THE CONSERVATIVE HIPSTERS

It's A Wrap, Folks

2008-11-12T12:26:00.002-05:00

After over 4 years in the blogosphere, I am announcing on behalf of myself and Q that we have jointly decided to close The Conservative Hipster.

We both felt it was important to continue to update on a regular basis and if we couldn't do it, then we'd hang it up. So we're giving up CH. Both of us have decided to move onto other online projects - I have started up a music blog and Q is busy contributing to money blogs.

To me, this space is important. When I first started this blog, it was the latest craze - the precursor to Facebook. Everyone and their mother created a blog, but very few actually kept on. In fact, I quit a few years back - and Q took up the reigns and kept CH relevant and interesting. He deserves my thanks for that.

Over the years, we had some great posts and some excellent achievements. We've gotten in a lot of scraps and caused lots of trouble. I lost track of the times people came up to me or e-mailed me and commented on our blog posts. We had traffic and readers many bloggers only dream of. I'm very proud of that.

But for me, it was never a popularity contest. It was always about having a medium to express my opinions. As you can see from my musings on John Tory, I was able to full express what was/is on my mind. And don't worry - I won't be some future candidate who has to quit over this here blog: I wrote how I felt then and I stand by it now.

I encourage all bloggers to keep doing what you're doing - you are truly the voice of democracy. It takes a huge effort to create and maintain a blog that offers opinion and ideas about our world. You offer the purest form of community dialogue we have. And it is an important role to play in society.

Again, on behalf of Q and I, I thank you for your readership, your comments and your time.

BDub

No vote is a wasted vote...

2008-09-09T09:04:00.003-04:00

...not at $1.75 per vote per year.

With that said, I would like to revive my attempt to alter the subsidy that federal parties get.

As you may, or may not know, each party recieves $1.75 per year per vote (indexed for inflation) for each vote they receive.

I would like to see this subsidy altered to be:

$1.75/vote X (number of ridings with a registered candidate/total number of ridings)

This would drastically alter the playing field as the BQ is able to pretty much fund itself out of its subsidy and does not require substantial fundraising.

It would also make people think twice about deals like Dion-May and the Conservative decision not to run anyone against the independent guy (whose name escapes me) in Quebec.

However, I would argue that 307/308 X 1.75 is more acceptable than 75/308 x 1.75 per vote.

Q

CH Exclusive: Pics of the Liberal Election Team In Action!

2008-08-27T14:53:00.005-04:00

This photo was taken this morning in the lobby of the building that houses the Liberal Research Bureau.

According to CH spies, about 20 staffers were seen loading golf clubs into cars.

This photo shows some of them. Note the "Green Shift" hat, a particularly nice touch.

Apparently today is an organized golf day for Dion's Liberal Research Bureau.

Around the same time as this photo was taken (9:30 a.m.), the following story appeared on the CTV news page:

GG's China trip cancelled, fuelling vote speculation
Updated Wed. Aug. 27 2008 9:22 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

In another sign that a fall federal election is all but a certainty, Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean has cancelled plans to attend the Paralympics in Beijing.

Clearly Team Dion is all prepared and has no more work and is able to take today off to hit the golf course.

I guess the only green that's shifting in the Liberal War Room is the golf green.

Hanging in Ottawa...

2008-08-25T09:13:00.000-04:00

And the elcection buzz is almost a roar.

I would hope that PM Stephen Harper doesn't burden my faith yet again by calling an election early.

It would be difficult for me to explain to my non-politicial friends (and I would be out $20).

In all seriousness, joe average has come to expect fixed election dates. If PM SH pulls the plug himself, he is going to get hammered as someone who doesn't keep his promises.

Instead, I would love to see us give an economic update in October and have Jim Flaherty reverse our earlier rerversal on income trusts and rebuild our credibility just a wee bit.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling...

2008-08-22T18:04:00.001-04:00

...oh wait.

Never mind.

Q

PS Didn't Williamson criticize the 5.6 Billion surplus last year? Just askin'?

This is bordering on harrassment

2008-08-21T20:21:00.001-04:00

Fire. Them. All.

Q

The next election

2008-08-20T12:57:00.001-04:00

So I threw $20 in an election pool this past weekend and picked October, 2009 (the offical date).

After all the posturing this past week, I still feel comfortable with this pick as everyone seems to forget about the Bloc.

Duceppe has been completely silent.

I think the Tories are going to win the Quebec by-election (not Westmount, the other one) and the Bloc will not want to go into a general election early.

B-Dub speaks:

Or not. Yikes. I'm not worried that the Prime Minister will campaign the crap out of the dorky professor there, but those numbers worry me more than horserace crap.

I think PMSH would need to simultaniously rescue 4 kittens, an orphan girl and 90-year old Grandma Louise from a house fire - that Dion started - before his numbers go up. Of course, my fellow Canadians haven't had to see Dion on TV every day.

Look Out WestJet....

2008-08-19T22:35:00.002-04:00

...you're quickly becoming Air Canada.

My little girl got airsick a few weeks back on a flight from Ottawa to Toronto.

If this happened to us I would be raising holy hell.

AC is already going hard after your routes. The only way you'll survive is on your service.

I had high hopes that WestJet would be a different carrier. Slowly but surely, they are becoming the same as everyone else.

I guess an airline can't live on denim and sarcasm alone.

Watchmen

2008-08-19T10:26:00.002-04:00

Quite possibly the greatest graphic novel ever made....

...may be delayed.

That is too bad.

Q

Copy at your own risk!!!

2008-08-18T08:06:00.004-04:00

Bill C-61, as written, is bad law proposed by those who don't understand the technology they plan to regulate.

Some examples:

Making it illegal to circumvent any Digital Rights Management, so:

If the CD you buy has DRM, it is illegal to rip it to your iPod.

It will be illegal to rip a DVD to your computer or media player (video iPod, et al).

It will be illegal to record a TV show (VCR or PVR) and keep it after you have watched it.

It will be illegal to unlock your cellphone.

Not only that, but the enforcement of these laws will be impossible without massive violations of your personal and digital privacy.

Let's scrap this one and start again, shall we?

Q

PS I am surprised there has not been more of an uproar from bloggers who make youtube and similar plug-ins part of their daily blog experience.

Tony Stark Is The Man

2008-08-15T11:31:00.003-04:00

Here's a cool deleted scene from this summer's Iron Man.

Obviously the chicks, cars and Gwyneth Paltrow are all cool, but I especially like the appearance by rapper Ghostface Killah from the Wu-Tang Clan. In the 1990's rappers had other aliases besides their primary stage name. Ghostface's was "Tony Starks" (I'm assuming he added the "s" to avoid copyright issues). He even named one of his album "Ironman."

In any event, the clip is a cool piece that really show the cool-ass playboy we know Tony Stark is. Enjoy!

My Rights and Freedoms

2008-08-15T08:03:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking about rights and freedoms more and more lately.

Specifically, I was wondering how to reconcile my belief in freedom of speech with the despicable actions of those who planned to protest a private funeral.

I think many people take for granted our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom of peaceful assembly.

The freedom of religion allows us to peaceful worship our God in our own way and not to be persecuted for it. If that worship begins to impose on the rights of others, it should be curtailed.

The freedom of speech was designed as a protection against the tyranny of the state as opposed to carte-blanche to rail against people or persons. We have hate laws in this country. We have libel and defamanation suits available to those who have suffered honest to goodness harm and loss of livelyhood for those who would be falsely accused. However, the statement of facts should always be a defense.

The freedom of peaceful assembly was supposed to ensure that people could assemble and protest peacefully the actions of our government without fear of reprisals.

The freedom of the press was supposed to protect journalists and newspaper owners who cover the news.

Somehow, the right not to be offended has been entrenched in the Canadian lifestyle somewhere.

Remove the Christmas tree from town hall because we may offend muslims or jews.

Remove the word "man" from "manhole cover" as we will offend women.

Complain to the Human Rights Commission when you are offended by ...... fill in blank here.

Q

The Douchebag Gets One

2008-08-14T16:09:00.003-04:00

Hilarious. Serves you right, you pr--k.

From my new favorite site:

Breathe Easier (or how I learned to stop worrying and love greenhouse gasses)

2008-08-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

So, I am reading this, and it occurs to me that while the great unwashed have been brainwashed into thinking that Kyoto = pollution, the reality is that we could correct the problem of pollution a great deal more quickly and efficiently than we can deal with global warming.

Smog is not caused by greenhouse gasses. Pollution that affects asthma sufferers and the elderly are not caused by greenhouse gasses.

I would love for someone, preferrably a Tory, to stand up and say "F*#$ Greenhouse Gasses", let's deal with the real issue, smog, VOC (volatile organic compounds) and particulate pollution with ready made, off the shelf, Canadian-made technology.

Q

(FULL DISCLOSURE: In a past life, I designed, manufactured and installed air pollution control systems for industrial applications. The technology exists to eliminate these pollutants NOW!!!!)

Let the Hand-Wringing begin..

2008-08-13T16:01:00.002-04:00

...5 days in and no medals.

My god, what a miserable, poor, destitute country we live in.

Let's all emmigrate to Togo, quick, while no one is looking.

Hey, so we're not the best in the world at sports, that's okay, we do okay democracy, human rights and free and fair elections, right?

Q

What Do Dion and the French Swim Team Have In Common?

2008-08-13T10:34:00.003-04:00

Exhibit A: The French Swimmers

Exhibit B: Stephane Dion

Neither have the horses to back up their posturing.

McCain Camp Does Judo

2008-08-13T09:50:00.003-04:00

Brilliant.

I personally feel that using his fawning supporters against him is quite a good move. it makes him look less serious and the "celebrity" that he is. In a time of war, a tough economy and many other complex issues, it makes a lot of sense to paint Obamamania as another overhyped fad with very little substance.

They might want to up the ad budget, though.

Q RESPONDS

Yeah, but...these people are going to vote based on his "aura" and "bono-icity".

D'oh

or should I say

D'Obama!

An Open Casket? Are You Out of Your Mind????

2008-08-12T21:56:00.003-04:00

The funeral of murdered 7-year old Katelynn Sampson took place today. Notwithstanding the horrific way that this little girl died - at the hands of family no less - some idiot decided to have an open casket at her visitation and funeral.

Media:

"Screams of anguish were heard as friends and loved ones saw the injuries to the little girl's battered body – which even makeup could not cover." -- Toronto Star

"The grief and anger surrounding the premature death of 7-year-old Katelynn Sampson was magnified on Tuesday when mourners attending the little girl's funeral noticed visible signs of abuse on her body.

"She had stitches on her cheek," said friend Tracey Rodda. "One eye stitched shut and black and blue, and they had to use so much cover-up and still couldn't cover the extent of her injuries." --CityTV

How can you explain this? Many of the attendees were kids Katelynn's age. As reported on the radio, she had to be dressed in a baseball cap to conceal the trauma to her head.

What good would this do? How do you possibly justify this? One may argue that its a very real opportunity to illustrate the true impacts of child abuse, but I'm certainly not one of them.

A full review of her injuries and cause of death should be an important part of the investigation by the state. But a funeral is an opportunity to celebrate her life (such as it was) and to remember her as a bright little girl. Not come face-to-face with her injuries.

Madness.

Now This In An Olympics I Can Get Behind...

2008-08-12T10:07:00.001-04:00

Kanye's take on the Olympiad.

My right to hate

2008-08-12T06:51:00.000-04:00

There are some groups of people I hate.

I hate left-leaning liberals who believe they know what's best for me and are intolerant of my lifestyle..

I hate far right neo-nazis and any other group that practices intolerance.

I hate religious leaders who believe they can speak for God and invoke His/Her name to promote intolerance.

I also hate environmentalists who are unwilling to practice what they preach.

I hate Human Rights Commissions who feel they can legislate tolerance.

In and out...

2008-08-11T13:23:00.002-04:00

...

Quote from CBC via National Newswatch

Gary Caldwell, who ran for the Tories in the Quebec riding of Compton-Stanstead, said he later redrafted his election spending report to withdraw a claim for a 60 per cent federal rebate on that amount.
"I realize that the central party, any party, can give money to the local riding association, but when we examined this further I became convinced that it was only a legitimate local expense if we in fact spent it," he told the Commons ethics committee. " In fact, that was not the case."

In 1995, I was involved with the PC Party of Ontario campaign and helped local ridings coordinate their advertising for the Common Sense Revolution. The central party provided templates and then the local candidate would post his/her name and it would be authorized by their CFO.

Now I know this is a little bit different, but it seems to me that the federal party took this a little bit further than may seem prudent, but it does not seem, at first brush, that any laws were broken.

It is a matter of interpretation whether the ads were local or national. And that will be decided by the legal action between the Party and Elections Ontario.

The ethics committee is not going to find anything new or illegal.

Q

The Opening Ceremonies...

2008-08-10T20:56:00.003-04:00

...first, after my last trip to China, I realize (while many other don't) that there is no point to reducing greenhouse gasses until China participates in a meaningful way. We don't appreciate that they have cities (at least 20) with more people than all of Ontario.

With that said, I don't disagree with B-Double about the fact that China should not have been allowed to proceed with the Olympics as they had failed to meet any of the requirements set out for them.

When I was in Beijing this spring, the trees they were planting still had all the frames to hold them up. These trees should have been planted 8 years ago when the games were awarded.

Oh well.

With all that said, the opening ceremonies were fantastic. Give credit to the artists and performers where credit is due. The technical and artistic nature of the ceremonies made them incredibly enjoyable to watch.

However, my only comment would be that the torch lighting was a little lame.

Q

Since I Won't Be Watching The Olympics - An Old Post

2008-08-08T10:18:00.006-04:00

I would now like to reproduce one of the first posts I ever made on this here blog - way back in August 2004.

Still true.

I wish all our athlete the best and I hope they do well. However, I cannot and will not support a country who has failed in every "condition" they were given when they were awarded the games. And blocking the internet just cinched it for me.

It was very sad to hear everyone slobering over the opening ceremonies this morning and seemingly completely forgetting about how the host country has basically completely ignored what the west has been demanding of them.

Anyway, without further ado:

POLITICS AS USUAL: WE MUST FUND OUR OLYMPIC ATHLETES

With only about 14 hours (and counting) until the beginning of the Olympics, I thought I would make a comment of the current funding levels for Team Canada.

