I tried to resist the urge to plunge one more dagger into Maxime Bernier, but in the end he made too inviting a target.
The former Minster of Foreign Affairs resigned this week after it was revealed he had left sensitive documents at his former girlfriend’s apartment for 5 weeks. This is about the amount of time since the whole Julie “Biker Babe” Couillard scandal began.
5 weeks and not even a “booty call” to go back and retrieve sensitive documents?
Bernier must have been desperate to avoid Mlle. Couillard and was just too dumb to remember where he left classified government documents.
I am not sure if this is worse for Bernier (whose future political prospects are lower than his former sweetheart’s neckline) or for Stephen Harper for his lack of judgment. Lack of wisdom for not only appointing Mad Max to a position he was clearly unfit for and the Harper Gang’s unwavering support for Bernier and constant denial of events that turned out, in the end, to be all to true.
Now that the truth has been revealed (at least partially) the Cons are telling whoever will listen that the deal is done and it’s time to move on.
Well, good luck with that.
The Opposition, which oversaw the death of a thousand cuts that Bernier endured, is not about to let this one slip away. And they have help. The Conservatives themselves are being the unwitting accomplices to their own failure to make this scandal “go gently into that good night”. Their modus operandi of continual stonewalling throughout the previous month of the Bernier Affair has been changed to embarrassing obstruction by telling the House of Commons they have everything under control and that Foreign Affairs will be performing an internal review.
In other words, like NAFTA-gate, we will investigate ourselves and don’t fall off your chair when you find out we did nothing wrong.
Case closed.
In the end, Maxime Bernier may not been headed to “political purgatory” on his own. It looks like Helena Guergis, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, is also about to be shuffled out of her minor cabinet portfolio for her bungling of the Brenda Martin Case (Plus there was the Afghan Detainee mess, where she got caught not ding her homework, and her potential pipelining information to the Taliban of the whereabouts of Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff during their trip to Afghanistan).
The Parliamentary Paris Hilton and the Commons answer to Sam Malone will give the Cons the best looking back bench in recent Commons history
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
WHO WANTS KOOL-AID?
Last week was marked by highs and lows for Stephen Harper’s Chief of Staff.
Ian Brodie, it was reveled, was to leave his position in the Prime Minster’s Office and return to private life. Brodie had been under fire for being the purported leak of “confidential” diplomatic note about the sincerity (or lack thereof) of Hillary Clinton’s commitment to renegotiate NAFTA after she was elected President. It seems both of those are a long way from happening.
Brodie told the tale to a CTV News reporter during the press lock up for this spring’s federal budget. He told them that Clinton had contacted the Canadian officials to say that the whole NAFT thing was just political posturing. When the reporter called Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Wilson, Wilson allegedly said that it was Barack Obama, and not Hillary, that had contacted Canuck government folk to assuage their fears of the potential for reopening the North American Free Trade Agreement. All of this happened right before the Ohio primary (Ohio is very much an anti-NAFTA state) where Obama was pummeled by Clinton by nearly 20 percentage points.
The PMO has been implicated by the opposition as the actual source of the leak. The reason given is that the Conservative Party of Canada is doing some dirty work for American Republicans in trying to discredit Democratic candidates and therefore pave the road a little for John McCain.
In a bid to clear his office of any wrongdoing, or even hints of wrongdoing, Stephen Harper called for an investigation by Kevin Lynch, Clerk of the Privy Council, into the allegations and just 48 hours after it revelations of Brodie’s departure started to make the rounds on Parliament Hill, Lynch delivered his findings.
Brodie and Wilson were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The Cons then sent out chief thug James Moore to once again chastise the opposition for conjuring up phantom conspiracies and demanding that the opposition apologize. Moore invoked the Clerk’s report and called it irrefutable substantiation of Brodie’s virtuousness. Moore looked a little foolish and his diatribe was way over-the-top when you consider the facts.
The man who investigated Brodie (a Harper employee), and Michael Wilson (a Harper employee) was in fact ANOTHER Harper employee.
