Kinny's Comments

Erections Canada

2008-04-25T10:27:00.002-03:00

The title's not a misprint. It's what I think Elections Canada should be renamed, considering their tactics regarding the bullet-proof vest clad storming of Conservative HQ by the RCMP last week.

I think John Robson makes the point far better than I could though; at least he's done his homework: In the battle pitting the federal Conservatives against Elections Canada, the opposition and the press, a typical Ottawa competition to see who can perform most discreditably, my money was on the Tories. Until I made a crucial blunder: I did research.

John goes on to say "At this point I foolishly read what I hope were all the relevant sections of the 500-plus page Canada Elections Act. Here, in unavoidable legalese, is what I found.
The Act does set separate spending limits for registered parties (clause 422.1) and for their candidates (clauses 440 and 441). But Clause 422 (2) lets parties give money to local candidates and not count it as "an election expense..." So the key question is whether those candidates can spend that or any other money, up to their local limit, on what is essentially national advertising. And the crucial Clause 407 (1) defines an "election expense" as "any cost incurred, or non-monetary contribution received, by a registered party or a candidate, to the extent that the property or service for which the cost was incurred, or the nonmonetary contribution received, is used to directly promote or oppose a registered party, its leader or a candidate during an election period." What in there says local spending must happen locally or concern local issues? I see nothing."

For a guy who admitedly had a preconceived notion (that the Tories were guilty) to come away from this thinking that they are on the right side of this issue leaves me questioning the true motives of Elections Canada.

If they continue to act like a bunch of big dicks, then perhaps they deserve the title given at the top of this post.

Dion: What The Media Pundits Have Failed To Recognize

2008-03-27T00:00:00.002-03:00

I haven't had much to say lately that hasn't been better said elsewhere. If you're reading this, you may think "You still don't. Shut up!"

From National Newswatch, I caught the headlines of two interesting opinions regarding the plight of Stephane Dion.

The first is from L Ian MacDonald:

The party is broke in Quebec. There's no plan for a campaign. The infighting among organizers is ugly, like Tories in the bad old days. And the Liberals are completely out of the game in the 50 Quebec seats outside Montreal.

The second is from Don Martin:

Mr. Dion's new more asser tive-looking glasses hardly overcome an ivory tower tan and passive demeanor, which create the impression of someone who, like me, was the favourite wedgie target for elementary school bullies.
As one party insider noted hopefully when asked for image advice: "Mr. Dion is a great fly fisher, so maybe we could do more photo-ops in a boat?"
Um, Stockwell Day on a jet ski ring any bells?

The truth is far more foreboding for Mr. Dion. It's one of those things that probably aren't recognizable from ninety eight percent of the electorate: only intelligent people are capable of recognizing intelligence in others.

If you think about the above sentence, you'll arrive at the conlusion that both Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion are at a level of intelligence that most people simply can't recognize. Sure, you could easily spot a person with an IQ of 80 after a brief discussion if you were to meet them on the street. What if you had met Bill Gates or Thomas Edison on the street?

Both Stephane Dion and Stephen Harper are men that have that level of intelligence. The unfortunate aspect of genius is that it can either be a genius for everything, or it can be a genius in certain categories. Until Stephane Dion can develop a genius for political strategy, he is doomed to remain where he belongs.

Cowboy vests and goofy glasses won't be the deciding factor in an election. Public perception of the man behind them will be.

Good Luck Chuck

2008-02-29T23:50:00.002-04:00

"Good Luck Chuck" was a comedy/romance movie about a guy who loses every girl he dates to her future husband. It was funny.

What isn't very funny is the latest accusations that the Conservatives had tried to entice a dying MP with a million dollar life insurance policy for his vote.

If true, it must've been something they learned from this case.

They better hope the same "ethics" investigators are handling this case, in which we should see a flurry of Liberal resignations in the near future.

According to media reports, Cadman was offered a million dollar life insurance policy. Perhaps they should have just given the standard offer of fur.

Good Will Hunting

2007-12-24T19:45:00.000-04:00

I know the title's been used before, but I must confess that it seemed appropriate for this little item on National Newswatch.

US actor Will Smith has stunned fans by reportedly declaring that Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was essentially a "good" person.

"Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'Let me do the most evil thing I can do today," Smith told the newspaper in a wide-ranging interview.

Maybe it's just the influence of the season, but I have to agree with Mr. Smith's hunt to find something good in everyone. It may be considered the "Norm" to jump all over Will Smith for his statements regarding Adolph Hitler, but he wasn't entirely wrong. We all know that Hitler was personally responsible for deaths of millions of people of the Jewish faith, but does anyone know Hitler for his unwillingness to allow his troops to use poison gas on Allied soldiers during World War II?

Will Smith wasn't defending the actions of a psychotic, it seemed more like he was merely expressing his belief that maybe Jesus Christ knew something that we forgot: we're all born in sin. It's what we do from then on that makes us who we are. I like Will Smith, and can't really think of anything good about Hitler, so I'll just skip to the reason of this post:

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Al-salaamu Aleikum.

"Iraq has been taken over by the imperial powers of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks."

2007-12-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

Michael Totten has a new article over at Commentary.

I just returned home from a trip to Fallujah, where I was the only reporter embedded with the United States military. There was, however, an unembedded reporter in the city at the same time. Normally it would be useful to compare what I saw and heard while traveling and working with the Marines with what a colleague saw and heard while working solo. Unfortunately, the other Fallujah reporter was Ali al-Fadhily from Inter Press Services.

You can read "The other Fallujah Reporter" here.

The Unseen Angle

2007-12-12T00:30:00.000-04:00

American - Canadian Acid Rain Agreement.
Support for Nelson Mandela to end Apartheid in South Africa.
The reunification of East and West Germany.
The introduction of televised Question Period in the House Of Commons.
Helping to stop the genocide of innocent Muslims at the hands of the Bosnian Serbs.
The liberation of Kuwait.

These are just six of the accomplishments of the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney.

Of all the things that we are expected to believe of Karlheinz Schreiber's testimony in front of the ethics committee, it is perhaps easiest to understand why he felt it was important for the Progressive Conservative's to regain the trust of Canadians and once again lead this great nation. Apparently, the governments of Germany and France felt the same way.

After reading and watching just about every news item dealing with this topic, the one question that hasn't been asked about this whole affair is: "What if Schreiber's telling the truth?"

Whatever trail you choose to follow regarding how Mulroney got $300,000.00 from Mr. Schreiber, none has yet to prove that any law was broken. That's a lot of bones, but it doesn't make a graveyard.

So why didn't Mulroney admit that he got $300,000.00 from Schreiber? The answer is so obvious that everyone's missing it. Mulroney wasn't asked if he received any money from Schreiber for future consulting work. He was asked if he was paid any money for kickbacks from Airbus. In the legal world, wouldn't those be two completely different things? The proper answers, based on the sworn testimony of Schreiber and statements from Mulroney, are respectfully "yes" and "no". So if Mulroney was asked if he accepted any Airbus kickbacks, why would he mention transactions that weren't related? Why would anybody?

Which leads to today's testimony. If Schreiber is being sincere, then there is definately the possibility that a conspiracy existed to remove Schreiber from his position of influence of politicians in both Canada and Europe. Who would have to gain from his removal? For starters, those companies that lost out to Airbus.

If Canadian, German and French officials could be bought, why couldn't it happen again from politicians that had something to gain by the fallout?

Just something to think about for the sake of excersizing your brain.

The Things We Take For Granted

2007-11-29T03:47:00.000-04:00

Between all the commotion of Karlheinz Schreiber, and the sagging fortunes of the Liberal Party of Canada, it's sometimes all too easy to overlook the things that matter most. Such is the case this week of the loss of a family member. In the room next to me is a greiving 18 year old girl, who has cried herself to sleep the last two nights. (Now I know that you're probably thinking about the joke about the blond girl, you know: I woke up 4 AM this morning and there was a beautiful blonde pounding at the front door;.....So I let her out!!)

Sadly, our companion of 18 years has left and not returned. After 54 birthdays, 18 Christmas seasons, 18 Easter Bunnies, quite a few marital disagreements, a couple of power outages, three graduations, good times and bad times; the one sane creature in our house has disappeared.