As various articles have mentioned, the federal government has continually underfunded our Olympic programs. In fact, Australia, which has just over half our population, spends 3 times more on their athletes than we do here in Canada.

And the results speak for themselves--we won 44 in LA in 1984, only 17 in Sydney and predictions are that we are only likely to win 12 to 14 in Athens this year. I think that's a disgrace. For the money (IOC Vice President Dick Pound has suggested Canada needs to top up funding from the current $16 million to at least $50 million) I think the returns are substantial.

For the price the federal government invests on its Federal Tobacco Strategy, we could properly fund our Olympic programs and give our athletes a fighting chance. But what's the return on our investment? Why should we give more money for sport?

Civic pride. We cannot underestimate the nation-building qualities that Team Canada has. It reminds us that we are proud to be Canadian and why. It allows us to focus on an activity as a nation and rally aroundour fellow citizens as they compete against the world.

Research and Development. There is no question that there are substantial synergies between training for the olympics and research and development. And there are economic and social benefits to that. If Canada were to establish a (or multiple) world-class athletic institutes designed to focus on athletic excellence, do you not think that both business and science from around the world would be drawn to it?

Global Stature. Frankly, I think Canada does a poor job promoting itself abroad. The same people that think the Olympics are a waste of time also think that there is no correlation to our funding (or lack thereof) of NATO and our influence (or lack thereof) within the UN. The Olympics are just another way to tell the world that Canada is a global leader. Millions of people across the world watch the Olympics every four years. Standing first on the medal podium is some of the best tourism and investment marketing Canada could do.

That's something I am willing to spend more money on.

My Election Theory...

2008-08-08T07:14:00.002-04:00

...based solely on my gut feeling...

is that the Conservatives will govern until October, 2009.

I say this because while Dion and Harper are having it out, no one is asking whether the Bloc is eager for an election. Most of them know that their days are numbered in Quebec and if they can hang on for another year, why not?

Q

Time to fight...

2008-08-07T05:54:00.004-04:00

I have been pretty quiet on the freedom of speech verses freedom not to be offended debate.

B-Double created the "I support Mark Steyn" button to show our solidarity with Mr. Steyn and his fight against the various Human Rights Commission, and I have been following the trials and tribulations of Ezra Levant.

I haven't contributed anything on this topic, because I believe that others are expressing their distaste for this sort of totalitarian censorship much better than I.

However, I believe in freedom of expression and I believe that I have the right to offend.

I also believe that I should stand up and be counted among those who think we should

Fire. Them. All.

Q

B-Dub responds:

I don't agree with Q on this one. Sure, I'm for free speech and the right to offend. No question. However, I don't think the Human Rights Commissions are useless in and of themselves. They have a purpose when there are obvious violation of human rights, discrimination, racism and the like. However, the way things are right now the provincial and federal HRCs have become an incestuous club that is rapidly expanding its activities beyond its original mandate.

Reform is needed.

I actually like the proposals put forward a few weeks ago by B'nai Brith, which - if the House of Commons has any interest in making these Commissions work - should be adopted immediately.

Some of the highlights:

Commissions cannot become avenues of harassment in which complaints are simultaneously made in several jurisdictions;
Investigators must be rigourously trained to always be able to distinguish between hate and protected political speech; and
Costs must be levied against those whose clear aim is to abuse the system by launching attacks designed to harass bona fide respondents.

I would also add that they need clearly defined rules of evidence, which is something the Macleans/Steyn show trial clearly lacked.

If they continue to be a kangaroo court for sock puppets to run to every time they don't get a 4,500 word article and cover art published, then they need to be scrapped. But if the HRC can run itself more like an actual court, then they can be an effective tool against racism and prejudice.

Q keeps it going:

I am not adverse to reform. My feeling is that the culture of the current crop of HRCs will prevent meaningful reform.

Should such reform be undertaken, I stand by the Fire. Them. All. approach and start again from scratch.

I would say, however, that the reforms being proposed above are covered in normal legislation and do not require a separate tribunal to deal with.

Would This Ever Happen to Fall Out Boy?

2008-08-06T21:42:00.003-04:00

So, I know thatmost of you folks are not hip-hop fans, but you need to see this video. A member of the Kidz In the Hall, a "backpack" rap group that is more of the Kanye West mold than 50 Cent, just got off stage in Arizona. These guys rap more about girls and parties than guns and drugs. Anyway, the dude gets into an altercation of some sort with club security and here's the footage:

I tried to embed it, but it won't work, so open the player HERE.

The dude goes to the hosptial with multiple injuries and actually has to get surgery from the beating he took from the bouncer. I have their album and these guys are not thugs. As the statement from their manager concludes: "In the last 2 years, Kidz In The Hall have traveled to over 10 countries, have done 200+ shows and never before been involved in any altercation, big or small, with club or concert security, or police officers."

Now, I'm not going to cry racism or anything like that, but I'd like you to think for a moment: what is this happened to a member of Fall Out Boy, or Sum41 or The Killers? This would be all over the media, a la Josh Brolin and the cast of "W".

The dude is now on stage with a leg brace and an eye patch, for crying out loud. That's a beating, folks.

Even a Andy Dick drug/perv arrest got more coverage in the tabloid press than this.

As Q says: WTF?

Extreme weather?

2008-08-06T10:28:00.000-04:00

So last night we experienced a pretty impressive thunderstorm. Lost power. Lots of hail (no damage to the new 350Z, luckily ;-)

This morning there were all sorts of comments about the "climate change" but a heavy thunderstorm season does not equate to climate change.

Is the weather more extreme?

I don't believe so. We have had many bad summers with lots of thunderstorms in the past.

I continue to be a proud "climate change denier".
Q

WTO -- wtf?

2008-07-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

I am an advocate of free trade. However (and this may be my socialist leanings showing through :-) I find myself more and more leaning toward the "fair trade" argument.

If we accept that free trade is a good thing (and I do) because it let's the most efficient bring their goods to market. It allows countries to specialize in a global market place and enables them to bring goods they need into their country. It opens up markets and makes good less expensive.

Where it falls down is when environmental and labour laws are not on equal footing and the cost of living differential is significant, the adoption of free trade essentially becomes a tax on the citizenry of the richer country.

The labour and environmental protections we put in place serve as a disincentive for our people to manufacture or grow products in our own country.

With all that said, I am not upset that the wto talks are collapsing. I think that these sorts of multi-lateral treaties do nothing but set up mechanisms to transfer wealth from the rich to poor.

I think it is in Canada's best interest to explore free trade agreements on a one to one or regional basis.

Q

Why two months of deficits don't scare me...

2008-07-28T17:36:00.000-04:00

It has been reported that the government ran a deficit in the first two months of the year.

While strong fiscal conservatives like myself cringe when we hear this news, it is not, in itself, earth shattering.

The beginning of the year is usually when the lion's share of the spending is sent out, and we haven't seen all the revenue for the year.

We are expecting a 3 Billion surplus this year and until we have 6 months of numbers in, it is impossible to estimate exactly where we stand.

My concern now is that this news will be used by those who should know better to incite the ignorant masses.

#1 Reason Why I Never Want To Go To Prison

2008-07-23T10:26:00.002-04:00

Besides the whole incarceration/not seeing my family thing.

Peep the Shawshank Redemption line: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Trouble4Tory - Part III

2008-07-16T16:27:00.002-04:00

This is the last of the series, at least for now.

This time, I will ask a question (well two questions, actually) that I know the answer to. But I think its something the media (or more importantly Party members) may want to ask John Tory.

Here goes:

1. Hey John - did you recently ask a PC MPP to vacate their seat so you could run in a by-election to get back in the Legislature?

2. So, what was the answer?

Actually, dear CH readers, I think you know the answer to both questions.

Again, not good.

Trouble4Tory - Part II

2008-07-14T22:33:00.002-04:00

Another little birdie in the bowels of Queen's Park sent me the following e-mail, which was apparently forwarded to all PC Queen's Park and Constit Offices - in error. The author is no stranger to PC folk - but I will only use her first name, because if you don't know her you really don't know the Party.

Needless to say she was a fixture at Queen's Park and a tireless worker. It says a LOT that she couldn't hack it in the new environment. And what it says is all bad. Not sure why her replacement forwarded it in the first place, but whatever. Let's take a look-see:

From: XXXXXXXX, Joyce
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:48 AM
To: 2 Constituency Offices
Subject: FW: regards

________________________________

From: XXXXXX.XXXXXX@rogers.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:46 AM
To: XXXXXXXX, Joyce
Subject: regards

Dear members and staff

I am so sorry I didn't call before I left PC Caucus with an explanation, but I was very depressed with the all situation. I just want you all to know that I will miss you all and that I loved working with all of you very much, I loved what I did with all my heart. I am home for now but I want you to Know if any of you needs any help at the QP office for a day or so, I am more then happy to come and help, voluntarily. I just could not stay working with this new people they are to full of .....sorry for my french.

Please call anytime @XXX-XXX-XXXX or write to Filomena [Address deleted - ed.]

E-mail: XXXXXX.XXXXXX@rogers.com ( husband's name)

LOVE you all

Oh my. Now, there is definitely a part of me that is posting this because I'm a sh*t disturber. But a much larger part of me loves the Party and its members and I want to see a PC government in power again.

I also believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant. If there is a problem within the Party, and it sure does seem like there is, we do not gain anything by hiding it. Best deal with it directly. I used to really shy away from "airing dirty laundry" in public, but I'm not sure anyone within the Party is willing to a) admit things are not good at the moment and b) do anything to change it.

Now, if anyone would like to share "another side" of the story, I am happy to post it.

Trouble4Tory - Part I

2008-07-11T09:35:00.002-04:00

So, it appears that tall things are not well within the PC Caucus as the spring session of the Legislature was ending. A little birdie peeped me to something that was never covered by the media.

The province's useless pesticide ban, also known as Bill 64, was going through the Legislative Assembly on its way to being passed, courtesy of a Liberal majority. According to my sources, PC Leader John Tory told his caucus it was a whipped vote. He told his MPPs if you can't vote against this bill, take a walk. Fair enough.

So what happened? Three of the 14 Tory MPP's - Jerry Ouellette, Christine Elliott and Joyce Savoline voted WITH the government in favour of the bill banning pesticides. All HERE in black and white.

Uh, this isn't good.

That's fine if it was a free vote, but a whipped vote is a whipped vote. That's the deal when you're a member of a caucus. Its the cornerstone of party politics in Canada - if you don't have a caucus you have no power.

I'm not sure who is more at fault: Tory or the three MPPs. On the one hand, you can't choose which vote you want to go with on an issue-by-issue basis. If so, you might as well be an independent. On the other, how weak is Tory that this is happening in the first place? Can you imagine this happening with Harris? Or even *cringe* Ernie Eves?

What the heck is going on at Queen's Park?

More bad news coming soon....

Why Stephane Dion will never be Prime Minister (Part XVIIXVIIXI)

2008-07-04T09:08:00.002-04:00

From today's National Post:

[Dion] announced a renewable energy initiative and other plans, but the green shift is "the first time that we have something that is helping people to pay attention to what the Liberals have to propose."

I'm pretty sure that's a direct quote.

If its that hard to say "We have a policy Canadians are interested in" how exactly are you going to sell something as complicated as the carbon tax?

Yeah, yeah, English isn't his first language, blah de blah blah. This is for the leadership of the country. He chose to make environmental policy the cornerstone of his Party's platform.

Good luck, professor.

Revenue neutral (redux)

2008-07-02T08:29:00.000-04:00

It seems to me that

A) If the goal of the Carbon Tax is to reduce emmissions; and

B) If the amount the Carbon Tax generates is offset by income tax cuts; and

C) If the Carbon Tax is successful and cuts emmissions, then

I assume the Liberals are going to either

1) Increase personal income taxes later on or;

2) Run a deficit when emissions have been cut

Doesn't seem like they are being either

i) Honest or
ii) Fiscally responsible

While I don't agree with the Carbon Tax, I think it would be more effective and thus reduce emissions if there were no corresponding offsets to income tax.

Seems to me there is an attack ad in here somewhere?

Yo Quiero 50 Cent!

2008-06-20T09:01:00.003-04:00

79 Cent? Hilarious. The other demands are kind of weird, but whatever. Apparently 50 Cent is going to take legal action; apparently he feels they make him seem like he's begging for money.

Fast Food Chain Issues 50 Cent A Charity Challenge

June 19th, 2008

Fast food chain Taco Bell has issued 50 Cent with a challenge, offering to donate $10,000 to the charity of the rapper’s choice if he changes his name for one day.

As part of the deal, 50 has to stop past the Taco Bell of his choosing and rap his order at the drive-thru window, however, he must use his newly adopted name, 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent.

The chain has also said they will feed all of the guests in that particular restaurant for free, as well as making the donation.

A letter to the rapper from Taco Bell President and CEO Greg Creed, which was obtained by OK! magazine, says, “We know that you adopted the name 50 Cent years ago as a metaphor for change. We at Taco Bell are also huge advocates for change… We encourage you to ‘Think Outside the Bun’ and hope you accept our offer.”

At the time of writing, 50 Cent hadn’t responded to the offer.

Don't Tax Me, Bro!

2008-06-19T08:57:00.002-04:00

I support a carbon tax in theory. I know, I have railed against taxes of all kinds in the past, but the fundamental idea of using taxing powers to change habits is something I support - best way to change people's behaviour. No one does something "because its the right thing to do."

I think putting a cost on pollution or even just carbon is not a bad thing in and of itself, just like charging people $5.00 per emergency visit isn't bad either. It will start to change how people use finite resources, in this case carbon-based fuels.

HOWEVER....

I do not support the Liberal Party's carbox tax measures for a number of reasons.

Firstly, and most basically, the charge itself is too high. Many experts say that the maximum rate to charge per tonne of carbon is $14.00. As leading envirnomental economistand author Bjorn Lomborg states in his book "Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming": "...the damage we will cause by putting out one more ton of CO2 is likely two dollars and very unlikely to be higher than fourteen dollars." This estimate is based on the best economic models available by international reserarch, which Lomborg cites in his book.

