Grewel tapes

The recordings of senior liberals negotiating over the budget vote with a Conservative backbencher are out. They clearly show that a) the PM knew about the negotiations b) the PM was willing to meet with Grewel c) that a cabinet post or some other reward would be granted in exchange for crossing the floor or and abstention.

Paul Wells comments here and Coyne (before the release) here. Unfortunately Damian is probably right in that this doesn't really make much difference.

Update: The reason I don't think it will make much difference is that if you don't already think Martin is lying and the Liberals are corrupt and desperate, nothing will.

But I've also been thinking about the coverage so far. Most media outlets are reporting that the "Conservatives say the tapes show an offer was made", etc, somehow inferring that what's on the tape is open to partisan interpretation.

That's total crap. Either the Liberals made Grewal an implicit offer (abstain or vote with us and you will be rewarded - cabinet is a possibility) or they were just leading him on with false promises. Either way they look crooked.

Certainty and Doubt

The Op-Ed pages are filled with jeremiads about believers--principally evangelical Christians and traditional Catholics--bent on turning the U.S. into a theocracy. Now I am not much of a believer, but there is something deeply wrong--indeed, deeply un-American--about fearing people simply because they believe. It seems perfectly O.K. for secularists to impose their secular views on America, such as, say, legalized abortion or gay marriage. But when someone takes the contrary view, all of a sudden he is trying to impose his view on you. And if that contrary view happens to be rooted in Scripture or some kind of religious belief system, the very public advocacy of that view becomes a violation of the U.S. constitutional order.

What nonsense. The campaign against certainty is merely the philosophical veneer for an attempt to politically marginalize and intellectually disenfranchise believers. Instead of arguing the merits of any issue, secularists are trying to win the argument by default on the grounds that the other side displays unhealthy certainty or, even worse, unseemly religiosity. - Charles K

Trust issues

This story is very interesting: a poll indicates that Canadians don't really trust anyone all that much (politicians, business leaders, clergy), but also that the Liberals have taken a huge hit in all areas of trust and honesty and now trail the other major parties.

CBC and Bourque both headline it: "Trust in politicians, other leaders slipping: poll"

Neale News headlines it "CANADIANS TRUST THE LIBERALS THE LEAST: CBC POLL".

Which is the more newsworthy headline?

Worth browsing

• Sea Kings hit a new low - 20% operational
• Bitter war at the new war museum
• Harper is Tories strong point

France rejects EU constitution

And pretty strongly too, 55-45. I'm not surprised, because that's what polls said going in, but considering France was a major force behind the constitution, and Chirac was a strong proponant, this is a fairly major set back. Look for the Netherlands to reject it next.

Update: Paul Wells has excellent commentary, pointing out this was a victory for the left and extreme right:

The French people didn't toss up their hands and say, "My God, Conrad Black and Mark Steyn were right, we can't have Eurocrats deciding how wide our toilet-paper rolls should be." More than 90% of Communist and Front National voters rejected the treaty. The most parlable of French opinion-leaders and electors — the ones who understand how profoundly France has been betrayed by its own protectionist, corporatist instincts, and who see an open and functional Europe as the best hope of pressuring France into woefully overdue reforms, as it has begun to do in Germany and as it did to Sweden a decade ago — voted Yes to this constitution.

More: George Will weighs in before the vote. See how on top of things I am?

T.S. Eliot, a better poet than philosopher, wrote: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

Nonsense. If the French and Dutch reject the constitution, they will do so for myriad reasons, some of them foolish. But whatever the reasons, the result will be salutary because the constitution would accelerate the leeching away of each nation's sovereignty.

Sovereignty is a predicate of self-government. The deeply retrograde constitution would reverse five centuries of struggle to give representative national parliaments control over public finance and governance generally.

Still More:

But so what? Britain's naysayers don't have to reject the constitution for the same reason as France's commies, fascists, racists, eco-nutters, anachronistic unionists, featherbedded farmers, middle-aged "students", Trot professors and welfare queens, bless 'em all. If they want to go down the Eurinal of history clinging to their unaffordable welfare state, their 30-hour work weeks, 10-month work years and seven-year work decades, that's up to them. If Britain doesn't, that should be up to Britain. - Mark Steyn

Libs lead

Libs 37, Tories 27, NDP 21 but opinion is volatile. Regardless, the Tories plan to keep pull no punches once Parliament resumes. No doubt the media will say this is desparation or an unwise move, but aren't they just doing what they are elected to do? That is, oppose and hold to account.