This investigation has the distinct odour of “whitewash” of Nixon-ian proportions (How is that for being over-the-top). That the PMO would investigate itself is bad enough, but to have them attempt to make us “drink the kool-aid” and accept as “gospel” the findings of Harper bunkmates is actually quite insulting.
And while there is a possibility the resignation of Brodie followed closely by the release of the report could be purely a coincidence, but if you buy that you must find it strictly coincidental that the sun came up in the East this morning. The exact same place it came up the day before.
What are the odds of that?
Ian Brodie, it was reveled, was to leave his position in the Prime Minster’s Office and return to private life. Brodie had been under fire for being the purported leak of “confidential” diplomatic note about the sincerity (or lack thereof) of Hillary Clinton’s commitment to renegotiate NAFTA after she was elected President. It seems both of those are a long way from happening.
Brodie told the tale to a CTV News reporter during the press lock up for this spring’s federal budget. He told them that Clinton had contacted the Canadian officials to say that the whole NAFT thing was just political posturing. When the reporter called Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Wilson, Wilson allegedly said that it was Barack Obama, and not Hillary, that had contacted Canuck government folk to assuage their fears of the potential for reopening the North American Free Trade Agreement. All of this happened right before the Ohio primary (Ohio is very much an anti-NAFTA state) where Obama was pummeled by Clinton by nearly 20 percentage points.
The PMO has been implicated by the opposition as the actual source of the leak. The reason given is that the Conservative Party of Canada is doing some dirty work for American Republicans in trying to discredit Democratic candidates and therefore pave the road a little for John McCain.
In a bid to clear his office of any wrongdoing, or even hints of wrongdoing, Stephen Harper called for an investigation by Kevin Lynch, Clerk of the Privy Council, into the allegations and just 48 hours after it revelations of Brodie’s departure started to make the rounds on Parliament Hill, Lynch delivered his findings.
Brodie and Wilson were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The Cons then sent out chief thug James Moore to once again chastise the opposition for conjuring up phantom conspiracies and demanding that the opposition apologize. Moore invoked the Clerk’s report and called it irrefutable substantiation of Brodie’s virtuousness. Moore looked a little foolish and his diatribe was way over-the-top when you consider the facts.
The man who investigated Brodie (a Harper employee), and Michael Wilson (a Harper employee) was in fact ANOTHER Harper employee.
This investigation has the distinct odour of “whitewash” of Nixon-ian proportions (How is that for being over-the-top). That the PMO would investigate itself is bad enough, but to have them attempt to make us “drink the kool-aid” and accept as “gospel” the findings of Harper bunkmates is actually quite insulting.
And while there is a possibility the resignation of Brodie followed closely by the release of the report could be purely a coincidence, but if you buy that you must find it strictly coincidental that the sun came up in the East this morning. The exact same place it came up the day before.
What are the odds of that?
Monday, May 19, 2008
THIS AND THAT
Here are some things that grabbed my attention between pints
JAMES (LESS IS) MOORE
The Conservatives were claiming vindication while the rest of the sane world was still asking question.
The RCMP ruled at the end of last week that there not enough evidence to support laying criminal charges in the Chuck Cadman affair.
For those of you who have forgotten, Canada’s governing party, was accused in a book of offering dying MP Chuck Cadman financial considerations (Stephen Harper’s words, not min) in return for his support in a vote that could have prematurely brought down the Paul Martin government in May 2005.
James Moore, the member of the Harper Gang that took the point in this scandal, claim the Mounties announcement was proof that nothing untoward happened adding that the “Liberals made fabricated accusations” and that Stephen Harper’s defamation lawsuit against the Liberal party of Canada would go forward even if the Liberals apologized.
Don’t hold your breath Jimbo.
The Liberals continued to hammer away at the Cons on the issue, which was actually revealed by Tom Zytaruk in his book “Like a Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story”. Cadman's widow, daughter and son-in-law have all confirmed the claim of the death bed bribe offered by the Cons.
How come the people who actually “fabricated” the story aren’t being sued?