The Liberal Carbon Tax starts at $10 and goes to $40 over a longer period. So, already, we are being charged 5 times over the (supposed) damage we are causing to the environment by charging $10.00 per tonne rather than $2.00. Not a good start, but a typical reaction to a problem: overtax the unwashed masses to solve a problem we can't say for certain exists (not global warming per se, but if we can solve the problem and/or how).

But again, I don't think trying to force people to be smart about how they use energy is a bad thing.

My second problem is that if you want to change behaviour, you need to give people somewhere to go. As it stands now, there is no real alternative to what we're all doing now - especially when it comes to driving. I'll give you an example: let's say the Carbox Tax is $1,000/tonne - some number so high that make driving impossible. Then what do I do? Where I live, the public transit sucks. I'd have to get up at 4am to grab a bus to get into work on time (assuming I could pay the fare for the busses and trains which would be extremely expensive after the tax or the retrofit costs). So, now I'm working and commuting longer, which means less time with family and a continued cost for me.

Anyone who promotes a carbon tax needs to start creating the systems necessary for people t change their behavious with minimal disruption. In the case of the car, that means massive investments in transit infrastructure, R&D for new fuel technologies and the like. I don;t see the Liberals talking about doing that. Right now its "tax now, cry later."

And that's fine that the Carbon Tax is "revenue neutral" (which I don't believe, but lets assume that the numbers are correct), but how does that help move us forward? We get more money to spend on things that are now more expensive because of your policy actions? You want me to use the reduced taxes to pay for heating oil or gas in my car? How does that make any sense at all if the purpose is to change my behaviour?

You know what? I'd rather the $14 Billion (which ain't that much, folks) or whatever they say they are raising goes DIRECTLY to projects that will make my life easier: more rail lines, new subway lines, more efficient cars, cheaper wind and solar power, or whatever. To make these kinds of investments, you will need to pool the funds. Period.

I think this is another GST - its a permanent tax that will give the government more money to waste on projects they think are important: human rights commissions, injection sites and more aid for other countries. Or like gas taxes, where we cringe while we pump, but we still fill up.

Unless this new revenue goes DIRECTLY to the kinds of projects I mentioned, we will be paying more and getting a lot less.

Having Dion's Cake and Eating it Too

2008-06-19T08:02:00.002-04:00

If the purpose of a tax is to be a disincentive to certain types of behaviour, why would it be "revenue neutral".

Essentially Dion has said we (liberals)want to encourage income, investments, innovation but discourage carbon use.

But on the other hand he says, don't worry though, our encouragement and our discouragement will be equal. What you pay for in new carbon taxes, you will save in income.

Now some may say, well if you use less carbon, you will get to save more of your income. But carbon use is integral to every part of our economy (hence the Tories "tax on everything" tag). We cannot get product to market without using carbon. We cannot get to most markets without using carbon.

Revnue neutral it may be (17 Billion in, 11 Billion out - not sure how that is neutral) but a revenue neutral tax will never alter behaviour.

Q

Burger King's Interesting Marketing Campaign

2008-06-17T21:08:00.004-04:00

What is targeted marketing? As a retailer, what is fair game when you're going after a particular segment of society? It is cool to talk to one demographic one way and another others a different way? What if those messages are divided amongst race? Interesting questions that have popped up after thumbing through my lastest edition of rap magazine XXL.

In the July 2008 issue, I came across this add for Burger King, which I reproduced here:

Now, you don't need to be a hip-hop head to realize that the term "boss" in this case does not refer to the head of a corporation. In rap terms, this is what a "boss" is (you can turn the sound off, but its the images that are important):

I'll even throw you the pertinant lyrics from the above song:

Who gives a f**k what a hater gotta say?
I made a couple million dollars
last year dealin weight (ed: weight = cocaine)
Still in da streets strapped with them thangs (ed: strapped = armed with guns)
She in love with a
G so she tatted my name
I'm the biggest boss that ya seen thus
far

Ten black maybacks back to back in a lane
I'm a make it
rain then I'm a make it back
You are just a lame lil homie that's a fact
Workin with the police actin like ya know me
Fresh outta jail already in
ya hoe's sheets

In the 1990's, it was fashionable in rap to adopt the "mafioso" lifestyle and culture, with their crew being more like the hood version of la costra nostra. Artists started using the terms "Don", "Capo" and, of course "boss." In rap, to be a "boss" means that you were very successful in making money and acquiring power through your activities in the streets.

Now, as you all know, I'm a rap fan, so I'm not particularly fussed by the term. But I'm also not a international fast food chain. And I find it a little odd (although unsurprising) that Burger King would choose to market their food by essentially glamourizing the criminal lifestyle: "Grab a Whopper (TM) and eat like the head of an organized crime family!"

If you want to say that, great - its your ad dollars. But again, is it cool to talk one way to a certain demographic and a different way to some others? You would never see this kind of an ad in People magazine or on TV. Is that right? Or is it just smart targeting? Should Burger King be on the hook for promoting this kind of positive light on criminality?

I understand the folks at BK are only trying to "speak the language" as it were, and "boss" could also mean "someone who runs things", as definted here. But shouldn't they have a much greater understanding and ultimate responsibility for the language and terminology they use?

Are you offended by this kind of an ad and its particular choice of language?

Give me a sign, oh CH readers!

Don't just cut...simplify

2008-06-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I attended the Annual General Meeting of a local PC Party of Ontario riding association.

The guest speaker was not your normal AGM or fundraiser speaker. It was Dr. Henry Jacek, who is a political science professor at McMaster University and current head of the Internship program at the Ontario Legislature.

Dr. Jacek offered a variety of opinions and comments which resonated with the local crowd, but one thing he said which caught my attention was something along the lines that "the public is not interested in tax cuts anymore.".

Now while this would be easily dismissed coming from the typical left-wing, "we need your money more than you do" crowd, from Dr. Jacek it had some authority.

He went on to say that successive tax cuts and reductions at both the provincial and federal levels made people generally feel that they weren't to bad off anymore.

He also said that while people accepted the tax cuts, they didn't give the party too much credit for them.

He didn't say, but I feel it is valid, that the left has succeeded in convincing everyone that tax cuts equals service cuts and closed hospitals, closed schools and poor roads and poisoned water.

While I am a big tax cut guy (I am selfish that way) and strongly support the family income idea that B-Double mentioned earlier, I think tax cuts need to be rethought by our party.

I think a solution might lie in "simplification" rather than cutting of taxes.

Rather than change all the tax brackets and index this or deduct that, we should move to the elimination of the system of deductions and credits that requires hours upon hours of work to complete.

Q

PS I hope everyone had a very, happy father's day.

Old Canada vs New Canada

2008-06-13T08:30:00.002-04:00

Another great column from Peggy Noonan. I just love her writing, not to mention her worldview.

In particular, I really like her take on the struggle in the next election between "Old America" and "New America." Much of what she talks about is absolutely relevant to Canada, or at least I think it is. In fact, if you replace "America" with "Canada" and change the necessary political figures (i.e. Bill Clinton = Jean Chretien), its a pretty good snapshot of where we are in the country.

In fact, there are some real parallels between the Presidental contest and our expected election. That's not to say I see Dion as anything close in ability to Barack Obama (except maybe in some of his policy solutions), but they do have that same background - elite education, take a "cerebral/measured" approach to issues, are more the "sensitive, thinking" types.

Versus Harper, who spent years in the system, working towards his goal, often at odds with his own Party and who is a bit of a brawler. Someone who knows what Tim Hortons coffee tastes like and is comfortable at the hockey game with a Labatt Blue and his son.

On to the brilliance of Ms. Noonan:

2008 will also prove in part to be a decisive political contest between the Old America and the New America. Between the thing we were, and the thing we have been becoming for 40 years or so. (I'm not referring here to age. Some young Americans have Old America heads and souls; some old people are all for the New.)

Mr. McCain is the Old America, of course; Mr. Obama the New.

Roughly, broadly:

In the Old America, love of country was natural. You breathed it in. You either loved it or knew you should.

In the New America, love of country is a decision. It's one you make after weighing the pros and cons. What you breathe in is skepticism and a heightened appreciation of the global view.

Old America: Tradition is a guide in human affairs. New America: Tradition is a challenge, a barrier, or a lovely antique.

The Old America had big families. You married and had children. Life happened to you. You didn't decide, it decided. Now it's all on you. Old America, when life didn't work out: "Luck of the draw!" New America when life doesn't work: "I made bad choices!" Old America: "I had faith, and trust." New America: "You had limited autonomy!"

Old America: "We've been here three generations." New America: "You're still here?"

Old America: We have to have a government, but that doesn't mean I have to love it. New America: We have to have a government and I am desperate to love it. Old America: Politics is a duty. New America: Politics is life.

The Old America: Religion is good. The New America: Religion is problematic. The Old: Smoke 'em if you got 'em. The New: I'll sue.

Mr. McCain is the old world of concepts like "personal honor," of a manliness that was a style of being, of an attachment to the fact of higher principles.
Mr. Obama is the new world, which is marked in part by doubt as to the excellence of the old. It prizes ambivalence as proof of thoughtfulness, as evidence of a textured seriousness.

Both Old and New America honor sacrifice, but in the Old America it was more essential, more needed for survival both personally (don't buy today, save for tomorrow) and in larger ways.

The Old and New define sacrifice differently. An Old America opinion: Abjuring a life as a corporate lawyer and choosing instead community organizing, a job that does not pay you in money but will, if you have political ambitions, provide a base and help you win office, is not precisely a sacrifice. Political office will pay you in power and fame, which will be followed in time by money (see Clinton, Bill). This has more to do with timing than sacrifice. In fact, it's less a sacrifice than a strategy.

A New America answer: He didn't become a rich lawyer like everyone else—and that was a sacrifice! Old America: Five years in a cage—that's a sacrifice!
In the Old America, high value was put on education, but character trumped it. That's how Lincoln got elected: Honest Abe had no formal schooling.

In Mr. McCain's world, a Harvard Ph.D. is a very good thing, but it won't help you endure five years in Vietnam. It may be a comfort or an inspiration, but it won't see you through. Only character, and faith, can do that. And they are very Old America.

Old America: candidates for office wear ties. New America: Not if they're women. Old America: There's a place for formality, even the Beatles wore jackets!

Radical Muslims Are Figuring Out Al-Qaeda is Bad - Why Can't Liberals?

2008-06-10T21:26:00.004-04:00

I read a fascinating piece in the National Post which was a reprint of an article in the New Republic. As someone who admittedly has no understanding of the Middle East and the geopolitical landscape of the various Arabic/Muslim states, I'm always interested in reading dispatches from those who are witnessing what is taking place in and around Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan firsthand.

I am heartened to learn that many religious figures of varying degree of radicalism are turning on Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden in impressive numbers. In fact, some clerics who can largely lay claim to being the inspiration for Bin Laden and his followers to wage war on the US are now calling them "immoral."

Why? There are many reasons, but according to this piece, it is largely because Al-Qaeda is indiscriminately targeting innocent Muslims and Westerners in their terror campaigns.

I have always wondered why the thousands (or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, depending on who is counting) of Iraqis and other civilians who have died since the start of the Iraq war have been laid at the feet of President Bush and the United States.

Here's is a comment I saw on a posting about President Bush's trip to Europe:

" this is a total disgrace.after causing the death of 4000+ americans,100+ brits and more than 400000 unaccounted poor iraqis civilians ,you recognise after all that you are human. sorry but it's not good enough.why do i have to face death penalty by stealing an 'egg' and you getting away with murder.."

This is a sentiment held by many opponents of the Iraq conflict. But if jihadists and other (formerly or otherwise) radical Muslims can recognize that its Al-Qaeda that is doing most of the killing, why can't liberals?

These clerics and other figures - who have at one time or another endorsed the idea of jihad, some supporting attacking American troops - are now saying that Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda and its allies have blood on their hands. They are saying it is THEY who are to blame for innocents dying in Iraq and elsewhere. This excerpt sums it up nicely:

"Around the sixth anniversary of September 11, Salman Al Oudah, a Saudi religious scholar and one of Bin laden's heroes, addressed al-Qaeda's leader on MBC, a widely watched Middle East TV network: "My brother Osama, how much blood has been spilt? How many innocent people, children, elderly and women have been killed ...in the name of al-Qaeda? Will you be happy to meet God Almighty carrying the burden of these hundreds of thousands or millions [of victims] on your back?"

Quite a condemnation. Now if we could only get the left in North America to view these terrorists in the same light.

My Vote Is Counting On You, Prime Minister

2008-06-09T11:37:00.003-04:00

I am a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative.

But I say now, on this hydro-gulping hot-as-hades day here in Ontario that if a political party wants my vote, here is the sentence their leader needs to utter:

"If elected/re-elected, our Party will immediately allow income splitting for Canadian households for the 2008 tax year and every year hence."

They don't have to use "hence", but you get the picture.

Why? Ask Jack Mintz.

My wife is a stay-at-home mom - one of the most important jobs in existence.

And I am sick and tired of being penalized for it. It sucks to pay $4,000 or so more per year because we made sacrifices to be a one income family.

What if the Libs, the Greens and the CPC all offer income splitting? First, I will be extremely pleased, as income splitting will become an inevitability, rather than a choice. But I will then look at the platform which best suits my views and values.

So, I'll cut to the chase and say I'll be voting Conservative.

However, and I kid you not Mr. Prime Minister, if the Libs offer income splitting and there is no alternative plan being offered by the CPC to reduce the real tax burden for one income families - I will vote Liberal.

For the first time in my life.

(Although I did vote NDP when I lived in a downtown Toronto riding to try and block the Liberals from winning).

Update: The Reform Party of Ontario responds

2008-05-30T09:13:00.003-04:00

So, after I recieved the e-mail in the last post, I e-mailed these guys to ask:

1) How they got my e-mail, as I'm always curious as to who is selling which Party lists and

2) Who the heck this person was, given there was no name at the end of the e-mail from the Reform Party of Ontario.

I told them if I didn't hear a response, which I usually don't when I make this kind of inquiry when I get a mass political e-mail, that they are basically the same as everyone else.

Here's the response:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 05:31:09 -0400
From: "exec dir 1" ontario.reform.party@gmail.com
To: "B-Dub" b@######.com
Subject: Re: June Meeting

1) I don't actually know. These lists sometimes just take on a life of their own.

