Conservative Candidate in BC will be going on trial next month..

[scribblet]

Harper has given him the boot.

Harper dumps B.C. candidate facing charges

Harper did the right thing, but I wonder if its possible for Zeisman to get elected at all now, surely they could parachute someone in.

[Rovik]

Hmmm, a line without quote is your evidence of a flip flop?

I am saying you are misusing the term. No body from the party was quoted with the line from the story. It took them a few hours to make a decision.

Who exactly flip flopped? You would have to come up with the person who *supposedly* made the original statement.

Not a flip-flop, a simple typo. Are you saying "The Conservatives say despite just finding out about the charges, they will stand by their man and won't pull him out of the race." (-quote from CTV news story) was a typo as well????? If it was, it was quite the typo

Why would the CTV say this in their news article unless it was true. Unless you are suggesting that the CTV article is lying in this regard.

[shoop]

I am saying a lot depends on who this "Conservative" is. It could be one of Zeisman's friends at his campaign office. Someone who clearly wouldn't be speaking for the Conservative Party of Canada on the issue. Without attribution you can't fairly paint this as a flip-flop.

Again, learn to question the media. Skepticism is healthy for democracy.

Why would the CTV say this in their news article unless it was true. Unless you are suggesting that the CTV article is lying in this regard.

[Riverwind]

I am saying a lot depends on who this "Conservative" is. It could be one of Zeisman's friends at his campaign office. Someone who clearly wouldn't be speaking for the Conservative Party of Canada on the issue. Without attribution you can't fairly paint this as a flip-flop.

There were mixed messages coming from different Conservatives - John Reynolds is a fairly important person in the party:

But Mr. Reynolds insisted it should be up to the electorate, not his own party, to judge Mr. Zeisman.

“He's a nominated candidate for the next election, and he's on the ballot. And his constituents will make up their mind whether they think this is a serious issue.”

That said I do agree with you shoop, taking a few hours to make a proper decision is appropriate and a immediate explusion would haev shown extremely poor judgment on Harper's part.

[Hicksey]

I am saying a lot depends on who this "Conservative" is. It could be one of Zeisman's friends at his campaign office. Someone who clearly wouldn't be speaking for the Conservative Party of Canada on the issue. Without attribution you can't fairly paint this as a flip-flop.

There were mixed messages coming from different Conservatives - John Reynolds is a fairly important person in the party:

But Mr. Reynolds insisted it should be up to the electorate, not his own party, to judge Mr. Zeisman.

“He's a nominated candidate for the next election, and he's on the ballot. And his constituents will make up their mind whether they think this is a serious issue.”

That said I do agree with you shoop, taking a few hours to make a proper decision is appropriate and a immediate explusion would haev shown extremely poor judgment on Harper's part.

On TorontoSun.com Harper is quoted as saying that Zeisman will not be allowed to sit as a Conservative if elected.

Toronto Sun: Tory Candidate Dumped

[scribblet]

I didn't realize that it was illegal to replace a candidate at this point, so Harper has indeed made the right decision, and in a timely manner.

[Hicksey]

BC Conservative candidate Derek Zeisman (running in the British Columbia Southern Interior riding) has been charged with smuggling but kept this secret, even to his own party.

Click the link to the CTV for details. Link

And it seems that Harper is standing by him. I wonder what Conservative supporters, who were quick to pounce on Layton's handling of Svend Robinson, have to say about this???

Anyhow, it looks like a NDP pickup here as they were running neck and neck with the Conservatives (in the riding) before this news broke.

Check out my last post. The Toronto Sun reports that he's been nominated and that can't rescinded at this point, but Harper is quoted as saying if he wins he won't be able to sit as a member of the CPOC.

[Boru]

Nice to see that the Conservatives, who call for the dismissal of any Liberal that faces an allegation, are standing behind their guy who is charged with smuggling "a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and 112 containers of alcohol."

My favorite quote in the story has got to be :

"I have no doubt about that whatsoever, but you know, again, I hope we still live in a democratic country where people are allowed to have their day in court before they're found guilty in the court of public opinion."

You just have to love how when it is a conservative "people are allowed to have their day in court before they're found guilty", but even with exhonoration of Martin by Justice Gomery, he has stilll been tarred and feathered with the no regard to the facts.

If this candidate nominated the judge presiding over the case, then maybe he could be more confident like Martin was, by appointing Gomery. Idiot Politician, drop the bs about Martin being exhonorated, we all know Martin could never be found anything BUT innocent. If someone else had have done the investigation, he'd have been found guilty!!

I get so tired of hearing this same line of BS from sad-sack Liberals.

