I think we know why Ignatieff tucks his shirt into his underwear.

Remember this picture of Ignatieff's shirt tucked into his underwear.





I think we may have found out the reason why. (Note the same plaid shirt)



HT BC Blue.



Update: That same shirt is getting plenty of press. (Aug 4th)


HT The Blog of Walker.

Last night in the heart of wild rose country...

Maxime Bernier MP for Beauce Quebec and Danielle Smith leader of the Alberta Wildrose Alliance Party.


It was almost enough to bring a tear to the eye of those of us who still believe in smaller government.



There is still hope.

Just one of us. The 10 things Ignatieff can't live without.

A list of 10 things Michael Ignatieff can't live without. Proving that he is just like your average Canadian.



Weird, I can't find hockey, beer and the natural wilderness anywhere on that list.


ht Paul Wells.


Related: LPC President Alfred Apps stirs up the ghost of Pierre Trudeau.

Ignatieff messes up again. "No one has ever said or will ever say in this party that Canadian soldiers were involved in torture"


Errr wrong, Bill Prout Liberal candidate for Dufferin Caledon , did just that. (make sure to read the editorial comment.) I would call this one a lie but maybe he was unaware of Prout's comment(s) on Canadian troops being involved in torture.

I do believe however that he must know that other prominent Liberals have been saying that Canadian troops are implicated in war crimes. What does Ignatieff say about that. (hint: this would be a great question to ask Ignatieff if you happen to be near Meet the commoners bus tour. He is too scared to even visit Alberta on his , so I won't get the chance to ask him.

LPC President Alfred Apps on the biased media.

Public Eye does it again. This time they have obtained a letter from Liberal Party President Alfred Apps complaining that the media "increasingly appears to have lost all perspective on reality" in its coverage of the federal Liberals.

The analysis, which was obtained by Public Eye, states "much of the media, not to mention some 'nervous Nellies' within the LPC's own ranks, appear to have unquestioningly bought into a narrative about (Michael Ignatieff) and LPC's electoral prospects under his leadership that has all the marks of being Tory/NDP-inspired."

Specifically, "the 'consensus worldview of the Canadian press' since June 2009 has been this: Ignatieff being arrogant and aloof among other things, is unable to 'connect' with ordinary Canadians. It naturally follows that he is doomed to failure as a leader and will inevitably lead LPC to defeat in the next election."

The analysis goes on to describe why that consensus is wrong and how the Liberals are, in fact, positioned to win the next election. For example, it states impressions of Mr. Ignatieff "are so far removed from the reality of who he is that they are not likely to survive the inevitable scrutiny of a more engaged electorate during a lively campaign."

Much more here but read it for yourself.

Note the chart on page 5 where it states Jan 2006 and April 2006 that Dion was the leader.

In Jan 2006 Paul Martin (he didn't even make the chart at all) was the leader, at least until the election Jan 23, 2006 when he resigned soon after, then he was replaced by Bill Graham as leader until Dion won in December 2006.

What does it say about the state of the Liberal Party when its President Alfred Apps does not even know who the leader of his own party was!

Perhaps the MSM made that chart for Apps; what other explanation could there be.


Perspective and context for Liberals


ht Punditsguide


Update: Alfred Apps stirs up the ghost of Pierre Trudeau.


Related idiocy from Apps: In November 2009 Apps called H1N1 Stephen Harper's hurricane Katrina!!

Spotted parked outside of Liberal Party HQ

The "Just Visiting Express."





But unlike Ignatieff's Do-Over bus tour, it will not be stopping at "every Tim Hortons" in Canada. Come to think of it I doubt Ignatieff will make to even 2% of the Tim's even though he promised* to do stop at them all, but that is the value of an Ignatieff promise. Exaggerated and worthless.

More photos here.

Naughty naughty.


A couple of more links on the latest news.

Joanne on the bus tour.

The soggy launch with bad "conservative" weather.

The Media notices the sulfur comment.

Something smells.

Kelly McParland calls it.




* Michael Ignatieff's promise: "Starting today we’re going to get on a bus and go to every province and territory between July and September, if it doesn’t kill me first." “We’re going to stop at every legion hall, every barbecue, every Tim Horton’s and shake every hand in the house.”

Elizabeth May: " I 'm never running anywhere but Central Nova."

The Iceman has a post up today on Elizabeth May claiming to be a British Columbian and he takes her to task on her fleeting loyalties to residency.

