Buckdog

If you are blogging the Manitoba Election 2007 and would like to be listed on Buckdog's Manitoba Election Blog, just give me a shout and I will list your site on our blogroll.

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the case of Omar Khadr, the only Canadian imprisoned at the U.S. detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

CBC

Buckdog on Khadr

Buckdog will take a short blogging break while I attend to a health matter. Back soon!

leftdog

OTTAWA (CP) - The Conservative government's erratic response to allegations of Afghan prisoner abuse took another sharp turn Thursday.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper appeared to contradict his Defence Minister by telling the House of Commons that there is no formal agreement with Afghanistan about access to detainees handed over by Canadian troops. A day earlier, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor told the Commons foreign affairs committee that a deal had been struck to allow Canadian officials to check on the treatment of captured insurgents "any time they wanted."

Harper then denied there was any problem at all.

At that point Stockwell Day got involved. The Public Safety Minister then stunned the Opposition parties by saying corrections officers have always had access to Afghan detainees after they have been transferred to Afghan officials.

-CTV
-940 News

James Travers, columnist with the Toronto Star has a blistering article in todays April 26th edition. It asks hard questions about the operation and political oversight of Canada's war in Afghanistan. Every Canadian who is going to vote in the next federal election should read this article. Here is an excerpt:

"These are multifaceted issues, and the failures now inflaming parliamentary debate have more than one cause. Still, there is an identifiable pattern.

One repeating part is profound military resistance to civilian control. It's understandable – if hardly acceptable in a democracy – that soldiers don't welcome what they dismiss as amateur oversight of technical operations involving life and death.

Harper compounded that problem when he appointed as defence minister a bumbling former Cold War general and arms industry lobbyist. As well as a political embarrassment, O'Connor is proving too weak to exert much control over Hillier, who is enormously popular with the troops and, in a break with Canadian tradition, a willing and powerful political player.

Adding other layers of complexity, Harper is using the Afghanistan mission as a wedge political issue. The unforeseen result is increasingly damaging to the Prime Minister.

O'Connor's performance doesn't instil public confidence, questions linger about what the government knew, or wanted to know, about prisoner abuse and there are even more disturbing doubts about political as well as bureaucratic control over the military. A prime minister positioned far above his cabinet and party must now answer those questions and dispel those doubts if he is to control the damage of this government's first crisis."


Toronto Star

The vindictive pettiness of the Dion loyalists in the Liberal party is becoming more and more evident daily.

No one can attest to that more then Justin Trudeau, who is attempting to win a Liberal Party nomination in Montreal.

The totally uncharismatic Dion has stumbled along with his shaky leadership over the last few months and the last thing his loyalists want to see is the smiling friendly face of Pierre Trudeau's eldest son as a candidate and eventually a Member of Parliament in the Liberal Caucus.

-The Star
-Globe & Mail

tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

The vast majority of Canadians are not happy with the deal struck between Stephane Dion and Elizabeth May.

The once noble Liberal Party of Canada has degenerated into something that barely resembles its former status as a governing party. Canadians are acknowledging the shift in Liberal tactics and do not like what they see.

This is not the old Liberal Party of Canada that we once new. It is a desperate group who believe it is their god given right to be government. It is one thing to aspire to and work for the trust of Canadians; it is another thing to expect and demand it.

Angus Reid


tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

Two former Liberal cabinet ministers attempted to distance themselves from the RCMP pension scandal when they appeared before a Commons committee Monday. Once again Canadians are reminded of the serious corruption in the former Liberal Party Government.

'Scandal, thy name is Liberal'!

Ottawa Citizen

tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

The Pentagon charged Canadian Omar Khadr with murder today, starting a process that will put the former Toronto resident on trial in Guantanamo Bay for war crimes.

Khadr is accused of throwing a grenade that killed U.S. Delta Force soldier Sgt. Christopher Speer during a firefight in Afghanistan July 27, 2002.

He was 15 at the time and was held for three months in Afghanistan before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay, where he remains today.

