Buckdog

Twitter Wars

"Lack of adequate health care may have contributed to the deaths of some 17,000 US children over the past two decades, according to a study released by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

The research, to be published Friday in the Journal of Public Health, was compiled from more than 23 million hospital records from 37 states between 1988 and 2005. The study concluded that children without health insurance are far more likely to succumb to their illnesses than those with medical coverage.

"If you are a child without insurance, if you're seriously ill and end up in the hospital, you are 60 percent more likely to die than the sick child in the next town who has insurance," said Fizan Abdullah, lead writer of the study and a pediatric surgeon at Hopkins.

With some seven million children in the United States currently uninsured, the problem needed addressing immediately, the report said.

"In a country as wealthy as ours, the need to provide health care to the millions of children who lack it is a moral, not an economic imperative," said Peter Pronovost, director of critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins."
Sott.net

The government of Saskatchewan is arranging to pay a financial premium that will let its citizens jump to the front of the line in British Columbia for hip and knee surgeries:

"REGINA — Media reports coming out of British Columbia indicate the government there is in discussions with Premier Brad Wall to sell 400 hip and knee replacement surgeries to Saskatchewan over the next two years.

Government officials are quoted as saying the discussions are at a preliminary stage, but are supported by the B.C. ministry of health because Saskatchewan would pay a premium for the service and that would help the cash-strapped B.C. government use those additional dollars to reduce its own waiting list.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health is expected to outline a number of possible measures today about how it may achieve the goal, outlined in the Throne Speech, to reduce waits for elective surgery to a maximum of three months within four years.

One of those measures might be to send people out of province, according to a ministry release.

However, Wall has previously indicated that his first preference is to secure services within Saskatchewan first as a more convenient alternative for patients."
Vancouver Sun


"VICTORIA, B.C. — The B.C. government is being accused of cutting surgeries while at the same time offering hip and knee operations to patients from other provinces. NDP Health critic Adrian Dix says thousands of elective surgeries have been cancelled across B.C. because of spending restraints by the provincial government, and yet the province has surgical openings for non-B.C. patients.

He accused the Liberals during question period of auctioning off surgery spots to the highest bidder while B.C. patients languish on waiting lists. But Health Minister Kevin Falcon says B.C.'s medical expertise in hip and knee replacements has cut waiting lists for those operations by half and allowed B.C. to offer the service to other provinces. He says other provinces pay a premium, and that provides money for more operations in B.C."
Canadian Press

-The Tyee has more ....

"On June 7, 1998 in Texas, three white men chained an African American named James Byrd to a pickup truck and dragged him to his death; in the early hours of Oct. 7,1998 two men in Wyoming beat up gay teenager Matthew Shepard and left him to die while tied to a fence.

These killings intensified pressure for tougher federal hate-crimes legislation. Today, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

"After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we've passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray or who they are," Obama said in signing the defense budget bill that includes the new hate-crimes law.

The new law basically expands existing hate-crime protections to outlaw attacks based on sexual orientation or gender, in addition to race, color, religion or national origin.

In a later ceremony devoted to the new law, Obama told supporters, "No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hand of the person they love." He cited statistics that in these past 10 years, there have been more than 12,000 hate crimes based on sexual orientation."
USA Today

-LA Times has more ....



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The above went out to every journalist on Parliament Hill today from the Liberal Party Caucus.

I guess the new staff are figuring out how everything works ....

- Right Click on the graphic to enlarge -


More ....
-Hurt and turmoil in Liberal Office ...

"More than 60 percent of respondents feel that Canada's constitutional monarchy is outdated, the CBC reported. "This is devastating, truly devastating for the Prince of Wales, and he'll be very upset by it," Andrew Pierce, assistant editor of Britain's Daily Telegraph told the broadcaster, adding that Queen Elizabeth II "will be very disappointed too."
AFP

I personally don't give a crap if 'the prince of wales will be upset' ... too bloody bad! Canada has NO Queen. We don't need a 'Prince of Wales'. End this idiotic colonial nonsense once and for all.


-Not Just Separatists Want Prince Charles To Stay Away From Canada

-Canada's Future Should NOT Include A 'King Charles'!!

-Canada Needs To Ditch Queen Elizabeth

"Donolo's arrival on the scene, with Liberals languishing in the polls at the mid-20s mark, will be greeted with relief by many partisans despairing of the slide in the party's fortunes.

But the replacement of Davey with Donolo, and the messy way in which it happened late Tuesday, are seen as evidence of the disarray that the new chief of staff will be expected to fix, as soon as possible."
The Star

-Great Moments In Liberal Communications!

Conservative MP Daryl Kramp introduced a motion in the House of Commons on October 5th to rename the Northwest Passage the “Canadian Northwest Passage.” There was immediate support from all four caucuses but little or no MSM coverage.

Firstly the motion was not introduced by the 'government' but by one of their MP's. That lowered the story on the radar screen for the main stream media. The motion is intended to try and strengthen Canada's position in the upcoming international dispute over use and administration of the opening Arctic seaway. Both the USA and Russia are disputing Canada's claim of sovereignty in the Arctic.

Secondly, the Conservatives have a large number of supporters who, because of their economic ideology, are hard core climate change 'deniers'. The challenge for the Harper government is to deal with the effects of climate change in the Arctic while at the same time, remaining quiet so as to not upset their own supporters.

The Conservatives are demonstrating a high degree of Cognitive Dissonance on the issue of Arctic Climate Change - it is happening, but they are afraid of acknowledging the reality of it.

Want proof that they are afraid of acknowledging Climate Change? Check this out ... Daryl Kramp issued a news release concerning his motion dated October 5th. BUT it was immediately deleted from his website ... you won't find it now!!

In the Canadian arctic community of Iqaluit, the local Nunatsiaq News had to tell readers for the last two years that the unusual red-breasted birds they were seeing everywhere in the spring and summer are called 'robins'.

In the Canadian arctic community of Tuktoyaktuk, the melting permafrost is causing havoc in the local cemetery. As well for the first time in Inuit oral tradition, killer whales are now seen regularly in the ice free coastal waters.

You will not find 'climate change denial' amongst the Inuit - people who are being the most affected. No .. climate change denial is a luxury of those who insist on changing facts to suit their economic ideology.

-Nunatsiaq News

-Boston Globe

When the right wing Saskatchewan Party government was developing new essential services legislation, they asked employers in the health care sector to identify what union positions were essential to prevent risk to public safety in the event of a labour dispute. The health care unions asked that a process of negotiation be used to identify essential positions. The Wall government forged ahead without discussions and imposed legislation on the health unions.

Well guess what?

"The Wall government was provided written evidence of approximately 1,300 separate occasions in which staffing levels at Saskatchewan healthcare facilities were below what the government itself had described as ‘essential’ for the protection of public safety. In addition, he highlighted the example of the Laboratory and Radiology Department at the Wakaw Hospital which is completely shut down when technologists take vacation or other leave but noted that these positions have been deemed essential during a work stoppage."
Saskatchewan New Democratic Caucus

In other words, on 1300 separate occasions, the government itself placed the public in an 'unsafe' situation by not having essential workers on the job in our hospitals!

Saskatchewan's essential services legislation has been exposed for what it truly is - an attack on organized labour.

The Wall government is avoiding an answer to these concerns and Saskatchewan's MSM is NOT reporting on the hypocrisy of the situation. The silence coming from the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon Star Phoenix is deafening!

A trade mark of Saskatchewan Party MLA's is that when they recognize visitors to the Legislative Gallery they always include the words "welcome to your Legislature." But today, the doors to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly Building were locked as a huge demonstration of health care workers descended on Regina from around the province.

"About 300 unionized health-care workers rallied at the Saskatchewan legislature in Regina on Monday to protest against the pace and substance of contract negotiations with the group representing health regions in the province.

About 24,000 workers from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Saskatchewan Government Employees' Union and the Service Employees International Union West have been on the job without a contract for more than a year.

They're accusing the Saskatchewan Association of Heath Organizations of not taking the negotiation process seriously, and said the current contract offer is insulting.