2) Phil Miller, Executive Director of the Reform Party of Ontario on behalf of Brad Harness, Leader of the RPO. I wasn't actually trying to recruit anyone. Dalton McGuinty and John Tory do that for us.Not quite like every other party.....Phil

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Phil. It's pretty sad when the Executive Director of a so-called political party - and who is the author of a blast e-mail - cannot or will not disclose where he got his lists. As I, ironically, have said about John Tory during his Together4Ever antics: Phil is either incompetent or not being truthful.

No Executive Director would send something out without knowing where the list he's sending it to came from. If he doesn't truly know, he's not very good at his job. If he does know, he's not willing to disclose it. So much for transparency.

And a parting remark about how he's not trying to recruit anyone with said e-mail? Give me a break. Of course you are.

Either way, not an impressive start to the Reform Party of Ontario.

I have to say, given my current disillusion with John Tory, I was open to hearing what they have to say. But looking at who's running the show over there, I'll be sending my regrets for this June meeting.

I already have a membership with a Party that's having trouble get its act together, thanks.

Another Player Enters The Ontario Battlefield...

2008-05-29T20:58:00.004-04:00

Haven't checked with Blogging Tories today, so this may be repetitive, but this popped into my inbox this morning:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: exec dir 1 [mailto:ontario.reform.party@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 10:58 AM
To: ontario.reform.party@gmail.com
Subject: June Meeting

Fellow Ontarian;

Mike Harris brought sanity to Ontario with two majority governments.Sadly, since Iron Mike retired, we've seen Ontario slide badly.The province that once led Canada with it's industrial might has been diminished.

We now lead elsewhere:

-Job Losses
-Tax Hikes
-Government Growth

The Liberals, bolstered by the ineffectual opposition of John Tory and Howard Hampton will continue to bring Ontario more of the same.

There is an alternative.

The Common Sense Revolution didn't die.It just has a new home.....The Reform Party of Ontario.

Join us June 21 in London to plan a better future for Ontario...........or attend one of the other meetings scheduled across the province as we build for 2011.

For ticket information, visit www.newcanada.ca or call 519-293-1019

Together we can return sanity to our province with the common sense of the common people.

Please forward this to anybody you know who is worried about Ontario's future.

Thank you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've always believed that two right wing parties will replicate the 10-year circus we saw in Ottawa and basically guarantee a Liberal majority government in Ontario for the next 2-3 terms, but I can't say I'm surprised.

As always, I wonder how they got my e-mail, given it was sent to my work e-mail, which I don;t give out for political causes.

Like the "YES" side in the Leadership Review, I'm hoping the spectre of a Reform Party will keep the pressure up on Tory to make some serious changes and develop some solid platform ideas. If not, I can see this fledgling movement gather some steam.

We shall see.

Oh, Thank God...

2008-05-28T14:04:00.003-04:00

There's a new trailer for the Pacino/De Niro flick "Righteous Kill." I'm happy this came out, because the first one made the movie look fairly lame.

I'm actually stoked to see this now.

"Most people respect the badge. Everyone respects the gun." Woo hoo!

Hey Sharon: Shut the Holy Hell Up!

2008-05-28T08:46:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I wonder why any news agency in the world would give a damn about what actors and entertainers think when they are off stage or not on screen. Then I realized that it just makes for good copy. Here's Hollywood intellectual Sharon Stone imparting her wisdom on why the earthquakes took place in China:

"I'm not happy about the way that the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because
I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else," she told reporters at
Cannes. "And so I have been very concerned about how to think and what to do
because I don't like that." She said she's also been wondering how the United
States should handle the Olympics because China is "not being nice to the Dalai
Lama, who's a good friend of mine." When the earthquake hit, Stone wondered if
it was a case of what goes around, comes around. "Then all this earthquake and
all this stuff happened, and I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice,
that the bad things happen to you."

You don't like being unkind to anyone else? Really? Are you sure?

To quote Al Pacino in the cinematic classic Heat: I am over-f**king-whelmed.

So, the Communist Chinese government refuses to give up militarily strategic territory and the karmic invoice is over 20,000 citizens losing their lives? How is that nice?

Isn't displaying breathtakingly callous indifference to the plight of poor people suffering from a natural disaster cruel on a Darth Vader scale?

You think your pal the Dalai Lama is looking at the earthquake victims, giggling to himself and muttering "Serves you right, you rat bastards." Maybe, but I doubt it.

Sharon Stone needs to stick to what she does best: desperately clinging to her beauty from 20 years ago and playing minor roles in forgettable films.

That's the Sharon Stone I know and ignore.

Who said WHAT now?

2008-05-28T05:37:00.003-04:00

Joe Who is apparently baffled by Stephen Harper's government?!?!?!

CAUTION: This post is not well written because I just want to rant!

No doubt because the current PM can govern with a minority "as if he had a majority" and gets away with it.

The more Joe Who opens his mouth, the more irrelevant he shows himself to be.

What a pathetic, little man he has become. One more time opening up the "hidden agenda" issue -

He said he was also skeptical about the Harper government's treatment of Quebec and how sincere the Prime Minister and his government are about accommodating Quebeckers. In 2006, Mr. Harper's government passed a motion recognizing the Québécois as a nation within a united Canada.

"It was a very clever manoeuvre at the time and very successful at the time," he said. "But I'm still a skeptic as to what his view is of this accommodation of genuine diversity in the country, and we won't know for a while."

My biggest question is this: The man was PM for 9 months in 1979-80. What took so long to get a portrait done? Was he just so busy with all his other work, or did he figure he might as well wait until after his second stint as PM?

Q

I especially love the part about being a "political orphan". Give me a break. Get over yourself.

Not The Same At All

2008-05-26T09:25:00.006-04:00

Ever in pursuit of an issue that will put the Harper government's ethics on par with the Chretien/Martin-era Liberanos, there is a story in today's Ottawa Citizen about how relatives of some Tory MPs are on the government payroll:

The children and siblings of some Conservative MPs have found work on Parliament Hill in the offices of other Tory parliamentarians, a review of government records shows.

For example, Mark Toews, son of Treasury Board President Vic Toews, works as a special assistant on the Western desk in the ministerial office of International Trade Minister David Emerson. The daughter of Saskatchewan Tory MP Ed Komarnicki works for an Ontario MP, and MP Maurice Vellacott hired his brother to work in his constituency office.

OK - some dude is working as an assistant to a backbencher in a constit office. Alrighty. So what is the parallel Chretien example?

More recently, when Jean Chrétien was prime minister, he was accused of nepotism when his daughter, a lawyer, was appointed to a federal position on a 2010 Olympics organizing committee -- an allegation his office rejected.

Yeah, 'cause that's the same thing. Firstly, let's not forget that France Chretien-Desmarais was only one of three appointments back in 2003. Who were the other two? Ricky, let's go to the tape:

Ottawa appoints three of 20 board members. In addition to Ms. Chretien-Desmarais, two others who have been named are raising eyebrows.

One is Vancouver millionaire Peter Dhillon, said to be a close ally of Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal, a loyal footsoldier to Mr. Chretien.

The other is Tony Tennessy, a friend of [Heritage Minister and Minister tasked with these appointments] Ms. Copps' husband, Austin Thorne. Both Messrs. Thorne and Tennessy have been highly involved in the union movement.

Secondly, being on the board of the 2010 Olympic games is not - hard to believe, I know - the same as working on tracking down a social security check for lovely Ms. Beck on Cherry Street.

I get that the MSM and the Liberals are trying to find any crack in the ethical armor of this government. After being pistol-whipped by a $200M kickback scheme on the eve of a federal election, the Libs are looking for their own dirt to throw at the Tories: biker gang girlfriends, $1M in local ad spending, playing footsie with the Mayor of Ottawa. I guess they figure if they throw enough crap, something will stick.

But trolling through the public payroll to find some gal who is the cousin of an MP who works on the Hill is hardly a road the Liberals want to go down, given their Olympian (pun intended) abilities in the art of patronage.

I for one would welcome the opportunity to see which party appointed the most well-connected hacks to various jobs and appointments in the federal government and who spent the most taxpayers money on slush funds, junkets, promotional golf balls and travel.

Let's put that in a t-bar graph, pull out the ol' calculators and add up the grand totals.

The Libs may want to stick with their carbon tax plan. Would do them much less damage in the polls.

CPC HQ: In Need of a "Hip" Replacement

2008-05-22T10:48:00.009-04:00

"If I wasn't in the rap game, I'd probably have a key

Knee deep in the crack game;

Because the streets is a short stop

Either you're slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot."

- Notorious B.I.G., "Things Done Changed", 1993

So through Canadian Blue Lemons, I caught wind of a fairly stupid piece the CPC has on the Party website about hip-hop and crime. As long-time CH readers know, I'm a huge hip-hop head. I bought my first rap album in 1986 (Run DMC, Raising Hell) and have been hooked ever since. So, I have a few thoughts about the parody.

Firstly, I should say that I understand what the ad is trying to do: namely, characterize the Liberal approach to crime under the whole soft, "hugs for thugs" type of small-l liberalism. I get that. But here's what the ad really does - it plays to type. Guess what? The CPC is seen as the party of 40-year old, rich, white guys. This does not help. Some photoshop of Dion in a 80's era dookie necklace and a stupid hat? Yeah, a 26-year old kid in a blazer and khakis thought that one up, I can guarantee you. No faster way to look like a party of old white dudes.

You may dismiss hip-hop, but I will GUARANTEE that some of our key target demographics - young mothers, various ethnic groups of the South Asian and eastern bloc variety, young families - listen to a whole lot of rap music. 7 of the 10 top songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week is either an R&B song featuring a rapper or a rap song (#1: Li'l Wayne, "Lollipop").

Third - you know what? Ignatieff is right. In some cases, getting youth into programs such as producing and recording their own music is much more beneficial that a jail cell. As Adam Radwanski and others pointed out, some successful Canadian rappers such as Kardinal Offishall got their start from that kind of a program. As Kardi says:

"In the aftermath of all the kids rampaging downtown following the Rodney King verdict in 93, the Bob Rae government stepped in with some funding for youth-oriented programs like Fresh Arts. That’s really how Saukrates, Jully Black, Baby Blue Soundcrew and I got our start. It gave us something useful to do.

"We were able to go to radio stations and recording studios and see how engineers and producers worked behind the scenes. Many of us had never been inside a studio before, let alone recorded a song in one. Through that program we also got to promote our own events, from making the flyers to doing radio promotion, everything. I can’t begin to put a dollar value on what I learned."

I'm a big law and order guy, but I also recognize the complete and utter lack of opportunity that exists in some areas of society. There are no jobs. Its sports, music or running the streets. Can I identify with that? No. I had a lot of opportunities and I took advantage of them. But I also recognize that it isn't always that way for everyone.

Chuck D of the iconic group Public Enemy called rap music "the Black CNN." It has and will likely always be a reflection of life in urban America, for better or worse. While I concede that it is much more rare in Canada to find the abject poverty, crime and gang activity that is seen in the ghettos of large US cities, the same type of challenges exist here: a breakdown of the family unit, a lack of community services and employment opportunities, a sex and violence media culture. Does that give them license to be a criminal? Hell no. Is it a factor in driving people to commit crimes? Absolutely.

Hip-Hop is the messenger, whether you want to believe it or not. It goes back and forth with country music as the #1 selling music genre in North America. Future voters listen to hip-hop music. Current target voters listen to hip-hop music. The faster you get that, the faster you will effectively reach out to those voters.

We Conservatives constantly whine about how the Liberals have a natural societal advantage in Canada. But sometimes we give them that advatage by constantly and blatantly appealing to our core base: older, white suburban and/or rural voters. Try broadening your horizons, a bit there guys. It may mean more votes.

The ad is stupid and you look like a bunch of out-of-touch nerds relying on stale stereotypes. How will that help us to become the natural govering party? We're better than this.

Remember: More people listen to P Diddy than PM Harper.

Tough Sell

2008-05-12T08:23:00.002-04:00

Try to think Green for a minute.

Take a moment to think about how much "carbon" you use in your daily life. If you drive, you use it... if you heat your home, you use it... if you consume electricity, you use it (even "green" energy uses it in the production of the "green" equipment)...

Now, think about how much you are willing to pay for the new Liberal "carbon" tax.

This is going to be some campaign when the time comes...the Liberals are actually considering a plan that says they are going to "tax and spend".

Ralph Goodale is having kittens because the surplus he was planning to use has been eliminated, not through poor planning, but by giving it back to taxpayers in the form of tax cuts.

I think that the Liberals are going to pitch this idea to well-healed audiences who actually believe that it will be revenue neutral, get it in their head that they are going to have a winner of a platform, pull the trigger on an election and...

...well, I guess we will have to wait and see.

Myself, I don't want an election until October, 2009. For no other reason than I am too busy to get involved to the level I would like this year. But I can't wait.

Q

Ontario's Real "Have Not" Status: We "Have Not" A Plan For Economic Success

2008-04-30T11:34:00.006-04:00

I'm not that worried about my home province of Ontario being on track for receiving equalization payments in the next two to three years. As I understand the changes to the formula last year and again a few years before that, the "have/have not" status means less than it did a decade ago.

What truly bothers me is the lack of a economic road map to get Ontario back a sure footing.

My big problem is that while the Ontario economy continues to weather serious challenges, the McGuinty government is spending time banning pesticides and implementing smoking bans in cars. In the lead-up to the last provincial election, when people asked me who would win, without hesitation I said McGuinty would win a second term. This was long before the poison pill of faith based funding. I knew the Liberals would win because they hadn't really taken any bold steps and hadn't really done anything to piss people off. They threw money at the unions to buy labour peace, they halted development in the greenbelt around the GTA and they spent more money on health care by raising taxes through a premium.

But that lack of strong action is a double edged sword. They have done very little on the economic front, besides cancelling Conservative business tax cuts and we are now seeing the harsh, depressing results. Other provinces, most notably Newfoundland and Labrador, have been net beneficiaries of skyrocketing oil prices. Ontario has no oil patches to speak of. Instead, Ontario continues to weather the perfect storm of a high dollar, a slow US economy and an over reliance on manufacturing jobs such as auto production.