The Star

All three of Canada's opposition parties demanded an immediate halt to prisoner transfers from the Canadian military to Afghan intelligence officers after the prisoners complained of torture and harsh treatment.

Mr. Harper promised the "serious allegations" would be examined by officials and followed up with Afghan authorities, "but what we will not do is bring the Taliban prisoners to Canada."

The Prime Minister also rejected calls by opposition MPs for the resignation of Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor on grounds he had failed to put mechanisms in place to prevent prisoner abuse after previous appeals from politicians and human rights advocates.

The issue of alleged Canadian complicity in torture of Afghan prisoners is already the subject of a criminal investigation, a military board of inquiry and an investigation by the military complaints commission.

Amnesty International and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association are seeking a judicial review of the detainee transfer process in the courts.

National Post

Al Gore spoke to approximately 5,000 people today in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The former Vice President was well received and listeners were treated to almost 2 hours with him.

However, on the topic of Al Gore - bigger things MIGHT be afoot!

According to Britain's Daily Telegraph, staff members who worked on Gore's unsuccessful presidential bid in 2000 have been approached to work on a possible campaign for 2008.

"I was asked whether I would be available towards the end of the year if I am needed," one of Gore's former campaign workers reportedly said. "They know he has not ruled out running and if he decides to jump in, he will have to move very fast."

Gore has repeatedly said in the past that he has no plans and no intention of running for president again. But in politics, that particular language is ambiguous - meaning that it doesn't fully rule out a bid.

Daily Telegraph


tag al gore

Don Martin, columnist with the National Post has an article today that asks why it is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper continues to manipulate Conservative Party rules to ensure that MP Rob Anders wins the nomination in Calgary West. "By way of background, the fourth-term Mr. Anders represents the upscale Calgary West enclaves that overlook the city skyline or enjoy panoramic views of the Rockies.

Um, perhaps "represents" isn't exactly the appropriate term for an MP who, according to Hansard, has not uttered a single word in the Commons since last spring. He chairs a news-free committee and MPs confide he contributes nothing of substance in the privacy of their caucus meetings.

But only in Mr. Anders could invisibility and silence qualify as exemplary behaviour. His mouth has been an unchecked rightwing weapon of self-destruction. Now gagged, he does well sitting as a Conservative seat warmer who will vote on command."

Buckdog has been following the Rob Anders case for sometime. Stay tuned for further developments!

National Post

Oscar-winning environmentalist Al Gore is bringing his global warming lecture "An Inconvenient Truth" to a Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on April 23.

Gore recently won the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award for his film "An Inconvenient Truth". He'll be speaking at the Brandt Centre Monday morning at 11 o'clock.

From CBC:
"A federal private member's bill that would grant the government new powers while imposing restrictions and penalties on Internet users and operators is off base, Internet experts say.

Joy Smith, a Conservative MP representing Kildonan-St. Paul, on Thursday introduced her proposed clean Internet act, or Bill C-427, for first reading in Parliament.

The bill's full name is: "An act to prevent the use of the Internet to distribute child pornography, material that advocates, promotes or incites racial hatred, and material that portrays or promotes violence against women."

The bill's provisions would grant the Industry Minister special powers to search data as well as the ability to order an Internet service provider to block access to content deemed inappropriate."
CBC.ca


Laws sufficient to control child pornography already exist on the Canadian law books. This proposed bill is a piece of political grandstanding if I ever saw one.

I also am QUITE concerned that Canada's Industry Minister would be responsible for monitoring data on offending sites.

Is Industry Canada tagged with being the Internet Police for Stephen Harper's government?

Canadians should see that we have no need for this kind of legislation. Right wingers are always about controlling the lives of Canadian citizens. Tell MP Joy Smith to leave the internet alone.!

Political junkies love a good election! Our friends in the great province of Manitoba are going to the polls on May 22nd.



To keep you up to date on the Manitoba race, Buckdog has created a satellite blogging site, Buckdog's Manitoba Election Blog.

At dissolution the Manitoba Legislature was composed of:
35 New Democrats
19 Progressive Conservatives
2 Liberals
1 Independent
1 Vacant

Bookmark us and drop in over the course of the Manitoba Election 2007!