The unions represent a range of health-care workers, from kitchen and cleaning staff to licensed practical nurses. The health regions' current offer is for most employees to receive a 9.25 per cent wage increase over four years. In a jointly issued statement on Sept. 22, the unions called the offer "insulting."

The unions said the offer pales in comparison with a deal registered nurses recently signed that included a 35 per cent increase over four years."
CBC Saskatchewan

Unhappy Unions Rally At Legislature - CJME

Photos courtesy CJME

Days after the MSM and public first found out about Harper's MP's using the Conservative Party logo on federal stimulus cheques, the story just won't go away. Here is a quote from Lorne Gunter, (not known for his left leanings) in today's Edmonton Journal and Regina Leader-Post:

"There are two things particularly galling about the pasting of big Conservative party logos on big government cheques giving out big amounts of tax-dollar subsidies for local infrastructure. The first is, the practice is crass and stupid.

Who does not see right through it? Which recipient of these giant, photo-op devices does not know they are being used as pawns in a bid by the local MP to enhance his or her re-election chances? Who does not realize that the funds are being provided by the hardworking people of Canada through their too-high taxes rather than via freewill donations to the Conservative party?

The answer, of course, is no one. No one is dumb enough to be bamboozled by this glaringly tactless tactic. So in addition to being crass, the strategy is stupid, because it is unlikely to make either the recipients or the general public more likely to vote Conservative.

It's doubly stupid, because there was never a chance the gluing of CPC logos onto dummy cheques was going to go undiscovered. Some reporter or opposition politician somewhere was going to notice. The story was going to go national and when it did, it was going to do more harm than good. I don't think Canadians resent enough the brazen way in which our politicians polish up their own selfish interests with our money."

Regina Leader-Post

"A carved-in-stone commandment for MPs came down from the mountain this week. If those wretched media ask about Alberta's fledgling Wildrose Alliance, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told his caucus, shut your trap and run away.

That explained the vapor trail left behind by usually friendly MPs as they emerged from their weekly meeting to pause, listen to my question, and dash full throttle for office cover."
Don Martin
National Post Full Comment

Calgary Conservative MP, Rob Anders attended the Wildrose Leadership Convention on the weekend and Alberta PC's have their shirts in a knot! Harper clearly doesn't want a right wing family feud getting out of control in his back yard.

Here's betting that an angry Premier Stelmach phoned Harper in a real snit after Alberta's Health Minister Ron Liepert and Federal MP Anders got into it via the media.

Stephen Harper is an extremely ideological politician. Look how long it took him to wake up to the impact of the global recession. Look how long it took him to wake up to the reality of China's economic impact on Canada.

For anyone who was wondering why our prime minister is such a slow learner when it comes to both economic and social reality, the reason is now better understood. Stephen Harper doesn't take in any Canadian news broadcasting. I'm sure that his television is regularly tuned into FOX News.

Stephen Harper has no INPUT mechanism in his life for anything Canadian.

It shows ....

-Harper is 'no fan' of Canadian news
-The Star

A little over two years ago, the Saskatchewan Party promised major changes in Health Care that would radically reduce hospital waiting times. The people of Saskatchewan decided that they would give them a chance and elected the Brad Wall government.

“At the same time, a Saskatchewan Party government will focus our health care dollars and resources on reducing waiting lists and make sure Saskatchewan people get the health care they need when they need it.”
Saskatchewan Party 2007 Election Promises

Two years later, nothing has been ventured nor accomplished in their campaign promise. Thinking that enough time has elapsed and hoping that Saskatchewan citizens have short memories, the Wall government has dragged out the exact same promise in yesterdays Throne Speech:

"Now, is time to set another ambitious goal in Health care.
For many years, there has been a surgical backlog in Saskatchewan.
This has created unacceptably long wait times for Saskatchewan patients.
My government recently received the final report of the 'Patient
First Review;, and during this session, we will outline our
response to he recommendations of this report.
As a result of the excellent work of Mr. Tony Dagnone, and in
response to he unacceptable surgical backlog, my government
has set a bold, new goal.
Over the next four years, we will reduce surgical wait times in
Saskatchewan to no longer than three months.
The plan to achieve this goal will be outlined during this
session."
2009 Saskatchewan Speech From The Throne

-New Democratic Opposition

.. and by the way, my blogging colleague at 'Humble Opinion' has a great post on how the Wall government is completely ignoring Rural Saskatchewan's health issues now that they assume that they have rural votes in the bag ....