It's hard to say goodbye to a pet. I'm not sure I'm ready to yet.

Please come home.

It's Important To Have A Sense Of Humour

2007-11-27T00:42:00.000-04:00

Here's a headline from National Newswatch that caught my eye: Rarely used warrant sought to ensure Schreiber testifies

Here's the first paragraph in the Globe & Mail story: "The federal New Democratic Party says it will table a motion today to use the little-known power of a Speaker's warrant to force Karlheinz Schreiber to testify in front of a parliamentary committee and block his extradition to Germany."

Swallow whatever your drinking or eating, and then think about the above paragraph for a minute or two.

Done yet?

Okay, my query is this: If the NDP, proud supporters of our Armed Forces that they are, are so against sending Afghan terrorists (who kill and maim Afghans and United Nations peacekeepers) to Afghan jails; then what in tarnation (That's a cartoon word) do they think would possibly make Mr. Schreiber say anything that would benefit them?

I think we all know that torture is out of the question. So just how can we be sure that he'll tell them anything?

We can't. That's why it's important to have a sense of humour.

Schreiber: Not Leaving Without A Bang

2007-11-13T01:10:00.000-04:00

It's interesting to view the controversy surrounding the dealings that Brian Mulroney may or not have had with Karlheinz Schreiber. In the latest story from CTV, we learn that now Mulroney himself is calling for a public inquiry. Considering the mountain of material that Mr. Schreiber claims to have available, it appears that Mr. Schreiber came to a decision over a decade ago that if his dealings ever raised suspicion in Germany, he wouldn't go back there without a fight. We don't know all the facts yet, but we are privy to some of the opening arguments: Mr. Mulroney accepted payment for professional services after he left office.
This alone begs the question: Do the public hate Brian Mulroney so much that they would attach what happened in 1994 to the government of today, and moreso to a current Prime Minister who left politics when Brian Mulroney was still in office? It's definately a great magic trick when an alleged criminal can bring down a democratically elected government because he knows how to con the voter as well as his fellow Germans claim that he conned them. It's a great side show, but it doesn't belong in the House of Commons, it belongs in the justice system.
Let's hope that government lawyers don't spend as much of our money getting to the truth of this as they spent investigating the Somalia affair or Peppergate. It would be a travesty of justice if this is the only thing that could get an elected Liberal member of Parlaiment out of his seat to actually vote on something.

Subliminal Warfare Or Just Plain Stupidity?

2007-10-31T21:50:00.000-03:00

From CTV: Tory 'mini budget' passes with Liberal abstention

It's a story that any Canadian would want to hear. Lower taxes. Unfortunately, the writer has subliminally slipped in a message of tax INCREASE that shouldn't be there. Is it more of the mainstream media attack that we've grown accustomed to seeing against this current government, or is it just grammatical masturbation? Here's what caught my eye:

"(Dion) on Monday drew a line in his sandbox," said Harper. "The line was he would never tolerate an increase in the GST, and today he is going to let one pass."

Nice screw up CTV. In case you thought that we wouldn't notice, the GST wasn't increased, it was decreased, by 16.67%. You'll have to be more subliminal to pull the wool over my eyes.

Dr Who And The War On Terror

2007-10-25T23:39:00.000-03:00

Remember the predictions of flying cars that we were all supposed to be using at the start of this century? Meal in a pill? How about personal robotic maids that every family would have? Sure, these are all things that may someday come to pass. To date, the predictions made in such eminent magazines and newspapers such as Popular Science and The New York Times haven't been very accurate. Sure, maybe there has been a flourishing civilization on the Moon since 1990, but neither you or I have been shown any such evidence of it.

So what's the point of this particular blog entry?

From a link in National Newswatch: Tories accused of lying about time needed to stabilize Afghanistan

OTTAWA - The Conservative government was accused Thursday of painting a misleadingly rosy portrait of the situation in Afghanistan that contradicts the view of its own military experts.

The Tories say Afghanistan should be stable enough to handle its own security by 2011 - a view reiterated late Thursday by a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

But opposition parties pounced on far less cheerful assessments of the situation from two leading authorities: Canada's top soldier and the head of NATO.

