— Musings —04.03.2011 09:28 AM
KCCCC Day 9: Platform, platform, who’s got the platform?
- It’s Sunday, so KCCCC should be taking a day of rest. But we won’t! If Iggy is up, working to unveil his platform, then we work, too! After Mass.
- So, um, about that platform: As in comedy, platform timing is everything. Mike Harris released his Common Sense one more than a year before the writ – and he won a big majority. Jean Chretien released his Red Book at the start of the campaign – and he won a massive majority. Stephen Harper didn’t really release one at all, last time, and he won anyway. So what to do? The Grits, clearly, want to press the advantage they’ve been building up in Week One: they’re releasing theirs today, with a focus on families. Will it pay dividends? I think so: if nothing else, platforms provide a useful prop for leaders under attack (and, believe me, Iggy will be facing an even more vicious Con attack, soon enough). They can wave it around and say: “Don’t believe the lies the other guy is saying about me. Here’s my plan. Read it for yourself.” Mostly, it tells voters that you’ve prepared for government, and you’re ready.
- Media roundup: Even longtime Harper cheerleaders are saying the Reformatory boss isn’t doing so well. Lorne Gunter: “Mr. Harper and his party stumbled on the week’s two big issues -who should participate in the leaders’ debate and the threat of a post-election coalition among the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois. They seemed unprepared for the election, despite being as eager for one as any other party (and despite having far more resources than their rivals). A party that has developed a reputation for tightly scripting its messages and for its Machiavellian manipulation of its opponents looked decidedly pedestrian as it let others define the debate issue.” John Robson: “…the Conservative party [is] nowhere near me. I [am] pro-life, seriously pro-military and against big-spending high-taxing governments. If Stephen Harper took the poll giving answers honestly drawn from the actual performance and platform of his party, he wouldn’t get that result, I can tell you.”
- Pic of the day: From Harper’s avail this morning on the youth fitness incentive, taking place at a gym where people are working out. This one is weirder than weird. Caption contest!
“Mommy the jocks are picking on me again”
LOL
I agree, that picture does look weird.
Just listening to the liberal launch.
An enhanced CPP really resonates with me.
My employer switched all staff from a defined benefit to a defined contribution pension plan and I would much prefer to put my money into voluntary additional CPP contributions.
“Coming soon: your employer is going to contract you out.” Soon? This has been well underway with the rise of right-wing governments in the industrialized, western world. Bottom line: the enhanced CPP will protect those that have been or otherwise will be screwed by right-wing deregulation policies. All the right wants is for workers to be transformed into slaves without benefits like you mention (i.e., EI, Mat leave). Without a public pension, because private pensions have largely disappeared to line the pockets of the rich, right-wing business elite, the majority of Canadians would be screwed. Absolutely fucked.
You kiss your mother with that mouth?
Piss of Wayne.
“The Conservative Leader may end most speeches with ‘God bless Canada,’ but when he loses his temper he can let forth a stream of profanity that would make a longshoreman blanch.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/archives/who-is-stephen-harper/article809018/singlepage/#articlecontent
And once again you miss the point. The contracted out worker pays both the employer and employee portion of CPP and generally splits that CPP investment with his spouse if he/she puts them on the payroll.
Therefore an expanded CPP with voluntary increased payments makes sense for many people.
You want to mess with me? Do ya punk? I will unleash the Harper Nation on your ass.
(Nation in background 🙂
What is it with the Tories and tax credits. Almost all their platform; such as it is; is made up of tax credits; many of which don’t start for 5 years or more.
The increase in the physical incentive, released this morning, is a case in point. The $1000.00 is in reality only $150.00 at most and then only if you a rich enough to pay taxes and it won’t start for years.
Do they really think Canadians are stupid enough to believe they are getting up to a $1000.00. I guess they do.
And Harper said they would set up an expert panel to review what kinds of fitness activities will qualify. Personal trainers? Yoga resorts? Ski passes?