Looks like the only job Pierre ever had is the one he has for the moment, as a Conservative Member of Parliament. But quess what? On his 31st birthday, he now qualifies for a FULL Pension!!

"Natives in this country need to learn the value of hard work."
Pierre Poilievre MP
Conservative Party of Canada

Right wingers will be salivating over George W. Bush in Saskatoon today. Too bad that none of them will ask him about the 'Arctic Policy' that he implemented in the final days of his presidency. The Bush policy acknowledged that 'Climate Change' has affected the Arctic to the point that a northern passage, allowing international shipping, is now possible during the summer months.

The funny thing is that some of Saskatchewan's most prominent Climate Change Deniers will be amongst the salivating crew that simply worship George W.

"Key elements of Bush's policy challenge the ambitious Arctic sovereignty agenda put forth by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that includes bolstering Canada's military presence and fostering economic and social development. The Bush directive reiterates that the Northwest Passage is an international waterway — a rebuttal of Canada's claim of sovereignty over what is emerging as a major global shipping route because of the shrinking polar ice cap — and it highlights the boundary dispute in the resource-rich Beaufort Sea. [...] Bush's memorandum directs several key agencies to define the full extent of U.S. Arctic boundaries because of its "compelling interest" in the region. The policy cites climate change, defence against possible terrorist threats and a "a growing awareness that the Arctic region is both fragile and rich in resources."

The text of the directive also contains a suggestion of the unilateralism that has sparked much international criticism of Bush.

"The United States has broad and fundamental national security interests in the Arctic region and is prepared to operate either independently or in conjunction with other states to safeguard these interests," the text says.

"The United States also has fundamental homeland security interests in preventing terrorist attacks and mitigating those criminal or hostile acts that could increase the United States vulnerability to terrorism in the Arctic region.

"This requires the United States to assert a more active and influential national presence to protect its Arctic interests and to project sea power throughout the region."

The document also urges U.S. co-operation in a number of bilateral settings, including the Arctic Council and the International Maritime Organization to develop "new international arrangements" as human activity in the region grows."
Bush Asserts Power Over Arctic Straits.

Not only are the Conservatives being rightly criticized for excessive partisan advertising with the stimulus program, it is now evident that Tory held ridings are getting the lions share of the tax money:

"OTTAWA — Conservative ridings across Canada received more than their fair share of big-money stimulus projects paid for by taxpayers, a joint newspaper investigation into the Harper government’s Economic Action Plan shows.

The numbers, drawn from the federal government’s own website, bolster opposition allegations of pork-barrelling in the multibillion-dollar stimulus package, a charge the Tories deny.

The Chronicle Herald-Ottawa Citizen investigation shows that 57 per cent of projects with more than $1 million in federal funding have gone to Conservative ridings. The party holds 46 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons.

Blue ridings therefore have received 23 per cent more million-dollar-plus projects than if the projects had been evenly divided among all ridings."
"Carving Up The Pork"
The Halifax Chronicle Herald


... and of the available stimulus funds for 'recreation' such as rinks and stadiums, Conservative held Ridings get 2/3rds of the cash:

"Funds from a federal stimulus program designed to put hockey rinks and other recreation projects in communities across the country appear to be have been awarded disproportionately to Conservative ridings, an investigation shows.

Tory ridings have landed 66 per cent of all projects so far announced under the Harper government's Recreation Infrastructure Canada program, also known as RinC.

The Conservatives have only 46 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons, so Conservative ridings appear to have landed 41 per cent more projects than had they been distributed evenly."
The Halifax Chronicle Herald

Door Knob Replacement Justifies Tory Signs!
" ... a huge "propaganda" sign has been posted outside an RCMP building in Charlottetown, where "internal door hardware" -- otherwise known as door knobs -- are being installed."
CTV News

-CBC has more ...