In related news, in the month before the budget vote in the Commons, the Grits made 450 patronage appointments. A total coincidence I'm sure, and an occurance so common in modern politics there is no outrage, only resolution to the reality of it all.

Stupid legislature trick?

There is a movement in the UK to ban "long pointy knives". You can't make this stuff up:

A spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers said: "ACPO supports any move to reduce the number of knife related incidents, however, it is important to consider the practicalities of enforcing such changes."

Hide the Children

The Christians are coming...the Globe and Mail over reacts to the coming onslaught of people described as (I'm not making this up, and the quotes are in the article) "Christian, pro-family people". Here's the headline, which ran above the fold:

Christian activists capturing Tory races

Some in party worry new riding nominees will reinforce notion of 'hidden agenda'

And here's how the article begins:

Christian activists have secured Conservative nominations in clusters of ridings from Vancouver to Halifax -- a political penetration that has occurred even as the party tries to distance itself from hard-line social conservatism.

But wait, the devil is in the details...

At least three riding associations in Nova Scotia, four in British Columbia, and one in suburban Toronto have nominated candidates with ties to groups like Focus on the Family, a Christian organization that opposes same-sex marriage.

A total of eight (8!) ridings have Christians running, and this is front page news!!! The quotes are pretty fair for the most part, even if they only one expressing concern lost his nomination riding to an evil "pro-family" person. But the tone is...ah...typically condescending:

Like Mr. Emmanuel, Dr. McVety expresses no uneasiness with his efforts.

I see - Canadians everywhere should be uneasy with the fact that Canadian citizens who believe in something more than the nanny state are winning nomination meetings.

Maybe next the Globe will discover that enviro wackos are winning Green party nominations, socialists are winning NDP nominations, and mobsters are winning Liberal nominations. Who knew?

Media coverage

A marriage rally in Ontario draws 15,000 people (official police count) and the media report it as 3000, or less.

Cool new blog

Via SDA, the Canadian taxpayers association blog

Not all the same

This is a great post, linking to a great blog entry by one of my favorite MPs, Monte Solberg. Not all politicians are the same, and we are fools if we think so.

Another shocker

The NDP have a price

We are the Canadian Nevada

Apparently someone thinks Saskatchewan is a good place to dump nuclear waste...

Gomery update

• An aide in Prime Minister Paul Martin's office told the sponsorship inquiry Wednesday he was paid $28,000 under the table to work for the Liberals in the late 1990s
• Kate at SDA says the other $100 million in missing sponsorship money was the result of a fraud against the government, directed by the PM, treasury board, and Gagliano.
• AC makes some good points about the forensic audit, and the limited scope (no they didn't look at any money under criminal investigation, and apparently they couldn't find any overseas accounts)

Shameless

Parrish considers returning to the Liberals 

 

Liberals say they may ignore future confidence votes (Coyne: best 2 out of 3?)

Headline of the day

Convicts allowed to have Viagra if they pay for it.  Some things are so absurd there is nothing to add...

Classic

In a way, both the U.S. media and those wacky rioters in the Afghan-Pakistani hinterlands are very similar, two highly parochial and monumentally self-absorbed tribes living in isolation from the rest of the world and prone to fanatical irrational indestructible beliefs -- not least the notion that you can flush a 950-page book down one of Al Gore's eco-crazed federally mandated low-flush toilets, a claim no editorial bigfoot thought to test for himself in Newsweek's executive washroom.

In October 2001 Faizal Aqtub Siddiqi, president-general of the International Muslims Organization, warned that the bombing of Afghanistan would create 1,000 Osama bin Ladens. In April 2003, Egypt's President Mubarak warned that the bombing of Iraq would create 100 bin Ladens. So right there you got a 90 percent reduction in the bin Laden creation program -- just by bombing a second country! Despite the best efforts to rouse the Muslim street, its attitude has remained: Start the jihad without me. The short history of the last four years is: They're nuts but not that nuts.-- Mark Steyn

Global Warming?

Antactica has more ice now - 45 Billion tonnes more - than it did in 1992.  Looks like the polar caps wont melt this year at least. New York and Los Angeles: you're safe...for now.  Via Lorne Gunter.

Cadman's price

Now we know what it took to buy Cadman's vote, although he denies there was any bargaining. You decide:

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has told independent MP Chuck Cadman he'll move forward with victims' rights initiatives after Cadman's vote saved the minority Liberal government from defeat last Thursday.