I don't have too much to add other than this:



and this: Elizabeth May's own words.

"Nova Scotia has been my home since 1973. No matter how long I work in Ottawa, I am home in Nova Scotia nearly a quarter of every year, (some years more) working, not vacationing, from there. My dad is 82 (and does not travel) and I would not get to see much of him at all if my riding were anywhere but Nova Scotia. I am very close to my brother and sister-in-law too and they do not travel at all. I would never see them either. And my daughter would not see her grandfather and family and home while I was being a good MP somewhere else. I have to run prepared to be the best MP my riding has ever had. That means being there every possible moment. So where would family end up?? Squished into a once a year visit? I was not prepared to give up my family in Nova Scotia for politics (so, maybe “selfish” is true.)"


It seems that Lizzy sometimes has a hard time with the truth. More here and here.


No wonder she is trying to disregard the Green Party Constitution and avoid a leadership vote.

Summer time blogging.

Summer is here and the time is right, for dancin' in the streets.

It is going to be a busy summer as I have way too much work to do, including some major renovations and the never ending quest for the perfect lawn ( is there really such a thing?) and as a result, my dancing and blogging will be very sporadic for the next couple of months while I attempt to get some of this stuff done. I will still drop a post now and again as Ignatieff is sure to say something ridiculous or as events dictate, but nothing on a regular basis until the fall when things get back to normal both here at home and in Ottawa.

So enjoy your summer and a big thank you to everyone who has visited the blog this past year to read my stuff and drop off comments. You make it all worth it.


Take it away Martha.

I will give away cash, Lisa Laflamme, and some other very strange G20 goings on.

Yes you read that correctly. I will give away cash so please read on for the details.


CTV's Lisa Laflamme lets us, you know the Canadians, know the image that we will always remember about the G20. How nice of her; too bad that the image she wants us to remember doesn't exist.

"the overriding images that this summit will always be remembered for will probably be, you know, turned over police cruisers on fire and smashed windows..."

Turned over police cruisers on fire? Really? I have seen several hundreds of pictures from the G20 trouble spots, including hundreds of the police cars that were burned, but none at all of any turned over cruisers, on fire or not.

( My Andrew Brietbart moment) I am sure Lisa, "CTV's national affairs correspondent", had her facts straight before speaking on national television, so to help her out I will pay cash to the first person who can provide me with a legit picture taken on June 26, 2010 of an overturned, burning Toronto Police cruiser, in downtown Toronto.

UPDATE: Lisa get rewarded for her hard work by getting the anchor job at CTV as Lloyd Robertson announces his retirement after 34 years. 34 years is a long time, in fact it is as long as Ignatieff was out of the country.

--------

More weirdness:The secret (fake or not) 5 meter law, a video of a guy it was enforced against, and a guy arrested for impersonating a police officer; which coincidentally is the same guy from the 5 meter video above.

This story is just too weird and it would take way to long to do it all justice, so here are the necessary links with some commentary to put it together.

The so called secret 5 meter law becomes "public" on Friday.

It was not such a secret as it was online on June 16th, but few knew about it and McGuinty's pathetic after spin that this newspaper ad should have lead people find that webpage is a joke. (where in the ad does it tell you where to find the law changes?)

Police Chief Bill Blair now says that there was no 5 meter law.

But it was just days ago that Blair talked with the media about the law and as did Sgt. Tim Burrows of the G8/G20 Integrated Security Unit who said the new regulations are needed to ensure security and strangely enough also said that police have already made "two or three" arrests under the new rules as of Friday morning. ( How do you make arrests under a law that is not really exist?)

Here is the non law actually being used and cited: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stzTeJuBI7M&feature=related (video to youtube posted June 25th)




The fellow in the video is one Charlie Veitch.

The same Charlie Veitch who was arrested Tuesday the 29th at Pearson Airport for impersonating a peace officer, possibly in relation to the events in the above video. (update: I believe this may be video that brought about the charges. FF to the 6:20 mark)

If the 5 meter law was not real, what business did the police have asking him to identify himself in the first place?

Madness; all of it.


Well all of it but my offer of cash; that is the real deal.

Liberals use copyright photo to raise money.

The Liberals are at it again. Using other peoples work for their own gain.


Today a fundraising email went out from the LPC to help raise money for Ignatieff's Do-over Tour 2010. In the email they make note of and publish the famous copyrighted picture of Stephen Harper at the Calgary Stampede dressed as a cowboy.