"The purpose of the Economic Action Plan is to stimulate the Canadian economy. It's not intended to be used as a public-relations campaign for the federal Conservative Party, paid for by the taxpayer."
Calgary Herald

If the Conservative Party of Canada has a secure 'heartland' it is in the Alberta foothills. If there is a paper that has been supportive of Stephen Harper and his caucus it is the Calgary Herald.

This is substantive.

Ottawa spends more than half a million to defend RCMP, officers at Taser Inquiry
By James Keller (CP)

"VANCOUVER, B.C. — The federal government spent more than half a million dollars defending the RCMP and the actions of the four officers who stunned Robert Dziekanski with a Taser at Vancouver's airport.

The force and each of the four officers had lawyers at the public inquiry into Dziekanski's death, which began in January and finished with closing submissions last week.

The Polish immigrant's fatal confrontation with police on Oct. 14, 2007, has been a source of intense criticism for the RCMP and the four officers and for police use of Tasers, fuelled in large part by an infamous amateur video of the incident.

The Justice Department had billed the RCMP more than $373,000 in legal fees to represent the force at the inquiry as of July 31, according to documents obtained under federal access to information laws.

Lawyers for the officers had together cost about $200,000 by the end of August, according to the documents.

Those figures were tallied during a three-month summer break, which was ordered in June to investigate an internal RCMP email that raised questions about the officers' testimony. Since then, there have been several days of hearings in September and final submissions this month."
Canadian Press

I hope that everyone joins me in wishing New Democratic Member of Parliament, Bruce Hyer a speedy recovery. Bruce is the NDP MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. Recently diagnosed with cancer, Mr. Hyer is optimistic that he will be back to work very soon.

Join me in wishing him well!

Thunder Bay News Watch


Photo courtesy Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch - MP Bruce Hyer with wife, Margaret.

No matter what climate change deniers say, the Arctic Ocean is becoming more and more ice free during the summer months. The centuries old desire for a 'Northwest Passage' is now a reality.

In response to the opening Arctic seaway each summer, Canada's Conservative government is quietly making moves to protect its sovereignty now that international Arctic shipping is about to boom.

The disconnect for Canada's Conservative government is that while it must deal with the reality of an opening Arctic seaway, it is also largely supported by the climate change denial crowd. Right wing bloggers who receive funding from the oil industry, spout and spew junk science denying that a global warming is triggering climate change and a lessening of old permanent ice. Yet they are hard pressed to explain how it is that the Arctic Ocean is opening sufficiently each summer to allow shipping.

-Time Magazine
-National Geographic


BLOG ACTION DAY 2009

Photo of open Arctic Ocean Seaway by: Terra Satellite/NASA

... and still no charges against anyone.

Taser Incident in Vancouver Airport - October 14, 2007

The above photo shows RCMP officers tasering a handcuffed and restrained Robert Dziekanski.

Conservatives Embrace Culture Of Entitlement:
"The Conservatives have been testing the limits of acceptability with their big cheques for some time. Earlier this year, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan brought the bacon home to his riding in Ontario, in the form of two oversized blue cheques emblazoned with the maple leaf logo of the Government of Canada and an inscribed line: Delivering change for the better.

Mr. Keddy's photo opportunity - along with another from B.C. Conservative Colin Mayes, that actually featured his face on the cheque - has pushed the flight envelope on entitlement still further.

The Conservative spin machine now says that the use of the logo was not endorsed by the party, which was not aware it was being used. This version of events asks us to believe that all these MPs came up with the giant cheque wheeze off their own bat. Since most Conservative backbenchers follow the old HMS Pinafore line of voting at their party's call and never thinking for themselves at all, this seems scarcely plausible.

What is smart is that, having screwed up in such grand fashion, the Prime Minister's Office is now back-pedalling furiously.

This has the potential to do tremendous damage to the Conservatives. All the polling shows that their Achilles' Heel is the perception that they have a tendency to put their party's interests ahead of the country's."
The National Post

-National Post Editorial - "NO LOGOS!

-The Star challenges Harper's PMO to check what they said last July on the matter ...



