Progressive Tory

I'll put on the popcorn, because if he does, I can guarantee he'll laugh along with you. I just like that he is unscripted. Bloopers are a riot but scripts are just scripts.

So did Harper. Deal with it. He just couldn't express himself so let someone else put the words in his mouth. My support of Iggy has many bounds. I mostly joke around when I call him heaven sent or my dream come true. (Be still my heart) People who know me, realize that I follow no one blindly. My respect and new found loyalty are based on many things. However, there are also many things he believes in that I don't agree with. Palestine for one. When he's Prime Minister I will still complain about the government and the weather. I wouldn't be Canadian if I didn't.

If a Harvard PhD is setting my standards low, can't wait to see who I get when I set them high.

Put it this way. I would rather be in Iggy's position right now than Harper's. Michael Ignatieff did not go around saying 'I will never allow a deficit'. He did not say lets throw money around on useless endeavors. He called for a 'modest deficit' and no 'broad base tax cuts' to stimulate the economy. He also makes it clear that this is a Conservative budget. They want to govern and that is an integral part. In my paper this morning, under the heading: Liberals Put Tories on Probation: Michael Ignatieff says "This budget is a flawed document that doesn't go far enough to help Canadians who lose their jobs, fails to seize on opportunites to green the economy and lacks a credible plan for getting out of the 85 billion dollar deficit hole.... But the Liberals will back the fiscal plan, with conditions, for the good of the country. "Should Mr. Harper fail to satisfy the expectations of Canadians, we will be ready to defeat him and lead in his place.... They're (Canadians) tired of political games. They have waited too long for action on the economy for us to fail them now because of partisan interest." This is a Conservative budget. They alone own it. They alone will get the backlash if it doesn't work.

A red Tory budget? This is an anti-Red Tory Budget. This goes against everything a fiscally conservative Red Tory stands for. We support substainable social programs, but recognize that need can sometimes prevail. I could have accepted a moderate deficit with no revenue reduction, and future tax cut rewards if this thing got turned around. This budget is a train wreck. Clearly you have no idea what a Red Tory is and if people in Harper's cabinet can support this, they don't know either.

Ha ha ha ha. I just spit coffee on my monitor. It's going to take Canadians a while to appreciate that Ignatieff speaks to us as equals. We're just not used to it. Critics want him to be arrogant and start spouting big words we don't understand. It's a new and welcome direction.

That's it in a nutshell. To make Canadians believe that he was moving to the centre, he kept the socons bound and gagged. Caving by allowing massive deficits to save his job, has the small 'c's now claiming he has gone too far left. What's he got left? He's going to have to go back to his original base, if they'll still have him. Trying to blame this budget on the opposition is ridiculous after trying to convince Canadians that he was invincible, and could rule with a steady hand. To save his job he gave up every single principle he claimed to have.

Great article. Thanks so much. Even Colin Powell, a man I have long admired, got it wrong. Americans were duped. Fear and renewed patriotism made them want to believe that the quilty would pay. Sadly the innocent paid and Bin Ladin is free to roam. This generation's biggest shame.

Try telling the average Canadians that paying more at the pumps is good for them. High fuel prices drive up the prices on anything that needs to be transported. There has to be a balance.

Well said. As spiritual leaders they do have an obligation to help their followers deal with issues of the day, and certainly putting our planet at risk is a big issue. I applaud his courage, especially since he's saying it from Fort McMurray; and not Ontario. It was rather refreshing to hear a celric denounce something other than equal marriage or a woman's right to choose.

He may have been savouring the moment, well earned. After three years of Harper arrogance, the country watched him get put in his place. This will be my JFK moment. 'Where were you when intelligence finally won, over what Conservative Party execs refer to as 'juvenile behaviour' from Harper and his frat boys?' I was singing from the rooftops. They've washed the stupid off the walls of the Oval Office. Iggy is using their cleaning crew. However, if you prefer empty rhetoric, read the National Post.