Here is the official site of Earth Day Canada

... and International Earth Day has a site as well.

... as well as the Earth Day Network




tag earth day

An attempt by the federal Conservatives to delay a new nomination race in the Calgary riding held by MP Rob Anders was denied Wednesday by an Alberta Appeal Court judge. On Tuesday, a lawyer for Anders argued that the MP would suffer irreparable harm if he had to fight a new nomination race in the wake of his disputed acclamation last summer.

CBC

Buckdog has been following the Rob Anders case for sometime. This story is not done yet. Stay tuned for further developments!

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer has called an election and voters will head to the polls on May 22, giving parties little more than a month to campaign.

At dissolution of the Legislature the composition was:
35 New Democrats
19 Progressive Conservatives
2 Liberals
1 Independent
1 Vacant

CTV

tag manitoba election

Once upon a time there was the Berlin Wall which separated the West and the Soviet Bloc nations. Today, the United States Military is constructing a three mile wall in Baghdad.

U.S. soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad are “building a three-mile protective wall on the dividing line between a Sunni enclave and the surrounding Shiite neighborhood,” according to a U.S. military press release issued Wednesday.

Troops with the 407th Brigade Support Battalion began constructing the wall on April 10 and will continue work “almost nightly until the wall is complete,” the release read.

-New York Times
-Stars & Stripes

tag Baghdad Wall

Progressive individuals who are interested in labour news, issues and blog posts might want to bookmark LabourStart, a really well run aggregator.

Organized labour is a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian economy and those who are aware of that should NOT be without access to this site. Those who are not aware of the importance of organized labour also need LabourStart!

LabourStart

Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien says "when you give a toonie to a panhandler, that's just part of the money they are going to use to go off and buy some crystal meth or crack."

Ahhh.... good old fashioned christian charity .... 'eh Your Worship!?



CFRA Radio Headlines

The Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday that it would not hear a bid by Wal-Mart to challenge the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board over a union effort to organize company stores in the province.

Wal-Mart has been fighting efforts to certify unions at a number of its Canadian stores.

CBC.ca

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The New Democratic Party introduced a bill on Thursday to scrap bank-machine fees, intensifying pressure on banks which have already been targeted by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

"Its just been tabled today," NDP lawmaker Judy Wasylicia-Leis told banking executives testifying before a parliamentary finance committee.

"It calls for changes to the Bank Act -- which Mr. Flaherty says is quite possible -- to prohibit and eliminate fees in terms of electronic transfer of funds, that are used now by banks," she said.

-Yahoo.com
-Banks Will Not Reveal ATM Profits

The problem is that his consultant is on the public payroll paid for by taxpayers. Canadians should not be required to pay for him to look presentable!!

Canadians will soon tire of Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May running around ranting ... 'I'm the victim of an unfair system - I DESERVE a seat in the House of Commons!"

Canadian voters know that the honour of a seat in the House of Commons is earned, it is not handed to someone who exceeds at politcal whining and carping.

Overall, Green Party tactics have completely degenerated in the last couple of days now that their senior strategist has walked away from May's idiotic strategy.

Certain Green bloggers are now resorting to drive by smears on sites that no one can respond to - no comments allowed / no email address - no retort possible.

This is all going to backfire in May's face. People tire very quickly of self promoting victims. May has taken her 'victim' role to new heights.

Elizabeth .... you are not much of a strategist!

Photo courtesy The Gazette

Between the first and second shootings at Virginia Tech, gunman Cho Seung-hui mailed a multi media package contain a video and still photos.

-MSNBC Special
-BBC coverage
-The Chronicle


tag Cho Seung-Hui

Hat Tip to blogging a dead horse.

From CBC's The Current, Elizabeth May, Ed Broadbent and Val Meridith go over the Dion / May agreement.

Blow by blow commentary is dead on!

Again, thanks to BADH.

