Seat in danger as Tories feud

[Catchme]

Things within the CPC have gone to the surreal, and it is incredible that these people actually are representing the face of Canadians. Shameful!

A bitter rift among local Conservatives who battled for 46 years to capture the Essex riding has led to a drive to oust MP Jeff Watson.

The protracted dispute that has brought the potential challengers forward became public when one of Watson's former campaign volunteers, Nick Kouvalis, was charged and recently acquitted of threatening to kill the MP.

The rift between Watson and Kouvalis began shortly after Watson was first elected in 2004, but the reason for it isn't clear. Some say Kouvalis left after a dispute over Watson's support for the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership border crossing proposal. Others say Kouvalis was upset because Watson didn't hire him after the election. Whatever the reason, the rift escalated. About half a dozen Watson campaign workers left and began working for Fuschi. Several later returned to Watson.

Among those who left Fuschi were Kaydee Schnekenburger and Angela Jonsson, the two main prosecution witnesses at Kouvalis's trial. They testified that in July 2005, Kouvalis told them during a heated discussion that he would kill Watson if he could get away with it.

The nastiness continues. An e-mail sent to members of the media and the party during Kouvalis's trial shows nude or sexually suggestive or explicit photographs purportedly of Jonsson and Schnekenburger and the caption: "Angela Jonsson and Kaydee Schnekenburger are the main witnesses for Jeff Watson in a criminal trial. Credible or incredible?"

Ugly Dirty Laundry, 3 pages worth in the article, and these boozos are running the country?

Oh and apparently, the skinny on the oics, though the article does mention it is, the photos of the 2 women were doctored even. I hope the women sue who ever did it!

[jbg]

And you're saying the LPOC and the NDP don't have infighting?

[Canadian Blue]

Catchme is a bit of a partisan hack...

I remember the struggle in quite a few ridings after Martin took power and tried to push the Chretienites out. But then again, some people like to mentally block some things out of their mind.

[scribblet]

Catchme is a bit of a partisan hack...

I remember the struggle in quite a few ridings after Martin took power and tried to push the Chretienites out. But then again, some people like to mentally block some things out of their mind.

A bit? Her posts are in the surreal realm most of the time.

[jbg]

Catchme is a bit of a partisan hack...

I remember the struggle in quite a few ridings after Martin took power and tried to push the Chretienites out. But then again, some people like to mentally block some things out of their mind.

A bit? Her posts are in the surreal realm most of the time.

Is "catchme" the former "ritamd" at 50+? I think he/she/it had a name at rabble as well (that's no sign of dishonor; I had about 12 in serial manner).

[Catchme]

LOLOLOL

How about you show me where any other party in Canadian history has their MP and riding leadership end up in court with ONE being charged with attempted murder, or uttering murder threats?

This IS NOT in fighting, this goes well beyond, must be all that nice Christianity!

[madmax]

And you're saying the LPOC and the NDP don't have infighting?

Maybe you are missing the point.

I couldn't believe all this," said one local party official. "I thought it was a figment of somebody's imagination -- the depth of the animosity, the cheap tricks. It's like a bad Tom Clancy novel.

"This is just terrible for the whole brand. We all look like a bunch of morons."

Seats are hard enough to get, let alone hold in a riding that doesn't have strong conservative traditions.

I don't think they want to lose this seat, and wait 46 years, to get it back.

Doe it look bad? Yeah, it looks terrible. Is it encouraging? NO.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Doe it look bad? Yeah, it looks terrible. Is it encouraging? NO.

Did the appointments of Billy Cunningham in Burnaby Douglas, John Bethel in Edmonton East , Ruby Dhalla in Brampton-Springdale all look bad? Yes. Were the encouraging? Only because the Libeals lost two of those three seats.

Should we dig up articles on the nastiness and mudlinging in each of those ridings?

Catchme, do you really enjoy spending all day scouring the internet for articles that confirm your hatred for Stephen Harper?

[madmax]

Did the appointments of Billy Cunningham in Burnaby Douglas, John Bethel in Edmonton East , Ruby Dhalla in Brampton-Springdale all look bad? Yes. Were the encouraging? Only because the Libeals lost two of those three seats.

I don't follow you? The encouraging part is keeping 1 of 3 seats? Or losing 2 of 3 seats?

It isn't good, it isn't good for the party, and the sooner it goes away the better.

[Ricki Bobbi]

I don't follow you? The encouraging part is keeping 1 of 3 seats? Or losing 2 of 3 seats?

It isn't good, it isn't good for the party, and the sooner it goes away the better.

It's encouraging because the Liberals lost two of those three seats.

[Catchme]

Doe it look bad? Yeah, it looks terrible. Is it encouraging? NO.

Catchme, do you really enjoy spending all day scouring the internet for articles that confirm your hatred for Stephen Harper?

Sure, dig up all the Liberal mudslinging you want, the point remains it did not end up in court with people being charged.

No, don't have to dig up anything, Harper and the CPC are the ones doing the nasty actions, how about you talk to them about their actions? If it was NOT going on, there would be nothing to post about now would there.

And please, the amount of people here, including yourself, who do nothing but trash everyone else, but Harper and the CPC, have little room to cast stones at others.

[jdobbin]

Most people don't follow the battles for nominations. The only thing it hurts is party organization later on when some embittered people don't volunteer to help the new candidate. It happens to all parties from time to time. At the moment, since the Tories feel they will win, the battles are taking place in their nomination meetings.

[madmax]

Most people don't follow the battles for nominations. .......... the battles are taking place in their nomination meetings.

Nomination battles in the press such as this one, don't give the public a fuzzy warm feeling.

[jdobbin]

Nomination battles in the press such as this one, don't give the public a fuzzy warm feeling.