Gen. Rick Hillier declared it will probably take "10 years or so" for the Afghan army to meet its security demands - and NATO's secretary-general suggested it could take far longer than that.

The opposition accused Harper of ignoring his own military experts and allies because the truth makes him politically uncomfortable.

Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre said: "Mr. Hillier is the expert and he knows better. Someone lied there."

On Afghanistan, the throne speech said Canadian troops should remain deployed for four more years - and then, by 2011, Afghan forces should be able to defend their own sovereignty.

But the NDP wanted to know whether Hillier or Harper was telling the truth.
"This is a very serious matter and I think the Prime Minister needs to respond," NDP Leader Jack Layton said afterwards.

"We got glib responses . . . This is an enormous discrepancy and it does come down to who's telling the truth about this war."

Now for my point. For years we have been treated to various experts, psychics and seers telling us the future. We don't need politicians doing it. If politicians could successfully see the future results of war then Adolph Hitler probably wouldn't have invaded Poland. Saddam Hussein probably wouldn't have violated 17 U.N. Resolutions. To hear Jack Layton paint a point of view or an opinion on something that may or may not happen as a lie is ludicrous. To take him seriously is even moreso.

It was Winston Churchill who once said "We will never surrender".

I don't recall him ever saying in 1941 that "We'll win by May 8th of 1945; news at 11."

It's time we stopped making ridiculous demands of our leaders as to when the wars in Aghanistan or Iraq will be over. Just because we live in a microwave world doesn't mean the rest of the world does.

UPDATE: CTV gazes into their crystal ball, determined that either the Prime Minister or the Chief of Defence is a liar.

"Now we've got a situation where the chief of defence staff is saying one thing. The prime minister and his spinmeisters are saying another. It raises serious questions about whether we have adequate civilian control of this mission, Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Friday after question period.
"The soldiers deserve better. They deserve effective leadership by the civilian elected government of this country and they are not getting it."

The only lie being told in this story is that either the military or the government aren't telling the truth. I don't see anything conclusive offered by the media to suggest that both couldn't be right. Perhaps both are wrong. Perhaps it'll take seven years, instead of four or ten. Only time will tell.

Mike Duffy Live: The Progressives get Regressive

2007-10-16T18:22:00.000-03:00

If you're not watching Mike Duffy Live on CTV this Throne Speech night, you should at least take a peek when it's rerun later tonight. The show's only been on for minutes, and I was already treated to the perfect example of why one should be cautious about voting Liberal or NDP should an election arise.
Here's the link here.

The Six Million Dollar Man

2007-10-16T17:08:00.000-03:00

Thank you fellow Islanders for voting in a Liberal government here on Prince Edward Island. It's been so long since we've last had a deficit in the area of the $42-million just announced in today's provincial budget. I know, it's not like the last liberal budget deficit of $71.4-million that we had back in 1993, but at least they're making the effort. Of special interest is the $4.4 cents per litre I save every time I put gas in the car, and all you fellow Islanders that have never even driven a car get to pay for it, to the tune of $6 million this year.
Plus interest.

Here's the details on CBC's website.

The deficit tops any brought in during the Progressive Conservatives' 10 years in power — with a peak of $39.5 million in 2004 — but it is not the largest budget deficit ever on P.E.I. In 1993, Liberal Premier Catherine Callbeck brought down a deficit of $71.4 million.

Two Good Reasons To Read Azure

2007-10-16T03:56:00.000-03:00

This is the first. This is the second. See if you can find more reasons.

Throne Speech Eve Prediction

2007-10-16T03:07:00.000-03:00

Will Stephan Dion be the next Canadian Prime Minister?

Controlling The Message

2007-10-16T00:04:00.000-03:00

This story from CTV has to be one of the most ironic I've seen yet.

The Prime Minister's Office has no plans to build a government-controlled briefing room, which would supplant the current National Press Theatre.
A news report on Monday said a plan, with an estimated cost of $2 million, has been in the works since at least last year.
The Privy Council Office and the PMO have been working on the "special project for the PM, otherwise reffered (sic) as the Shoe Store Project," said the documents obtained by the Toronto Star under the Access to Information Act.

The Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles, who first reported the story said she requested the documents about a year ago and received them late Thursday night.
"There was nothing in there that indicated that the project was not going to go ahead and ... today the Prime Minister's Office is saying they're not pursuing it," MacCharles told CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live.

I urge you to read the comments section that CTV's website has on this article. They're still looking for commenters, but if you put anything of any truth there to set people straight, they're not likely to post it. I've tried. I've given up. Same thing at the Globe & Mail. Could it be that the media has become what the mental midgets commenting on this article claim that Stephen Harper has become? Could it be that the media is taking a fascist position and filling our minds with liberal propaganda?
Nah.
But as Little Johnny once said, "I like the way you're thinking".

Another point of view here, here, here and here.

Once Again, The Critics Are Full Of B.S.

2007-10-10T12:50:00.000-03:00

From the Ottawa Citizen: Throne speech timing will cut off critics, opposition says.

Opposition MPs are accusing Prime Minister Stephen Harper of manipulating Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean and her speech from the throne next week to maximize government control over news at the expense of opposition parties.
But the Proclamation Summoning Parliament to Meet reveals Mr. Harper has broken longstanding convention by scheduling the speech to be delivered at 6:35 p.m., at least three hours later than the tradition.
Liberal leader Stéphane Dion may have the most to lose because the late start means his Commons response to the outline of government intentions for the new session will be pushed into the evening.
More important, his divided party may have difficulty hammering out a clear and prompt response in time for nightly television broadcasting and newspaper publication cycles, says the NDP.
"It's all about spin," said Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale. "It's all about trying to enhance the government's message by focusing on prime time and then minimizing the opportunity for response and reaction. It's bending parliamentary convention and protocol to suit the government's convenience."

It's not easy at first glance to see who's more upset at this after-supper delight; the opposition parties or the media.

The media tells us what the response from the politicians is. In the case of the Throne speech, it's the media that are going to have to stay up late(r) to present to us the various responses to the speech.

This begs the question: If 9/11 had occured at 6:35 PM, would there not have been enough reporters around to give us the story? It still happened, just as this Throne Speech will happen. If it's so important that the critics have a chance to pour their opinions on us, they'll just have to do what most Canadians in other fields of work have had to experience: work overtime. The funny thing about this speech from the Throne is that everything points to it being a positive speech that will be acceptible by the majority of Canadians. If you can't attack the message, and you haven't been able to put a dent in the messenger, what else is left to attack but the delivery of the message?

H/T National Newswatch.

Update: I'm not the only one with this opinion.

"I think he's just out to get the Jewish vote."

2007-10-08T03:34:00.000-03:00

From the "Ya Think?" Department: ( Michelle ) Kofman was one of several Jewish people who have expressed discomfort with the colourful greeting card sent out by the Prime Minister's Office to celebrate the religious new year holiday.

She feels the Rosh Hashanah card is an attempt to exploit her religion for political gain. "I think he's just out to get the Jewish vote."

Actually, this story is from The Gazette. Read the whole story and then ask yourself this question: Is Michelle really concerned about the fact that the government could obtain her name and address from any number of publicly available resources, or is it just that she's reinforcing a dislike for Stephen Harper and doesn't know quite how to admit it? Let's be realistic, Michelle. ALL politicians want your vote. It's how they survive. If you don't like the card, send it back.

H/T National Newswatch

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now …

2007-10-07T23:43:00.000-03:00

Christopher Hitchens has an excellent soul-searing story in this months Vanity Fair. The title, A Death In The Family, says it all.

Any Chance We Could Hire Gen David Patreus?

2007-10-03T02:26:00.000-03:00

Gen Rick Hillier is being replaced, according to this story from CTV. I thought that he would have been kept on as Chief Of Defence Staff, but somebody high up apparently knows something I don't. Whatever it is, I hope they keep it to themselves. This man has served his country and continues to do so. The only ones who should celebrate the news of his departure I think would be the Taliban.

Mulroney: The Not So Great Debate.

2007-10-01T04:40:00.000-03:00

Over at Calgary Grit, there's a bit of a debate over the legacy of Brian Mulroney. CG's certainly willing to expand his horizons, but not everybody in the comments section is. Anybody wanna help? With all the talent at Blogging Tories, surely somebody will take a stab.