I guess Ezra was right...

Federal By-election today

Libs expected to win...will tip balance of power...blah blah blah...so nausiated... Update: Libs win

Gomery update

After today's testimony, the AdScam is now known to have cost taxpayers $355 million, not $250. $50 million went to friendly/connected ad firms as profit, and $2 million was returned to the Liberal party in donations.

More at SDA on the $1 Million war room the Liberals have set up to deal with the inquiry's fallout, again courtesy of the tax payer.

Interesting debate

What to do over the crisis in the Sudan: MacKenzie vs. Daillaire

Back to the real world

Did everyone have a nice long weekend (all 4 loyal readers - ed)? Blogging has been light, but now I'm back...where do I go when I want to catch up? NealeNews is the first stop, where we learn that Belinda made the cover of Time, and much more.

AC of course, who has a great post on last weeks vote and the plus minus for each side. Must read. I also checked out SDA, another must read, and fellow Saskatchewanite (is that what we are called?).

All in all , I had a very nice weekend after a really lousy week. I'm still pretty steamed, so I almost agree with this column that says Cadman is worse than Belinda. I don't know - I guess I just have to face reality. One party rule indefinately. Or not. The Coyne column gave me hope. What I need now is patience, and a little perspective.

We watched Hotel Rwanda last night, and I'm reminded of just how dark the whole 20th century was, how much evil there is in the world, and how little we do about it. Our battles are not against flesh and blood, right?

Ipsos-Reid poll

Libs 34 Tories 28 NDP 17 (via NealeNews), but 57% feel the Liberals do not deserve re-election and that it's time for another party to govern. So what does that mean for Tory strategy? I would bet they don't really need to spend too much time showing the Libs in a bad light, but they do need to convince voters they deserve to do the replacing...

Funny stuff

Funny new Belinda site: turncoatbarbie.com

Government survives

On the NDP tax and spend budget amendment Cadman voted with the government, producing a tie. The speaker broke it, as he should, in favour of continued debate. So the budget lives on. As a result, there is likely to be no election for a while, maybe a year. In my opinion Cadman is almost as bad as Stronach: the most important question in out country today is not whether or not Canadian's want an election right now. The most important question is whether or not a demonstrably irresponsible and corrupt government should continue to govern. They answered yes. Footnote: If the final budget vote is a tie, does the speaker vote to pass the budget, or to defeat it? I don't know. Update: The GaM blames everything on Harper, but Frum thinks it's a lose-lose foe MartinStronach...

Let's start the insanity

• Rumours were flying that Carolyn Parrish was going to miss today's budget vote with appendicitis, but now it seems she will be there.
• It looks like Cadman will vote with the Government, and Kilgour against. If that's true, the budget will pass with the speaker breaking the tie
• Coverage starts at 5:30 Eastern

And in other news

• EKOS: Libs 34%, Cons 28%... (Via NealeNews)
• Compas: Tories 38%, Grits 29% (pdf - after BS switch also Via NealeNews)
• Mulroney says he did not support Stronach's move to the Liberals, as she implied
• The Washington Times has noticed us
• The BC referendum failed to get to 60% (57.3), but indicates that change is coming

Bomshell Number 3

AC is absolutely right - there is no bottom.

Here's a recording of the Liberals offering a Conservative MP a senate seat (or some other reward) in exchange for an abstention on the budget vote tomorrow. You cannot make this stuff up. (Listen here). Dosanj (our health minister) doesn't deny they were in discussions, but says it was the Conservative (Grewal) that approached them. Coyne has good commentary, as usual.

Warren Kinsella (Cretien loyalist and no Martin fan) is rightly appalled:

This isn't "a proposal," but it is my own truth: these people make me want to vomit. They're not Liberals. They're the people who are destroying the Liberal Party, perhaps for good. If given the chance, they will barter away the country, too, to satisfy their own ambition, and to satisfy their lust for a couple cheap headlines.

Canada, and Canadians, deserve better than this. If you are a Member of Parliament - or you know someone who is - listen to that bit of tape, and ask yourself:

Is this what it has come to, at long last? Is this what we deserve? Is this what we are going to get? And - most of all - isn't it time for a change?

Footnote: Bourque has this buried way down, underneath the "MacKay heartache" story, and a bunch of other stuff. Could that site be more pro-liberal? I check it every day, but come on Pierre...