They might affect the local riding but I don't know that it will make an impact nationally.

[madmax]

They might affect the local riding but I don't know that it will make an impact nationally.

Yes, I would agree with that. But you know very well, that a seat that has been in Liberal hands for 46 years, and with the current CPC incumbent and the Riding are receiving such negative press, would indicate, that this seat is going to be very difficult to retain. If this seat is lost by the CPC it would once again remain a Liberal Stronghold, for possibly another 46 years.

Yes, it is one seat, but one seat that the CPC cannot afford to lose in Ontario.

[Catchme]

They might affect the local riding but I don't know that it will make an impact nationally.

But you know very well, that a seat that has been in Liberal hands for 46 years, and with the current CPC incumbent and the Riding are receiving such negative press, would indicate, that this seat is going to be very difficult to retain. If this seat is lost by the CPC it would once again remain a Liberal Stronghold, for possibly another 46 years.

Yes, it is one seat, but one seat that the CPC cannot afford to lose in Ontario.

Where does the CPC get these kinda of people?

So now, the CPC is going to be down 1 seat in Ontario, 3 seats most likely in PQ and perhaps 3-4 at least in BC. Doesn't look good for the CPC, I suggest they keep up the good work in QP, that they have been.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Yes, I would agree with that. But you know very well, that a seat that has been in Liberal hands for 46 years, and with the current CPC incumbent and the Riding are receiving such negative press, would indicate, that this seat is going to be very difficult to retain. If this seat is lost by the CPC it would once again remain a Liberal Stronghold, for possibly another 46 years.

Yes, it is one seat, but one seat that the CPC cannot afford to lose in Ontario.

Yawn....

The seat turned because of a weak Liberal incumbent. One who ran again and lost in 2006.

The infighting is a tempest in a teapot. It will turn on the National campaign.

Dhalla won her seat easily in spite of all the ugliness surrounding her *nomination*.

[madmax]

Yawn....

The seat turned because of a weak Liberal incumbent. One who ran again and lost in 2006.

Are you suggesting the CPC don't deserve the seat? Or would lose it to a strong Candidate?

The infighting is a tempest in a teapot. It will turn on the National campaign.

The infighting is in a riding not normally held by Conservatives, and is really getting some bad press.

Dhalla won her seat easily in spite of all the ugliness surrounding her *nomination*.

The riding was Liberal for a very long time, and by very wide margins. Both ridings which created the new riding were strongly Liberal.

That is not the case in Essex.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Are you suggesting the CPC don't deserve the seat? Or would lose it to a strong Candidate?

I'm saying there is no way the Conservatives lose this riding unless they face a strong candidate.

Your source story is terribly written and clearly stretching in trying to make a story where there is no one.

Challenging an MP for the nomination during a minority government is very unusual, especially given that the Conservatives want a majority in the next election.

It's always unusual to challenge a sitting MP. Every Government wants to win a majority in their next election.

Kouvalis, who is credited by some with clinching the MP's narrow victory in 2004, he said.

Great for Kouvalis. The MP won by 3,600 votes in 2006. That ain't narrow at all...

[Catchme]

Make more out of the story than what it is? It was a comprehensive article that detailed the whole sorid affair from the court transcripts and witness testimony. It did not even go into the nature of NAKED pictures sent to them, by CPC peopkle discrediting the witnesses.

Say nothing of the pictures turning out to be doctored, personally I can't wait until charges are laid over that.

It ended up in court, with intent to murder charges, that is serious and a story, making light of it says much.

That the guy who uttered the threats wants to run now in that riding, is beyond belief actually. That he wants the sitting MP to resign, so he can do so, is pushing the whole thing into seriously strange reality.

[Who's Doing What?]

And you're saying the LPOC and the NDP don't have infighting?

Ofcourse that is exactly what she is saying. It was right there in her post.

[Catchme]

And you're saying the LPOC and the NDP don't have infighting?

Ofcourse that is exactly what she is saying. It was right there in her post.

I presume you are being sarcastic. Nothing was said like that

Now, what do you think about: the criminal charges laid, the resulting court case, the doctored photos of 2 women portraying them as being naked to discredit them sent to media and politicians, and the person who had charges being laid against him now wanting the other MP to resign so he can have his seat, or at least try to get it?

This goes well beyond infighting.

[Ricki Bobbi]

Now, what do you think about: the criminal charges laid, the resulting court case, the doctored photos of 2 women portraying them as being naked to discredit them sent to media and politicians, and the person who had charges being laid against him now wanting the other MP to resign so he can have his seat, or at least try to get it?

Seems like Watson hasn't done much bad.

It was Kouvalis who made the alleged death threat. And Kouvalis supporters who doctored and circulated the photos in question.

All Watson is accused of is pressing charges that may have been *politically* motivated.

Can't paint the whole party negatively because of one nutbar who wants the nomination.

[madmax]

All Watson is accused of is pressing charges that may have been *politically* motivated.

Watson pulled behind the scenes infighting out into the open public. To use the courts for political reasons with regards to a nomination challenge is STUPID.

You can try and discredit the source, but you had better use your spin in the riding where it matters. I don't know if 3,600 votes is enough or not.

But public opinion will be shaped with regards to Watson and anyone else involved.

Would the CPC be better off to find another Candidate ?

[scribblet]

Catchme is a bit of a partisan hack...

I remember the struggle in quite a few ridings after Martin took power and tried to push the Chretienites out. But then again, some people like to mentally block some things out of their mind.

A bit? Her posts are in the surreal realm most of the time.

Is "catchme" the former "ritamd" at 50+? I think he/she/it had a name at rabble as well (that's no sign of dishonor; I had about 12 in serial manner).

I'm sure of it - same type of drive by smears )