The Difference Between NDP Surrender & Afghanistan Democracy

2007-09-29T23:32:00.000-03:00

Jack Layton says we have to leave Afghanistan now. Right now. Yesterday even.

President Karzai says he's open to dialogue with the Taliban, even offering them a place at the government table, providing that they accept that the United Nations and NATO will remain to provide assistance to the impoverished people of Afghanistan.

One says "Let's get the hell out of there."

The other says "Please don't leave, we need you."

Both say negotiations with the Taliban are encouraged.

Which brings to attention this article from the Globe And Mail.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says the Taliban will have to renounce violence and accept the NATO mission in Afghanistan if it wants to work with the Afghan government.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai renewed his call Saturday for talks with the Taliban after a deadly suicide bombing in Kabul.
Mr. Karzai said he wants to meet with Taliban leader Mullah Omar for peace talks and is willing to consider giving the militants a position in government.
Speaking at an enrolment ceremony for new military personnel in Halifax, Mr. MacKay says any co-operation must include the preconditions that Mr. Karzai has laid out. Those include the Taliban's renunciation of violence and acceptance of the fact that NATO forces aren't leaving the country any time soon.

If you haven't yet read the article, I suggest you do so. I must warn you though that you may suffer significant blood loss from the tongue if you choose to read the comments.

Read cautiously, and remember that the people who commented aren't necessarily idiots, it's possible that they just haven't acknowledged the truth yet.

Jack Bauer: Keeping America Safe ( Except On Weekends )

2007-09-26T02:06:00.000-03:00

Yeah, yeah. I know, you're probably sick of hearing about the plight of over-paid actors who make the same stupid mistake that any of us could and then it becomes a big news item. Honestly, I've learned to ignore the O.J. - Britney - Paris - Etc garbage that the media thinks our life revolves around. I just couldn't ignore this one. My favorite television actor, Keifer Sutherland, got busted again for DUI. Him getting busted isn't the problem. The problem is my first reaction, which is "Damn. There goes another good show."

Kinda selfish, isn't it?

H/T: The missus, and National Newswatch.

Federal Election?

2007-09-24T13:27:00.000-03:00

As hard as it may be for the Conservative Party of Canada to avoid a Fall election, it must be even moreso for the Liberal Party of Canada. I must admit that I recognize that Mr. Dion is a very intelligent man but this didn't help him in Quebec. The unfortunate aspect of this is that with such a dismal performance, the eager beavers ( or is it puffins?) lining up behind him with knives up their shirtsleeves may decide that it's better to get rid of him sooner rather than later so that they may take another shot at fullfilling their own leadership campaigns. It's doubtful that the Bloc Quebecois will support another Throne speech, they've got to show that they have a backbone. The NDP have good reason to feel a little cocky right about now, considering their success in Outremont. This leaves Dion at the mercy of the party apparatus.

I may be wrong about the prospect of a Fall election, but since I'm gambling here I may as well go out on a limb and suggest that if the Liberals do force a Fall election, Quebec is likely to pull over the car and tell the Libs to get out and walk.

There Goes The Neighborhood

2007-09-24T03:49:00.000-03:00

From FOXNews.com: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Arrives in NYC for Controversial Visit

Ahmadinejad, who has called the Holocaust "a myth," encouraged the destruction of Israel and supported terrorists in Iraq, will address the United Nations General Assembly and a Columbia University forum but will not be allowed to tour Ground Zero.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Alie Hosseini appeared dismayed that Ahmadinejad's request to visit the site of the World Trade Center attacks was rejected.

According to all the so-called experts that I've seen on t.v. today, the purpose of the Iranian President's visit to Columbia and his initial plan to visit the WTC site was to reject America's threats against Iran and to offer us capitalist infidels information that he feels is vital to our understanding of his society. I think the experts are missing the point. In much the same way that the 911 terrorists distracted us from the plans of Bin Laden, I believe that this too is designed with the same purpose in mind. That is to say that while America's liberals are debating about what to do about this poor, misunderstood soul, his country will be able to pursue its nuclear strategy unhindered.

Those of us who can see the truth for what it is won't be fooled.

Those looking to win elections despite the blood, sweat and tears of our brave militaries will.