Steyn on Canada

A rare, online only, column from the one and only Mark Steyn.  Simply outstanding.

More Stronach details

It looks like Harper may have "pushed" BS over the edge...

A not particularily relevant poll

Strategic Counsel: Lib 33  Con 30  NDP  19  Green 6

More here

Liberals win in BC

The seats go from 77-2 last election to 46-33 this time. Popular vote was 46-41-9(greens).

As of right now, it looks like the electoral reform will not pass. It needed 60% and 48 ridings, but only got 56 and 17. As Bill Clinton used to say, close but no cigar...

Bombshell Number 2

What is going on today? Is this the Twilight zone? Will I wake up and everything will be back to normal?

Apparently the Tories will vote for the budget, but try to defeat the NDP amendment. That might be the best move under the circumstances, although I'm not convinced. But this day could not get much weirder...more insight here...

Deadlocked

Decima: Grits 32 Toris 31 NDP 21

Selling out

Belinda Stronach has crossed the floor for a cabinet post. I am enraged. I have no words. Actually I have lots of words, but I need to calm down. More here, here, and here. UPDATE - Two questions:

• Why do so many former leadership contenders join the Liberals? BS joins Keith Martin and Scott Brison on the other side...
• Why is the vote buying campaign working? The Liberals have managed to announce money all over the country, buying votes or at least time, and now this is the icing on the cake - potentially. The math is still unclear, because Kilgour and Cadman have still not announced their intentions, and likely wont.

More: choice quotes here and here, commentary here and here. Warren Kinsella is beginning to grown on me...

And finally, the quote of the day:

Its the story of a woman who cares so much about Canada that she is willing to sacrifice all kinds of personal relationships and her principles just so she can get to Cabinet for the benefit of all Canadians. And why not? I mean the Liberals really value her for her ideas. No, seriously. --Monte Solberg

BC election is today

It's the first fixed election date in Canada, but BCers are also voting to change the way they elect governments...althought they may be confused.

NFLD Tories waver?

This can't be good news

Newsweek lied, people died

Ok, so I stole that headline from Nealenews. But it is true. It's very sad, but not very surprising. UPDATE: lots more about this story on instapundit (via SDA)

Today I hate polls

What should be believe? Certainly not this poll that shows Lib 43% Con 31% Ndp 19% in Ontario. Right?

Sobering

This is the way the transnational jet-set works when the entire world is in complete agreement and acting in perfect harmony...even when the entire planet is on the same side, the 24/7 lavishly funded U.N. humanitarian infrastructure can't get its act together...when something bad happens the United States should commit to working through the approved transnational bureaucracies and throw even more "resources" at them, even though nothing will happen (Sri Lanka), millions will be stolen (Oil for Food), children will get raped (U.N. peacekeeping operations) and hundreds of thousands will die (Sudan). -- Mark Steyn

Indy watch

Chuck Cadman has cancelled a meeting with health minister Ujal Dosanj. Apparently he doesn't want to bother his neighbours. Funniest line in an article not supposed to be funny: It's unclear if Dosanjh had planned to woo Cadman into siding with the Liberals in Thursday's critical vpte on the budget. Of course. This was just part of regularly scheduled meetings the health minister has with all MPs. The article also says that Kilgour will probably vote with the government. Really?

Independent MP David Kilgour yesterday threatened to vote against the budget unless Martin beefs up the number of Canadian troops being deployed to Darfur.

"I will be at the vote and if there isn't substantial change between now and next week, I will be voting with my head up against the government," Kilgour said, adding the 100 troops committed by the PM falls well short of what's needed.

He's also penned an interesting op-ed for the TorStar... UPDATE: Paul Wells asks a good question:

Knowing everything you know about Paul Martin and everything you've seen him do since April, do you think he will take victory in Thursday's vote as a mandate to govern responsibly and diligently until Judge Gomery reports — or as a ticket to campaign for free, from coast to coast on the taxpayer dime, for six straight months at incalculable cost to the public purse, starting on Friday?

UPPERDATE: Kilgour is strongly hinting the gov will fall on the budget, saying an election is needed.

The spending spree continues

via CBC: $300 million for SK, $477 for AB...

Cool shirt

News Roundup

New poll out, showing Liberal support "plummeting", including in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. AC has more (in fact his site rocks as usual). Maybe trying to buy everyone off is as transparent out east as it is here.

