Buckdog

It is a sad day for Canada, but it is also a new beginning. In every dark cloud, they say...

Had Dion and the Libs not supported the Speech from the Throne, I think we would have seen a different decision from the G-G. Had this coalition come together immediately after the election, I think we would have seen a different decision from the G-G. Should this coalition hold together and defeat Harper in January, we will see a different decision from the G-G.

I really think we should see our Parliamentarians on the Hill protesting round the clock the undemocratic closure of Parliament.

It's a sad day for democracy when parliament is not allowed to act in the interests of their constituents.

If Harper cannot trust Parliament, why should Parliament trust the Harper régime?

And yet the government is calling the opposition undemocratic and enemies of parliamentary principles. It's an Alice in Wonderland situation.

TRAVESTY!

"On my advice to the Governor General . . ."
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That's what Harper said. He was advising her? I thought it was the other way round.

That's typical of him setting or dictating terms to all and sundry.

How could she have fallen for it?
How could she forget that she makes his office possible?

I think the shock of the GG's decision has numbed both Liberal and NDP supporters to the fact that, wait for it: We won!

Harper has bought himself some time - no doubt, a valuable commodity in politics. But he has bought it at the cost of the future of the Conservatives as a national party.

From an NDP perspective, Harper has been forced to retreat from the anti-women, anti-labour policies signalled in his FU. I'm proud of Jack and the caucus for standing up and showing Canadians what a democracy is all about.

From a Liberal perspective, Harper has also given the Libs time. Time to dump Dion and appoint either an interim leader or a permanent replacement. When either of these things happen, the writing will be on the wall for Harper.

As for the coalition of the waiting? We may indeed have our chance come January. But we must also be able to claim a victory if the Conservatives come back to Parliament with a budget that meets the expectations of Canadians. The important thing will be to maintain a "no surprises" policy between the opposition parties so that Harper cannot split us one against the other.

And that's where Iggy comes in...

This past summer I read "Tommy Douglas: The Road to Jerusalem" by Thomas H. McLeod and Ian McLeod. In it they mention how in the early days of the CCF Tommy and others would do what they called a "saw-off" in which different parties would agree not to run candidates against one another in certain riding's in an effort to defeat the Liberals. When Tommy first won in 1935 the Social Credit Party thought he was their candidate. Good book, you might find it disturbing, leftdog, but I enjoyed it.
Anyway, I think that "saw-offs" are the left's only chance of gaining power, not that I want you to gain power, but I do so love the relevance of history.

Well, I linked to this on my blog. I love when you dudes get all full of Hitler comparisons. Just makes you easier to dismiss.

Even if you don't publish this, I figured you should know.

I do it for 2 reasons Paul:
1) It drives some right wingers crazy!
2) Historically, it differs only in degree ... not substance!

Too bad your and my elected Members of Parliament have NO voice in the nation thanks to folks like you!

Oh well ... Merry Christmas and Heil Harper!

Doesn't drive me crazy. I find it asinine.

Historically, Hitler took power by going to Hindenburg (GG equivalent) and promised a stable government by not having election after election. He was granted the Chancellorship without ever leading a party that commanded a majority of the vote.

Wow, Hitler comparisons are fun and debate killing! Your guy is the Hitler Guy! Yeah, it just differs in degree, or something. It's no less worthy of ridicule when I do it.

Your guy, Harper, SUSPENDED the duely elected Parliament of Canada because his minority administration was going to fall due to his political folly.

You are defending a suspension of democracy. If that is not embryonic fascism, I don't know what is.

Piss off with your right wing authoritarian bullshit. You make me sick!

Just for the recored, I am not a Right Wing Extreamist. I am a centrist.

You guys crack me up. A coalition of loosers (Liberals), comunists (NDP) and seperatists (Bloc) try to overthrough the government using the queen (GG) as their stick? This is the funnyest thing I have heard in years. Don't you remember, the Queen (GG) has no real authority, only symbolic authority. She has to do what the PM advises here to do.

Anyway, as we all had concluded late last week, the coalition has already crumbled. We are back to where we started, and maybe if you are lucky your new guy will win you the next election in a year or so.

I didn't hear anyone on the left wing complaining when Paul Martin cancelled opposition days for two months, simply to avoid a confidence vote.

The 62% figure is just a bit misleading.
It breaks down as:
Conservatives 37.6%
Liberals 26.2%
NDP 18.2%
Bloc 10%

There is no 62%.

Canadians voted for the Conservatives.
Remove a party - say the NDP or Bloc and you'll see how decisively they voted conservative.

If you use fictitious car example:
GM 40%
Ford 30%
Chrysler 20%
Honda 10%

You would be saying that 60% want a Ford, or the majority don't want a GM.

It's using numbers to create a lie.

oh puleeeze people - get over it. How come there was no uprising when Chretien "burned the Reichstag...er. locked the doors of parliament" so he didn't have to face the auditor general's report.

This coup was in the works since the last election - and there is some thought - even before the election.

Harper knew about it and he make them play their hand.

Your ilk talk about democratic process and legalities - well, Harper proroguing parliament is just as democratic and legal - and for god's sake - it was only for a week until it closed down for six weeks for the xmas break.

Face it - the backlash from the voters of this country against a takeover of a government elected six weeks ago by the losers of that election and the unions behind them is unpalatable to the majority of Canadians - actually more than the 62% you love to laud as justifying the unjustifiable.

Ahhh Blair ... add in the Green and Independent voters and ... PRESTO! 62% ... nice try ... do you work for the PMO?

I am not sure if you understand the math.

You can't add the numbers together. It's a choice, not a "my first pick is, my second is", and so on.

That's the deception behind the 62%.
Would you like to go through each riding and add up the 2nd place finishers? It would give you a sense of reality.

Blair ... enough with your Right wing math! Good gawd you're arguments are ridiculous:

Here is the 2008 Federal Election percentages of vote:

Party Percent
LIB 26.24
BQ 9.97
NDP 18.20
IND .65
GRN 6.80
OTH 0.51

Total is 61.86% of the vote DID NOT go to the Conservatives!

While we are at it ... I suppose you are a typical right wing fundamentalist who believes that the World is only 6000 years old because your bible says so!

You probably deny climate change as well.

Did you drop out of school in Grade 9 or Grade 10?

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