Canadian Press

CTV also asks some very hard questions about using taxpayers money to promote Conservative Party

Is this $89,000 or $166,000 coming from Conservative MP, Larry Miller's bank account? If not, why is his name on this Federal Government Stimulus Program cheque??

-CBC News

-Larry Miller - Tory MP

CTV also asks some very hard questions about using taxpayers money to promote Conservative Party

-Conservative Party Logo or Tory MP Names on Government of Canada cheques is totally wrong!

NDP questions appearance of Tory logo on federal infrastructure cheque!

HALIFAX (CP) — NDP MP Peter Stoffer says he’s going to ask the federal ethics commissioner to investigate the placing of a prominent Conservative party logo on a large ceremonial cheque for $300,000 in federal infrastructure funding.
“In my view, I think they’ve broken every rule in the book in this regard,” Stoffer told the CBC on Tuesday.
The federal funding for a rink upgrade in Chester, N.S., was made last month by Nova Scotia Tory MP Gerald Keddy.
A picture of the presentation published in a local newspaper showed Keddy wielding the large cheque with a large Tory logo in the corner instead of the usual one for the Government of Canada.
Cape Breton Post

-Nova Scotia’s three Federal Conservative ridings getting more stimulus cash than the other eight put together! Halifax Chronicle Herald

-This is ridiculous!Winnipeg Free Press

UPDATE:
Prime Minister's Office downplays MP's actions ... but calls behaviour ... 'inappropriate'!

"OTTAWA–The government's push to abandon much of the Kyoto Protocol prompted dozens of developing countries to walk out on Canada's address during recent climate talks in Thailand, The Canadian Press has learned. The mass walkout came after the Canadian delegation suggested replacing the Kyoto Protocol with an entirely new global-warming pact, according to one of the negotiators and notes taken by others at the meeting. [...] At that point, the South African delegation stood up and led the Group of 77 developing nations – except for a group of small island states – out of the room."
Canadian Press

By the way ... you will notice that by and large, the MSM is ignoring this story because ... well ... Canadians like to operate under the constant illusion that the entire world likes us at all times :)

"Some months ago I was encouraged to return to federal politics. I succumbed. Big mistake. Yesterday I corrected that, and am returning my Liberal decoder ring. In fact, it’s fair to say my experiences in politics over the past four years have reminded me why 97% of Canadians do not belong to a party.

My motivation for dallying with MPship again was similar to my desire to maintain this conversation with you. The times are uncertain. Questionable decisions have been made. The consequences will be long-lasting. We should elect people driven to solve problems, not just attracted to power.

To date, no party or leader has treated you honestly to an explanation of what a $56 billion deficit or $600 billion debt mean for your family or your finances. Suggesting there’ll be no tax hikes, spending cuts or mortgage increases is akin to Stephen Harper telling us one year ago Canada was immune to recession and our budget would stay balanced. It’s crap. But apparently crap that people like hearing.

Such talk has surely not endeared me to the new Liberal leader. Can’t say I’m surprised. But neither can I stay. I’m too old and crusty to cave now."
Garth Turner's Blog

Official Statement by Garth Turner:
"After being recruited to run for MP in the Ontario riding of Dufferin-Caledon, and having my candidacy approved by the Liberal Party last July, today I informed the leader of my resignation.

My hope in returning to Parliament was to help clear the path to a viable economic future. Stephen Harper’s $56 billion deficit and profligate spending are massive threats. But also threatening is a lack of debate about viable options and an honest conversation with voters and citizens on the looming consequences.

Therefore it’s hard to see what the coming election will be about if we’re not prepared to discuss the options in the wake of the Harper fiscal disaster. Economic growth alone won’t wipe out an historic debt load or the need for spending cuts and tax hikes. The looming HST in Ontario and BC is likely but a taste of medicine to come. This is what Canadians need to understand.

A year ago Stephen Harper said there would be no recession and no deficit. That was untrue. Now he says there will be no consequences of our record shortfall. Also untrue.