Speaking of buying people off, apparently Saskatchewan will get an additional $300M over 5 years for "education and labour-force development", but no energy accord. Oh, and it remains to be seen how much of that money has "already been announced".

New separation poll showing 54% in favour, but only if there is some kind of remaining association. Complete independence only garners 46%. Strange. Hey, whatever they want, as long as they take their half of the federal debt if they leave.

On the subject of polls, check this new site out from a friend of mine: electionpolls.blogspot.com. Worth bookmarking and checking daily.

The globe and mail (motto: we're smarter than you) thinks Stephen Harper is too angry. But they can't even get their own story straight from day to pay.

Joe "No, not that klan" Volpe wants to Conservative MPs investigated by the RCMP. That guy has as much credibility as Paul Martin. By the way, when's the investigation in to inciting hatred against conservatives going to begin? They are an indentifiable minority in this country aren't they?

And finally, here is a must-read cheat sheet to the evidence presented so far at Gomery. It's about time - who can keep track of all the stuff that's been said?

New Blog

This site should be interesting, and worth watching. Especially since the National Post shut down their old blog...

BC election

Ipsoid: BC Libs 47% Ndp 39% Grn 11%

Gregg: BC Libs 49% Ndp 36% Grn 13% -- via Bourque

The election is on Tuesday, and it looks like the Libs will win a majority. But it obviously can't be quite as large as last time...(Update - seat projections LIB 52 NDP 27 and LIB 59 NDP 20)

Oh, and apparently, blogs are advertising in BC. I don't have to tell you what BS that is. SDA has some relevant thoughts.

Election Watch 2005

This looks like a site worth checking regularily...Election Watch 2005

May 19 vote

You'd be positively unCanadian if you thought that cancer-stricken MPs had anything to do with the selection of the May 19 vote.  Right?

Libs loses third straight vote

The house just adjourned early for the second straight day. Clearly the government doesn't have the confidence of the house. The Tories put forward motions today and yesterday to vote on the budget immediately, but the Liberals refused. The House of Commons is officially shut down.

Harper to Martin: May 19 not good enough

Instead, he stunned Mr. Martin's strategists with his vitriolic response, angrily suggesting the Prime Minister wanted the week's delay because he hoped "the health of some members of Parliament deteriorates." Two Conservative MPs are suffering from cancer and were specially flown in for the critical vote earlier this week. He also said he wasn't about to allow the government to use the "Queen as a prop."

Brilliant Mark Steyn column

No doubt, as before, Stephen Harper will be running as Boy George: the calmer calmer calmer calmer calmer chameleon...We Gomery obsessives don’t want just to change to a different set of corrupt officials. If it hadn’t been stinkingly corrupt, the “sponsorship” program would have been merely worthless...

The sponsorship racket is Canada’s Oil-for-Food scandal. Indeed, they functioned in remarkably similar ways. But, in fairness to Saddam, he’s a psychotic dictator from a ruthless bload-soaked basket-case of a state. What’s Canada’s excuse? ...

That being so, what bothers me is why the polls aren’t worse for the Liberals. What do they have to do for the average apathetic not-especially-political anglo-Canadian to let go? The minute an election’s declared, the CBC and The Toronto Star will come on side and we’ll stop getting features on adscam and start getting in-depth investigations on Tory plans to bring back back-street abortions and mandatory readings of Leviticus in gay bath-houses.

And, if they do win, life in Quebec will go on and the next scandal will involve billions and even more people will shrug, “Everybody does it.” No, they don’t. And, if the ones who do do it keep on doing it, they’ll cost us our country -- Mark Steyn

Lots to catch up on

• Libs lose almost-confidence vote: 153 - 150 (Kilgour voted with the gov, Cadman wasn't there)
• Libs lose vote again today in the house, but turn it in to farce by voting with the Cons
• Lots more from the Gomery commission, including suitcases full of cash, cash payments to everyone, corruption, scandal, etc, etc...who can keep track any more?
• Martin promises May 19 budget vote

And how about these polls, via Bourque. One of them is not like the other...

• Decima: Lib 37% Con 28% Ndp 18% Blc 12%
• Gregg Poll: Con 31% Lib 27% Ndp 20% Blc 14% Grn 7%

And finally, what do Canadians think of PM for PM?

Only 47% think he's indecisive? Which country do they live in?