I note the complete absence of Jim Flahrrty’s voice in all of this. Why? Well, I suspect it’s because no real conservative in their right mind could support it. It’s not conservatism; it’s at best populism.
They’ve tied up all the fiscal capacity of the country for the next who knows how long so all they have left are nickel and dime pain in the ass tax cuts gerrymandered to the electorate. That is not governing, that’s called faking it.
Imagine what they’ll do to the Health Accord in 2014, especially when government revenue is down and expenses are already maxed out.
Nice one Harper.
What appears to be a boy on the bottom right of photo.
“Lo lo lo lo, la la la la , I can’t hear you, lo lo lo lo, la la, la, la……..”
I wonder if the political parties have worked out a strategy to deal with the upcoming Royal Wedding which is going to suck all the media oxygen out of the room as April draws to a close. The party that would seem to benefit most from the wedding would be the Tories as it puts the whole campaign, and not just Harper, in a bubble for the week before the vote.
I expect the wedding played a part in the choice of May 2nd. as the day of the vote.
Stephen Harper sports an emo look as he plays an air synthesizer, during the taping of a Conservative Music Video Ad.
The video, set to Phil Collin’s Easy Lover, is slated to air nationwide at 4 AM on Much Music, every day until the election.
“My PMO jihadis aren’t just born mean: they’re carefully selected, trained, and bred to stay that way. It also helps if we don’t feed them.”
Interesting article. Mostly fair but I understand the need to cheer for your team! And you’re welcome (re your thanks to contributors) this is fun!
I don’t get this “stench of death” nonsense at all. Things are going well for Conservatives in this “unnecessary” election. I wouldn’t focus at all on the media reaction. Ignatieff is a former journalist and pundit, so it makes sense that the journalist/pundit class get a tingle up their legs when one of their own speak. But everybody in Canada knows the media despise Harper. So nobody listens to the media anymore. My attitude to the media is like that of His Worship Mayor Rob Ford: “I love the Toronto Star. They have the best sports pages.”
So why if Ignatieff is doing so well (“surging”) and Harper so poorly (“stench of death”) are the Conservatives so far ahead and building support and momentum? It’s because this campaign has been going since September 1, 2009 (“Mr Harper, your time is up”). Mr Harper has used the time since then to build the “winning conditions” so when the campaign did arrive, he had prepared the ground for a majority win. Mr Ignatieff did nothing other than chase headlines in false contrived scandals and other trivial matters. He evidently thought that once he forced an election on “ethics,” he would win just on the force of his personality and ego. But the former professor should know there are consequences to not doing your homework and thinking you’ll just ace the final exam.
I have always believed that nothing would change in any election (result: Conservative minority government) unless something dramatic happens in Quebec. After all, the Conservatives won a majority of seats in Rest of Canada in October 2008 Election (CPC = 43.29% for 133 seats; Liberals = 27.13% for 63 seats; NDP = 20.32% for 36 seats). People realize that the only thing that prevents a Conservative majority is the Bloc Quebecois, not fear of the so-con “hidden agenda.”
Something interesting may be happening in Quebec which the Toronto media is not paying attention to, with their fascination with trivial issues (debates about debates, attendance at rallies etc) and personalities of the leaders.
I am trying to pay attention to Quebec, but the Toronto media seems completely disinterested. I am hopeful for more reporting and less “journalism” from our media. But with current rends I am not too hopeful.
Re Media – did you catch Jeffrey Simpson on Power Play? Nailed it! The public care less about the media than they do as to Harper treats them. I’d say the press should just shut up about their personal bitches – it doesn’t resonate, many detest them and they are making it worse for themselves all the time.
That Conrad Black quote looks better all the time
sorry – should have been as to how Harper treats the. Any the press just doesn’t get it – many’t care about them or their opinions anymore. Lost a lot of us a long time ago.
