Buckdog

As the US Congress struggles with a proposal to advance $700 Billion of CORPORATE WELFARE to the bankers and investors of Wall Street, we have NOT heard one word from the bankers and financiers as to what THEY PROPOSE to put on the line to help remedy the mess they, themselves, have created.

Lower than low, these financial wizards have brought the world to the edge of financial disaster as a result of their greed and lust for capital. The barons of Wall Street, Bay Street and mega-capitalists everywhere deserve our contempt and disgust.

As they sit in their ivory towers, waiting for the wage earners of America to bail them out with precious tax dollars, these financiers offer nothing in the way of an ante which they are prepared to put on the table to bring us back from the edge!

Reaganomics is now proven to be a failed ideology. It failed because human greed and thievery trumps belief in a responsible market. Decades of tax cuts to business and deregulation have given us what we have today.

Open the books. Jail the crooks!

CBC's 'Ormiston Online' has ranked Canada's top election blogs by the number of links each has received. Cherniak is ranked #1 with the tons of links he has to his posts - soundly condemning him for his blogging tactics and generally demanding his removal from Progressive Bloggers. Steve Janke comes in #2 on the list with his 'Angry in the Great White North' site. Stephen Taylor is #3. "NDP supporter "Buckdog Politics" claims fourth (#4) on our list." Coming in at #5 on the top five election bloggers list is "Red Tory."

Here is the text from Ormiston's site:
"We found that Canada's political blogosphere is largely dominated by a select few "elite" partisan bloggers. Also, the Canadian political blogosphere has not seen a substantial increase in new bloggers since the beginning of the campaign. The Blogging Tories, for example have seen their ranks grow by only 9 members, while the Liberal blogroll has increased by 4. There have been no increases for the NDP.

Now, to the ranking: Chief Liberal blogger Jason Cherniak tops our list of most cited bloggers in the partisan blogosphere. After a slow start to the campaign Cherniak's recent posts on 9-11 conspiracy theorists, particularly those with ties to the NDP and Jack Layton, have received considerable attention from across the political spectrum.

Not surprisingly then NDP bloggers "Rusty Idols" and "Dipper Chick" top the list of blogs that link to Cherniak's posts. A longtime Dion supporter, Cherniak has frequently found himself the target of many Blogging Tories' posts (and on occasion, Liberal posts). As Liberal numbers have plummeted in the polls during the campaign Cherniak's steadfast support and optimism for the Liberal team has begun to waver. Recently, for example, Cherniak mused on his blog: "I just hope that the national campaign planned for things to go this way and is ready to give us the support that we need. It's not too late yet."

Master Blogging Tory/online researcher Steve Janke comes in second on our list. During the campaign so far Janke - aka "Angry in the Great White North"- has focused much of his attention on outspoken Liberal MP Garth Turner (himself a blogger, and former Conservative MP). As we see in today's rankings, Janke received top marks (and hyperlinks) from fellow Blogging Tories "Alberta Aarvark" and Stephen Taylor.

Taylor himself lands in third place as the most talked about blogger so far in the campaign. Our analysis of the blogosphere shows that Taylor and Janke share a good deal of cross promotion in the blogosphere, routinely citing each other's blog entries.

NDP supporter "Buckdog Politics" claims fourth on our list, in large part because of a run in with a certain Green party staffer earlier in the campaign. If you remember, Buckdog was threatened with legal action after posting a video that purported to show Elizabeth May referring to Canadians as stupid.

Coming in at number five on our top five election bloggers list is "Red Tory", a sharp witted, irreverent Liberal blogger, who has seemingly taken on the task of responding to "Angry" Steve Janke (whom Red Tory refers to sarcastically as the "Blogging Tories' super-sleuth"). This blog is not for the faint of heart."
Ormiston Online - CBC

Good news being reported that Chinese officials have arrested 22 people involved in the tainted milk scandal that has threatened the lives of thousands of infants and toddlers.

Telegraph

Cadbury also is recalling products that now appear to have been laced with the industrial chemical, melamine. Melamine produces a false reading of protein content when food products are tested.

Google.com

I feel 'