Stephen Harper

[knn]

Once again, Stephen Harper’s attempts to use political ruse has landed him in deep trouble.

He has unleashed a storm of protests from people and organizations all over the country. Harper, who wrote his own speech, was "so busy vetting his MPs speeches, that he forgot to check his own."

“A range of groups responded yesterday with fury, saying Harper went too far. A flurry of outraged news releases descended on media offices from the National Association of Japanese Canadians, the Chinese Canadian National Council, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, the Canadian Buddhists Civil Liberties Association, the World Sikh Organization, the British Columbia Unitarian Church and the Muslim Canadian Congress.”

"Pat Case, chairman of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said it was "simply embarrassing" to see Harper try to score political points with the issue.

“A director of the National Association of Japanese Canadians said in a news release it was "wrong-headed" of Harper "to try to play politics...

Stephen Harper seems to be a political lightning rod for doing the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, and stepping in more cow manure than he knows what to do with. Isn’t it time for Harper to quietly move aside?

HARPER STIRS OUTCRY!

[willy]

So what exactly did he say?

I found it.

"Let us not forget it was the Liberal party that said none is too many when it came to Jews fleeing from Hitler. It was the Liberal party that interned Japanese Canadians in camps on Canada's West Coast, an act Pierre Trudeau refused to apologize or make restitution for, leaving it to Brian Mulroney to see justice done," Harper said.

Do you see an inaccracy here? They were Liberal governments.

[Grantler]

Dear Liberals,

Might as well start digging for all the crap the Conservatives have done in the distant past then make an official statement on it.

What is the point? He is an idiot. Anyone with a brain and a care for Canada knows about those issues and also know that it was a different world back then.

[Shakeyhands]

did anyone really expect anything but something like this from Harper? The man is a buffoon.

[knn]

willy Posted: Feb 18 2005, 05:43 PM

So what exactly did he say? I found it.

"Let us not forget it was the Liberal party that said none is too many when it came to Jews fleeing from Hitler. It was the Liberal party that interned Japanese Canadians in camps on Canada's West Coast, an act Pierre Trudeau refused to apologize or make restitution for, leaving it to Brian Mulroney to see justice done," Harper said. 

Do you see an inaccracy here? They were Liberal governments.

This is what makes Harper, and others like him, such a timebomb for the Conservative party.

The huge outcry about Harper's speech is his playing minorities against each other, and digging up "ancient history" which has angered many organizations. Harper playing minorities for "political points" is certainly not winning any for him or his party:

"A director of the National Association of Japanese Canadians said in a news release it was "wrong-headed" of Harper "to try to play politics with an ancient historical wrong.

"By raising the issue of Japanese Canadian internment, Mr. Harper is resorting to cheap political shots ... rather than facing the inconsistency of his position on human rights," said Professor Audrey Kobayashi of Queen's University.

Pat Case, chairman of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said it was "simply embarrassing" to see Harper try to score political points with the issue."

HARPER STIRS OUTCRY

[knn]

Grantler Posted: Feb 18 2005, 06:07 PM 

What is the point? He is an idiot. Anyone with a brain and a care for Canada knows about those issues and also know that it was a different world back then.

One of Stephen Harper's big mistakes is demanding that he "approve" his MP's speeches, but he's neglected to have anyone "vet" his own speech!

[Guest eureka]

I would think that Harper may prove to be the right man for the job. He can lead this party to the depths from which they may be forced to rethink themselves and become, once again, a Conservative party.

[Newfie Canadian]

IF Harper can get to the policy Convention (in March?) without getting shot in the back by one of his MPs or shooting himself in the foot, he may do OK.

AS knn has alluded to, he hasn't been doing too well in the last few days in regards to bringing negative attention to himself.

[willy]

This is not a smoking gun.

In context, this statement is of little consequence.

Me thinks knn and a few others on this forum just really don't like us Conservatives. That's okay but hey we will make much bigger gaffs than this so please Chicken Little the sky is not falling yet.

My guess is that Harper will not take strong positions on many issues until after the membership has had a kick at the can in Montreal.

One last little thing, if you really think he is an idiot be careful because he might surprise you. This guy has navigated a party that was at 12% two years ago into 99 seats.

Don't hate us if you aint us.

[caesar]

Me thinks knn and a few others on this forum just really don't like us Conservatives. That's okay but hey we will make much bigger gaffs than this so please Chicken Little the sky is not falling yet.

Gee, so you think that you Conservatives will make even bigger "gaffs" Gee that is so reassuring. Thank goodness

; he is not our prime minister. He makes Martin look like a real intellect in comparison.

[willy]

He makes Martin look like a real intellect in comparison.

Be so bold to provide an example. Harper is an academic and a policy wank. He may not be camera friendly but he is strong on intellect.

Caesar, we all make mistakes. That was my only point and all the parties are not exempt. The questions is, are the Liberal mistakes criminal and is the whole NDP ideology a mistake.

[caesar]

Be so bold to provide an example. Harper is an academic and a policy wank. He may not be camera friendly but he is strong on intellect.

This latest speech and many more before. Let's not forget; he suddenly claimed to have backed Canada not joining the USA in the Iraqi invasion come election time. Perhaps he just has a bad memory problem.

[Grantler]

This is not a smoking gun.