Hi JH. No I didn’t see it. I stopped listening or paying attention to Jeffrey Simpson years ago. Andrew Coyne used to be good but he really lost me with his obsession about Karl-Heinz Schreiber. Seems like a million years ago. Chantal Hebert is usually good when she talks about Quebec, but obviously has to please her editors at the Toronto Star so she has to come out with the usual lame anti-Harper stuff. JD Bellavance of La Presse on Power Play is always good and I always learn something from him. He was the one who broke the story of the CROP poll in La Presse showing Liberals at 11% in Quebec and 7% among francophones, probably the most under-reported “poll” story of the election so far.
I like Jean Lapierre because he knows what he is talking about and because he has no dog in the fight. He “flabbergasted” Don Martin on Power Play because Lapierre didn’t agree with the Toronto media line about Charest and Duceppe hurting Harper in Quebec because of Lower Churchill. Nobody in the Toronto media seem to have a clue about Quebec and what is happening there, which is really impacting the coverage of this election.
Ignatieff is a ex-journalist, ex BBC TV talk show host and ex-pundit so of course the journalist/TV talk show host/pundit class will get tingles going up their legs whenever one of their own speaks. I agree Ignatieff looks good on TV giving a lecture (I mean speech) but so what. This is not West Wing. We are electing a leader, not an actor who plays a leader on TV.
What little coverage there is about the election in Quebec tells me that Quebeckers are immune from this Ignatieff personality cult that the Toronto Star and CBC are trying to create.
I disagree with you about Chantal Hebert re Harper — Hebert has, IMO, always been scrupulously fair in what she’s said about Harper. She’s never stooped to gratuitous insults or anything like that. Any criticism she’s had of Harper has been generally legit and based on fact. There are lots of other journos in this country who have a clear hate-on for Harper (e.g., Lawrence Martin, Jeffrey Simpson, Marci MacDonald, Heather Mallick), but Hebert is not one of them.
“Already the package so far looks like a bunch of new entitlement lollipops”
It maybe lollipops to you Gord but I expect Canadians will be more impressed with a permanent $13,500.00 tax credit on home renovations starting this year than another $500.00 tax credit on their gym membership that won’t start for five years, if ever.
Laffer curve! How quaint.
Comment of the day. Hands down.
Keep up the good fight Gord. Some of the folks in here are as thick as planks but maybe one day they will grab a clue.
The majority of Canadians already have a clue Wayne, and they are tired of the contempt that the Reformatories have for them.
Yup, that’s Gord, one of the biggest thinkers of Innisfail, AB: population — 7,883.
Why did the Harper Chicken cross the road? To avoid the debate train!
Harper is already starting off week two with a lamer than usual excuse.
“If elected, the Harper Government pledges to establish an anti-wedgie training program for youth, starting in 2016.”
And I heard that in Newfoundland he’s promised to stop car accidents.
On first glance, the Red Book shows spending $3b more than the estimated corp tax reversal ‘saves’, $4 b of it structural long term spending,
and it is unclear how the Libs would get to balanced bugets in 2015.
Perhaps the answer is in the Cap and Tax enviro policy, or in the ‘regulating of the oil sands’ Ignatieff promised last week.
hey look. new simultaneous talking ponits by Gordo and Willie. What a surprise.
yeah: at least Postmedia isn’t completely playing along:
“Tories react to Grit platform before reading it
…Two weeks ago, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty accused the [Opp.] of deciding to oppose his budget before they had read it.”
http://blog.decisioncanada.ca/conservatives/tories-react-to-grit-platform-before-reading-it/
“Tories update their “reaction” to Liberal platform
…The new version is virtually identical to the first one, apart from replacing Conservative spokesman Fred DeLorey’s name on the new release with that of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
The earlier version was available about two hours before the Liberal platform was unveiled.”
http://blog.decisioncanada.ca/conservatives/tories-update-their-reaction-to-liberal-platform/
“To my friends from the media who don’t think I am answering enough questions, I invite you to step around the barricade…”
“Canadians, I am here today to prove that while I backed out of a one-to-one with Mr. Ignatieff, I am not afraid to stand in this room with these kids kicking and jumping around. That’s leadership. That’s why we need a stable, majority Conservative Government.”