This thing never sees the inside of a courtroom because Stephen Harper would be forced to actually answer questions about his role, unlike question period where he can hide behind Moore.
SPYGATE
The NFL ruled this week that they would not take any further action against the New England Patriots for their pathological cheating during the last 8 seasons. This comes after the league found that there was no evidence to support a Boston Globe claim that the Pats had taped the St. Louis Rams walk through the day before Super Bowl 36.
The Globe printed an retraction and apology
The Patriot and their coach Bill Belichick had been fined a total $750,000 by the league for taping opposing coach’s signals during games. The team also lost a 1st round pick in 2008 and the luster of three Super Bowl wins.
Did they cheat?
Absolutely!
Have they paid a heavy enough price?
Absolutely!
However, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is now demanding an independent investigation into the Patriots' videotaping practices.
It’s good to see that the U.S. is in such great shape that their political leaders can drop everything to investigate pro football to see if a team that has already been punished…needs to be punished more.
MOTHER NATURE IS PISSED
Earthquakes in China, Cyclones in Myanmar and raging wildfires in Alberta. At least she only likes to pick on repressive dictatorships. (Just kidding Wild Rose Country)
MAXIME BERNIER
Enough already.
Would someone please save this man from himself. The self destruct button was pushed by this guy sometime ago. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister is supposed to be the tip of the spear internationally for Canada. He is quickly turning into Britney Spears instead.
Shave your head and call the ambulance “Mad Max” and hopefully you can enjoy your 14th minute fame scandal free.
JAMES (LESS IS) MOORE
The Conservatives were claiming vindication while the rest of the sane world was still asking question.
The RCMP ruled at the end of last week that there not enough evidence to support laying criminal charges in the Chuck Cadman affair.
For those of you who have forgotten, Canada’s governing party, was accused in a book of offering dying MP Chuck Cadman financial considerations (Stephen Harper’s words, not min) in return for his support in a vote that could have prematurely brought down the Paul Martin government in May 2005.
James Moore, the member of the Harper Gang that took the point in this scandal, claim the Mounties announcement was proof that nothing untoward happened adding that the “Liberals made fabricated accusations” and that Stephen Harper’s defamation lawsuit against the Liberal party of Canada would go forward even if the Liberals apologized.
Don’t hold your breath Jimbo.
The Liberals continued to hammer away at the Cons on the issue, which was actually revealed by Tom Zytaruk in his book “Like a Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story”. Cadman's widow, daughter and son-in-law have all confirmed the claim of the death bed bribe offered by the Cons.
How come the people who actually “fabricated” the story aren’t being sued?
This thing never sees the inside of a courtroom because Stephen Harper would be forced to actually answer questions about his role, unlike question period where he can hide behind Moore.
SPYGATE
The NFL ruled this week that they would not take any further action against the New England Patriots for their pathological cheating during the last 8 seasons. This comes after the league found that there was no evidence to support a Boston Globe claim that the Pats had taped the St. Louis Rams walk through the day before Super Bowl 36.
The Globe printed an retraction and apology
The Patriot and their coach Bill Belichick had been fined a total $750,000 by the league for taping opposing coach’s signals during games. The team also lost a 1st round pick in 2008 and the luster of three Super Bowl wins.
Did they cheat?
Absolutely!
Have they paid a heavy enough price?
Absolutely!
However, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is now demanding an independent investigation into the Patriots' videotaping practices.
It’s good to see that the U.S. is in such great shape that their political leaders can drop everything to investigate pro football to see if a team that has already been punished…needs to be punished more.
MOTHER NATURE IS PISSED
Earthquakes in China, Cyclones in Myanmar and raging wildfires in Alberta. At least she only likes to pick on repressive dictatorships. (Just kidding Wild Rose Country)
MAXIME BERNIER
Enough already.
Would someone please save this man from himself. The self destruct button was pushed by this guy sometime ago. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister is supposed to be the tip of the spear internationally for Canada. He is quickly turning into Britney Spears instead.
Shave your head and call the ambulance “Mad Max” and hopefully you can enjoy your 14th minute fame scandal free.
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