It's the way Ignatieff speaks that draws me to him. Rather than using empty rhetoric, he speaks to us with the understanding that we're smart enough to know what he's saying. I respect that. I look forward to being able to make decisions based on what he tells me without having to wait for the media to spin it. He speaks unscripted, clearly, and without pretension. I'm so glad this is what we can now look forward to. No more mind numbing babble.

Base his entire career on the invasion of Iraq? Where does that come from? After 9/11 Canadians emotions were stirred and support of the U.S. unwavering. However, we were still able to speak our mind freely. When Bush decided to go into Iraq, we were divided but still able to speak our mind freely. Anyone living in the U.S. did not have that option. Something called the 'Patriot Act' took away the very freedoms they were fighting for. Supporting the War in Iraq didn't mean he based his political career on it. He agreed that Sadham had to be stopped, but even if he didn't agree with the invasion, would have been arrested if he spoke that out loud, especially to his students. However, we all know how Harper felt about the Iraq War. Ummm ...what Howard said.

First off, we were already heading for a deficit (in fact plopped right into the middle of one) before stimulus. No one forced him into that. If he can't run the economy during good times, how can we expect him to run it during bad? However, right after Flaherty's economic update that got them into this hot water, our newspaper ran the story with his mug on the cover. The headline was "Jim Flaherty tells Opposition: 'Bring it On!' A few days later he was cowering in the corner with a new message. 'I'll do whatever you tell me to do'. He asked the Opposition to bring it on, so they did. Not talking so tough these days.

I think it was ten bucks. Why do you want to join?

That overblown cabinet is a bone of contention with me too. I wish there was some way that the Liberals could have said, reduce your cabinet to reasonable, economic crisis size, or pack your bags. Remember the so-called economic update and reducing gov't expenses. Look around you big guy. Too many gas guzzling limos driving around too many window dressing cabinet ministers.

I don't get your logic. He's doing both and I posted links here before about the myth that tax cuts are good for the economy. With the threat of job losses the extra money will go in the bank or to pay down exisiting debt. For those out of work, how will a cut to their (lack of) income tax help? It's dangerous ground, but at least the Cons will wear it. Mr. "I'l never run a deficit', 'I won't be forced into a deficit', is a woose. Stephen Harper is not a leader.

Harper's boogey man is his own inflated ego. He won't show his face on the political scene again.

The Coalition is dead if Harper agrees to be put on a short leash. For me, the Coaltion was not about taking power; just making Harper do his job. It was a complete success. Even his won party has turned on him and he's now just a seat warmer. We've already won. All of the power but none of the blame. Well played.

He's already done something stupid. He waged a war against the 'Separatists'. He led Canadians into a war against the 'Separatists. Now he's going to make a deal with the 'Separatists'? (Hmmm. Where have I heard that before). They called Duceppe a citizen of France. France can't help them now. That was funny though.

I agree. He believes in what he's doing and genuinely cares. I may not vote NDP but will put up my dukes anytime someone suggests that he's in it for the power. When the Conservatives said that his father would be disappointed in him, they went too far. If he voted in their favour, I would be disappointed in him. A man of conviction.

Jack Layton has no reason to like or trust Harper. However, I think he'll get the last laugh because his political career will probably last longer than that of his nemesis. Our local NDP candidate is Vice-Principal of my grandson's school. I spoke with him today and he's quite happy with Ignatieff's move. He says anything that can get rid of Harper is good news to him. His wife is French-Canadian and spits fire just looking at him.

Not propping up...more like pulling the strings and keeping the keys to the vault.

Born in Canada, father a diplomat so extensive international experience. Followed every professor's wet dream and taught at Oxford and Cambridge. Political Commentator for BBC. Captain of his varsity soccer team. I can throw in a Rhodes' scholar and two Oxford grads, and the undercoating is free.

It's funny how Harper supporters called the Coalition a deal with Separatists and now tell us that Harper will hang onto his job by making a deal with separatists. Cons support in Quebec is gone. If Duceppe deals with them, so is he. Nice dream though. He blew it when the first 'Separatist' roar left his mouth.