HARPOCRISY, RE DUX...

Finally breaking free from his full sprint away from accountability and now safely away from any possible examination of the truth, so-called leader and PM Stephen Harper fired a long-distanceshot at the opposition today, suggesting that "some in the political arena do not hesitate before throwing the most serious of allegations at our men and women in uniform, based on the most flimsy of evidence..."
Funny thing is, the opposition's focus has been squarely on Harper's government and their hiding of the facts. But when it comes to "throwing the most serious of allegations", especially off-base lies, despicable and partisan type, few can match up with our man Harper. A CON of the people.

ANTI-CONSISTENT

After hearing B.C. premier Gordon Campbell's blanket plea for all federal parties to support Stephen Harper's Harmonized Sales Tax in Ontario and B.C., I wonder where was his impassioned, or even straight-forward plea to have the Harper CONs stand and support the Kelowna Accord?
I'm hearing crickets...
As an issue, the HST played a big role in the NDP's byelection win in New Westminster-Coquitlam, while it remains a hot-button issue on talk radio in both B.C. and Ontario. Harper has amazingly been able to dangle the cash and thus incentive for former opponents to step up bashfully and take the bait. That doesn't mean Ignatieff needs to tie his fate to his provincial cousins -- which may be a stretch with the small-c conservative nature of Campbell's B.C. Liberals.
If he were to run now, Campbell would have trouble winning his own seat and would definitely go down in defeat. Small business is up in arms over the HST. Just as Harper lied during the 2008 election debate about a deficit in a recession, having hidden the fact that the government's pocketbook was already in the red, he has lied about his role in implementing the HST. But now the mask is off.
Hit him with your best shot and shoot down the HST.

IT'S A GIMME...

... but we'll have to wait for the official decision by Michael Ignatieff. If he doesn't take the small risk and stand up against Stephen Harper's new taxation during a recession, then as Liberals we need to be ready for a long cold decade in opposition.
We have to take this issue -- the harmonizing of federal-provincial taxes in Ontario and B.C. -- and realize the public is right.
Harper has for most intent purposes been able to push the blame on the HST onto the premiers, until now.
Vote against the HST Mr. Ignatieff -- any small hit you take from the premiers will be outweighed by overwhelming relief gained through the majority of small businesses and general public.
Then use Harper's stance on pro-tax into the next election.
Easy as pie.

STANDING UP FOR AMBIVALENCE...

The right move for all the wrong reasons, Mr. so-called leader. Perhaps worrying about how his blogging tinhats will take this, when they stop frothing about that trumped up 'climategate' right-wing daisy chain. When do we start running the "Just Following" ad campaign?

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART...

They've kept it underwraps, hidden the entrails and covered its tracks, but the cold-hearted CON beast isn't satisfied with handing out economic stimulus novelty cheque giveaways to friends and allies.
Nova Scotian MP Gerald Keddy teased Canadians with just a taste of that famous CON attitude for the lazy unfortunate, calling them "no-good bastards" in a newspaper interview with the Halifax Chronicle-Herald.
Taking a page from that warm-and-fuzzy depression era Tory leader R.B. Bennett and his laissez-faire government, Keddy tore a strip off those who let the economic downturn turn their smiles upside down, dusting off the hidden (but ready for the Retrovolution) CON iron heel.
And cheering him on was a good portion of the CONbot nation -- check the comments in the CTV link above. Perhaps they can hold a 'No Grey Poupon For You!' rally inside the mansion gates to rub it in a little more.

COLONEL'S SECRET RECIPE...

Despite his two left feet, a profundity of talking tough, a new-found interest in shining "light into dark corners*" and generally acting with disdain for the public, Stephen Harper claims to be man of action.
He's all for tough love, serious punishment and big assignments for our men and women in uniform -- just don't ask him to stand behind them when the heat's on.
So it came as a shock -- a SHOCK! -- to see that while the heat lamp of political debate was turned brightly onto the front row of Harper's CON bench, he was no where in sight.
The so-called leader was across the street for a 'critical' meeting with members of Canada's national lacrosse team, sharing long-stick tips and doing research on his next book in the queue, "Lacrosse Is A Game I've Seen, Too."
So, perhaps we should ask him if he prefers to do the chicken dance with the lights on or the lights off?

