Jaffer boasted to businesses: I can get government money easily

[Born Free]

The Liberals are throwing mud hoping it will stick but they have nothing, most of this is simply allegation, and Watergate it ain't. Driving the government car and using the Blackberry are out of procedure, a Minister should separate personal business from Government business but this is not huge scandal.

The opposition's hair is on fire in the hopes they have found something that'll stick, too bad they don't have anything else worthwhile to chow down on. There must be something else they can foam at the mouth about.

The Liberals didnt make any allegations. Any mud landing on the Harper gang is self inflicted.

[Wild Bill]

David Emerson?

Apples and oranges, Molly. To the best of our knowledge, Emerson is no racist. If you equate crossing the floor with wearing a pillow case hood...

[wyly]

Driving the government car and using the Blackberry are out of procedure, a Minister should separate personal business from Government business but this is not huge scandal.

it is when a government minister allows her spouse to conduct illegal business(influence pedaling)out of her office and using her government car and driver to take him to "business" meetings...add in drugs, prostitutes, shady business associates and meetings with other government officials and we have ourselves a juicy scandal...

[Martin Chriton]

it is when a government minister allows her spouse to conduct illegal business(influence pedaling)out of her office and using her government car and driver to take him to "business" meetings...add in drugs, prostitutes, shady business associates and meetings with other government officials and we have ourselves a juicy scandal...

I wonder if anyone in the LPC or NDP have ever had some connection drugs? This hole thing appears to be really silly. I suppose if it's true she might be a prime candidate for NDP if the CPC gives her the boot.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Until such time as the case has been investigated by the RCMP the public will have to live with assumptions. Even then, we may never have access to all the facts if there are no charges laid. Only after charges have been made will we find out what they are, that is a given because that is how the system works. The government and the cops can't say a damned thing until after any charges are proven or not proven in a court of law. All we can reasonably expect is to find out what charges, if any, are made after an investigation.

Harper didn't bring this on himself, his minister or her spouse did, or at least that is the only logical conclusion that can be made. Harper has acted in proper fashion so far, and cannot be expected to comment upon things under investigation. That leaves hum in a large pile of smelly stuff, I guess it sucks to be him. All the opposition parties can have as much fun as they want with this at Harper's expense. Harper's political credit card may yet get maxed out with this, its hard to say for sure. At any rate this is scandal number five or six with lots of time left in his mandate to go. The opposition would be foolish to force an election at this point and I for one don't expect them too. Their best play is to stretch this out and add it to the stack of issues to hold over Harper's head. Before they can hope to win, the opposition needs to discredit Harper. Its all good for the opposition these days it seems and the government is having a hard time.

[wyly]

I wonder if anyone in the LPC or NDP have ever had some connection drugs? This hole thing appears to be really silly. I suppose if it's true she might be a prime candidate for NDP if the CPC gives her the boot.

no doubt but if you don't get caught it's not a issue, innocent until caught...and the drugs and hookers just spice things up, the real issue is illegal influence pedaling out of cabinet ministers office, shady business associates and meetings with government officials...

[wyly]

Until such time as the case has been investigated by the RCMP the public will have to live with assumptions. Even then, we may never have access to all the facts if there are no charges laid. Only after charges have been made will we find out what they are, that is a given because that is how the system works. The government and the cops can't say a damned thing until after any charges are proven or not proven in a court of law. All we can reasonably expect is to find out what charges, if any, are made after an investigation.

Harper didn't bring this on himself, his minister or her spouse did, or at least that is the only logical conclusion that can be made. Harper has acted in proper fashion so far, and cannot be expected to comment upon things under investigation. That leaves hum in a large pile of smelly stuff, I guess it sucks to be him. All the opposition parties can have as much fun as they want with this at Harper's expense. Harper's political credit card may yet get maxed out with this, its hard to say for sure. At any rate this is scandal number five or six with lots of time left in his mandate to go. The opposition would be foolish to force an election at this point and I for one don't expect them too. Their best play is to stretch this out and add it to the stack of issues to hold over Harper's head. Before they can hope to win, the opposition needs to discredit Harper. Its all good for the opposition these days it seems and the government is having a hard time.

yup, deficit, cabinet minster with mobsters girlfriend, prorogation, detainee/torture cover up, influence pedaling...the shine is going off the conservatives squeaky clean imagine

[Born Free]

...the shine is going off the conservatives squeaky clean imagine

That went out the window years ago when the Harper gang publicly accused Paul Martin of supporting child pornography. Their insane zealotry came out of the closet years back.

