Yesterday, the self-aggrandizing labour leader switched from weeks of making NDP Leader Jack Layton's life miserable by urging people to vote Liberal, to making Martin's life miserable by urging Quebecers to vote for the Bloc Quebecois.
Yep, you read that right. Hargrove said Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has a "separatist view" of Canada, basically because he's an Albertan, and suggested he's such a threat to national unity that Quebecers should vote for ... er ... the separatists, in order to help keep Canada united.
No opponent of Martin could possibly have done as much damage to the Liberal campaign as he did with his "support."
First, just days before Monday's vote, Hargrove has so revved up the Conservative ground forces by suggesting Harper is a separatist, they'll want to defeat the Liberals even more. Until yesterday, I didn't think that was possible.
Second, Hargrove undermined Martin's remaining credibility in Quebec by urging federalist voters there to vote for the Bloc, in order to stop Harper. In case Hargrove's forgotten, or doesn't care, Martin wants them to vote for the Liberals.
Finally, Hargrove gratuitously insulted Albertans, remarks he didn't retract even though he later issued a clarification that he still considers Harper to be a federalist, just not a good one.
As for poor Paul Martin, in trying to distance himself from Hargrove's stink bomb, he had no choice but to praise Harper's patriotism, declaring: "I have large differences with Stephen Harper, but I have never doubted his patriotism."
Only problem is, Martin has questioned Harper's patriotism throughout this campaign by constantly suggesting his "values" are not Canadian ones and by approving those over-the-top attack ads portraying Harper as a George Bush stooge.
Come to think of it, maybe this was all part of Hargrove's diabolical but brilliant plan. Maybe he's been working as a secret agent for Jack Layton and the NDP all along! Maybe the idea from the start was to have Hargrove work his way into the Martin camp, win his trust and then, at the right moment, undermine the Liberals from within.
Nah, couldn't be. Martin has done way too good a job of that on his own.
Congratulations Buzz take a bow. You've just become the Goofball of the month for January 2006.
8 comments:
Yep Hargrove is an idiot.
" Fight the Sepratist adgenda by voting Separitist" Bloody Brilliant.
I will not contest your Goofball of the month.
Hargrove on Harper's 'Values';
"His sense is about Alberta. The wealth of Alberta everybody recognizes is much greater than it is anywhere in Canada. Those principles that he is brought up with and believes in coming out of there don't sit well with the rest of Canada."
Hargrove is a first class dolt. Basically because he lumps all Albertans in with the 'Calgary School". Not all Albertans agree with this train of thought, but it is the predominant view that comes out of Alberta, " keep Ottawa's hans off our surplus". Harper, as a leader in the reform/alliance movement, in my view does have Seperatist views. Repealling federal power and distributing them to the provinces is the same goal as the Bloc. His Alberta firewall and Open federalism plans are incredibly popular with Quebec seperatists ( not quebecers in general) because they undermine Federal Strength. However by failing to make a distinction between Albertans, and the Calgary School he has allowed the electorate to skirt the issue, and focus on the outrage that the insensitive comments have inflamed. Most Albertans don't share this separatist objective -- for Quebec or Alberta. Most Albertans know that they are now so fiscally and economically powerful that we can no longer be oppressed by passe concepts of Central Canadian power structures. Harper's firewall position defies the fact Alberta has become urbanized and has grown in size, diversity, influence and prosperity. The firewall proponents are oblivious to the new Alberta culture of a confident and vibrant population engaging with the entire world and flourishing in its endeavours.
The firewall proposal reflects a solution to a perceptual problem reminiscent of a pre-modern
Alberta. It is an "agenda" for a made-in-Alberta solution to a political predicament that no longer exists for most Albertans. Harper sees Canada as a closed system power struggle with the centre against the periphery. In the globalized technological reality of today's trading world, that paradigm is passe,
especially for Alberta.
Paul Martin, however also showed an incredible lack of foresight in responding. Instead of saying, "Oh I disagree with Buzz that being an Albertan makes you an Elitist BUT if you look at Mr. Harpers record on such topics you will see a pattern of increasing provincial power at the expense of the Federal Government. A view shared neither by the the majority of Canadians no matter what province they call home".
Since Mr. Harper has allowed some old Reform ghosts to creep in his campaign ( the Judicary is Biased, Revisit Gay Marrige, etc.) His lead has plummeted.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060120.wxelexnharper20/BNStory/specialDecision2006/
Harper, for a change, is in full damage Control... And I would like to nominate him for
" FLIP-FLOPPER OF THE MONTH"
Harper on The 17th of January.
"...I mean, the reality is we will have, for some time to come, a Liberal senate, a Liberal civil service -- at least senior levels have been appointed by the Liberals -- and courts that have been appointed by the Liberals. So these are obviously checks on the power of a Conservative government".
Harper on Thursday on CBC;
" The fact of the matter is judges are independent "
Flippidy flop
Also on CBC last night;
Directly asked if he plans to transfer federal powers to provinces.
"I'm not advocating any kind of radical devolution," Harper said.
In a letter to Ralph Klein January, 2001.
"We believe the time has come for Albertans to take greater charge of our own future. This means resuming control of the powers that we possess under the constitution of Canada but that we have allowed the federal government to exercise. "
among them
1. "Withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan to create an Alberta Pension Plan"
2. "Collect our own revenue from personal income tax, as we already do for corporate income tax."
3. "Start preparing now to let the contract with the RCMP run out in 2112 and create an Alberta Provincial Police Force."
4. Resume provincial responsibility for health-care policy. If Ottawa objects to provincial policy, fight in the courts.
5. "we believe it is imperative for you to take all possible political and legal measures to reduce the financial drain on Alberta caused by Canada's tax-and-transfer system."