“Mr. Ignatieff, I call you saying, “anywhere, anytime”. Well, right here, right now with my crack security posse!”
It’s a good platform & good timing.
Harper has absolutely nothing of substance to offer in real time.
In five years ……… Maybe if …………. Coalition. Attack. Coaliton. Hide from reporters.
This is Harper’s “my auntie” campaign.
As in: if his auntie had balls she woulda been his uncle.
BUT she doesn’t.
Go IGGY GO!!
I, too, thought the 2008 Conserv campaign worked well in laying out a new item each day. I got the idea that the rest of the day was made up of the other parties reacting to the Conserv ‘plank -of -the -day.’ But I think that a Lib minority in 2006 became a Conserv minority because of the RCMP involvement with the income trust investigation leak, and that carried over to 2008.
On reducing corporate tax rates from 18% to 14% I am not so sure I agree with you there. I realize that a corporation is a ‘corporate citizen,’ while I am a mere ‘human citizen.’ But on my (yet to be completed) personal tax return, my pension plus some part time work just edges me from paying the 15% of the lowest income bracket into the 22% of the next higher bracket, – and I am supposed to be for banks, oil companies and mining giants dropping from 18% on their profits to 14%?
I sent in this scene I wrote for our new blockbuster movie we are making about our dear Canada’s entrepreneurial class:
Scene: corporate boardroom in Central Canada (where the arch centralists live)
CFO: Our tax rate on profits has been dropped from 18% to 14%. What should we do with this windfall?
CEO: I know – let’s create jobs right here in Canada.
The film producer and director returned the scene to me saying that the project is a serious work, not a comedy. I have to rewrite it.
Sounds like trickle down economics, Gord. How well has that worked out for the Americans?
You’re delusional Gord. Get some help.
“Tell the caterer no more roasted garlic sandwiches.”
I’m sorry, Gord, but did you fail to notice the entitlement lollipops that are ALL your leader has announced so far. Tax credit for physical activity = tax credit for the well off. Income-splitting = tax policy benefitting the well off. Hello, pot, it’s the kettle. Jeeeeepers.
Nah, better to get out in front with your platform, before some defines it for you.
too late for Ignatieff I’m afraid. Unveiling the whole platform might define him in ways that will not help him – like changing his mind about specific details, not having accurate costing number or not staying on script and flip-flopping on them. He’s done it before and I suspect that’s part of the lukewarm to oatmeal start by Harper. The Harper crew has made more of Iggy’s errors than the other way around. I’m thinking they were great studies of Warren’s books. Yes, I’m sucking up.
Gord, you’re on fire today!
Gord, it’s not 2008 🙂 And don’t forget social media :p And for me there are no higher taxes. For corporations it’s just back to December 2010 – sorta like Harper did in his first term — canceled ALL the tax deductions that Paul Martin had scheduled…. like lowering the percentage of taxes “I” paid, raising the personal exemption back up to what it was “BEFORE” Paul Martin’s lowering to become in effect January 1st……….. Only this time it will be corporate tax cuts going back to what they were before versus in 2005 it was “I” who had my taxes raised back to what they were before.
Provincial corporate tax rate are separate from federal……. Capital gains tax is separate from corporate tax…. and Canada’s corporate tax rate BEFORE Harper’s reduction are the LOWEST in the G7
Reagan started his country on the path to bankruptcy as did Thatcher……. very poor economists. De-regulated everything in sight so their friends could get rich.
Now all we have to do is elect a Liberal government and bring back the income trusts……….
Canada CAN make a come back!!! Vote Liberal and be a proud Canadian again!
The noon CBC Radio 1 news gives Harper’s bullshit announcement a ton of coverage, and barely mentions the Liberal’s all encompassing platform. Left wing bias my ass.
Re: The Debate and the Coward
“Stephen Harper is ignoring the ongoing calls for him to debate Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff one on one.
CBC comedian Rick Mercer over the weekend offered to moderate a debate between the two leaders. Other organizations have put their names forward as well, including a public-policy group called Canada2020 that is connected with former CBC host Don Newman.”