*Depending upon who's shining light upon whom.

A MASTER OF HORROR...

...but a real gentleman -- I'm obviously not referring to our so-called leader Harper.
No, just a sidetrip salute to Boris Karloff, who would be celebrating his 122nd birthday today. The grand master of Horror could play any role and enliven any script with his subtle, tender-yet-rattling delivery.
From October (Frankenstein, The Mummy) to December (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) its a veritable Karloff-copia of great moments in pop culture, with Bobby Pickett's tribute/impersonation hit 'The Monster Mash' to too many films and TV shows to mention. Many good bloggers are sharing their thoughts and memories of Boris (who was treading Canadian stages when he came up with the handle 'Boris Karloff' to take as his own)... So if you want a brief respite from the horrors of CON-serfative governance, here's a true master who knew that good always triumphs over evil.


Frankensteinia
The Incredible Invasion
Greenbriar Pictures
Karloff & the Macy's Day Parade
Karloff's Leading Ladies

DUCK AND COVER, EPISODE #31...

Good thing Stephen Harper and his CON government had delayed action on this old promise until they needed a good distraction -- as noted from this editorial from that 'Liberal bastion' of Prince Albert.
If I was a CON supporter, I'd be wondering what they are holding back to throw out when the real s**t hits the fan...

CIRCLE THE SQUARE...

Which gov't has twisted itself in a pretzel trying to avoid any responsibility -- starting with 'current transfer agreement is fine and you're a taliban-lover for asking', to 'there is no torture going on in afghanistan (and a recession is evolutionary implausible in these running shoes) and did I say sponsorship scandal?'; the Harper team then shifted slowly to 'we have a new transfer agreement, implemented because of some concerns that we will pretend don't exist', to now 'the people who advised of making the new transfer agreement and don't understand ixnay on the orture-tay are whacked but just dandy for our washington desk'... Bring on the public inquiry and maybe you can get Mackenzie King's seance tossed into the whole tangled mess. Perhaps Harper can try and bribe an ill witness to tie up this whole mess and be done with it...

HELLO, NEWMAN...

But this Newman hits it right on the mark when it comes to what ails today's Canadian parliament. It's the soup-nazi-like resolve of so-called leader Harper, whose only broth is boiled in deception, lies and broken ethics.
I can just imagine the huffery and puffery that his one-time colleague but no-time equal Mike 'I'm all right jack' Duffy (who is surprisingly more like Seinfeld's Newman) would respond with.

INERTIA AT WORK...

Another shameful abdication of responsibility, brought to you by so-called leader Harper and his half-wits. If you think Canadians can handle the heavy lifting to help make the world less polluted, more liveable for today's and tomorrow's generations, I bring you this classic ad.





Of course, if you thought Canadians were interested in fiscally responsible yet compassionate government, the CONs again reject honest and open discussion on their plans and actions.
The generations of today and tomorrow will have to pay the piper for Harper's irresponsibility. But do we have to reach the narcissist's promise of not recognizing Canada when he's finished?

ANOTHER GOOD ARGUMENT...

For the gun registry. There was that hilarious 'Peter van Loan at the stake' media scrum last week that caught the minister in a CON fib, and now this. Some members of the media are taking their jobs seriously...

THE GANG'S ALL HERE...

If there was any doubt that, just as his senate appointments have shown, Harper takes governing as a part-time job to his campaigning, there's this.
Nothing says fiscal responsibility in a time of crisis like flying a dozen or two nobodies across a couple of oceans for their own ethnic photo-ops to send back home. Does he think Canadian taxpayers are all slumdog millionaires?

RUNNING ON EMPTY...