Confidential interviews with one of the speechwriters for President George Bush PROVES that he is not an idiot and his 'folksy' way of speaking - and supposed errors - are ALL carefully calculated!







tag bush is no idiot

Cruising the news today, I came across two separate stories where a soccer mom has taken a wrong turn in life and ran into the long arm of the law.

The first story concerns an out of control soccer mom's abandonment of her daughter on a highwayh and the second a soccer mom who turns to drugs. Mothers Day should not be celebrated for these two:

-Soccer mom who left her teen alongside interstate ticketed for neglect: police

-Soccer Mom who kept meth lab in car gets year


tag soccer mom

UPDATE: SERVICE SLOWLY BEING RESTORED!

The Blackberry system failed throughout the United States around 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday evening. Parent company, Research In Motion, didn't say when the problem may be fixed!

Many non Blackberry users are getting used to the 'click click click' of colleagues who seem to be using their hand held electronic devices constantly.

Withdrawl symptoms will become more evident the longer the system is down.

RIM shares fell 2% before the bell on stockmarkets this morning as a result of the difficulties.

-CTV
-Reuters

UPDATE: (System still down)

tag blackberry

Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich from Ohio will introduce Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Cheney later this week:

Dear Colleague:
This week I intend to introduce Articles of Impeachment with respect to the conduct of Vice President Cheney. Please have your staff contact my office . . . if you would like to receive a confidential copy of the document prior to its introduction in the House.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress


Washington Post

Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution states:
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

tag dick cheney

Derek Zeisman, who was the candidate in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior, pleaded guilty to the smuggling charge Monday in Surrey provincial court.

He was fined $5,000 and forfeits his car.

CBC

Dan Baril, senior Green party strategist, resigned his post because of disagreements with Elizabeth May over the pact struck by the Greens with Stephane Dion.

Let me reassure ALL Green Party members and supporters that you have NOTHING at all to worry about. I am quite sure that Stephane Dion and all of the Liberal strategists have only the best interests of the Green Party at heart.

Just do as the Liberal strategists tell you and I am sure that you will be just fine!!!!!

The Star

tag The End Of The Green Party of Canada

I mean, I'm just wondering????

Backgrounder on Liberal Party of Canada Activity That Saw Our Tax Dollars Go For Their Own Political Enrichment - In Case You Forgot Exactly How This Crew Operated


tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

CTV story on the disgraced Liberal Party of Canada in case anyone has forgotten why the people of Canada threw the beggars out of office


tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

Technorati has a great new tag that you can use on posts about the bizarre nonsense Stephane Dion and his discredited Liberal Party are doing in Central Nova.

Just add the following script to your posts to tag it appropriately:
"http://technorati.com/tag/The+End+Of+The+Liberal+Party+Of+Canada" rel="tag">The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada"

tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

It is time to call a spade a spade.

- The discredited Liberal Party came THIRD in Central Nova last election.
- The fledgling Green Party came FOURTH.
- The New Democratic candidate came SECOND.

If Dion's motivation had ANYTHING to do with defeating Peter MacKay, then the Liberals would throw their weight behind the New Democratic candidate.

So what is this all about? It is about Dion's fear of the New Democratic Party and his desperate attempt to shore up his dismal polling numbers (not to mention his disastrous 'leadership preference numbers').

The Liberal Party of Canada is corrupt, and crooked and has lost its way. This is NOT your grandpa's old Liberal Party. The Liberal leadership is playing with fire - I hope that Dion burns his fingers before this is all said and done.


tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

Canada's Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor says we may need to extend our military committment in Afghanistan another 10 - 15 years. Somehow I do not believe that Canadians will accept that view.

Ottawa announced last week that it was getting 20 Leopard II tanks on loan from Germany and purchasing another 100 tanks from the Netherlands. The total price tag is $650 million.

Globe & Mail

A serious family feud between senior Liberal Party strategists Ray Heard and Scott Reid has broken out over aspects of Stephane Dion's leadership style and recent decisions in Central Nova.

At the same time, a handful of dedicated Liberal bloggers are running around trying to convince New Democrats to vote Lib, almost unaware that their own party is starting to collapse around them.