Many if not all of those factors are really beyond the control of the current provincial government - I don't dispute that. However, this is when true leadership is so crucial and the absence of which right now in Ontario is so stark. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can govern in good economic times. When you are looking at a GDP growth of 2-3% annually, its pretty darn easy to float along, passing legislation that is largely symbolic in nature, but amounts to very little in real terms. When the money is coming in, its easy to spend your four years in power cutting cheques and draping yourself in token gestures.

But as the months pass and the economy continues to weaken, then we will really see what this McGuinty fellow and his team are made of. Given their (in) action thus far, I would suggest they have no clue of how to actually manage the affairs of Canada's most populous province. I suspect their PR flak Warren Kinsella and other hangers on are giving them advice to govern in the Chretien mold: say lots, do little of consequence. These guys are great (apparently) at the spin, the campaigning and the photo ops, not so much on the business of actually being in power. Chretien also governed with a positive economy, a weak opposition, and a largely indifferent public. A charmed life these folks lead.

But, these things change quickly. An economy is a fragile thing, and if weakness is not addressed quickly and firmly, it can often spiral off in unexpected ways. It takes real and competent management to ensure the province continues forward. I believe that when push comes to shove, this Ontario emperor will have no clothes.

Despite the Hysteria...

2008-04-30T08:06:00.003-04:00

...the In and Out scandal does not allow parties to spend unlimited funds. Each candidate has their own spending limit. At the end of the day, I think the process could be changed, but there is no way to use unlimited funds to buy the election.

Unless you are Ontario Liberals. Then you have the Working Families Coalition in Ontario with an extra $5 million to spend on attack (issue ads, surely? - ed.) ads.

Q

Office Politics - Transformers Style!

2008-04-29T10:24:00.002-04:00

When the "Dinobots" project goes in the toilet, everyone is covering their own asses.

In and out (and in and out....): An Update

2008-04-25T06:38:00.002-04:00

John Robson of the Ottawa Citizen makes my arguments from the other day with greater eloquence and cites the appropriate sections of the act I was too lazy to look up.

Q

Not As Pictured - In Your Mind

2008-04-24T09:05:00.004-04:00

Let's get the homies from the Blogging Tories to weigh in on this: is it a bad sign when you're significant other is attracted to celebrities or certain "types" that look nothing like you? I was thinking about that this morning.

I have a friend who looks like a big-headed and less attractive version of Peter Jennings (RIP). His wifey, a lovely gal, told me a while back that she has a huge thing for the rapper Common. My friend does NOT look like that - in any way shape or form. The only similarity is that that they are both male.

Similarly, my ex-girlfriend was really hot for David Usher of Moist (semi) fame. I do not look like David Usher, I can assure you. I look more like a flabby version of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Luckily (in every sense, but in this case in particular) my lovely wife likes guys a little more similar to me (she has a HUGE thing for Jon Bon Jovi, who... wait a minute... he looks nothing like me either), so I'll skip that thought.

So, I'm wondering: how common is this phenomena? Is this something that happens often within relationships? Does it spell trouble ahead for the couple involved, or is it just a "variety is the spice of life" kind of thing within the mind of the person?

I'm not sure why I wondered about this today (oh, yeah - I was listening to a song by Common), but it is something I have been curious about for some time.

In and Out...

2008-04-23T08:12:00.003-04:00

First, for the record, let me state that I find it deplorable that the name given to this perceived scandal does not relate to sex.

Second, I couldn't find anything to disagree with in this article by Chantal Hebert.

Third, it seems that this is blown out of proportion. Political parties are always looking at ways to work within the rules to maximize their spending.

While the "spirit of the law" may have been circumvented, the letter of the law is pretty clear:

1) Transfers from the central party to riding associations are legal
2) Invoicing by the central party for work done on behalf of the riding association is legal
3) Tailoring an advertisement for local production by the local candidate is legal. In fact, at all the training sessions I have been at, we hit the candidates and the campaign managers over the head with the "consistent message" theme.

In 1995, I was responsible for helping 14 ridings during the provincial campaign. This well organized campaign had all the media messaging for the candidates ready to go. A sort of "insert candidates name/photo here" kind of thing. We used the ads in the local media and did relatively well. Back then, it was the central campaign that was strapped for cash, so the local ridings had to pick up the slack to get the message out.

How is this different?

Critics would say it was organized. Well, yes, as a card carrying Tory, I hope to God it was organized. That would be a refreshing change from most of the campaigns I have helped out on since 1995.

Q

Ontario's Pesticide Ban: The Triumph Of Junk Science

2008-04-22T15:07:00.003-04:00

This morning, the Ontario government announced it would be implmenting a province-wide ban on non-essential cosmetic pesticide use.

I have a fair bit of experience with this particular subject, and I can tell you that this ban is absolute nonsense. I have read many, many studies published by international research bodies over the course of many years and there is ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF that there is a direct link between pesticide use and human health, including cancer. None.

One herbicide in particular, 2-4-D, has been tested for 50 years. Any link to cancer or other disease has never been found. NEVER. Health Canada tests these products frequently and finds them safe (as long as you don't drink them or bathe in them).

This is all being done under the concept of "prudent avoidance", which means "well, we don't know for 100% certain that they are safe (as "safe" can be objectively defined), so we should just not use them at all." I am not surprised the McGuinty Liberals made this a part of their election platform, given how they are trying to present themselves as "green." It doesn't hurt that the provincial Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sheela Brasur, implemented the Toronto ban which got the ball rolling.

So why does this proposed ban bother me? A couple of reasons:

First, the language used in this announcement illustrates that the environmental activists have completely co-opted this initiative. Things like "non-essential use" and "potential toxic effects" and the heavy emphasis on children and cancer are hallmarks of this movement. It is interesting to note that they never say it is actually harmful - they say "the potential toxic effects of pesticides." Of course, its not dangerous enough to stop the use on golf courses, which are usually hundreds of acres in size and located near residential development.

Secondly, it is introducing legislation that tells people what they can and can't do on their own private property. That bothers me, especially when there is no actual threat. I'm a big fan of property rights.

Thirdly, this ban is a lot like the climate change debate. In the name of "the environment" and "human safety" government is taking (expensive) steps to do something that will likely have no positive impact on the environment but will cost taxpayers, propoerty owners and business people.

Environmental zealots are using fear and "potential risk" to promote heavy handed public policy options without really having any concrete proof that there is any risk to mitigate.

Think this won't affect you? Then clearly you don't own property. Grubs can lay waste to an entire lawn in weeks. Weeds grow 2.5 times faster than grass. One dandelion can produce millions of spores which can take over an entire lawn very quickly.

I hope you have the time to pour beet juice or vinegar over each weed next summer, or hire a professional to tend to your property, because that's what its going to cost you.

Think of it as McGuinty's "potential risk" tax on your home.

Junk science triumphs once again. Bring on the carbon tax.

A Pick-Up Move Fit For A King

2008-04-21T08:39:00.003-04:00

He deserves the crown right now just for THIS.

That was a straight-up, ice-cold pimp move.

Prince William is the MAN.

Screw Iwo Jima, Don't You Know There's an Earth Day Coming?

2008-04-18T09:45:00.003-04:00

Headline: "Iwo Jima Veterans Blast Time's 'Special Environmental Issue' Cover"

Agreed. While I understand that many in the media and the environmental cult community see this as a war for the future of the earth, I would say this particular image is not something that should be photoshopped. But that's just me.

Memo To John Tory: Want a platform plank? The TTC just gave you one

2008-04-18T08:53:00.004-04:00

While the anticipated strike by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Union may not be of interest to our readers outside of the GTA, it is certainly top of mind for those of us who have to live and work in and around Toronto.

The Union has put the public (and of course the media) on notice that if there is no serious progress by 4pm Sunday, the Union will strike as of 4am this Monday. The primary issue is aligning workers' wages with transit employees in cities like Mississuaga.

My annoyance with a union clamouring for higher wages during an economic slowdown in this province aside, this situation presents a great opportunity for John Tory to show some leadership and get some much needed attention. Thus far, John has echoed the Premier's sentiments in the press, which is basically to encourage both sides to step up and come to an agreement. His quote this morning:
"Sit at the table, please don't get up, please have as much coffee and bad
sandwiches in the room as you need to keep you going until you arrive at a
settlement. There's always a settlement possible, that's reasonable.
You just gotta keep at it until there is one."

Alrighty. Not exactly inspiring you to become a solder in the Tory army, but OK. If I were advising him, I would use this as an opportunity to show that his mind is firmly focused on the plight of taxpayers, commuters and folks to use the TTC (and public transit each day). This is a great battle to weigh in on: this strike will hurt lower and middle class folks first and hardest. The strike is a minor annoyance if you have a car or can work from home. But what if you don't and you can't?

Secondly, even the Union themselves know they will be public enemy numero uno the second their workers hit the bricks. They know that the public at large will not tolerate listening to TTC workers - the same folk who were pictured on the front of the Toronto Sun bragging that they earned over $100,000 by working crazy overtime - talk about how "second class" they are while their lives are thrown upside down.

John Tory can use this as an opportunity to outline what he would do if he were Premier in this situation. John Tory should state that if he was in charge, he would:

Immediately bring the TTC under provincial jurisdiction, through the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority);
Declare public transit an essential service and exempt from strike action by workers; and
Ensure these kinds of salary disputes can and will be settled through binding arbitration an willnot interfere with our competitiveness or disrupt the lives of people in Toronto and the GTA.

He can couch this not in terms on union bashing, which is not his racket, but in terms of protecting one of the most important pieces of the Ontario (nay, Canadian) economy. He could state that the work that the TTC union does is so important that it is something, in his judgement, he thinks should be on par with firefighters, EMS and the police.

He could also state that the TTC itself is the lynchpin of the entire GTA public transportation network and is of a provincial interest, which is why it should be under a strengthened agency like the GTTA. If we are serious about tackling gridlock to remain competitive and allow Ontarians more time with their families rather than living in their cars, sez John, it begins and ends with the TTC. As such, he will work with the City of Toronto to transition operational responsibility from the city to the province immediately upon taking office.

I believe that gridlock is an immense irritant to voters, and its only going to get worse over the next 10 years. The McGuinty government has begun a plan to create a province wide strategy to get people moving in the GTA. And while I am doubtful that there are real solutions at this point, at least its on the Liberal radar screen. Tory needs to take the initative back.

If he were to do this, he would show he is all about making decisions that make people lives easier, while at the same time he would be relieving the City of Toronto of a financial obligation that they have repeatedly stated is a burden on their budget.

CHTV: GO-ing Nowhere

2008-04-16T22:54:00.005-04:00

Go easy, its our first time.

Rethinking Kyoto? Kyoto should be completely gassed

2008-04-09T10:31:00.005-04:00

I'm always interested in the online presence of environmental activists. For a while now, I've noticed that every time Q or I write about climate change, global warming or Kyoto, someone comes out of nowhere and attempts to refute our thoughts or opinions.

The latest comes from new visitor Mound of Sound, who dismissed Q's view that without China as a signatory, Kyoto is essentially useless. Here is the comment from Mound:

"You also misunderstand Kyoto. It was never intended to fix global warming, merely to get the developed industrialized world committed to taking the first concrete steps to curbing emissions."

Wow. There is so much that is wrong with that statement, but it is quite insightful in giving us a view on where the so-called "green" movement is going. You know that people are finally waking up to the huge costs and very small benefits of Kyoto when they are saying that Kyoto was "never intended to fix global warming."

Further, that statement is intellectually dishonest. For years, Kyoto has been sold to the west precisely as one big solution to ending global warming. While I agree wholeheartedly that that is not what Kyoto does, it has absolutely been sold that way. Don't believe me? Here's a quote from none other than the sainted Internet-inventor Al Gore, in a July 1, 2007 editorial in the NY Times:

"To this end, we should demand that the United States join an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy Earth."

Yeah, Mound - with quotes like that, no one could EVER think that Kyoto means the end to global warming. What Al MEANT to say was that it was "merely a first step." Guess its all about the fine print.

Secondly, I give Mound his due on one thing: Kyoto definitely won't stop climate change. In fact, many economic models predict thatKyoto will have virtually no effect on global temperature. If we were to fully implement Kyoto (and that means, the US as well) over the next century (which, as people like Mound know that it will be harder and harder as the years go by), the global temperature would only be approximately 0.1 degrees F cooler by 2050. By the year 2100, there would only be a decrease of 0.3 degrees F. It is important to note that these figures come from the IPCC's foremost modelers.

So, given that Kyoto will essentially do nothing to halt global warming, why on earth would anyone sign up for it? Symbolism? Why would the West handcuff itself to the tune of $5 to $10 TRILLION in order to allow China, Russia and other developing or transitory economies from polluting essentially at will? Q is right: China is key. That nation is building two medium-sized coal plants a week. They will invest $128 billion in coal production between 2007 and 2020. Without them, we might as well shooting ice cubes into the atmosphere.

Dumb idea? No, Kyoto is the dumbest response to climate change going. It does nothing, but has an immense cost. But the fascist nature of the current environmental movement does not allow discussion, especially dissent. As we keep hearing, time and again "the debate is over." No, folks, it isn't. Its just beginning.

Those in the "green community" have long wanted environmental issues to be at the forefront of the agenda. Now that it is, they want it to be on their terms - with no discussion on the validity of their arguments or their data. They just want all of the unenlightened to put up, shut up and do what they say. Namely, spend billions of public and corporate dollars on phantom programs that do nothing to advance the goals of reversing climate change.

Well, guess what? Now that the world is paying attention to your issues, they are calling you out on your assumptions and recommendations. After all, as you keep telling us, there's lots at stake right now. Did you actually think you'd be getting a blank cheque?

Kyoto is a very expensive sham, which targets western "eco-guilt" just like carbon trading, offset and other stupid programs that allow people to spend money to keep doing what they are doing.

I have always believed that the faster a trend comes onto the scene, the faster it burns out. Everything right now is green, green, green. Its all just another fad. I just hope, like the Atkins diet, that this new fad will soon crest and fade away. Then we can have a real discussion on what to do, instead of listening to garbage about ethanol production and McDonald's new "carbon neutral sandwich."

Tom Lukiwski Should Resign....

2008-04-08T09:18:00.003-04:00

For EVER looking this good:

Larry Dallas (Three's Company)

+ Ricky (Trailer Park Boys)

= Tom Lukiwski (Awesome!)

