Michael Samson
Someone using that name just passed along some nastiness. Don’t know if it is a real name, but associated email is michaelsamson@yahoo.com, I.P. 64.183.13.74. Is he for real? Any tips would be appreciated.
Someone using that name just passed along some nastiness. Don’t know if it is a real name, but associated email is michaelsamson@yahoo.com, I.P. 64.183.13.74. Is he for real? Any tips would be appreciated.
“Hudak, as a politician looking to run Ontario’s medical system, should state his position. In delaying doing that, he looks weak, inexperienced and uncomfortable with the issue.” (Ottawa Citizen, July 27, 2011)
“Hudak can’t run away from this issue and he shouldn’t try. He has to be honest and have the courage to say what he believes.” (Toronto Star, August 1 2011)
“When pressed by reporters Monday, Mr.Hudak refused to answer whether he still considers himself “pro-life.” (National Post, July 19, 2011)
“[Hudak] believed things about abortion in the past, and there’s no reason to believe he doesn’t believe them now. So the idea that he “may have” signed a pro-life coalition is just staggeringly weak.” (National Post, July 20, 2011)
Ontario P.C. press release, February 1, 2011: “The addition of Rocco Rossi to the Tim Hudak team demonstrates that the Ontario PC message is resonating and that momentum is building across this province including Toronto.”
Toronto Star news story, August 7, 2011: “Liberal MPP Mike Colle is romping to victory over Progressive Conservative challenger Rocco Rossi in the high-profile battle for Eglinton-Lawrence, a new poll suggests. According to internal Liberal polling obtained Sunday by the Star, Colle leads with 48 per cent of the decided vote, compared with 30 per cent for Rossi.”
On the way back into the big city, I picked up the new Rolling Stone – mainly ’cause Saskatchewan’s own Sheepdogs were on the cover, picked to be the first unsigned band ever to make the RS cover. Great story, and great to see success come to four guys who have worked so hard.
Also great: these two quotes in the Austin Scaggs story:
“We got our picture taken with [Stephen Harper],” says [lead singer Ewan] Currie. “Which is akin to having your picture taken with Bush. I mean, people really hate this guy in the artistic community.”
And:
[Upon spotting, in a Saskatoon drinking hole, a drunk in a spandex shirt with a huge tattoo on his face]: “He’s probably from Delisle,” says Cullen.
I love it. Anyway, here’s one of their tunes. Congrats to them, and to their hometown. Much deserved.
You know, a hayseed. A bumpkin. Political scientists have a fancy moniker for it, a “populist.” But whatever you call it, it’s certainly in political vogue these days.
And the simplest route to political power, it seems, is the one that involves appearing, well, simple. Feel like mocking books and art? Go to it, pardner! Think higher education – or even education – are overrated? Speak your mind!
Most usefully, are y’all in the mood to bash nameless “elites”? Fill yer boots! Give ‘er!
It’s a tad ironic, given we all presumably send our kids to school so they can read books and learn and use their minds and succeed where we didn’t. But it’s a fact, nonetheless: Aspirants for high office now widely regard education and knowledge as an impediment to political success. That’s the “populist” credo at work.
How very interesting:
Harper’s office took care of that.”
What happened? Well, I’m told that Hudak’s folks went ballistic after seeing Harper’s maladroit suggestion that cities, provinces and the entire country be run by the Conservative Party. If anything can sink Hudak’s party, it’s that.
Polling I’ve seen – and they’ve seen – makes crystal clear that Ontarians don’t want the same Con cabal running everything. They want some checks and balances in Canadian democracy.
Arrogant, pompous, dumb: Harper’s comments were all of those things.
And they may have just helped to sink Tim Hudak.
That’s the only rational explanation for Harper’s boneheaded move, here.
He has now enabled us to say:
“Stephen Harper wants the Conservative Party to run Toronto, the country, and the province too. Do you want the same party running everything? Is that a good idea?”
God is indeed a Grit. Thank you, Lord.