In my financial books and writings I’ve warned of the need for families to invest wisely, use debt carefully and live within their means in an uncertain world. Rather than tell voters interest rates and taxes won’t rise nor spending fall, leaders should guide us all into realistic choices. Sadly, that doesn’t win elections.

In Dufferin-Caledon I have been the only nominee for MP candidate since August. I’m interpreting the leader’s failure to allow a nomination meeting as a signal my views are unwelcome.

- 30 -

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I don't know about you, but I feel that I have a lot to be thankful for!

Awesome!!!

"The outrageous reaction by Rush Limbaugh, RNC Chairman Michael Steele, and others to President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is the latest sad example of Republicans putting politics before country by rooting for America to fail. House Republicans should immediately condemn these outrageous statements asserting that they are 'on the same side as the Taliban.'

"Rush Limbaugh and his Republican allies may, as Rush Limbaugh said, 'all agree with the Taliban and Iran,' but millions of Americans see the President's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize as an affirmation of our nation's values and it should be celebrated.

"Democrats and Republicans should join President Obama in seeing this award as a call to action against the common economic and security challenges we all share."
DCCC Chair
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

RCMP Officer's Lawyer Refers To Dziekanski As A 'Whackjob'
Const. Millington's lawyer contends his clients actions justified

The lawyer for RCMP Constable Millington justified the multiple tasering of Robert Dziekanski because he was a 'whackjob'.

Would one of the lawyers at the Tribunal please determine if the word 'whackjob' is an official RCMP term, used in their official lexicon or training?

If not, would someone please tell me why this type of crap is being allowed as a 'defence' at the hearings into the death of Mr. Dziekanski?

Edmonton Sun

"Hey Liberals! Aren’t you glad you weren’t actually able to bring down the government last week? And Tories — oh, come on, admit it: that ‘nobody wants another election’ talking point has to be starting to stick in your craw right about now. Not only are you firmly planted in just-possibly-depending-how-the-splits-go majority territory, but the Liberals have managed to drop below their 2008 election day support, which up until now was widely thought to be the absolute floor.

So, if you were sitting around the OLO conference room, trying to avoid making eye contact with Ian Davey and wondering if there’s any precedent for senior strategists crossing the floor, what part of today’s EKOS report would you find the most worrying — other than, you know, the numbers?

Here’s a suggestion: for the first time in more than two years, you’re not only trailing the Conservatives in Quebec — yes, it took a while to work through the system, but that much anticipated plunge finally seems to have happened — but in Atlantic Canada as well. Atlantic Canada! That was your one remaining beachhead of stubborn support!

Really, how on earth can you possibly have managed to alienate Canadians so consistently from coast to coast to coast? It’s actually kind of staggering when you think about it, although I’m sure that any number of commenters will be along to explain, in excruciating detail, exactly what has gone so terribly, horribly wrong. (The various leaders’ approval numbers, which are also included in today’s findings, should provide ample fodder for that particular debate.)"
Kady O'Malley
Macleans

"When a rocket booster slams into the moon early Friday morning, followed four minutes later by a space probe sniffing for signs of water, NASA and some of the world's biggest telescopes won't be the only ones watching the show.

The resulting plume of debris rising above the south pole of the moon from the first impact should create an eye-catching event on Earth, one visible to anyone west of the Mississippi with a telescope that has a diameter larger than 10 to 12 inches.

And this time, that backyard telescope just might have a scientific contribution to make.

At NASA's Ames Research Center, where the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission is being controlled, well over 1,000 people are expected to show up at Moffett Field, many camping overnight, to catch the scheduled 4:30 a.m. impact. Moonwalking Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke will speak Thursday evening, and starting at 3:30 a.m. Friday, the public is welcome at Ames to watch the LCROSS impact by a TV hook-up."
Mercury News

The 'VOTING' pencil ....

Data from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health published in 2006 found 3,892 deaths attributable to alcohol in Canada. If a disease like Swine Flu killed that many people, we'd be going off the deep end in Canada.

The problem with our existing liquor control laws is that we are still loosing hundreds of innocent people a year on our roadways to drinking and driving.