Read more: http://www.canada.com/debate+train+left+station+Harper/4551622/story.html#ixzz1IU3DWrwI
For you consideration a song about Stephen Harper:
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Chicken/2g4SwM?src=5
Hmmmm.
Behind the Red Door a $13500.00 tax credit to fix up my house and as a bonus save on future energy bills; a $4,000.00>$6,500.00 grant towards my kids higher education; and a Quebec style daycare system so my wife can get back in the workforce like she’s wanted to for years but couldn’t because she had to stay home with the kids.
Behind the Blue Door a $6 billion dollar tax break for RBC, Exxon/Mobile etc. to pay for giant executive bonuses; $9>$20 billion for F35 fighter jets we won’t be needing in the age of predator drone fighter jets and $2>$5 billion to build giant private for profit prisons just like in the US.
Gee I just can’t decide. 😉
^Twenty years. That’s about when the first F35 should be arriving. 😉
So are you against cheap daycare or equalization or both?
And here’s Stephen Harper poised to unleashed his security team on the press
Lorne Gunter in the Edmonton Journal says that the 3 core election issues that the Conservatives will push are: the economy, crime and immigration. The economy is indeed top-of-mind for voters across the political spectrum. I get that one. But CRIME and IMMIGRATION? The neighbours and friends with whom I yak about this election are not talking about crime or immigration. They are talking about Libya, the F-35’s, health care, the environment and most of all the lack of real democracy in our government.
Is anyone else out there hearing a huge groundswell of voter interest in fighting crime and fixing immigration?
Nope. Many of my friends are concerned about the lack of democracy in Canada, the fact that the Reformatories were found in contempt of Parliament, the no bid F35 contract and the largest mass arrest of Canadian citizens at the G20 fiasco. BTW, for the price of that peon to Harper’s ego, we could have afforded 4 federal elections.
Justice Minister Nicholson is going door to door talking about child pornography.
And I thought he was against it.
Fair enough, Gord. I get the possible “regionality” of these issues. But why are Crime and Immigration not big issues in the MTV ridings? In Toronto (I am an hour away from T.O.) there is little buzz about getting tough on crime or fixing immigration, apart from allowing more families to re-unite. I have got to imagine there is more crime to worry about in Toronto than there is in, say, Red Deer or Swift Current or Cranbrook. So why are areas of Canada with low crime and comparatively low immigration gripped about these issues, while Montreal/Toronto/Vancouver aren’t? I’m not doubting your contention. I just cannot grasp the dynamics….
the dynamics: Three words: Quebecor / Sun Media
(whose columnists regularly & shamelessly beat those drums)
Largest National Chain of Community Newspapers:
– 30 dailies in community markets across Canada
– Virtually all of our weeklies reach communities of less than 100,000 people
urban paid dailies:
Reach close to 1.9 million daily readers in the following major markets: Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec
“OMG Chuck Norris just kicked me!”
Wrong again Tulk. Iggy and team will further unveil portions THE RED BOOK daily around the Country and wave the red book everywhere…..a la Chretien style
There’s no doubt that the 93 red book was a good political document. The problem with that 93 election, though, is that there were so many OTHER things that worked in the LPC’s favour: vote-splitting between Tory and Reform; Kim Campbell being a total incompetent on the campaign trail; Kim Campbell’s entire campaign team being awful; the Tories being seriously tainted by the whole (then unpopular) Mulroney legacy of Meech Lake, GST and Free Trade, the fact that Canada was just digging itself out of one of the most severe recessions of the post-war era, etc. So it’s difficult to really say how much positive effect that red book had on Liberal fortunes. I’m sure it helped, but I think those other factors I listed were way more determinative.
I think Gord and Wayne should get a room. PDA.
just watching a replay of Ignatieff’s town hall where he is asking his candidates to deliver parts of his family plan package thingy. I’d be moving him off that format and quickly. Why? Because Ignatieff who really isn’t known yet to people in this country needs to be seen and heard delivering his own material – not playing professor and setting up his town hall like a lecture for students.