I'm still just drinking it all in. That Tommy Boy is looking like One! Smooth! Operator! The Pimp of the Praries! The big easy from Esterhazy!

I know I'm a little late to the dance, but I had to comment on this splendid piece of Saskatchewan fashion and social commentary.

A CH tip of the hat to you, Tom.

A true beacon of polyester/cotton blends in this cold, cruel world.

Rethinking Kyoto

2008-04-03T20:59:00.000-04:00

I find myself sitting in a restaurant in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, in China.

I have been here the last week and it has been an eye opening experience.

This one city has a population of 9 million. Almost the entire population of Ontario (give or take a million).

The smog here is unbelievable, and this is considered an administrative centre, not an industrial centre.

When people tell me that Kyoto will make a difference but China is not involved, you have to see it here to understand what a crock the Kyoto protocols are.

Oh, and as an aside, planting trees simple changes one greenhouse gas (Carbon Dioxide) for another (Water vapour).

But the is just basic biochemistry. Hard to believe that should be considered.

Cool.. The Incredible Hulk Trashes Yonge Street

2008-04-01T14:00:00.001-04:00

Sweet. It comes up at the end. He runs right past the Zanzibar!

Hilary Clinton = Liar

2008-03-25T08:43:00.001-04:00

Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water...

2008-03-14T07:04:00.002-04:00

I see this.

While I admit that I like a lot of different shows on television, I can't imagine this one will be added to my "must see tv" list.

I said it before and I'll say it again...

Television Executive Producers...first against the wall when the revolution comes.

Q

Novelty Is For Party Favours

2008-03-13T10:58:00.004-04:00

I've noticed Q's musings on who McCain should choose as his VP running mate in the lead-up to the U.S. Presidential Election in November. I'm not convinced he really needs to counter a "novelty factor" in the first place.

No question: Obama is a novelty in American politics. He "speaks well" (as Joe Biden infamously mentioned), he has poise and presents a vision (albeit a little light on the details) for the country. Oh, and he's black. Now, I don't think being black is the novelty in and of itself. Its that he is a black candidate who hasn't made being black a cornerstone of his campaign. He's a junior senator who happens to be black.

On the other hand, Senator Hillary Clinton is the first serious female candidate and a former first lady. Interesting background, to be sure. But that's where the novelty stops for her. As far as being a Senator, Washington Insider, or whatever other moniker you'd like to give her, she is as status quo as it gets in terms of past presidential candidates.

Now, it should be mentioned that this "novelty" can be just as much of a drag on their electability. There are - sadly - many, many voters who would never vote for a woman or a black man. I believe in the reverse Bradley factor: people say they will vote for a black person to a pollster, but when it comes down to it, they won't. Same goes for a female. That's just the way it is. And that drag is even more difficult than the "O Factor" to measure.

Now to McCain: I believe that U.S. voters take the job of electing a President very seriously. Especially in a time of war for their country and an extremely volatile global political climate, slow down in the economy and a deficit spinning out of control, the next President is facing some serious challenges from Day One. Everything I've read, listened to and watched over the past year tells me that the average American voter understands this.

McCain needs to address the concerns and desires of the American people, not counter some hyped-up ticket on the Democratic side. What are those desires? Obviously, change. But what does "change" mean? A change from what?

I think its a change from the divisive, mean-spirited wedge politics that President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Karl Rove represent. The widely held view in the U.S. is that this Administration judges worth on a loyalty scale, not a competency one. It is more about conforming to George W's world view than it is about serving the country.

As we've seen in Ontario, wedge politics has its limit. Karl Rove may be a brilliant strategist and has had unquestionable electoral success, but you can't be a one-trick pony; you need to adjust to the hard political realities and the shifting priorities of the electorate. Poll after poll has indicated that voters in the U.S. are sick of the hyper partisanship in Washington and just want their officials to get things done - not blame the other guy. Attack ads are great, but you need to know your audience. Voters want to hear what you are going to do, not why your opponent is an immoral, gutless, corrupt lifetime politician.

I don't think people are moving towards Obama because he's black - they are interested in him because he speaks a language of dreams and hope. Flighty? Sure. Empty calories? You bet. But his success shows one thing: the American public are willing to overlook a lack of experience for someone with a positive vision. He is a novelty because when it comes to the prototypical politician, he goes against type - he looks relaxed and comfortable in his own skin; he has this sense of calm no matter what the situation; he comes off as polished without looking slick and he has shown that he can work with politicians of all stripes. When you look at the current cast of characters in Washington , Obama is a novelty, to say the least. I don't like his policies, but I love his style.

In his own way, McCain is just as much a novelty. He is an actual true war hero. His family has a proud military background. He has never hesitated to break with his party when he felt it was necessary (or, to be fair, expedient) and he hasn't exactly conformed with what people views as "insider Washington": he fought for campaign finance reform and was a strong supporter of the surge in Iraq when everyone else was ducking for cover. He was on Letterman and SNL long before he was running for President.

McCain needs to show that he is no George W. Bush and that he will do things much differently. His VP choice needs to reflect that message. If I were him, these are the qualities I'd be looking for. The person needs to be:

In his 40s or early 50s;
Has significant business or domestic experience (a former governor, etc);
Has a very even-keeled persona, to counter McCain's infamous temper;
Is not a lifetime politician and doesn't act like one;
Has a demonstrated ability to be bi-partisan where necessary;
Is a person of considerable (yet understated) faith;
Has an actual legislative record of being a conservative;
Has a completely (and I mean completely) clean bill of health; and
Tends to be more "thoughtful" than "plain spoken".

Some may say that's Mitt Romney, and he definitely has some of those qualities. But I think he's be a horrible choice. He is as slick as they come and has demonstrated that he will adopt whatever position he thinks the people want to hear. Further, his Mormon faith, as deep as it is, doesn't count for much where they need it. Many are suspicious of this particular religion, so he would be as divisive as he would be helpful.

Sorry, Q: Condi would be awful. She is as close to George W. Bush as you can get and is one of the architects of Iraq. As well, she would be subject to endless questions about what she did or did not know about 9/11 during the entire campaign. Not to mention that it would be so obvious that they were trying to counter Obama that it would almost be laughable. if you really want to go down that road, Colin Powell would be a better choice.

So who should it be? I'm sure CH readers have better suggestions than I. I'm not up to date to every present and former governor or GOP congressman or state legislator.

I'm just the opinionated dude. Don't look to me to find a solution. I'm mucn too lazy for that.

The Big O

2008-03-12T06:46:00.001-04:00

Not for nothing, but I think it would be an interesting study to determine the demographic of "first time voters" in the Democratic primaries, and see if there is a correlation to the demographic of Oprah's show.

It might make a nice thesis for someone.

My gut feeling is that there will be a relation between the two. The question is how significant.

I am only basing this on my sample study group of my wife who switches on Oprah when it is her turn to make dinner (full disclosure: when it is my turn, I am watching Arrested Development).

My good lady wife could care less about politics, but knows everything there is to know about Obama, because of Oprah.

Just my early morning rabblings.

Sitting in Pittsburgh...

2008-03-10T06:48:00.002-04:00

...just down the street from where Bill Clinton is speaking tomorrow.

I find myself intrigued by the idea of a Clinton-Obama ticket come November. (I note Obama is not pursuing this, nor should he... he has a chance to win and pick his own, baggage-less, VP)

I asked earlier, how does John McCain counter the "novelty" factor.

I am still advocating for Condi, but who else could it be?

Q

Green Energy can be so dirty...

2008-03-07T05:20:00.002-05:00

This looks interesting.

At the very least, Parliament Hill will be able to keep the lights on.

Bland Works!

2008-03-06T06:59:00.001-05:00

At least in Alberta.

This post by Calgary Grit says it all.

it must be lonely being a liberal in Alberta. Despite your best efforts to educate people about how badly things are going, they actually can think for themselves.

Next Steps

2008-03-05T05:08:00.001-05:00

I have been pretty quiet on the Tory leadrrship front for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that I ran for a position on the provincial executive.

I am happy to say I was acclaimed to the position and expected to be more vocal about the leadership process, only to be drafted as the campaign manager for one of the other candidates for the executive.

Again, I am happy to report that my candidate was also elected (handily) to the executive.

Unlike B-Double, I am done trying to repopulate the planet, and so I was able to attend (with Mrs. Q's tepid blessing).

I had the chance to talk to many delegates on both sides of the yes/no divide and I consider many on both sides good friends and good conservatives who all believed they were putting the best interests of the party first.

So what now?

Leadership reviews and leadership campaigns can be dangerously divisive. The true measure of Tory's leadership and integrity over the next couple of months will be how well he reaches out to the yes side and incorporate them into the planning process.

There are 42 months until the next election. I will be working hard for the party until then.

I have been a member of the provincial and federal parties and I have not always had my leader of choice. Many who were my leader of choice disappointed me at some time or another. However, the party is bigger than one man and regardless of who our leader is, I would rather he/she lead our country or province than the alternatives.

So those who have said they were quitting the party if Tory decided to stay, I say this: "Grow up! Why did you join the party in the first place? Was it to for the leader or the party?"

Q

CONGRATULATIONS

2008-03-04T08:45:00.002-05:00

To B-double and his wonderful better half on the arrival of li'l-E!!!

When my wife was pregnant with our second, I told her "if it is another girl, I have 13 years to convert the garage into my Fortress of Solitude to escape the inevitable house of hormones." Start planning now, B-Double - "Daughters are God's punishment for being a man!"

I realize that I have been a huge slacker on posting over the past couple of months and B-Double has been doing all the heavy lifting.

I will endeavour to correct that this week with an explanation tomorrow!!

In the meanwhile, B-Double, get some sleep - you aren't going to get any 13 years from now with two teenage daughters!!!

Q

A Picture (and a small caption) Is Worth A Hundred Gazillion, Billion Words.

2008-02-29T08:25:00.003-05:00

"Yes, Master. I understand."

Jimmy Kimmel Is F**king Ben Affleck...

2008-02-26T15:20:00.003-05:00

Closing The Book On a Sad Chapter

2008-02-25T10:22:00.004-05:00

So the battle was fought and I think no one really won.

Now that John Tory has decided to stay on as Leader of the Ontario PC Party, which he has every right to do (constitutionally), it is time to close the books on debating the merits of him remaining on as Leader - at least on this blog.

We received hundreds of hits Sunday and yesterday, as many people were wondering what the reaction of the unwashed masses were to Tory's decision. However, I think that now the AGM is completed and the votes are counted, the results are what they are; continually calling for the Leader to resign now that he's made the decision to stay doesn't really accomplish all that much.

If I care enough about an issue to comment, I will continue to voice my opinion on the Party's direction, its leadership and its conduct where I feel its needed. I feel its my obligation as a Party member to do so. But right now, I don't care about all that much. In that vein, I wanted to post my thoughts on where the Party stands right now in the aftermath of this weekend's convention.

So, here goes: The Party is sick. I have never felt the way I do about it as I do now. Which is not good.

Success attracts success, or as my favorite rap artists say "game recognize game." That is to say, when you look and act like a winner, you attract winners. People respect you and want to work with you. Coming out of this AGM, my respect level for the Party establishment (however you'd like to define it) is at about zero. Okay, maybe a 1.

I have been embarrassed and extremely disappointed in the conduct of the people apparently running the show in the pro-Tory camp. I continue to believe that they have lost sight of what they are doing and lost touch with those at the riding level. And their antics leading up to the AGM just cemented that view - and drove volunteers and activists away. They should be ashamed of themselves. Worse, who wants to work with a crew like that?

I also feel that the fire we once enjoyed during the activist days of the Common Sense Revolution is all but gone. Sure, different times call for a different plan, but we should be just as passionate and the need to implement our policies should be just as urgent.

And that, John, has to come from you. You don't need to endlessly consult, you just need to get a read of what the people of Ontario want. Your team needs to be able to pick up on that too. You can't get it from polls and policy wonks who spend their weekends reading their latest copy of "Policy Options." Granted, those guys are friggin smart. But sometimes too much of that is not a good thing.

You may be able to fix things, you may be Ontario's Joe Clark. I'm not sure right now. But here's what I'm willing to do: I'll shut up.

I won't get on this blog and talk about your judgement, or your team, or your lack of direction or your choice of tie. I won't talk about how you need to stop being so touchie feelie and "the listening guy" and all that crap that meant absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G in the ballot box.

Here's what I want you to do: start getting serious about winning, because that's all that matters. When you're serious, that means you want the best on your team - despite who they don't know or what their views are. You need people who are organizational monsters that can get the job done, period. (Aside: I'll be watching to see who you appoint to your provincial "organiational swat team". From what I hear so far, you haven't learned anything. Oops. I said I'd shut up.) And you MUST let them do what they need to. You need people who can instinctively take the pulse of the province and tell you where its going - with or without a poll.

AND THEN YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ALL OF THEM.

You tried your way. It didn't work. Recognize your weakness and shore it up. Get people in your circle who can tell you you're an idiot when you're being an idiot.

So, that's my way of giving you the benefit of the doubt. The clock is ticking.

Take That, Satellite!

2008-02-21T17:28:00.002-05:00

Sweet. Direct hit.

A Message To Ontario PC Delegates

2008-02-20T12:30:00.003-05:00

Hi there.

I won't be at the AGM this weekend, as my wife is about to give birth to our second child. So, I'm hoping that you can send a message along to John Tory, his team and the Party.

I ask that you vote YES to a leadership review.

I am a long-time activist. I've been working in ridings for over 15 years. I've sat on the Party Executive, the provincial Youth Executive and even worked (yes, I was paid) as a riding organizer. I know this Party and its members.

When this whole thing started, I was openly critical of the Draft A Leader folks and thought that Tory should probably sweat it out, but should stay.

All that has changed.

Since the election defeat, virtually EVERYTHING that John Tory has done has pushed me to my current belief that he should go. I have come to this view rationally and gradually. It has not been one event, but a series of events and thoughts that have brought me to this conclusion. I'll lay them out.

Firstly, while his "apologies" are made often, they reveal a disappointing mindset. He has said repeatedly that he was "doing what leaders do" during the campaign and it was his team minding the shop. "The campaign was the disaster! Look I fired Lasch!" Well, actually, you shouldn't of hired David Miller's campaign buddy in the first place, but I nevertheless don't think that's the accountability we're looking for.