Gomery update

You're best to head on over to andrewcoyne.com to follow all the developments - he's on top of it and I'm not. What came out yesterday was confirmation of illegal payouts, cash in envelopes, more Liberals implicated, etc... But here's a scary piece he links to:

Ottawa doling out $1.24-billion daily - Federal government spending announcements have hit $22,349,642,360 since Paul Martin went on television on April 21 to apologize for the Liberal sponsorship scandal.

Along with all the other reasons not to vote Liberal next time, isn't this another? Can't we see through this smokescreen of our own money being flung around?

Big surprise

After Ontario's recent "new deal", is it any surprise others have come calling? Sask Permier Lorne Calvert is making the pitch today.

Kilgour not for sale?

Indy MP David Kilgour says that the impending announcement of 150 Canadian troops to the Sudan isn't enough. He'd like to see 500 troops, and forget the UN. Oh, and he has a ten item checklist that isn't close to being accomplished, so he says there's little chance he'll vote to prop up his former collegues. Does anyone else get the sense that everyone is kind of for sale? That if Martin would just meet their price (and lately, that's not unreasonable) they'd be willing to "wait and see" on the Gomery commission?

More polls

Ipsos Reid: Libs 32 Cons 31 NDP 16 Bloc 12 Greens 5 (Ontario gap widening for Libs) SES: Libs 36 Cons 29.5 NDP 18 Bloc 12 Green 4

Skippie the Wonder Puppet is

Scott Brison,,,

A different Canada

60 years ago today, on VE day, Canada stood proud and tall among the liberating nations. In ceremonies all over the globe, the world rememberd and celebrated. But today was also the day that the new $136M national war museum was officially opened, the center of serious controversy.

It's hard to imagine what it must have been like - the state of the world, sending so many of our young men to die, the outcome still not certain. Our country was different 60 years ago. Very different

Today, we don't send soldiers in to a country if there is a possibility they might get shot at. If they do get shot at, it's a serious matter. It is extremely rare for a Canadian to die in combat. If they do great things, our government isn't interested in honoring them. And if they are killed in friendly fire, it's a national tragedy that dominates headlines for weeks.

But 60 years ago, we sent 10% of our population to fight and die for the cause of freedom. 10%! That would be 3 million soldiers today. Leave aside the fact that we don't have a serious military, and that our government doesn't really support the tremendous soliders we do have - when was the last time we sent our troops somewhere to fight?

The world has changed, and so have we. And as proud as I am to be a Canadian, it's tough to be proud today.

Depressing

That's what I think of how things are going in this country. The liberals spend-a-thon knows no bounds...$5.75 billion to Ontario, on top of the $5 billion for the NDP, and the $2.8 billion for Newfoundland and Labrador...

"A budget that, even before the recent goldrush, projects a $12-billion increase in spending over the next two years, on top of the $17-billion increase recorded last year? The Tories abstained.

And the NDP deal is going to be implemented beyond the reach of parliament:

As Don Drummond put it yesterday, this is the first time Ottawa has been able to "define the money before it defines the program." Here's how it works: Ottawa spends what it gets, when and how it wants, without parliamentary approval.

Update: McGuinty wants more - this was only the first round!

Heck no, we wont go!

AC has a fantastic post about the lengths the Liberals are willing to go to avoid a confidence motion, including...denial. They clearly want to be defeated on the budget, and only the budget, if they are defeated at all. So add denial to the following list of things Martin is willing to do to cling to power:

• $4.6B to buy NDP support
• attempts to bribe opposition members with patronage appoinments
• acceleration of the Darfur strategy to please David Kilgour (who a couple of weeks ago Martin was glad to be rid of)
• and who knows what their saying to Chuck Cadman...

Blair wins record third consecutive majoruty

British Press Cry Foul But seriously, that means that Bush, Howard and Blair have all been re-elected, inspite of the Iraq war. That's not a particularily original observation, but important. Consider the headlines if any one of those leaders (or worse all three) had lost. "Iraq war costs X re-election." Guaranteed.

Up, down, up, down

SES: Lib 36% Con 29.5% Ndp 17.9% Bloc 12.2% Grn 4.3% (via Bourque)

Poll averages

Potent Pew has them here: Cons 33 Libs 31 NDP 18 BQ 14

Guite Testimony Unleashed

AC has all the coverage - dang he's fast. Wait, I guess that's his job. Here's a partial transcript and here are the basics from the man running the sponsorship program:

• The program was "150% politically driven"
• Policies were created to ensure Liberal friendly firms got their share
• Gagliano and Cretien directly involved
• Both Paul Martin and John Manley implicated in steering, guaranteeing contracts
• "Catchall" sponsorship money was speant in China and Italy (Gomery quiped "Not a lot of sovereigntists in China, is there")

Of course, the denials are everywhere, Guite is not exactly a saint, and corroboration is hard to come by...