His town halls are coming off more like the type of shows he used to once host across the pond. What happens then of course is that Iggy’s message is weakened somewhat at a time when he needs to be hammering his party’s proposals home himself and with conviction.
Having the kids(his candidates) take a bit and read a bit reminds me of having to read aloud in school.
don’t you have some signs to deface, Catty?
got something against an opinion? Must have hit that one a little too close to home for your comfort.
defaced signs? why are you deflecting that issue, and if you have any proof of your accusation speak up now – Warren?
well, you were out there doing recon, yesterday:
http://warrenkinsella.com/2011/04/kcccc-day-8-lets-do-laundry/#comment-32336
Hey, take the tip.
I think it would be smart for Ignatieff to announce that once he takes he would announce that Stats Canada would be doing a special long form census to make sure Canadian business and research organizations didn’t lose any data from the elimination of the regular long form census under the Harper regime.
That decision was very unpopular with most Canadians, especially those who were educated past kindergarten.
I would be happy to see the census debacle back as a subject of discussion for this election.
over
should read >>>> once he takes he would etc.
^
Just reading the Red Book (yes it really is red! You must wonder if the Liberals think nobody remembers anything that happened during all those years BRI – Before Return of Ignatieff. Why not just title it: Liberal List of Promises We Intend to Break if Elected).
It is a tax and spend plan. It looks like a declaration of war on the Manley Liberals. I remember that Dion said (before the 2008 Election) that the reason he wouldn’t form a coalition with the NDP was because they didn’t believe in corporate tax cuts which were necessary for the Canadian economy. Stephane Dion, where are you when we need you? (BTW has anyone seen Dion during this election?).
If this Red Book version 7.0 lands with a thud, this bodes ill for Liberal chances. I already see they are scrambling about the $2.2 billion for Quebec HST compensation. (Are they for it? If so, where will the 2.2 billion come from?).
Ignatieff is setting himself up for attack at the debates by Layton and Duceppe as well as Harper. Harper can say to the Manley Liberals you have a home with the Conservative Party. Ignatieff and Layton will fight each other for the shrinking Toronto Star subscribers vote.
what, the $2.2-B Harper pulled out of his ass this weekend after QC balked about his sweetheart loan for Atlantic hydro? The $2.2-B that wasn’t in the CPC’s “fully costed” budget last week, either, and was supposedly too far off in ironing out the details to be able to implement this year?
And speaking of waiting on unfulfilled promises… we’re still waiting for those hospital waiting lists to come down, there, CPC: you know that short listed one from 2006 that no one talks about
Harper came to power promising transparency, then he gutted his own legislation that was intended to increase transparency in government. One thing Harper really knows how to do is gut legislation. I wonder what the Health Accord will look like if he is PM when that is renegotiated in 2014? Especially when one considers that the fiscal capacity of the country has already been designated for war jets, prisons, and corporate tax cuts.
The $2.2 Billion has been on the table for more than a year. Duceppe said he would support the budget if it had this in it, Charest came out on Friday with this as one of the demands. I understand it is close to agreement. Sticking point is Quebec’s practice of “taxing a tax” ie, they calculate PST on price of the good or service and GST. No other province with HST does this. Quebec wants HST and the compensation, but want to maintain “tax sovereignty” to continue to gouge their consumers. Feds are loath to do this (Quebeckers are taxpayers too).
All credible economists agree that if people receive government largesse they lose their incentive to work: just as cutting back or cutting altogether largesse to poor people gets them out looking for jobs, so maintaining and even raising taxes on wealthy corporations gets them to work harder to produce goods and services, and, in so doing, create jobs.
Gee one can only hope the CPC takes up that line of thinking. Your in the wrong country; the Tea Party is in the US.
Really dave? ALL credible economists? You can prove that, of course.
You boys are making my crass sarcasm look like subtlety.
