Harper, Bernier and Julie

[DrGreenthumb]

This morning, the radio news reported that Bernier said he doesn't remember leaving the papers at Julie's. So was he drunk and didn't remember the next day or is he saying that she drugged him , and lost his memory or is he pulling a "I don't remember" excuse, which just adds to the list of ways the Cons refuse to answer any question.

Probably drunk, conservatives like to drink heavily while they are planning the next atrocity to commit against sinners who smoke pot.

[White Doors]

Pot!

[madmax]

Probably drunk, conservatives like to drink heavily while they are planning the next atrocity to commit against sinners who smoke pot.

Know that is what her husband grew on her fathers property after her husband renounced outlaw bikers for because of her love....

Bernier, Fortier, Cote, and now Solberge...

Looks like her ties and family ties are deep in the government.

[madmax]

Bernier stages an event to address his "circumstances"

OTTAWA -- Former foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier is scheduled to break his silence next week and start addressing the "crucial questions" flowing from the MP's politically disastrous relationship with a woman with ties to biker gangs, sources said.

Mr. Bernier has booked space in a hotel in St-Georges-de-Beauce, in his riding south of Quebec City, where he is expected to explain when he learned of Julie Couillard's past ties to bikers and how his confidential government papers could have ended up in her hands.

But sources said he will be guarded in his comments and has no intention of answering questions from reporters. He also will not respond to the more tabloid-like elements of the scandal.

[Fain]

Harper should devote his time to matters of substance, not bedroom drama. That's his job. Not this meeting

[Fortunata]

Harper should devote his time to matters of substance, not bedroom drama. That's his job. Not this meeting

If you think this is all bedroom drama you have blinders on, partisan or deliberate. This is so much more. Ask Quebecers, they know about biker gangs and how they are infiltrating all levels of organizations. Biker gangs are organized crime. Bernier is a fool; Harper doesn't really believe what he says (that it is a bedroom thing) but he wants YOU to believe it is only a bedroom thing. So, you can either wake up smell the coffee or go along with being one of the unthinking, unimaginative, unrealistic parroting herd.

[capricorn]

Bernier is a fool;

As soon as I read that Bernier selected the low-cut dress Couillard wore to the swearing in ceremony, I knew this guy was trouble and lacking in political acumen.

Harper doesn't really believe what he says (that it is a bedroom thing) but he wants YOU to believe it is only a bedroom thing.

Yes, Harper's doing his best to downplay the whole thing. Don't think he has fooled all his supporters. I see right through it. Bernier may well be re-elected in his Beauce riding but I would bet he won't see a cabinet post should the Conservatives win the election.

[jdobbin]

Harper should devote his time to matters of substance, not bedroom drama. That's his job. Not this meeting

He should be concerned about security. Experts were saying this relationship raised security concerns. Harper doesn't think so at all.

[madmax]

Harper should devote his time to matters of substance, not bedroom drama. That's his job. Not this meeting

Well get one side of it.

Couillard has an autobiography on the way.

president of the United States at the side of Canada's chief diplomat [/b]and the tragic death of her companion in the infamous biker gang wars in the mid 1990s, Julie Couillard will reveal the details of a life marked by both tragedy and exhilaration," the publishers said in a news release.

She definitely has a nose for money.

[Topaz]

IF anyone watch TV last week, you may have hear Bernier say that he didn't know anything about Julie's past. Well, it could be true but I don't think people outside of his riding believe the tale. Just like he didn't REMEMBER leave any important papers at Julie's place, its been report this is a habit of his leaving things behind. He may be a nice guy but he's definitely NOT meant to be in any minister.

[madmax]

IF anyone watch TV last week, you may have hear Bernier say that he didn't know anything about Julie's past. Well, it could be true but I don't think people outside of his riding believe the tale. Just like he didn't REMEMBER leave any important papers at Julie's place, its been report this is a habit of his leaving things behind. He may be a nice guy but he's definitely NOT meant to be in any minister.

I like this quote, provided by daddy.

“It was certainly a trick,”

It is hard to believe this idiot is likely to be re elected.

[Fortunata]

It is hard to believe this idiot is likely to be re elected.

Voters do funny things. It's hard to believe Harper and his circus are likely to be re-elected but that's the reality of it.

[noahbody]

Voters do funny things. It's hard to believe Harper and his circus are likely to be re-elected but that's the reality of it.

It's hard to believe those that are so concerned about organized crime actually voted to re-elect the party that was guilty of it.