Bourque provides excellent background to what is causing this little Liberal infight. This is must read stuff for both Liberals and Non Liberals alike.

Pierre Bourque

tag The End Of The Liberal Party Of Canada

Tory Cabinet Minister Jason Kenney required police protection at a meeting of his Calgary constituents who were angry about broken promises over changes to Income Trust taxation laws.

Police watched over the crowd while plain-clothed officers sat amongst the attendees.

Kenney, ever the Tory trooper, took all of the anger in stride. At one point during the uproar he told the crowd, "I wish I had brought some valium for my friends here." After the nasty little meeting, he told a reporter that sometimes promises have to be broken.

Canadians are becoming aware of the new 'Kenney Doctrine.' The Stephen Harper government has been practicing the Kenney Doctrine quite a lot lately raising the anger of Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canadian Wheat Board supporters, in fact if you are angry at broken Conservative promises, 'take a number and get in line'.

Way to go Mr. Kenney. This couldn't be happening to a more deserving politician.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Definition of the NEW 'Kenney Doctrine':
'Just because a Conservative tells you they are going to do something -or- aren't going to do something, actually means shit.'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-CTV
-Vancouver Sun

Photo courtesy CTV

Mahmoud Jaballah is a suspected terrorist living in Canada. He was arrested and held for six years in a Canadian jail. He was NEVER charged with anything. He has NEVER seen the evidence that has caused suspicion against him.

Canadian right wingers - most likely those of feeble intelligence who support Steven Harper and his crew, will call me 'soft' on terrorism for my position, but allow me to ask one question. What the hell goes on, when you hold someone for six years and after six years you have nothing to nail him with in a court of law?

I fully understand Canada needs measures and laws to protect us from those who would hurt us. Somehow, if authorities CANNOT come up with sufficient evidence AFTER SIX BLOODY YEARS - then something is VERY WRONG with our anti-terrorism laws and process.

So now he is only under 'house arrest' ....

CTV News

Thomas Walkom has a good article on Canada's future in Afghanistan in the Toronto Star today. Here is an excerpt:

"First, we are losing. This is not a popular thing to say. Nor is it a reflection on the skill and bravery of Canadian and other allied troops. But it is a hard fact that has to be faced.

The Taliban don't have to beat NATO to win. All they have to do is stay in the game, which is what they are doing.

But for NATO, a military victory requires much more. It requires that the insurgency be crushed. For a variety of reasons – including the fact that to many in Afghanistan's south, the Taliban are the home team – that is not happening. This is the fearful asymmetry of guerrilla warfare.

We might be able to succeed militarily if we stayed in Afghanistan indefinitely and were willing to accept hundreds of additional Canadian casualties. But we are not. Every death, every televised commemoration ceremony, further erodes public support for a war that was never widely popular.

This is the second reason why this war cannot be sustained. Support at home is limited and dwindling.
[...]
When Canadian officers refer to this war as one that will take generations to win – as did Task Force Afghanistan's deputy commander Col. Mike Cessford this week – the country viscerally recoils in horror."


The Star

"The conflict in Iraq is inflicting immense suffering on the entire population," The International Committee of the Red Cross writes in a report issued Wednesday.

The document, entitled "Civilians Without Protection" sketches major humanitarian issues facing Iraqi civilians and sounds a dire alarm about looming crises in infrastructural issues such as the food supply, clean water, medical care, electricity and fuel, as well as the effects of the war and security situation on civilians, including lack of protection from the war, and the sufferring of families separated by displacement and detention.

iraqslogger

On both sides of the Iraqi and Afghanistani conflicts, it is the children who are suffering the worst. Politics aside, This is what George Bush and Al Qaeda and the Taliban have done to children in these conflicts. Here is a sample of how children in Canada, Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering:



Children in 'real crisis' on Petawawa military base: ombudsman

Al Qaeda use children in attacks

Military docs treat Afghan war's suffering young ones

Iraqi kids get soccer balls from Omaha children

Yawn


-Green Liberals
-Dion & May ink election deal
-Green Candidate praises 9/11