If it’s really true that Ignatieff and the LPC have decided that the path to victory entails eating the NDP’s lunch (e.g., on pensions, elder care, student programs, corporate taxes), it’s going to be interesting to see how the NDP responds to that. Seems to me that it puts the NDP in a tough spot: clearly their congenital position is that they hate Harper and the CPC, so they’re much more comfortable letting loose their rhetorical guns on Harper than on Ignatieff. It would be interesting to hear an NDP insider’s take on what to do here. It’s possible that what the NDP chooses to do in response to this somewhat leftward lurch by the LPC may be the real key to the whole election.
Layton is now calling the Liberals liars. If that’s all he’s got the NDP is screwed.
Layton’s just sharing Ignatieff’s script nic. No surprise there.
Hey, you Libs…just caught about 20 minutes on CPAC of your guy speaking to a crowd of Lib party workers in Halifax. If he keeps that up, and enough people can see and hear him operating at that level, you Libs will do ok.
He’s got his mojo back.
–
And, historically, power has reverted to Liberals after a Conservative hiatus. The CPC has spent a lot of taxpayer money over the past 5 years trying to alter the dynamics of the country, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has been very successful.
“I promise a $500 tax credit for everyone who participates in organized chicken dancing.”
Wow the Bruce Carson story just blew up big time (Winnipeg Free Press). I hope Harper has no plans other than answering questions about his relationship with Carson tomorrow cause that’s all there going to talking about.
^Actually the Carson story is CP Via WFP and NNW.
“Pull my Finger”… In a bid to shake off the control freak image, Harper delegates his joke punchlines to some eager-to-please youngsters.
“Michael Ignatieff…about that mano-a-mano debate? Kung fu YOU!”
Harper takes a big jump on the nanos leadership index. 13 points to 109 – twice as high as iggy or jack. His gaff filled, chicken little, disinterested, failed campaign continues.
yeah, well, if you wanna watch the daily poll yo-yos: he also blew a 15 point lead in Ontario and is now, acc. to Nanos himself on QP today, statistically tied with the Libs. as of April 2, too.
Glad to see they want to cut the subsidies to the tar sands. Won’t go well out in the sticks, but who cares. Screw the west we’ll get the rest.
Red Book looks like a perfect Liberal/NDP coalition/merger manifesto. I reckon it was written (by Bob Rae?) before last Saturday, before Ignatieff categorically ruled out a Liberal-NDP coalition. The Ignatieff-Layton exchanges in the debates will be interesting to watch. Layton will fight back hard in GTA and southern Ontario while he moves to take Liberal votes in Montreal (the Mulcair strategy). Liberal hubris and their focus on campaign trivia and Ignatieff-o-mania in the Toronto elite media is camouflaging what is really happening to them (ie serious decline). I recommend everyone re-read Tony Genco’s open letter again.
The centre-left is now truly divided and Conservatives has an opening to scoop up Manley Liberals. Meanwhile something interesting may be happening in Quebec. Duceppe is totally ignoring Ignatieff obviously because the Liberals are a non-factor, indeed, the Bloc Quebecois has reason to fear a Liberal collapse in Quebec.
Take heed ’cause I’m a lyrical poet
Ottawa’s on the scene just in case you didn’t know it
My town that created all the bass sound
Enough to shake and kick holes in the ground
‘Cause my style’s like a chemical spill
Feasible rhymes that you can vision and feel
Conducted and formed
This is a hell of a concept
We make it hype and you want to step with this
Guy plays on the fade slice like a ninja
Cut like a razor blade so fast other DJs say damn
If my rhyme was a drug I’d sell it by the gram
Keep my composure when it’s time to get loose
Magnetized by the mic while I kick my juice
If there was a problem yo I’ll solve it
Check out the hook while Guy revolves it
Ice ice baby vanilla
Ice ice baby (oh-oh) vanilla
Ice ice baby vanilla
Ice ice baby vanilla ice
Yo man let’s get out of here
Word to your mother
Ice ice baby too cold
Ice ice baby too cold too cold (x2)
Ice ice baby
w/apologies to Robert Van Winkle…
The introduction of Cap and Trade into the Liberal platform will alienate the West (National Energy Program) and bring back the Carbon Tax bogeyman that submerged Dion last time out.
