected him for that. He was also fiscally conservative, and I really respected him for that. You might also be surprised to know that I like the rejected Super Bowl Pro-Life ad in your signature. I have absolutely no problem with any group using intelligent advertising to promote their cause. Screeching and wailing doesn't work for me. I am still 100% pro-choice but respect reasonable argument. Pro-choice doesn't mean pro-abortion. Despite knowing that my grandson could inherit my daughter's disabilities, I still supported her choice to give birth to him. I was there in the delivery room and have been with him ever since. However, if my daughter had opted for an abortion, I would have supported that too.

This new party has gone against their grassroots with this budget. And don't give me the tired old, 'he had no choice'. He very much had a choice. There is no longer a legitimate Conservative party in Canada. Harper's party is now in need of another name change. Since CPC was actually already claimed by the Communist Party of Canada, I like the IAAOJS (It's All About Our Jobs Stupid). If they want to engage the grassroots now, they'd better roll it up and smoke it.

We're not talking about Dion. This was in response to criticism aimed at Ignatieff. I never like Dion as a potential PM. Only voted Liberal last election as part of strategic voting. Next election I will be voting Liberal because they finally have a leader I can get behind. When the PC party bit the dust, I voted NDP because Paul Martin got on my last nerve. Again not PM material. I think they finally got it right.

The people of Saskatchewan were just as upset, not long ago, when he broke his promise to them about oil revenues.

Stephen Harper has closed up that wiggle room himself. He's got his own problems wiggling back to the Conservative base. As to Danny Williams, the ABC campaign proved that he is not a man you want to anger. He didn't earn a Rhodes Scholarship by being stupid. Bottom line. Ignatieff knew that Newfoundlanders were upset with losing one a half billion dollars promised to them by the Conservatives. If their MPs had voted for the budget they would have sent the message that they support being screwed. It was a symbolic gesture since the budget passed anyway. I would have liked to see one or two symbolic gestures from the Conservatives. Choosing power over principles, proved they no longer have any.

I think the correct term is delusional.

Actually, it's Harper who is usually accused of thinking he's the smartest person in the room. For Ignatieff, he is the smartest person in the room. However, while this diatribe is amusing, one million votes are still one million votes. He stole them from the Liberals, but then fenced them for beans. His majority was there. 850,000 votes up for grabs. Poof! He not only lost those but 170,000 people who voted for him last time just stayed home. So near and yet just so darn far. Stephen Harper is not a leader.