Update: This is a sweet post from Paul Wells on Guite's testimony.

Inside the Tory Caucus meeting

Fascinating story. As Coyne says, if even the Red Tories are ready to go, their ready.

"The Liberals are hoping beyond hope that we will chicken out," Senator Marjory LeBreton, who has worked for every Conservative leader since John Diefenbaker, told Mr. Harper. "They are counting on it, on us caving and I'm not for caving, that's for damn sure."

New Canadian War Museum

A Hellish Mess and a trashy, insulting tribute...

Polls, polls, polls

Pollara: Con 36% Lib 31% Ndp 17% Bq 15% via Bourque So this poll is the odd one out of the last three, but it also has the largestr sample size (1250). Interesting.

Abortions in the US

This case is pretty disturbing:

Florida dropped its fight on Tuesday to prevent a 13-year-old girl in state care from having an abortion in a case that marked the state's second recent foray into controversial personal rights issues.

But this graph is encouraging...sort of...

You think the US has border problems

Congratulations to us - we have no idea what we are doing. There was a shooting by the border and it alarmed the unarmed customs officers.

"There is nobody on the Canadian side patrolling the Canadian border," he said, noting that job nominally falls to the RCMP. RCMP spokesman Sgt. Gilles Deziel, however, said it was not the RCMP responsibility to patrol the border. That falls to the Canada Border Services Agency...

Agency spokeswoman Paula Shore, however, said it was the RCMP's responsibility. But they do it as part of the so-called Integrated Border Enforcement teams, she added.

NK update

Ok, it's not an update, but it's sure interesting when Christopher Hitchens and Chuck Colson basically say the same thing: the North Korean regime is evil and Bush is doing the right thing. More detail on the brutality and dispair of the worst country on earth here.

And in other news

Conservative Inky Mark says he's one of a few who have been offered a job by the Liberals, essentially to take away votes in the House of Commons. Outstanding analysis here.

According to Mark, the unnamed minister first offered to make him an ambassador. When he turned that offer down, it was implied he could opt for a seat in the Senate, if he wanted it.

Cabinet Minister Joe Volpe says the Conservatives are like the KKK.

The Opposition party is made up of racists, Volpe said Tuesday, calling members recognizable "notwithstanding that they don't have their cowl and their cape." "The Klan looks like it's still very much alive," the minister added. Volpe made the comments in response to a poster prank in which two Conservative MPs refer to the Liberals as the The Liberanos, a mocking reference to the television Mafia show The Supranos.

New Poll

I think the trend has solidified with this poll:

• Nationally: Lib 32% Con 29% Ndp 20% Bq 15%
• Decided voters: Cs 30 Ls 29 NDP 21
• Ontario: L 39 C 35

Did Martin's prime time pitch make that much of an impact? Is "Wait for Gomery" really a compelling slogan? I certainly didn't think so, and when the national media panned his performance, I thought for sure it wouldn't have any impact. But it looks like I was wrong.

So when we have an election in June, both parties start basically even. It should be an interesting battle.

Great quote

"We're not paid to come here and read polls! Let's have Ipsos Reid run the country?" - Stephen Harper - via the blogging tories and conservativelife.com

Conservatives unanimous

They can't support the Liberal government and will bring them down as soon as possible. Via AC

Uncertain independents

What's with these guys?  Cadman can't make up his mind, and Kilgour is still unsure which way he will vote on a non confidence motion.  Paul wells thinks we need more election speculation.  Very funny stuff.

 

If all three indies go with the LIBNDP, and everyone shows up, you get 153-153, and the speaker votes to break the tie, saving the government.

Military news

On the one hand, there is news that we will have a new rapid reaction force added to our military. I guess it remains to be seen how often it will be used, or if it will receive the commendations it will no doubt earn in combat. On the other, there's this.

More "Explosive" testimony to come

Coyne has the details - Guite's testimony could be even bigger the Braults. But there is lots of talk in the blogosphere about Gomery being a coverup and a distraction from all the scandals out there:

Keep that in mind when you hear "wait for Gomery". Concerns that Gomery will whitewash what happened are misplaced. Gomery is the whitewash.