(photo as it originally appeared in the Calgary Herald)


Small problem. The picture that the Liberals are using overtly for financial gain is a copyrighted photo taken by Mikael Kjellstrom and originally published in The Calgary Herald July 9, 2005.


Did they seek permission and pay for the rights to this picture? I don't have the answer, although I will try to find out later today, but if the Liberals record on using other peoples copyrights is anything to go on, I doubt they did.


I should note that the photo in the LPC email is not attributed or identified as being from the Herald, Canwest, or taken by Mikael Kjellstrom.

Ignatieff's leadership skills: Loyalty.

Is it any wonder why Liberal candidates seem to be running away from the LPC lately?

Take a look at what Ignatieff said to former Liberal MP Hec Clouthier:

“I met Mr. Ignatieff and he said to me: ‘Hector, I would like you to consider running for me because you’re the only one who can win the seat back for us.’ ...

This all sounds nice but there is one small problem: current Liberal candidate Christine Tabbert.

I may be wrong but is asking Clouthier if he wants to run in for the Liberals in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke and telling him that he is the "only one who can win the seat back" for the Liberals really the best way to show loyalty for Christine Tabbert or respect to the people of the EDA that nominated her? If Michael Ignatieff is the straight shooter who calls him as he sees them, as the Liberal spin machine would have us believe, does he really believe that Tabbert does not have a chance against current MP Cheryl Gallant, and more importantly has he told Tabbert his thoughts? Way to show your support there Michael!


Clouthier to his credit did not accept the offer, not because there was already a nominated candidate, but rather because Ignatieff would not allow him to properly represent the views of his constituents.

I said I will consider running, but ‘I am going to vote the wishes of my constituents’,” Clouthier recalled.

“He said: ‘I am the leader. If I whip the caucus you have to follow in line.’ I said: ‘No, I’ve been there, done that.’ I toed the party line and lost in 2000. I refuse to do that again.”

Listening to constituents is something Clouthier knows only too well due to his election loss 10 years ago when he toed the party line on the gun registry against the wishes of his constituents and lost to Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant. Something that 8 other Liberal MP's should seriously think about before they vote on the gun registry in September.

Guy Boutilier joins the Wildrose Alliance.

Just in:

WRA leader Danielle Smith announced that Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Guy Boutilier has joined the Wildrose Alliance.

Boutilier has been sitting as an independent after Premier Ed Stelmach kicked him out of caucus for standing up for his constituency back in July 2009. Boutilier joins Heather Forsyth and Rob Anderson,who both crossed the floor from the PC party January, along with Paul Hinman in the WRA caucus.

This announcement coming one day before the Wildrose Alliance Party AGM which is being held in Red Deer this weekend.

I wonder if we are going to have some more surprises before this weekend is out?

Shut up and sing.

Paul McCartney should take some advice from the Dixie Chicks; shut up and sing.

Paul McCartney compares global warming skeptics to Holocaust deniers.

I am a huge fan, but seriously shut the hell up Paul.



Related: Another Paul who could benefit from the same advice.

Mr. Iffy goes to China.

Mr. Iffy has decided to go to China; again.

A feeling of deja vu overcomes me.

June 22, 2010 : "During a waterfront news conference, Mr. Ignatieff chided the federal government for inaction on its relationship with China, suggesting Prime Minister Stephen Harper neglected China by waiting too long to travel there."

Just a little reminder from Sept 1, 2009: Michael Ignatieff "Stephen Harper has been prime minister for four years, and he’s never visited China. We’ll be there next week. After that, we’ll plan a trip to India."

But on Sept 2, 2009, yes 1 day later: Ignatieff flip flops and cancels his trip to China that he described as being "imperative".

Now 10 month later, 7 months after PM Harper visited China, Ignatieff decides that he will make that "imperative" trip in a desperate attempt to appear relevant on the world stage. Maybe he can discuss his plans to stop a new terminal being built in BC whose main purpose is selling oil to China and getting it there.

BC Blue has some similar thoughts.

Why did Ignatieff miss so many votes?

Since Ignatieff is going to be running from camera to camera this summer trying once again to revive his dismal political hopes, (how many do-overs can 1 man get?) it would be nice if some enterprising reporter asks him why he has the second worst voting record among our 308 MP's.


Considering all of Iffy's, and the Liberal Party's, bluster over getting parliament to work for the Canadian people during prorogation, I would love to hear his answer.