In context, this statement is of little consequence.

Me thinks knn and a few others on this forum just really don't like us Conservatives. That's okay but hey we will make much bigger gaffs than this so please Chicken Little the sky is not falling yet.

My guess is that Harper will not take strong positions on many issues until after the membership has had a kick at the can in Montreal.

One last little thing, if you really think he is an idiot be careful because he might surprise you. This guy has navigated a party that was at 12% two years ago into 99 seats.

Don't hate us if you aint us.

One last little thing, if you really think he is an idiot be careful because he might surprise you. This guy has navigated a party that was at 12% two years ago into 99 seats.

- Ummm...is it just me or didn't two parties unite?

[willy]

Ummm...is it just me or didn't two parties unite?

What is your point?

[Grantler]

How the hell did he navigate anything?

Seems to me he just happened to use all of Peter McKay's legwork. I mean, McKay is the backstabber right?

Harper just giggled.

[August1991]

So what exactly did he say?

I found it.

"Let us not forget it was the Liberal party that said none is too many when it came to Jews fleeing from Hitler. It was the Liberal party that interned Japanese Canadians in camps on Canada's West Coast, an act Pierre Trudeau refused to apologize or make restitution for, leaving it to Brian Mulroney to see justice done," Harper said.

Do you see an inaccracy here? They were Liberal governments.

I read that quote and thought as you did, Willy, that it's a fact: they were Liberal governments that did all those things.

Indeed, PM PM admitted in his own speech that, several years ago, he voted against gay marriage.

The point is that the Liberal Party has no monopoly on righteousness and the true Canadian way.

Yet, the Liberals and the Ontario chattering Left never fail to paint Harper as an evil, scary non-Canadian. The Liberals can dish it up but they can't take it.

In fact, Harper should put a sure foot forward and say simply what he believes. Against nonsense, this works. Thatcher and Reagan succeeded that way. Harper must understand that he will be a controversial PM. He will never catch a break.

[Newfie Canadian]

Harper must understand that he will be a controversial PM.

Your optimism is refreshing August.

[willy]

August1991, said more eloquently than me.

That is what I was trying to get at.

Thanks for the articulation.

[August1991]

August1991, said more eloquently than me.

That is what I was trying to get at.

Thanks for the articulation.

Your remark is kind but I lack articulation.

There's something else too that I failed to note. Harper tied himself directly to Mulroney, and in opposition to Trudeau. It was Mulroney who offered an apology, and compensation to those interned. Not Trudeau and not the Liberals.

Your optimism is refreshing August.

From eloquence to refreshing?

Seriously though, if Harper becomes PM, the effect among the Canadian Left will be similar to René Lévesque's first election in November 1976. "Everyone take a valium."

[knn]

eureka Posted: Feb 18 2005, 08:03 PM 

I would think that Harper may prove to be the right man for the job. He can lead this party to the depths ...

Oh, Harper will lead his "party to the depths" alright. At his present rate, he drive it right into the ground so deep, you won't be able to find it!

[Newfie Canadian]

IMHO, Harper has many factors going against him, from leading a merged party, to MPs shooting their mouths off, to maybe some bad advisors.

I do believe that he has the unfortunate luck to be leading a conservative party in Canada when Canadians look south of the border, and see a conservative adminstration in the US doing all the things that give Canadians reasons to distrust conservative politics and politicians. (And before I Miss Reagan jumps on this and say it's anti-American, that's not what I mean. Anti-Bush maybe, but not anti-American. )

Now, there is of course an icredible divide between American conservative politics and politicians and Canadians conservative politics and politicians, but I would wager that the divide is largely unknown, misunderstood or totally ignored by the electotrate

[knn]

Why the members selected Stephen Harper as their leader immediately after the merging of the two parties is beyond me. You would think in that delicate transition period of bringing the Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties together they would have wanted it to go as smoothly and as uneventfully as possible. Even have a middle of the road guy for the first few years.

Instead they elected a leader who carries a lot of baggage; a history of making bad choices and bad statements. It gives, and reinforces the public image that the party is run by a rampant bunch of racist rednecks. Then again, maybe it is!

[BigGunner]

Some of us are cheering on people like Stephen Harper. The more that Harper spews tripe like that in public, the more people will be turned off from his party.

Canadians already overhelmingly oppose his support of the Iraq war and realise that if he was the Prime Minister, it could have been Canadian soldiers getting beheaded on TV instead...or perhaps a subway system in a large Canadian city could have been bombed by a sympathetic islamist group...the possibilities are endless.

But to the issues that Stephen Harper attacked the Liberals on...

..I wonder how the conservative opposition voted in the 1930's and 40's when the Liberal's interned the Japanese - or blocked Jews from coming to Canada. It seems that it was the CCF, NOT the conservatives that stood against racism - even when it was popular.

[caesar]

Harper must understand that he will be a controversial PM. He will never catch a break.

Harper must understand that he will NEVER be Prime minister. I wouldn't vote for him for dog catcher

[ticker]

August1991

Seriously though, if Harper becomes PM, the effect among the Canadian Left will be similar to René Lévesque's first election in November 1976. "Everyone take a valium."

I am a little fuzy on my Quebec politics and Rene Levesque's first election.

is a valium a good thing or a bad thing