But this does brings me to my second point. From everything I've heard and know personally, Tory had his fingers in everything. In fact, he was somewhat of a serious micro mananger. He wrote a lot of the platform. He had a large say in how the campaign unfolded. And most importantly, he chose the staff and the campaign team. Its one thing to be say: "Look, I delegated to my team and I got burned." But we all know Tory doesn't delgate anything. Remember, this is the guy that gets in at 6:00am and e-mails Party members personally. What about his "legendary work ethic"? Now he wants us to believe he was content just being the candidate? Give me a break.

So, he had a hand in everything, which leads me to my next point. He has clearly demonstrated that he hasn't learned a damn thing just by the people he has surrounded himself with. Look at the Tories4Truth fiasco; how aggressive his Together With Tory crew is, how they attack Party members; the way that his loyalists are manipulating the system leading up to the AGM so he can win (and they are, believe you me). Humble in defeat they are not.

Then, if it couldn't get much worse, Tory goes on TVO and acts like he has no idea what his team was doing. "Did I put that press release out?" Oh my God. This was the icing on the cake for me. He is either completely incompetent or a flat out liar. Either way, I guess he's "not up to the job."

I'm tried of him begging to keep his job. I'm tired of the conditional apologies. I'm tired of him running around the province, like kilometres on your minivan mean something. I'm tired of the biggest reason our Leader around not being how good he is, but how "bad" it would be for the Party. If I was going (and of course, I actually got notice of the DSM for my riding and was a delegate) I would be voting YES for a Leadership Review. But I'm not, so I leave it to you.

Here is my last point. The big argument (which is a pathetic reason to keep a leader, but I digress) I keep hearing is: "Who would replace John Tory? Who is waiting in the wings?" Well, besides the not-so-subtle comment the pro-Tory forces are making about their low opinion of the PC Caucus, I'm trying to think of an instance where an accomplished individual from the outside world was pursuaded into running for Leader of the Ontario PC Party after an election loss.

Yeah, you're right. That's NEVER happened before.

I mean, who in their right mind would leave the lucractive business world to run for PC leader?

Stop being afraid. Please vote Yes.

What Could Make B-Double Vote Liberal In the Next Provincial Election

2008-02-15T21:15:00.003-05:00

THIS.

Gridlock drives me crazy. And it is going to get monumentally worse as another 4 million people come to the GTA over the next 20 years.

If there is no serious (and I mean SERIOUS) plan to substantially bulk up the public transit capabilities in and around the Golden Horseshoe, we are going to be the LA of the North. In none of the good ways.

We are long overdue for a regional transit network. And the TTC is the heart of that network. Without it, the GTTA (or Metrolinx, as its now called) will be nothing but another layer of bureaucracy and red tape that tells us what should be done, but accomplishes little.

And McGuinty cannot be blamed for wanting to have some control over all the money he is putting into transit improvements, as opposed to the douches at City Hall who respond to a ridership increase by raising fares. Enough.

Let's take "The Better Way" fiefdom away from Miller and his cronies at City Hall and use it as the hub for a vast and innovative regional transit system.

Tip of the hat to McGiggles. Well done.

Super Tuesday thoughts

2008-02-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

While I indicated previously that I was a McCain fan (and I still am), I had pondered the possibility of Huckabee as his running mate.

I think that is where Huckabee would like to be, but I have been thinking about how best to counter the democratic ticket.

Some polls have shown that McCain wins head to head over Clinton and Obama. But what if the democratic ticket is both Clinton and Obama as the vp choice. Does it still make sense to put Huckabee on the ticket to keep christian conservatives on side, or would it make more sense to put a woman or an african-american on the ticket to take some of the "novelty" steam out of the Democrats sails.

I know Mondale had Geraldine Ferraro and that didn't do him much good, but here is my question:

If McCain is the nominee, what would be the most strategic move for him given the two choices of democrats, a conservative, a woman, an african-american (or maybe a latino) or some combination (say a condaleeza ;-)

Q

Matt Damon Is Hilarious

2008-02-01T14:08:00.000-05:00

His comments about James Bond being an imperialist not withstanding, this is why I think Matt Damon is awesome:

Oh, and I think Sarah Silverman and her potty mouth are hot.

Some Additional Advice For John Tory's Posse....

2008-01-29T09:09:00.001-05:00

Now, people who know me know that I've pulled some dirty tricks in my time.

There are two rule to black ops in politics:

1. If you're going to hit someone and leave fingerprints, do it so they can't get up. That way, even if they wanted to retaliate they can't.

If you can't do that, then follow the second rule:

2. If you are unsure if your nasty operations will adhere to Rule #1, don't leave any fingerprints, digital or otherwise.

John Tory's crew failed on both accounts.

You may have noticed that the anonymous douchebags over at Tories4Truth raised quite a kerfuffle when they personally attacked Rueben Devlin and Bart Maves. Led by Adam Daifallah and this humble piece of cyberspace, many other bloggers weighed in on how low/stupid/irrelevant these attacks were.

It got so bad that Together4Ever and John Tory's staff at Queen's Park disavowed the smears. And that's where they really messed up.

As an independent blogger myself, I can say that if I had decided to do a hatchet job, no cries from an elected official or stern comments from the blogosphere would stop me from hitting my target until I achieved my event or objective - in this case a vote on whether there should be a leadership contest.

Since the initial outcry and the disapproving remarks from Tory (which people claim exist, although I've never seen them), Tories4Truth have not published one post. Not one. If you're trying to show you have no command-and-control function over a proxy doing a hit on your opponent, or you're even trying to even appear to have no connection to it at all, you may want to not have them follow your instructions.

John Tory says the posts are bad and the posts stop. Odd, that.

I'll just come right out and say it: while the specific identity of Tories4Truth will likely never be known (thanks, Google - you'll sell traffic info to the Chinese, but you won't reveal identities of jerkoffs hiding behind a blog), there is no doubt in my mind that that Tories4Truth blog is directly (not someone he knows casually, I mean it was part of Tory's overall offense strategy and a deliberate tactic) linked to Together4Tory and/or John Tory's rescue crew. They misjudged the furor the blog would cause and they got burned. Period.

Once again, it make me wonder whether these guys are ready for prime time (and not in the good SNL way, either). They are repeatedly showing that they are not. Man, I feel like a broken record.

But I will offer this - next time you want to hit someone (politically, of course), let me know.

I haven't been caught yet.

A Recruitment Video From The Church of Hilarity

2008-01-25T11:49:00.000-05:00

Quite a good spoof on Tom Cruise's bizarro cult video from last week.

In case the video doesn't work, the link is HERE.

Not exactly the classic "Landlord" skit, but good on Jerry O'Connell. He's come a long way from being that fat kid in "Stand By Me".

Remember that?

John Tory's Team Are a Bunch of Hypocrites

2008-01-24T17:20:00.000-05:00

Wow.

These guys are rapidly losing ANY respect I had for them at all. Here's another brainchild from the smart folks over at Together4Ever:

Toronto, ON – The Together With Tory campaign responded to assertions made in today’s Globe and Mail:

“But [John Tory] is under new pressure form the party rank and file after the launch of the Grassroots PC campaign, the first organized effort to replace him.”

The story also quoted Nick Kouvalis:

“This is really a battle between the grassroots and the party establishment.”

Rank and file? Grassroots?

There is nothing “rank and file” or “grassroots” about Reuben Devlin, Bart Maves or any of the other names associated with the effort to overturn the results of the last leadership election.

They are unelected, unaccountable and represent no one but themselves.

Many are, in fact, professional lobbyists and consultants – the very antithesis of “grassroots.”

Really? So are the good folks at Together4Ever. Their main media hack, John Ratchford, is a consultant. he works for Ensight Canada - a joint venture of two lobbying companies, Enterprise Canada and Navigator Ltd.

And quite recently, he was also a lobbyist. Here's a screenshot of his registration:

At the samr time, John Capobianco, who is the (unelected) leader of this group was first a consultant for big-time lobby outfit Hill & Knowlton and now for Edleman. His registry is too large for this post, so you can view it HERE.

Listen, I've worked with the Johns. I like the Johns. But they are being flat out hypocritical when they are going after other Party members by calling them "unelected, unaccountable consultants" when that's EXACTLY what they are.

Did you think people wouldn't figure that out? I found this stuff in half a minute.

And frankly, I've had enough. Stop being bald-faced hypocrites.

You started this. Remember that.

John Travolta Sure Is Selfless

2008-01-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

I saw this on one of those gossip websites I tell people I don't read. It was funny enough to publish on this esteemed piece of cyberspace.

Here's John Travolta on the tragic death of Heath Ledger.

Woman's Day Magazine: Did you know Heath? How has his death affected you?

John Travolta: I did know Heath and I adored him. I am pretty devastated over this. He was my favourite actor and my favourite talent. It's like losing James Dean. I would give back all my awards and all my nominations just to have him back — I think he is a real loss as a persona and as a talent.

John must have REALLY REALLY thought highly of Heath Ledger if was willing to sacrifice so, so deeply to have him return to the land of the living.

As for me, I just hope that The Joker was killed off in the end of the upcoming Batman movie. Otherwise, there may be some plot holes.

Hey, its not like I knew the guy. And I like Batman movies.

My Requiem For Fred Thompson...

2008-01-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

What could have been..... *sniff*. I thought this was worth running again.

Its unfortunate this Fred never really appeared on the campaign trail. But we'll always have youtube.

Shame On You

2008-01-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

You know, I wasn't really going to get involved in the whole Leadership Review thing going on in the Ontario PC Party. I'm not even attending the Convention (not that I could of anyway, I didn't get notice for my DSM - but that's another story).

And its been well document documented in this blog that I had serious concerns about the election campaign and how it was run. Nothing new there. But now I'm seeing some stuff that's really getting me mad. And if you're a grassroots riding person, you should be too.

Firstly, a new blog has popped up called Tories4Truth. These Swiftboat-wannabe douchebags have decided that rather than propping up the Leader, they would go after the folks who are calling for a leadership contest - Rueben Devlin and Bart Maves.

Look, I'm not close to either of these guys. In fact, way back in the day, Rueben and I were on other sides in some riding fights. But to bring up his hospital's death rate record and his response in the media is beyond the pail. In fact, its shameful.

They also try to paint Bart as some guy would couldn't bring it home in his riding when he was a candidate in the fall. But I guess that was then.

Then, the Together for Tory crew send out this release with proxy attack dog MPP Lisa MacLeod as the point person:

----- Original Message -----
From: john@ratchford.ca john@ratchford.ca
To: john@ratchford.ca john@ratchford.ca
Sent: Mon Jan 21 14:20:37 2008
Subject: REALITY CHECK / 21 January 2008

REALITY CHECK
For Immediate Release
21 January 2007

Democracy 101 for Rueben Devlin

Toronto, ON – The Together With Tory campaign responded today to Rueben Devlin saying in a CBC Newsworld interview that a minority of PC Party members should decide the party’s leadership.During the interview, Devlin said: “I think if Mr. Tory can show significant support within the party then he deserves to stay.

But we want to see significant support that would translate into significant support among Ontario voters.”Don Newman: “Well, give me the number that comes with significant. That’s what I’m trying to get you to do.” Devlin: “We’ve always looked at 80 percent.”According to Rueben, this is democracy.

Unfortunately for Rueben, he hasn’t always thought this way. Here’s Article 24 of the PC Party Constitution – it’s the same as when he was Party president:

"24.1 At the first general meeting of the Party following an Ontario general election in which the Caucus does not form the Government of Ontario, and only at such meeting, the delegates shall be asked by secret ballot: “Do you wish to have a leadership election?”

24.2 In the event that more than 50% of the votes cast are in the affirmative, the Executive shall call a leadership election and such election shall occur at the earliest convenient date as determined by the Executive.

PC MPP Lisa MacLeod said: “The Constitution is approved by a democratic vote of PC Party members. It is not a buffet where people can pick parts they like and ignore the rest. We believe in democracy in our Party.”

-30-

Wow. That's friggin' profound. So, because he was President and didn't change the constitution, he's now a hypocrite. And that's great that the Together4Ever crew is aiming so low. 50% +1: that's quite an acheivement.

So here's what he have: the folks around John Tory are throwing sh*t at regular Party members from the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition or their Constituency Offices. Others are anonymous cowards trying to take down Party members because they have the audacity to publicly question the Leader.

This is straight up embarrasing. I cannot believe that in less than 5 years, we have gone from the most successful fundraising party in Canadian history with 2 back-to-back majority governments to this lame circus playing out in the media.

Memo to Together4Ever clowns: numbers speak. If you jokers actually were as confident in your delegates, you'd ignore Rueben, Nick Kouvalis and everyone else, go in and defeat the leadership review.

But no. You had to once again show PROFOUND lack of judgement and start attacking party members. You should be better than that. This confirms to me that you guys couldn't buy a clue.

This is just beyond sad. Shame on all of you.

P.S. I will delete all anonymous comments as soon as they are posted. If you don;t have the balls to say who you are, you don't get a say on this blog.

The Death of Hip?

2008-01-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

What happened to hip people? Is it just me, or are people becoming lame-ass dougheads?

Exhibit A: The remixes of Michael Jackson's Thriller hits.

Exhibit B: Barack Obama's dance moves (not sure how I missed this one).

C'mon people, let's put some effort in here.

I'm just saying.

The Death Volt for Mass Transit?

2008-01-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

So, I'm reading one of the MANY articles entitled "Who Saved The Electric Car?", which talk about GM and their new electric car, the Volt, which is scheduled to be ready for consumers to buy in droves by 2010.

I've been reading a fair bit about the vehicle and it seems pretty interesting. Unlike the EV1, GM's first aborted attempt at an electric zero emission vehicle (and the subject of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?"), the Volt seems much more practical. You don't need to build a charging station; it just plugs directly into the wall socket. And, it looks pretty cool as well:

Compare that with the pod-like shape of the EV1 - which made you just want to broadside it into a diitch while you passed it on the highway in your Hummer - and its a marked improvement. You can read about it on GM's website/blog hybrid.

But here's my thought.