BTW my MP Mike Lake had a perfect record when it came to votes this session and if you look at the list please note the number of Conservative MP's who totally dominate the bottom ( the best voting record) of that list.

In fact out of the best 100 voting records, 88 of them are from the CPC! On the other end, 60 out the worst 100 offenders are Liberals! So who are the ones that are working hard for Canadians again?


How did your MP do?



H/T The Iceman.

Globe and Mail Televison reporter angling for a different assignment?

Be afraid, be very afraid; because John Doyle, the Globe and Mail TV reporter (yes that really is a paying job) is on to us and our evil right wing ways. In his latest he goes on the attack of the proposed SunTV and happily smears a good percentage of the population in the process, and in typical lefty fashion does the same thing that he accuses others of doing, missing the irony of it all.

Some excerpts: (my comments in parenthesis)

..if it’s anything like the Fox News channel in the United States, it certainly won’t be a news outlet. It will be entertainment. Fluff. Frivolous opinion delivered as fact. That is, showbiz. (What was that you wrote about opinion delivered as fact again? To save me typing, feel free to apply this comment to the rest of Doyle's 'facts')

Right-wingers are as predictable in their news-babe preferences as they are in their conspiracy theories about the CBC. ( That is a mighty wide brush you are painting with there John)

The barking-mad Fox News Channel is something that most Canadians have only heard about. They could watch it, because it is widely available here, but hardly anybody can be bothered. Except, obviously, for those behind this new outfit – Quebecor Media President Pierre Karl Péladeau and its VP of development Kory Teneycke. (Seriously, Barking mad? And yes, only 2 people in Canada have watched Fox News)

Teneycke used to be “Our Glorious Leader” Harper’s snippity spokesthingamajig. Recently, he’s been a pundit on CBC News Network, doing his best to imitate a Fox News pundit, all drive-by sneer and shaky foundation. ( Doyle, all fact all the time. No time for hyperbole with him.)

Instead, I suspect, it will be Erickson swapping bons mots with a giggly Levant, while Rex Murphy, the Red Green of political pundits, waits off-screen to deliver a thundering denunciation of people who oppose catastrophic oil spills. ( Attacking Rex Murphy is never a bright move John. Rex shows more writing skill when addressing a letter than you have with this entire article.)


And my favorite:

An entire channel run by, and aimed at, people who believe that political or social dialogue is advanced by name-calling. The people who support Fox News – here and in the U.S. – must be the most uncivil and foul-mouthed creatures on the planet. They'd give soccer hooligans a run for their money. This is an informed opinion. (Again that rather large brush of smear comes out but this time it is more than just baseless slander, it is an "informed opinion". What is this informed opinion on supporters of Fox News "here and in the U.S" based on you ask? "E-mails from Fox News devotees in the U.S.", and none from Canada.)


And he wrote it all without ever watching a single second of SUN TV!


I look forward to Doyle's next column on the make up and thoughts of the people of New Jersey based entirely on his opinion and the Jersey Shore.

Jack Layton: whining because his party is irrelevant

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is snubbing opposition parties by ending a long establish practiced of inviting foreign heads of state to meet with them, NDP Leader Jack Layton told QMI Agency Sunday.

Poor Jack. He is in a snit because he and his party are irrelevant and PM Harper doesn't want to bore the other world leaders by forcing scheduling time for them to talk to people that they could care less about. Seriously, does anyone think that the PM of Japan or Italy want to waste their valuable time chatting to the leader of the 4th largest party in Parliament? PM Harper might just as well show them his 2004 vacation pictures if his goal is to waste their time and bore them.

Sorry Jack but you just don't make the cut it and even the Liberals agree:“It seems totally normal to me that the leader of the official opposition would have meetings, and the leaders of the third and fourth parties would not,” Ignatieff spokesman Michel Liboiron said.

While I am sure that Jack Layton and the NDP spin crew can verbalize all sorts of reasons why he should be entitled to meet the foreign leaders, but this begs the question, where do we draw the line?

The BQ's Gilles Duceppe has more seats so he has to be included, but what about the leaders of all the other registered parties in this country, and in particular, what about Elizabeth May? If Lizzy was good enough to be in the debates, as argued by Layton and the NDP previously, she has to be good enough to meet and speak with the many foreign leaders who visit Canada. Doesn't she and the rest of the party leaders deserve the same opportunity as Layton believes that he deserves?