...continues to be standard Harper operating procedure when it comes to his candidates and their lack of 'candor'.
Diana Dilworth would appear to be a decent person who would be a good example of whom a political party would want to have carrying the torch in a competitive race. With a decent profile as a businesswoman and a politician, having achieved all that while also juggling the tough responsibilities of a single parent, Dilworth should be able to walk and chew gum and be more than just a pop-up doll.
Unfortunately, the voters of New Westminster-Coquitlam will never know. Harper has insulated her in one of his 'cones of silence' that proved adequate enough to get Dona Cadman and Nina Grewal elected (and thankfully unsuccessful with more than a dozen more to my knowledge of silent bobs and bobettes), where public appearances and opportunities to really engage in a volley of ideas with rivals, supporters and non-supporters alike are verboten.
Dilworth ducked two all-candidates meetings; she dodged other newspapers' attempts at getting her on the record. When BC's unemployment rate has ratcheted up another notch and there's this thing called H1N1 spinning around, she stands behind the tired-and-true Tory con-points about the electorate are really only talking about crime and punishment, the economy and security.
Now, I don't want to deride Ms Dilworth beyond the colours she has chosen to carry. I don't know her despite living not far down the road from her and being fairly interested in municipal politics. Her profile appears to be a notch-better than last year's 'prize CON candidate', one-time school marm and current CON senator-on-tour Yonah Martin (I'd like to see her spending and attendance record). But when someone who is suppose to be vying to be the elected representative for a region, a person who will have to stand up for and speak on behalf of people who supported her and also those who didn't, it doesn't give me much confidence in our political system when the same 'hopeful' deems it unnecessary to speak before and debate in front of a gym of the public, on the basis that (as her campaign manager states) it isn't a "credible venue for citizens to find out what the candidates are all about."
I'd say if that's the opinion of Ms. Dilworth, she is a failure on the credibility gap herself.
We Liberals can be very proud with the campaign that Ken Beck Lee has run; not a politician, he's brought a fresh approach and shown to be a keen learner when it comes to tackling the hard chore of making strangers like you in quick-time -- and despite knocking on more than 10,000 doors, he's still using the same pair of shoes!
The NDP's Fin Donnelly is the front runner, having built up his profile over the past 14 years by swimming the Fraser, running and winning a seat on Coquitlam council, and following that by being a fairly empty shirt when it comes to getting things done. As someone who brings nice environmental credentials to city hall, Donnelly has accomplished little, and while the odds are stacked against him there, he hasn't even elevated his cause. Two cases in point - the quick clearcut of swaths of Burke Mtn for future development (of which much of it won't be started for a few years - but at least they razed every tree so that we can see the dirt now!) and the annual problem of garbage bears - why hasn't he stepped up and demanded that the city, province and feds get together and move/replenish the bears' natural food source in nearby valleys to keep more of the hungry bruins on the other side of the mountain?!
Rebecca Helps is a fine person, wrong party. If you're really serious about the environment as an issue, join a party that can get you at the table, and change it from within.
The citizens of New Westminster-Coquitlam (and southern portion of Port Moody) will decide who will represent them tonight. Here's hoping that the one who thought a coffee clatch was more important than a public debate gets to stay home.

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHING LINE, COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES

Shouldn't people who are fiscally responsible be up in arms about this?
It's not bad enough that we're paying to dress the fat slob -- while no doubt providing a stipend for psychic duties too (if El Presidento Harper would let us know how much the public is paying for it, that is) -- but now we've got a photo service for him, too.
Mr Desmond, you're ready for your closeup...

DON'T THANK ME, THANK YOURSELF...

Another infrastructure project brought to you by taxpayers of Canada and the resplendent work of your CON member of parliament.
Cocktails, napkins and signage gratefully provided contractually required by the municipal taxpayers.

THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE...

Let me get this straight, Stephen Harper and his CON government had time to plan both a floor-crossing and putting a bagman into the senate and immediately into the cabinet before their first day in office; they were able to plan a huge, orchestrated stimulus program in less than a month despite taking the country to the brink of a political crisis by denying the need of such action -- then they tacked on a plan where giant cheques with MPs signatures, a few mugshots and party logos would be circulated just as a massive advertising campaign for the so-called Action Plan flooded the public airwaves and media.
But in all the time they've been in office, besides flushing away the nation's rainy day emergency fund, erasing a sturdy surplus and breaking numerous promises on accountability, ethics and public safety, Stephen Harper and his CONs didn't have the interest, time or ability to continue mapping out a disaster plan.
I guess the piano lessons and hockey book got in the way.