( I guess that anwsers your question in an earlier blog about weather or not I believe Alberta would reduce it's contribution to the rest of Canada, Harper does)
the letter is signed:
Sincerely yours,
Stephen Harper, President
National Citizens' Coalition
Tom Flanagan
Professor of Political Science and former Director of Research, Reform Party of Canada
Ted Morton
Professor of Political Science and Alberta Senator-Elect
Rainer Knopff
Professor of Political Science
Andrew Crooks, Chairman
Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Ken Boessenkool
Former Policy Adviser to Stockwell Day, Treasurer of Alberta
PS: This letter represents our personal views and not those of any organizations with which we are or have been connected.
Flibidy -flop-doo!!
Here's the link for the whole letter
http://www.freethought.ca/archives/000123.php
Yuo Hargrove's a dweeb. but I think Martin flip flops more the Harper. Simply because he'll say anything if he thinks it'll help with the election. Not that Harper doesn't but Martin is more frequent than Harper. it seems like most of the leaders are in damage control, at least the tories and liberals.
I get a chuckle when poeple talk about the past of Harper. And what he once said or thought. Everyone's got something in there past which people in general will disagree with. Ontario has an OPP what's wrong with Alberta getting it's own. I think Alberta wants their own simply because of the RCMP problems which have happened in the past. Of course the tragedy in Mayerthorpe isn't one of them. but they've been known to have itchy trigger fingers when dealing with the natives. I don't know the full story just the media spin.
I think the CPP is a joke. You can make much more and have a safer retirement with your own RRSP and company pensions. You pay hunderds of dollars a year. The govenmnet makes millions on interest and when you turn 60 or 65 you get a couple hundred a month. not enough to pay all the bills.
point #5: good one.
I would like to point out those are the personal views of those 6 men. Not the views of the Conservative Party. I'm sure Jack and Martin have personal views on different subjects which a majority of Canadians would disagree with. I don't care what they are. they represent their party and as long as they follow their pary platform I can respect that.
1 thing on Harper. He has a dog. You know who else had a dog, Hitler. Yup, Harper has a dog. In Canada. I'm not making this up.
Also
Harper wears black suits. You know who else wears black, Darth Vader. That's right, he wears black. In Canada. I'm not making this up!
Friday must be your day off.
Yeah dude I saw Rick Mercer too.
the better one was:
"Harper has a dragon
he keeps it in his shed."
Liberal: let's see how bad we can lose this thing.
Don't get me wrong,
Martin Flips
(Martin on BMD .."Well I don't see why we would walk away from the opportunity to protect the northern half of the continent and to have a say over what happens in our airspace." (CTV, April 27, 2003)
Layton Flops, NDP MPs have traditionally criticized mandatory minimum sentences and have voiced doubts about coming down too heavily on young offenders.
NOW Mr. Layton is proposing uncharacteristically harsh solutions -- for the New Democratic Party -- including mandatory minimum sentences for illegal possession and sale of restricted firearms, as well as adult court for people as young as 16 who are convicted of gun offences.
Despite these incidents,Harper has to be the obvious choice for Flip-Flop king. He has completly smothered all of his past beliefs to make him more pallatable to the Canadian electorate. He has Flipped his entire personna, not just his positions. And not just past arguments either.Harper’s speech ending the recent Conservative convention committed to the party’s vision of decentralization, one that would cede all social programs exclusively to the provinces where the federal government would no longer play a role in healthcare.
Indeed the party’s present platform states “Provinces will be allowed to opt out of a federal cost-shared program with full compensation if they are providing a comparable provincial program.”
On Saturday Harper did an about face where he states he fully supports the Canada Health Act and a role for the federal government in healthcare.
So either Harper has been Lying up to this election about his views. OR he Has flipped flopped on all his previous beliefs OR ...as Alberta MP Myron Thompson told an interviewer in June 2004."For now, we've got to do what we've got to do to get elected,"
And you accuse Martin of saying anything to get elected?
Is the Pot Black much?
I'm sure Martin and Layton have personel views...however they do not publish them in a full page letter in the National Post.
Also...
Ontario has OPP and RCMP. They Have never advocated letting the RCMP contract run out.
Yeah it's my weekday off.
I thought you were referring to flip-flop with more recent events. Flip-flops that happen every other week. Now we're flip-flopping over thoughts or beliefs years in the past.
Well, people change. Thoughts change. Are we all not allowed to change our minds over time. Or once you made a statement you have to stand by that forever. The world changes and we must change with the world. But I guess we'd be labelled flip-floppers.
I'm finding the socialists/lefties are opposed to change. Do they fear change?
10 Changes I fear....
By Lefty McKenzie
1. Less controls on private industry.
2. Closer Integration with the Bush Administration.
3. Canada Breaking up.
4. Huge flying Spiders that have been exposed to radiation
5. Reaching the point of no return with our enviroment.
6. People in Canada not being able to see a doctor without private medical insurance.
7. The Bible being a source of Lawmaking.
8. Post secondary education being available only to the well-off due to rising tuition and free-market standards applied to education.
9. Carnies, shifty eyes, very small hands.
10. Prime Minister Gilles Douceppe!
There you have it monkey!
Question.
Do you honestly belive Harper has " changed his views" or that he is doing what he has to do to get elected?
No I do not think Harper has changed his views. And Yes he's doing what he needs to get elected. But i do believe he won't allow his personal "religious" beliefs to interfere with his party's platforms.
He's said it before, almost. When Peter Mansbridge asked him his personal beliefs on abortion. He said it didn't matter what his personal beliefs are only that the Conservative party has no plans to try any attempt to change the current abortion laws. He's obviously a pro-lifer. It's how he was raised. He can't change his core beliefs. Or it would be very tough too, I think crack would do it. But he can change how he runs his party and how he can make a positive difference in this country.
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