Come on MSM, make the most of this slow news period and ask Jack where that line should be drawn and why. I know that I would be very interested in watching Jack Layton try to answer that question, and I bet your customers would as well.

Jim Hillyer wins in Lethbridge.

Jim Hillyer wins the Conservative nomination in the federal riding of Lethbridge.


There were 2,098 ballots cast. Eight were spoiled.
In the preferential ballot, it took all five possible ballot counts as each low vote counter was eliminated to nominate Hillyer.
An insider said the final ballot count was 911 for Hillyer and 816 for Henry Doeve, a Coaldale dairy farmer and deputy reeve of the County of Lethbridge.

Hillyer is running to replace current MP Rick Casson who announced on January 7, 2010 that he would not be running in the next election.


H/T



Too good to be missed = The Iceman has a post up on Ignatieff's chronic absentee problem. Who would have thunk it after all Iffy's whining about prorogation. He couldn't give a rats ass about prorogation but it trended in the polls and so the great pretender pretended to have emotions that he did not really have just for appearance.

With Ignatieff and the Liberals it is all just for show.

The PM's secret weapon.....

An excellent Saturday read from Linda Diebel on the PM's secret weapon; Laureen Harper.

A couple of tidbits:

"Friends and observers describe a shrewd woman who appears to have had more influence in shaping her husband’s career and image than a multitude of professional spin doctors."

“They make one hell of a political team,” says Kinsella.

"She climbs ladders in old clothes to decorate rooms for charity events and endlessly publicizes the Ottawa Humane Society and other rescue organizations. She takes in foster cats that sometimes don’t make it, breaking hearts."



Do yourself a favour and read it all.

Something for Kory Teneycke to consider the next time he is interviewed.

Here is something that Kory Teneycke could consider doing the next time that the media attacks interviews him on the proposed Sun TV where predictably he will be called out for being an conservative and asked if that will influence the new networks balance.

When asked about his conservative stance, which to his credit he readily admits, Kory should again say that yes he is a conservative and that he has no problem admitting this; then he should turn to whomever asked him that question and ask them:

What about yourself? Who do you support and why don't you let your viewers know so they can filter your work and possible biases appropriately?


Watch this little exchange on CBC's Power and Politics with Don Newman for an example of what I am talking about. What would have Newman of Soloman said if he would have asked them to come clean and be honest with CBC viewers?

Want to make a bet that he would not get an honest answer if he did ask?

Sorry about that. We already know what would happen and I don't expect anyone to be dumb enough to actually make a wager on a question that is the definition of a sucker bet.


The only downside is that Kory wants to get media attention; not drive it away.


Related: Mark Steyn's thoughts on the hyperventilating media. (I hear he may be looking for a TV gig ;)

In the last year...

Tonight marks the 1 year anniversary of Ryan Hastman's nomination as the Conservative candidate for Edmonton Strathcona; the only riding in Alberta that is currently not held by the conservatives.

For those that may not be aware, Edmonton Strathcona is currently being held by the NDP and represented in Ottawa by Linda Duncan. Duncan won a squeaker in the 2008 election by less than 500 votes over the now infamous Rahim Jaffer. Edmonton Strathcona is the one yellow spot on a sea of blue that quite frankly needs to be taken back, and thankfully we have the candidate to do just that.

From June 17, 2009, when Ryan Hastman won the Conservative nomination in another incredibly close vote, Hastman has been working tirelessly towards winning back the seat for the conservatives. Ryan has been to countless events both inside and outside the riding, he and his team have been aggressively fund-raising to build up the much needed election war chest, and most importantly he has been extremely active within Edmonton Strathcona having already knocked on over 9000 doors meeting with and talking to the people of the riding. From what I have been told, and from personal experience, I can tell you that the response at the doors has been very encouraging; so much so that the NDP has taken notice at a national level and is targeting the riding to help out the worried Linda Duncan



and she has good reason to be worried, because if honest hard work has anything to do with the results of the next election, there will be a much different outcome for Duncan and the NDP in "Battleground Alberta".



If you are interested in helping Ryan and the conservatives take back Edmonton Strathcona please visit his website (http://www.ryanhastman.com/) or drop him and his team an email at: campaign@ryanhastman.com Lets help Linda go back to her first love of attacking the financial engine of Alberta, the oil industry, but this time she can do it on her own dime and not on an MP's salary.



Update: The past year as written Ryan Hastman. ( I note the door count has increased to 9,500! My numbers were a couple of weeks old)