All these enviro converts are clamouring for a zero-emission vehicle. They watch the development of lithium battery stacks and breathlessly await news from the Electric Vehicle Conferences out in California. Some say such a car is a few years away, some say a vehicle fully capable of the daily demands of the commuter is decades away.

All the while, the key method enviro activists and transit advocates are using to get our lazy asses onto buses, subways and GO Trains is guilt. "You're polluting the environment", they say. "Do you know how many tonnes of greenhouse gases are eliminated with every full bus?" they ask.

What happens when a zero-emissions (read: zero-guilt) car comes along? What will be the compelling reason for commuters to use public transit? If a zero emission car is finally put into production, will environmental activists be making presentations to the provincial government asking for an increasing in funding for roads? What is the endgame here?

There is obviously a portion of the population who ride smelly buses that are packed like sardines because they are trying to do the right thing. Will those people still take transit if their personal vehicle is cleaner than the bus or streetcar she is on? And how will they handle the decline in revenue caused by a decline in ridership?

I suppose if gridlock continues to be a problem, as it is here in the GTA, then an argument can be made for greater transit funding. But that also means new hybrid or zero emissions buses and trains. There will need to be completely new spending to adjust to this "new reality" that your personal vehicle is now cleaner/greener than most of the existing bus and train fleets.

So, the enviros could be shepparding in a new era of zero emissions vehicles, while presiding over the decline or even the demise of signficant public transit.

The TTC must be hoping GM et al never find the key to a long lasting battery for their vehicles. If they do, they'll be in for quite a shock. Yeah, I went with it.

Sitting on the dock of the bay

2008-01-14T07:25:00.001-05:00

I am about to head north by northwest to visit Ontario's first diamond mine.

It is a balmy -10 in Timmins and -29 at the site. Lovely.

Does anyone care that McGuinty increased the royalty rate on diamonds?

No, probably not.

However, the project has been delayed by 6 months or so and it means that none of the projected revenue in the budget is forthcoming in the current fiscal year and did nothing to contribute to the 3 Billion surplus that was quckly spent on tax breaks.

Which begs the question: Why was this royalty increase needed, or warranted before one single diamond was pulled out of the ground?

Evidently, word on the street (or at least at the Tim Horton's) in Timmins is that there are larger, better deposits out there, but the royalty increase is a disincentive to invest at this time.

So we, the taxpayers of Ontario, can expect this increase to geneate $0.00 in new revenue.

On that note, I will be roughing it this week without blackberry or internet access, so no posts from me this week (I can hear B-double smirking now).

Q

Together With Tory, Cybersquatters and Other Hacks

2008-01-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

NOTICE: It has been brought to our attention that Grassroots PC has this blog listed as a link. While I agree with their concerns and appreciate what they are doing (I can't speak for Q) we are not affiliated with them in any way. I have asked that the link be removed. I have been assured that it will be.

In life, you are often judged by the company you keep. So, I'm curious as to the kind of people John Tory has in his leadership revival camp.

Yesterday, I got a wonderful e-mail from the good folks at the John Tory Fan Club. They were trumpeting a new website, Together With Tory, which talks all about the myriad of support he has from ~~caucus members, staff and party hacks~~ supporters. Great. It's good to see them sweat.

However, when I did a WHOIS search on the domain, as I'm wont to do, the following came up:

Status: EXIST
Registrar: (10dollar.ca) 10 Dollar Domain Names Inc.
Registrar-no: 1064689
Registrant-no: 1120459
Domaine-no: 2131768
Subdomain: togetherwithtory.ca
Renewal-Date: 2008/12/18
Date-Approved: 2007/12/18
Date-Modified: 2007/12/18
Organization: Shane Barnes
Description:
Admin-Name: Mr Shane Barnes
Admin-Title:
Admin-Postal: 657 Champlain Dr Cornwall ON k6h6h9 Canada

Now this isn't the same guy who is cybersquatting on the domain for the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, is it? Why yes it is! And I'm not the only one who noticed.

Status: EXIST
Registrar: (10dollar.ca) 10 Dollar Domain Names Inc.
Registrar-no: 1064689
Registrant-no: 1120459
Domaine-no: 1845382
Subdomain: dannywilliams.ca
Renewal-Date: 2008/04/09
Date-Approved: 2007/04/09
Date-Modified: 2007/04/09
Organization: Shane Barnes
Description:
Admin-Name: Mr Shane Barnes
Admin-Title:
Admin-Postal: 657 Champlain Dr, Cornwall ON k6h6h9 Canada

And registered in time for that province's October election. Nice. Nothing like Tories trying to cash in off of other Tories. Looks like Williams' camp didn't take the bait.

I really dislike cybersquatters. They are like the extortionists of the information superhighway. But I'm SURE Mr. Barnes was just holding it to make sure dastardly Liberals didn't get it first. Which is why Mr. Barnes still owns it, right? Of course it is.

Secondly, I'm curious as to how the good folk at Together With Tory actually GOT my e-mail address. The Party Constitution has very strict rules on who can access the central membership lists and for what purpose.

What lists are they using? How did they get access to them? Is it from Frank Klees' leadership campaign? If so, that's a big no no. As none of the three (John Capobianco, Frank Klees and Graham Fox) are Party officials or work directly for the Leader (as John C keeps telling us), then how did this "unofficial" effort get access to Party membership lists? Hmmmmm?

Some interesting questions to be sure. I guess the point of this post is that the pro-Tory people conduct themselves with this air of righteousness. Like they are doing the Party a valuable service. Maybe they are.

But their tactics are hackery in the highest order. We all know that they are working with HQ people to make sure that information on DSM's is limited and not circulated in a timely fashion. I have met Party member after Party member who has told me they didn't receive notice for their riding DSM and will not be attending the AGM. This scorched earth policy (a TM special if I've ever seen one) may win the battle, but it will lose the war. I will try to look surprised when I hear them moaning in 2011 that they can't find anyone to help them on the ground.

So, good luck with your quest, guys. Although you may be inheriting a "poisoned chalice." Now, where have a heard that phrase before....? Right. That's where.

Reason #6485 why I hate The Star

2008-01-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

This editorial essentially says governments know better.

They call the GST cut regressive but at the same time and increase in the GST would also be regressive. I don't get it.

I sincerely hope the next phase of our platform includes yet another 2 point cut over four years to the GST.

Along with other tax cuts.

Speaking of which, I am glad someone else is talking flat tax again. While I don't expect to see it in my lifetime, perhaps we could at least be trying to simplify the tax return process.

Q

2008 Presidential Picks

2008-01-02T07:25:00.000-05:00

B-Double wrote an article below on the Primary season.

I thought I would add my preferred picks as the Iowa caucuses are tomorrow.

On the democratic side, I would be surprised if Hillary didn't win the nomination. Despite the Oprah factor for Obama, at the end of the day, no one has the organization, finances and clout that the Clintons can put together. The question will be what Hillary will do about a running mate. A Hillary-Obama ticket may yet happen.

On a side note, the Oprah factor is not to be discounted. For those of us who live and breathe politics, it is hard to understand those people out there who just don't care. In the states, especially, there are a huge number of people who won't even know the nominees' names, let alone where they stand. Many of these same people watch Oprah and do what she says. Don't believe me? Look at the book sales for the Oprah choice of the month.

On the republican side, I am a Thompson fan. Not because of his policies, but because of his acting :-) I would vote for anyone who appeared in a Die Hard movie. Even the second one (which was arguably the weakest). He is the only candidate that has the moral authority to intervene in the Hollywood writers' strike. ;-)

Seriously, I think that the Republicans are going to end up with Huckabee somewhere on the ticket, only because the others have not tapped into the Christian right. However, I don't think the Christian right will be voting democrat if the choice is the one I mentioned above.

I disagree with B-Double about Rudy's infidelity affecting his ability to be a leader. I would prefer all my leaders to be pure of heart and integrity, but with that said, none of us gets to pass judgement on what happens in a private marriage (unless he was beating his wife).

As for the Republican ticket, I am going to go out on a limb and say McCain-Huckabee in 2008. I am only basing this on the quote by Liz Lemon on 30Rock: "I tell everyone I am going to vote for Obama, but will secretly vote for McCain."

Q

The singularly most brilliant idea in the world

2007-12-29T10:09:00.000-05:00

This would be cool.

Q

Merry Xmas to all

2007-12-24T09:11:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas and that 2008 is healthy, happy and
prosperous.

All the best

New (and Improved) Steyn Buttons! Collect All Three!

2007-12-19T16:53:00.001-05:00

I knew we had some creative folks out there.

We have NEW Steyn buttons courtesy of Tim!

Each of which can be grabbed over at our posting PAGE. I have published each one in the sidebar for you all to see.

Please post these on your site to show your support for Mark, Maclean's and free speech in Canada.

UPDATE: Well, you never know who is going to show their support. Nice of you to join us.

Mark Steyn/Maclean's Support Button

2007-12-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

To show my support for Mark Steyn and Macleans in this stupid Human Rights Commission complaint, I have put together a button to display on blogs, which you can see on our sidebar.

If you want to post it on your blog, go to this LINK, click on the image and use it to post to your blog. If you're new to blogging and need instructions, check out the comments for instructions (for Blogger, but I suspect every blogging program is similar).

Shout outs are always welcome, but its most important to actually put it up. Let us know if you do so we can give you a shout out as well.

UPDATE: Kate over at Small Dead Animals has been kind enough to post the button for her readers. Much appreciated.

UPDATE PART DEUX: Welcome Five Feet of Fury. Thanks for the link.

UPDATE PART.. WELL, WHATEVER "THREE" IS IN FRENCH: Word is spreading. We've got a link up over at Michelle Malkin and My Two Cents Worth. Welcome all.

UPDATE PART FOUR: New buttons are coming....

Primary Colours

2007-12-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

I was surprised by an online discussion that I saw over at Adam Daifallah's blog regarding the GOP primaries.

I gotta tell you, I'm usually a guy that takes sides - I like being partisan, and I don't hesitate to back a horse in an electoral contest. Which is why I'm glad I am not voting in the primary or in the general election.

I don't really like any of them.

Now, this is not to say that I haven't looked at many of them closely. Not as close as many CH readers, I'm sure. But often you have to go by how you feel and your perception of a candidate. However, some of the techniques or factors people are using to decide who they will support just shows us how far down the destructive path we have gone.

Firstly, to the Daifallah discussion. There was much teeth gnashing over the supposed decline of Hillary. We Conservatives want her to do well, so the argument goes, so she will become the Democratic candidate - which makes it easier for a GOP victory. Now, I'm certainly no fan of Hillary, but is this really what we really want? Are we willing to settle for any Republican president as long as they are Republican?

As a conservative, I for one have been embarrassed by the whole lot of GOP candidates running for the party's nomination. The mainstream candidates seem to be happy to continue the Bush-Cheney tradition of puffing up their chests and taking an aggressive and absolute foreign policy position, all while pandering to monied corporate interests. At the same time, each one seems to be "out-praying" the other, with faith being the ultimate measurement on whether they are right for the job.

As religion eclipses all other considerations, frontrunners include candidates who have been investigated by ethics commissions (Huckabee), flip flop on almost all major policy positions (Romney) misspent public funds (Giuliani) or something else.

As I said, I'm not enthralled with any of them, each for different reasons:

GIULIANI: I have NO idea why he went into the race. He had a reputation former politicians would kill for and something he could have dined off of for decades. He has a very successful lobbying practice and commanded huge speaking fees. People batted aside tough questions about how he ran New York in the post-9/11 years, how he prepared for and managed 9/11 itself and the treatment of first responders because he was "America's Mayor."

Now, for the privilege of running for the nomination, he will be subject to intense scrutiny about his business relationships, his leadership practices, his ethics, his personal life and his views on policies. And that review has been revealing. I already knew and was disappointed by Rudy's ongoing relationship with Kerik which I think says a lot about his character: loyalty over judgement. I'm also not happy with his Bush plus foreign policy views.

I'm a huge fan of what he did for New York (despite the grumblings) and how he displayed leadership in the face of a monumental national crisis, but he has a lot of personal and professional baggage that leaves his candidacy tainted.

ROMNEY: Slick flip flopper. He is the politician's politician, and I just don't like him. I don't think American voters will either. I don't give a rat's ass about his Mormon beliefs, but much of the red states will. Is this seriously the best the GOP can do?

HUCKABEE: Hell, I just love his Chuck Norris ad. In fact, there are lots of things to like about "Huck". I like the fact that he talks about helping the poor and low income folks. I like how he's not tied into the elite Republican establishment and brings a folksy touch.

But he doesn't hide the fact that his faith essentially defines him and guides him, no matter what the issue is at hand. Saying his rise in the polls is due to divine influence? Enough. I'm not a fan of using your religion to club your opponents with. And I especially don't like it when "Christians" routinely act decidedly "un-Christian" like. He berates employees. Screams at his peers. Expects favours due to his position. Uses public money for his own uses.

I don't subscribed to the Europeanesque, nuanced, "sophisticated" style of leadership you get from the Joe Bidens of the world who have clearly spent WAY too much time in office. But I do believe you need a clear understanding of the challenges that lay ahead for the US and have some workable solutions. "The Almighty will provide the answer" or "My faith is my advisor" is not an acceptable policy position - on anything.

MCCAIN: Too old. Not a candidate for a 2008 election. Maybe 2000. Maybe never.

THOMPSON: I think the calibre of a candidate is decided by how you handle challenges. Fred was all the talk over the summer when he was going to run an "outsider" campaign and become the second coming of Reagan. Instead of using that massive expectation (and resulting attention) from the media and the political community to his advantage, he completely underwhelmed everyone. Now he's in a "lazy" narrative that he can't escape.

I was initially drawn to Thompson. I like his plain speaking demeanour and his basic conservative values. And the media and punditry might be treating him unfairly. But its up to him and his team to play the hand their dealt. And they have busted thus far. Bucking the system might be a good move, but you have to have the juice to go at it on your own. Fred doesn't have the horses - which is too bad; I think he would have been a great candidate.

I don't think the future bodes well for the Republican Party. Not since the federal Liberals has a Party been so in need of a timeout to do some soul searching and figure out what it is they stand for.

Hilary would be an awful President. But I'm not sure any of the current candidates on the GOP side would be any better. Glad I don't have a vote.