This is nonsense. Martin was exhonorated by due process. That's the end of it. There's no point in tale spinning or conspiracy theorizing.

The fact that this is still the main issue dogging the Liberals shows how pathetic a campaign they are running.

What strikes me about this minor Conservative scandal is the lack of organization it demonstrates in the party. You'd think it a simple matter to get a criminal background check, and pending charges are the first thing that would pop up. If the Conservativs can't manage the profiles of their own delegates, how can they manage to govern a country? Stephen Harper's response to this was definately inadequate., passing off responsibility to nameless subordinates.

[uOttawaMan]

Typical Conservative nutjob.

He's gonna need all that liquor after this...

[justcrowing]

Sheesh, he can copy Svend and cry a little, plead stress and all is forgiven. Heck Svend can even re-enter politics and was forgiven & probably get elected. So should a conservative be treated any differently? Small potatoes compared to Liberal dishonesty.

Harper did the right thing, quickly and swiftly, something Martin and Layton should learn.

[willy]

criminal background check

It is not a criminal charge. He did have a credit check and a criminal check. He came back clean. He also filled out a 30 page questionair in which he was asked about all aspects of his life and he under went an interview process to be elegible for the vote.

Sometimes you just don't know and when you find out you act. The Conservatives did act, the Liberals never do and the NDP, well Svend is fun to have around and they will never be government.

[Hicksey]

Nice to see that the Conservatives, who call for the dismissal of any Liberal that faces an allegation, are standing behind their guy who is charged with smuggling "a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and 112 containers of alcohol."

My favorite quote in the story has got to be :

"I have no doubt about that whatsoever, but you know, again, I hope we still live in a democratic country where people are allowed to have their day in court before they're found guilty in the court of public opinion."

You just have to love how when it is a conservative "people are allowed to have their day in court before they're found guilty", but even with exhonoration of Martin by Justice Gomery, he has stilll been tarred and feathered with the no regard to the facts.

If this candidate nominated the judge presiding over the case, then maybe he could be more confident like Martin was, by appointing Gomery. Idiot Politician, drop the bs about Martin being exhonorated, we all know Martin could never be found anything BUT innocent. If someone else had have done the investigation, he'd have been found guilty!!

I get so tired of hearing this same line of BS from sad-sack Liberals.

This is nonsense. Martin was exhonorated by due process. That's the end of it. There's no point in tale spinning or conspiracy theorizing.

The fact that this is still the main issue dogging the Liberals shows how pathetic a campaign they are running.

What strikes me about this minor Conservative scandal is the lack of organization it demonstrates in the party. You'd think it a simple matter to get a criminal background check, and pending charges are the first thing that would pop up. If the Conservativs can't manage the profiles of their own delegates, how can they manage to govern a country? Stephen Harper's response to this was definately inadequate., passing off responsibility to nameless subordinates.

No, that's nonsense. The names of seven Liberal party members who took the stolen public money into their campaigns has yet to be released. Martin's refusal to release this information makes him an accomplice after the fact. Until he releases the names he's as complicit in AdScam as anyone else named.

[geoffrey]

No, that's nonsense. The names of seven Liberal party members who took the stolen public money into their campaigns has yet to be released. Martin's refusal to release this information makes him an accomplice after the fact. Until he releases the names he's as complicit in AdScam as anyone else named.

Or whatever happened to guilty by association? How come it only doesn't apply to the Liberals?

Liberal party steals money to fund campaign in Quebec... yet Liberals aren't responsible, only Guite and whatever other induviduals.

Our governing party shouldn't be above the law, they should be treated along with the biker gangs and mofia groups that misappropriate and racketeer funds. I honestly can't see the difference.

Just because not EVERY biker in a biker gang touched the money, doesn't mean they all aren't part of a criminal organization.

[shoop]

Wow Boru, quite the partisan start here at MLW.

The fact that Gomery is still dogging the Liberals ALSO goes to show that the Canadian public doesn't buy into the exhonerated by 'due process' mumbo jumbo either.

Here is a little legal lesson for you. Charges would not show up in a criminal background check. Only convictions. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. Pesky that Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

This is nonsense. Martin was exhonorated by due process. That's the end of it. There's no point in tale spinning or conspiracy theorizing. The fact that this is still the main issue dogging the Liberals shows how pathetic a campaign they are running.

What strikes me about this minor Conservative scandal is the lack of organization it demonstrates in the party. You'd think it a simple matter to get a criminal background check, and pending charges are the first thing that would pop up. If the Conservativs can't manage the profiles of their own delegates, how can they manage to govern a country?