Unfortuantely, alcoholism is such that a group of people who drive are under the influence of alcohol at all times. They are high tolerance drinkers who do not slur their words and who otherwise seem under control. These are the people who potentially can be taken off the road with the new measures.

It is unfortunate that our existing laws do not allow identification of this type of drinker. The ongoing slaughter on our highways, unfortunately, leaves us little choice as a society but to up the ante. 'Unfortunate' is the appropriate word here, because efforts needed to control the irresponsible actions by individuals who drink and drive potentially infringe on my rights and freedoms.

I used to be a cigarette smoker many years ago when there were few anti-smoking regulations. I smoked on airplanes, in movie theaters and in my place of work. I didn't care what the non-smokers thought ... smoking was my right as an individual. As the years went by, our society decided that the health risks and deaths of non-smokers required restrictions on 'individuals' like me who demanded my 'rights'.

As a progressive lefty, I acknowledge that from time to time the greater good of the community outweighs my individual demands. Same with drinking and driving. The drinkers won't stop driving so we all potentially need to pay the price to enforce 'control' upon them so that innocent people stop dying at their hands.

"Although Canada has very stringent drinking and driving laws and sanctions, more than 750 vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists were killed annually from 2003 to 2005 in crashes where a driver had been drinking. This number is by necessity a conservative estimate because in certain cases it's unknown whether the driver was drinking. Some traffic safety organizations estimate that the number of victims is considerably higher. The precise figure may be in question, but there is no question in anyone's mind that alcohol use by drivers causes many unnecessary deaths and injuries."
Transport Canada

(The future Canadian Monarch - King Charles III - ..... no thanks ....)

"MONTREAL–A group of radical Quebec sovereigntists with a history of raising a ruckus has found a new target: Prince Charles. Le Réseau de Résistance du Québécois pounced after learning that the prince's planned Canadian tour next month would include a stop in Quebec. Group leader Patrick Bourgeois warned Charles to stay out of the province. "Quebecers have nothing to do with the British monarchy," Bourgeois wrote in Le Québécois newsletter."
The Star

The way that the MSM is portraying objections to Prince Charles' trip to Canada, you would think that it is only radical separatists who want him to stay away.

I am not a separatist, I live in Saskatchewan but I too want Canada to have nothing to do with Mr. Windsor, his family and their 'role' as our royal family.

I am not British. I am a Canadian. It's time for this nation to untangle itself from the constitutional monarchy. It is idiotic and it is high time we find some mechanism that allows us to end this stupid arrangement.

By the time that the current British monarch passes away at the end of her life, Canada should have legal and constitutional mechanisms in place that allow us to officially detach from the British Royal Family. I will never accept one of these boys as a future 'King' of Canada.

"Britain's Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are going to Canada. The couple will spend 11 days in the country next month, visiting 12 cities on a trip which takes place shortly before Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth - the Canadian head of state - visits with her husband Prince Philip as part of an effort by Britain to renew and strengthen its ties with Canada."
Royal Watch

Forty years ago today, the first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus aired on television.
Google News

Blogger, 'Montreal Simon' has a great post up today that expresses his frustration with the political fighting by both New Democrat and Liberal bloggers this past week. It's worth a read, by all participants of the dispute.

"Gawd. What a horrible week in politics it has been. And now it's raining. And that monstrous cloud formation is hovering over my head again.

Gulp.

And to make matters worse my Liberal and NDP friends are fighting each other. And since I believe in the Anyone But Harper Party.... I'm getting it from BOTH sides. Is that fair eh?

Especially since it's all so absurd. Stephen Harper pretending he doesn't want an election, when he's probably drooling so much John Baird has to follow him around with a mop. The NDP on the defensive...feeling guilty for saving us from a Con majority. And the Liberals on the offensive. But going nowhere..."
Montreal Simon Blog

Here's hoping that Monsieur Denis Coderre refuses to be disciplined by Iffy. And if Coderre is in trouble with Iffy ... why isn't Justin Trudeau going to face 'consequences'? I'll tell you why, because Ignatieff wouldn't survive reprimanding Trudeau!

Ignatieff says Coderre will face 'consequences'!



Cartoon by kind permission of
Graeme MacKay at mackaycartoons.net