[jdobbin]

It's hard to believe those that are so concerned about organized crime actually voted to re-elect the party that was guilty of it.

Ho ho.

Even Chretien today has received total vindication from the courts.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

In what's being called a "total vindication" for Jean Chretien, the Federal Court struck down Justice John Gomery's finding that the former prime minister and his top aide were partly to blame for the federal sponsorship scandal.

Justice Max Teitelbaum ruled Thursday that Gomery, head of a public inquiry into the scandal, made comments to the media throughout the hearings that betrayed a bias against Chretien and his chief of staff, Jean Pelletier.

Edited June 26, 2008 by jdobbin

[Fortunata]

Ho ho.

Even Chretien today has received total vindication from the courts.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

I think Gomery did show bias against Chretien but that shouldn't prove Chretien and the PMO weren't guilty of sponsorship dollars. I mean who the hell was in charge anyways?

[jdobbin]

I mean who the hell was in charge anyways?

I agree that Chretien bore moral responsibility for what happened. A lot of people used the lack of oversight to enrich themselves and there were no controls at all.

[peter_puck]

IF anyone watch TV last week, you may have hear Bernier say that he didn't know anything about Julie's past. Well, it could be true but I don't think people outside of his riding believe the tale. Just like he didn't REMEMBER leave any important papers at Julie's place, its been report this is a habit of his leaving things behind. He may be a nice guy but he's definitely NOT meant to be in any minister.

What worries me is that it took him so long to say this. It implies he was waiting to see what came out before he made a statement. Not wanting to say something that could be proven wrong later.

[jdobbin]

As per usual with the Harper government and in keeping with its promise to be transparent, they release this little memo late on a Friday before a long weekend.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...0801?hub=Canada

The federal government has quietly released its report into the security breach that occurred when former foreign minister Maxime Bernier left classified NATO documents at his ex-girlfriend's home.

The internal review says that Bernier's carelessness hurt Canada's reputation within NATO circles and was "injurious" to national interest.

I guess that answers the question about how our allies felt about a Foreign minister who couldn't keep documents and who dated someone who was a potential security threat.

[Keepitsimple]

As per usual with the Harper government and in keeping with its promise to be transparent, they release this little memo late on a Friday before a long weekend.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...0801?hub=Canada

I guess that answers the question about how our allies felt about a Foreign minister who couldn't keep documents and who dated someone who was a potential security threat.

You're a funny guy Dobbin. This was an internal evaluation.....and it was made public. If the media think that it's a big deal, they can do whatever they want - Saturday front-page, wait for Monday, whatever. What did you expect - that they would hold a National Press Conference to tout their embarrassment? Chretien and his majorities would have simply ignored the report - if in fact they would have ever requested one.

[jdobbin]

You're a funny guy Dobbin. This was an internal evaluation.....and it was made public. If the media think that it's a big deal, they can do whatever they want - Saturday front-page, wait for Monday, whatever. What did you expect - that they would hold a National Press Conference to tout their embarrassment? Chretien and his majorities would have simply ignored the report - if in fact they would have ever requested one.

A government that releases reports late at night does so hoping that no one will notice. They did the same thing recently with the military plan which went up late at night with no notice. It isn't transparent and the Tories used to say so when the Liberals did it under Chretien.

As for the rest of your commentary, it sounds like a "but the Liberals" argument.

I know Chretien used to ignore reports. The Conservatives said they would do better, be better about making information available and not release information late on a weekend nights as the Liberals used to. Harper said he would make ministerial information available. He said he couldn't stand how Chretien used to protect himself from freedom of information requests by saying it was ministerial. Harper does the very same right now and rather shamelessly now. A report such as this is released late at night to avoid having it the scrutiny it might have during the week.

Since it was a department report, I guess the government didn't want the media or the Opposition to set the timing of the release. I accept that. However, release information in a timely, transparent way. Stop putting information up late at night on a website and pray no one notices.

Edited August 2, 2008 by jdobbin

[HisSelf]

So nobody is responsible, not even the guy who hired this jackass. Yahz boss. How many bushels boss? Don't whip me boss....

Let's all go to Europe for a holiday!

[madmax]

So nobody is responsible, not even the guy who hired this jackass. Yahz boss. How many bushels boss? Don't whip me boss....

Let's all go to Europe for a holiday!

Berniers defence for being incompetent implies that Couillard is a thief.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/364429

Couillard not a thief: lawyer

OTTAWA

Julie Couillard, the ex-girlfriend of former foreign affairs minister Maxime Bernier, says she won't let the federal government treat her like a thief.