Ontario NDP candidate Anthony Marco in a TVO interview.

Yesterday, to defend her friend Anthony Marco, Andrea Horwath allowed a doctored transcript of Marco’s now-infamous words (National Socialism is a “religion,” and those who oppose Naziism are “pretty messed up”) to be issued to the news media.

Here’s his crazed podcast in its entirety.  Listen to it, especially around the seven-minute mark. Is this part of the “positive campaign” Horwath claims to be running?

UPDATE: And the crazy just keeps on coming! And we’ve only listened to a fraction of his online lunacy!

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Here’s just a sampling of what can be seen in Ontario papers this morning.  And the papers don’t even address (yet) the doctored transcript Horwath issued to defend her friend Anthony Marco.

Why is she defending Marco?  Cheri di Novo might know: Andrea Horwath apparently thinks Israel practices “apartheid.”

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This is exactly what I was talking about yesterday – Conservatives using the power of government to silence critics, by taking away their charitable status.

Oh, and the Wind Power Ontario outfit mentioned in the story?  They’re a Tory front, full stop.  Meanwhile, the taxpayer “federation” is basically an arm of the Conservatives.  They work hand-in-glove with PC campaigns, and have done so for years.

And I may even have seen an email in which Wind Power is seen helping to map out Tea Party North strategy!  Now, where is that email?

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…and I don’t mean the clothing store.

I mean Andrea Horwath’s disappointing Ontario NDP!  Did they actually release a doctored transcript to the media in the now-infamous Anthony Marco story?  (See here and here and here.)

Next thing you know, Andrea will be saying nice things about Richard M. Nixon!

New Ontario NDP logo.

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As a lot of you know, I support a lot of NGOs.  A lot of those NGOs do work in respect of the environment, animal welfare, and so on.

In recent months, I have been hearing from worried NGOs – over and over – that they have been targeted by federal Conservatives over their charitable status.  If they lose that status, they lose the ability to operate.

The Cons – federally and provincially – have been targeting organizations who take public positions they disapprove of (you know, the environment is good, animal abuse is bad, etc.).  They have been sending around bureaucrats to tell NGOs that they are “under review.”  The message has been clear: if you continue to advocate in a way we don’t like, you will lose your charitable status.  Federally, Conservatives have gone after a very well-known environmentalist, because they don’t like the things he says.  They want to put him out of business.

Here’s where you come in.

I’m collecting information about this McCarthyite practice for a possible column, and (for certain) my next book.  If you have any information about that, I’d love to hear from you, at wkinsella@hotmail.com.  Confidentiality guaranteed.

This is the worst kind of politics – and it has to stop.  Disagreeing with NGOs is fine.  But using the power of government to bankrupt NGOs you disagree with?  That isn’t fine.

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At the International Ploughing Match, the media asked the Ontario NDP leader about Marco’s comments – that National Socialism is a religion, and that those who object to Naziism and its variants are “pretty messed up.”

She angrily denounced those who were critical of Marco, and she refused to discipline him. She also suggested his full remarks, in context, somehow validate Marco’s position.  Here are his full remarks:

“Don’t tell me that there’s a separation of church and state right now, because when people talk about the religious right, there’s two words that just married church and state pretty f***in’ quick didn’t they? And if you’re going to talk about a book burning, may I suggest that over the next little while, if you’re going to burn books, and for the most part I would never advocate burning books, because you know books are, when I read a book, even as bad as the book is, I’m that type of person that doesn’t throw books away, I’ve got books all over the place. Maybe someday I should throw books away, but I don’t throw them away. But there are a couple of ones that I would suggest burning. And you know what, it’s not even from an ideological perspective, like ‘oh well, burn stuff by Adolf Hitler,” no. Whatever. If you want to read that stuff, read that stuff. For some people the old politics of Nazi Germany might be their religion. And just as I can’t condemn other people’s religion, I can’t, I don’t agree with them, but you can’t stop somebody from believing in something. And to bash your head against the wall trying, it’s not their fault, it’s your fault. You’re the one who is pretty messed up if you’re going to devote your entire life to trying to convince somebody not to believe what they believe. So if you’re going to be burning books over the next little while, I suggest not burning books for a while…”

That sound like an effective defence to you?  Me neither.  It still sounds like a bloody fool who is wholly indifferent to Naziism, and who also thinks Mein Kampf is worth checking out.

Anyway. The issue now is Andrea Horwath.  Why would she not condemn her candidate’s remarks?  Why would she not discipline him?

Is it because she agrees with him?

UPDATE: Star: “Horwath twice evaded the question when asked if she would advise her candidates to steer clear of making any remarks about Nazis.”

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How come? He’s in an unwinnable riding. Is it because others in the NDP feel similarly?

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….but you can get it here!

August 2, 2011: Stephen Harper calls for a “hat trick” – for Conservatives to run the country, the GTA and Ontario. Almost every day since: Conservative operatives scramble to suppress any record of Harper’s statement.

Download this video, and share it with others before voting day on October 6!  You can download the file here.

Download also found here.

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Liberals Call on NDP to Dump Candidate
NDP Candidate says he can’t condemn Nazi politics because it’s just “other people’s religion”

Toronto – – The NDP should dump candidate Anthony Marco (Niagara West-Glanbrook) over comments posted to his website saying he can’t condemn Nazi politics because it’s just other people’s religion.

In a podcast on his website, lovehatethings.com, Marco goes on to say those who devote themselves to fighting Nazis are “pretty messed up.”

“For some people the old politics of Nazi Germany might be their religion.  And just as I can’t condemn other people’s religion, I can’t, I don’t agree with them, but you can’t stop somebody from believing in something… You’re the one who is pretty messed up if you’re going to devote your entire life to trying to convince somebody not to believe what they believe.”

Liberal candidate Bernie Farber (Thornhill), former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, says NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has no choice but to dump her candidate.

“I’ve devoted my life to this cause, and there is no place in Ontario politics for someone who doesn’t understand that Nazis and everything they stood for deserves condemnation,” said Liberal candidate Bernie Farber.  “He needs to go.”

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Worth a read.  Quote:

Mr. McGuinty is campaigning on a platform that the Liberals call “a serious plan for serious times” – which, they’re eager to point out, makes fewer expensive promises than those of their provincial competitors. And rather than trying to show passion, every event is aimed at displaying a sort of sturdy professionalism. Mr. McGuinty has spent most of the campaign so far touring factories or construction sites or hospitals and delivering slightly somber lectures on how well the province is moving forward.

Even at rallies, he’s keeping any emotions well in check. In his home riding of Ottawa South last week, a few hundred supporters were boisterous as they waited for Mr. McGuinty to make his entrance. But when he took to the microphone, rather than feed off the energy in the room, he brought it down a notch – making a relaxed and even-keel pitch for continuity in which he declined even to build to a big finish.

As much as it may be kryptonite for adrenalin junkies, it’s an understandable approach for incumbents who care less about being loved than about keeping their jobs. Just as Mr. Harper aimed to strike a contrast with a blustery Michael Ignatieff – and, ultimately a bigger challenge, with Jack Layton – Mr. McGuinty is trying to look like an adult next to the two rookie leaders he’s up against. Progressive Conservative Tim Hudak, in particular, seems to have played into that strategy by coming off intermittently glib and angry, pulling out props at some events and raising his voice about Mr. McGuinty’s failings at others.

In at least one regard, Mr. McGuinty is actually better suited to delivering the steady-as-she goes message than was Mr. Harper. Inoffensive and non-confrontational, he is not as personally polarizing as the Prime Minister. With his advisers spouting the mantra of “never too high, never too low,” he is a veritable comfort blanket of a politician.

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