[Dave_ON]

I wonder if anyone in the LPC or NDP have ever had some connection drugs? This hole thing appears to be really silly. I suppose if it's true she might be a prime candidate for NDP if the CPC gives her the boot.

Why is it that folks always do this. "Yeah but the LPC is worse", as if being no more slimy then the next guy is some kind of virtue.

[Dave_ON]

Harper's political credit card may yet get maxed out with this, its hard to say for sure. At any rate this is scandal number five or six with lots of time left in his mandate to go. The opposition would be foolish to force an election at this point and I for one don't expect them too. Their best play is to stretch this out and add it to the stack of issues to hold over Harper's head. Before they can hope to win, the opposition needs to discredit Harper. Its all good for the opposition these days it seems and the government is having a hard time.

I'm not convinced at this time that this will truly hurt the CPC over the long term. It's my general impression that most folks, and rightly so, see this as one member of a party "acting out". Having said that it does call in to question Harper's judgment in terms of his choice of ministers, that aside there's always one bad apple in every bunch.

This isn't really a long term political ace up the sleeve.

[ToadBrother]

Why is it that folks always do this. "Yeah but the LPC is worse", as if being no more slimy then the next guy is some kind of virtue.

That's essentially been the Tory supporter's line since the second prorogation. "You have no right to complain, because we're no worse than anyone else!"

[madmax]

I find this quote ....amusing....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ethics-commissioner-refuses-to-investigate-helena-guergis/article1533523/

Driver...I am....in need. Bring me the Rahim.

20 minutes later.

Driver...I am sated, take the Rahim away.

The best quote in two entire threads on these two. LOL.

[madmax]

I wonder if anyone in the LPC or NDP have ever had some connection drugs? This hole thing appears to be really silly. I suppose if it's true she might be a prime candidate for NDP if the CPC gives her the boot.

Oh look its another CPC tie to the Hells Angels. This whole thing is so silly. Drugs, scandals, prostitution, lobbying, partners who ran for the CPC in Ottawa, tables of cocaine, meetings with Conservative ministers. Its so silly.

Its like what Muddy said, this is a sad story, poor couple.

But no worries, shift gears to the NDP to change the subject.

Or shift gears to the liberals.

There's a few suckers here still stupid enough to go down with this ship.

[jbg]

Oh look its another CPC tie to the Hells Angels.

There are lots of people and groups tied to the Hells' Angels. What about the Rolling Stones?

[Sir Bandelot]

Why is it that folks always do this. "Yeah but the LPC is worse", as if being no more slimy then the next guy is some kind of virtue.

Because honest people cannot make it in this game. Being corrupt is the only way to play, if you want to win. So let us now go out and vote for which of the criminals will rule over us

[bloodyminded]

And the Liberal motivation to keep their scandalous candidate was...? Obviously, they considered having a candidate with a shot at winning the seat more important than their candidate's character...

If you misread my criticism of the Conservatives as de facto support for the Liberals, I can assure you that nothing is further from the truth.

[bloodyminded]

There are lots of people and groups tied to the Hells' Angels. What about the Rolling Stones?

Good point...and their ties to the "organization" actually resulted in a killing.

[Shakeyhands]

Until such time as the case has been investigated by the RCMP the public will have to live with assumptions............ The government and the cops can't say a damned thing until after any charges are proven or not proven in a court of law. All we can reasonably expect is to find out what charges, if any, are made after an investigation.

Just like the investigation into the Income Trust issue in 06....

[Wild Bill]

Why is it that folks always do this. "Yeah but the LPC is worse", as if being no more slimy then the next guy is some kind of virtue.

Usually I hear that line in defense of some Liberal but it does often go both ways, Dave. I think it's actually a strategy. Maybe not a conscious one but a strategy nonetheless.

Consider, Adscam REALLY knocked the Liberal Party's reputation, especially in Quebec! Until they can shake all that baggage and look like an entirely new group they haven't a chance at getting back into power.

So step one is some sort of moral equivalency, where anytime some dirt appears about a Tory or two it gets trumpeted to the skies! It doesn't matter if the incident is severe or trivial. The intent is not to compare scores but just to get the public thinking that "they're all the same!".

