RNG

And how was that narrow and selfish?

Ah, a real thinker. Thanks!

By and large, as a nose holding CPC voter, the worst thing of the CPC schtick is their tough on crime stance. As I have said, I used to be a hang-em-high type and then facts sort of slapped me in the face. But when I see stories like this, I too wonder. There is a way great separation between violent crime and other crimes. For violent crimes, with some judicial discretion, I still think the death penalty is viable.

Talk about thread drift! Yes, the US system is terrible about earmarks. Both the House and the Senate. So the Congresscritter from Alabama wants something and his vote is important. The vote is about making boinking cadavers illegal, for illustrative purposes. They need his vote, but he tacks in a clause saying Alabama gets a fed paid for bridge over the Mississippi or whatever. If you want the main clause approved you have to accept the graft. A terrible system, and ongoing.

You know, central Canada, the only thing that counts.

Ayup. And rednecked Calgary, not only elects a muslem mayor, but has Coulter give a talk at the University of Calgary. How's the old stereotypes doing out there in Canadaland?

I would imagine in a capital intensive business like an airline, the senior execs are very concerned about debt service costs skyrocketing when the interest rates start to spike, as soon as the economy starts growing again. The stimulus spending and the QE occurring around the world will catch up. So this is a good time to get the debt load under control.

I posted this on an American political forum I visit and the guys there are all laughing at it. It makes everyone way more "right" than they are. Did you scroll down far enough on the site to see that they put Obama and Hillary Clinton on the right?

I'm surprised. L-R +3.2. Libertarian-Authoritarian -2.3. I would have guessed myself more lower right.

No. I'm not saying either rabid cons or rabid libs are better or worse than the other. Both just as bad.

For all the bitching my relatives did, that wasn't a subject brought up. Never heard that one. The Russians and the Mongolians and the Polish and just about everyone else, but I'm not aware of any Canadian abuse.

I think there is a lot of recent history to make me question that statement.

Optimist!

I still like the aircraft carrier option the best. Supersaver, that would be.

Some Republican.

You have said the same thing approximately 47,000 times. We know your POV. Some of us disagree. I'm not changing your mind and you aren't changing mine. Deal with it.

There is all kinds of flaming water north of Edmonton, and has been since long before any drilling was done. Not talking about some of the US experiences, because some of those companies are really a joke, but there is no credible evidence in Canada that fracking has caused harm. It's a little like the university based studies on the harmfulness to the environment of sour gas plants. Each one has reported that they haven't been able to see any yet, but that's just because it hasn't been studies enough so a few million more of your tax dollars will fix that.

Basically, CPCFTW, I have a similar philosophy to yours. But come on. The past three elections, though I voted conservative (note the small c) I had to hold my nose to do it.

A variation of the "B-b-b-b-ut Bush!" argument on US forums. But I still wonder if the partisans were as vocal about Cretien as they are here. And are the Harper defenders going to also defend the next non CPC guy? What are the odds, in your opinion?

The Star sure does seem fair and balanced.

Check the pulse in Calgary and Regina sometimes.

Nice start to a poem. Flesh it out and I see a Pulitzer in your future.

Purely because I wanted to get rid of Rob Anders as my MP, I joined the CPC before two years ago. A very talented lady was going to run against him for the nomination and I wanted to be able to vote for her. (As an aside, the mafia running that riding office managed to delay my and a whole bunch of other people's memberships being registered till two days after the vote.) But since then, at least once a month I get a call from the CPC asking for money. I haven't paid up yet. I keep telling them where I disagree with their platform and that if Harper or my MP would like to call me to discuss these things I would appreciate it, but no action yet. I still vote CPC but its's like saying gonorrhea is better than syphilis. True, but dang a guy wishes there was a better choice.

My gripe is that the ones criticizing Harper in this thread have just said the same things over and over and over and over and over .........................................

Could you please expand on that statement. The yahoos that were breaking and burning should be encouraged? Is that what you are saying? Stopping that makes Canada a fascist state? Wow, just wow.