“well, you were out there doing recon, yesterday:
http://warrenkinsella.com/2011/04/kcccc-day-8-lets-do-laundry/#comment-32336”
You need to invest in some serious geography lessons namesake, Lake Huron’s no where close to Kanata but do try to keep up.
Initial media reaction to Red Book VII is somewhat critical or worse (mocking). The cap and trade proposal was a surprise (not integrating any cap-and-trade scheme with US would be an economic disaster), as well as promise not only to not buy F-35s, but to not replace the CF-18s. Hard to believe this from the author of Virtual War. I don’t know, but Liberal campaign may have just jumped the shark.
http://news.ca.msn.com/federal-election-2011/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=28236185
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/federal-election/national/high-energy-harper-hits-the-hustings-to-announce-new-sports-tax-credits-119146514.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q9kYKtvYU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_fWJsGI-1s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fif63sQDsqw&feature=related
Karate
Kan-Zen means the ‘perfect’ method, Kan-Zen-Ryu is the name of our discipline of karate and means the ‘perfect way’. If Kan-Zen-Ryu means ‘perfect way’ and Karate means ‘open hand’, altogether Kan-Zen-Ryu Karate is the ‘perfect way with the open hand’, so the art holds high significance in the Martial Arts world. If anything Kan-Zen-Ryu has taught me discipline, respect, perseverance and confidence, the art has and still is an immense impact on my life.
The head and founder of Kan-Zen-Ryu Karate, Dr. F. Varasteh spent his lifetime studying the Martial Arts, in over 50 years of study, he has trained with world renown masters and has a vast experience in various fighting systems. Varasteh has developed one of the most comprehensive and practical martial arts system in the world today. Based on scientific and logical breakdown of all aspects of Karate, the students are encouraged to question, so a complete understanding of the techniques, principals and philosophy of the art can be obtained. In this approach Kan-Zen-Ryu Karate is constantly evolving, and is one of the most progressive and effective martial arts systems in the world. Kan-Zen-Ryu is essentially the evolution and development of four different styles, the name the four styles and what they offer include: Shorinji Ryu – because of its emphasis on the practical aspects of Karate and the full contact sparring while wearing kendo armour enhances the knowledge of the proper contact points. Wado-Ryu – the style’s influence was the fluidity, the use of lateral motions in defence and emphasis on more leg/body work to neutralize attackers. Go-Ju-Ryu – the emphasis on speed, consistency of short fighting stances, mobility and use of front leg for attacking was the style’s contribution. Ishin-Ryu – the totally realistic approach to fighting (anything goes) and no protection is what was offered by this art. When combining all these disciplines together it named and said to be the ‘perfect way’…. No comments
http://www.google.ca/#q=karate+federation+olympic&hl=en&biw=1259&bih=515&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=iFCZTfPcA-ew0QGA1_WGDA&ved=0CDcQqwQ&fp=91dacb48255a0c56
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&biw=1259&bih=515&q=karate+federation+olympic&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&fp=91dacb48255a0c56
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=varesteh+vs+&aq=f
http://karate-ontario.com/
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&biw=1259&bih=515&sa=X&ei=FkqZTb_-NpS00QHOgvnxCw&ved=0CBgQvwUoAQ&q=varasteh&spell=1&fp=91dacb48255a0c56
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&biw=1259&bih=515&sa=X&ei=ZkqZTe0CgbPRAdmrse0L&ved=0CBkQvwUoAQ&q=kan+zen+ryu+kai+karate&spell=1&fp=91dacb48255a0c56
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate
http://www.progressivemartialarts.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts
http://www.martialartssupermarket.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C5%8Dj%C5%AB-ry%C5%AB
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&biw=1259&bih=515&tbs=vid:1&q=karate+for+beginners+lesson+1&aq=0&aqi=g8g-m1&aql=&oq=karate+for+be&fp=91dacb48255a0c56
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56NlyLiquAs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zo1emnRwN0&feature=related