Being "all the same" is an infinitely better situation for the Liberals than "Man, are those Liberals ever crooked!" Once they're thought to be no better or worse than the other choice then they can move to step 2, which is to find some parade that a lot of Canadians are watching and get out in the front of it!

Mind you, it's only prudent to be suspicious of ALL parties and politicians! Still, there were a LOT of Liberals guilty of AdScam shenanigans who never received any punishment or even were identified for their crimes! One man and only one man took the fall for the entire party. It will be interesting to find out if he is "looked after" once he finally gets out. Meanwhile, the Liberals are still at step 1, which explains why they seem to go overboard and stretch even minor transgressions into "crimes against the universe".

Their only alternative is to simply bide their time and let another election or two go by but that's incredibly difficult to do for the "Natural Governing Party". Heaping dirt on Harper will hopefully (for them!) speed up the process. The trouble is, when it comes to scandals, the Tories are so boring!

Even the Helena and Rahim thing is kinda lame, when you think about it! Where are the juicy sex scandals of the British governments? Where's our equivalent of Monica Lewinski?

It would seem that in our entire history as a country all we can claim is MacKenzie King talking to his dead dog at a seance and Gerda Munsinger during the Diefenbaker years.

Who could imagine it? An entire nation of "Ned Flanders" types!

[ToadBrother]

It would seem that in our entire history as a country all we can claim is MacKenzie King talking to his dead dog at a seance and Gerda Munsinger during the Diefenbaker years.

Who could imagine it? An entire nation of "Ned Flanders" types!

Before we declare ourselves fatally dull, let's see what happens with the Speaker's ruling on Privilege (out, apparently, this week). We may soon have a constitutional crisis to equal Australia's.

Edited April 19, 2010 by ToadBrother

[DrGreenthumb]

The trouble is, when it comes to scandals, the Tories are so boring!

Even the Helena and Rahim thing is kinda lame, when you think about it! Where are the juicy sex scandals of the British governments? Where's our equivalent of Monica Lewinski?

It would seem that in our entire history as a country all we can claim is MacKenzie King talking to his dead dog at a seance and Gerda Munsinger during the Diefenbaker years.

Who could imagine it? An entire nation of "Ned Flanders" types!

Oh I don't know about that, how about "family values" Vic Toews, leaving his wife, for a much younger woman that he "knocked up" in Ottawa? One of his own staff if I remember correctly. That's pretty Monica Lewinski'ish?

[capricorn]

I wouldn't say Vic Toews' situation is that unique.

On a March 1995 evening, such a twist of plot occurred in the life of Zsuzsanna Zsohar, when the doorbell rang in her Holland Park flat in central London. It's likely she divined the significance of the moment before answering, being someone who values books like the very air she breathes.

Standing there was Michael Ignatieff, carrying a plastic bag. He'd just done an interview at the BBC and said only, "Can I stay?"

---

When the split came, it caused a frisson in gossipy London town. Ignatieff had mined his family to write about domestic bliss and the joys of fatherhood, and this was too rich to let slip.

"Welcome to the Late Show; I've left my wife," mocked a headline in the Evening Standard, over a story saying:

"The Age of the New Man, it is said, is drawing to a close. Right on cue, his patron saint – the don, philosopher and sensitive novelist, Michael Ignatieff – has fallen from his pedestal. After 18 years of happy marriage in Islington, Michael has up and walked out, setting up home with a lovely young BBC press officer, Susannah (sic) Zsohar."

---

Says Zsohar: "The only person who never forgave me or him is his ex-wife – and I understand that perfectly."

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/594750

Canada is so cosmopolitan, we even import our juicy political love stories.

"Around that time, Michael actually gave a talk in Canada (about) parents' responsibility to children. It's a very interesting piece because it says adults are also responsible for their own happiness. They are responsible for their children's happiness, yes, but they are also responsible for their own happiness, providing you never leave your children, never abandon responsibility for them."

I wonder when Ignatieff will give his next talk on the importance of children in a parental environment?

[jbg]

Good point...and their ties to the "organization" actually resulted in a killing.

They really painted it black. But hey, you can't always get what you want.

Edited April 20, 2010 by jbg

[bloodyminded]

They really painted it black. But hey, you can't always get what you want.

That's it. You've gone too far. You've adopted my father's style of humour.

[Topaz]

The story still grows and new info still coming out. http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/04/19/snowdy-rcmp.html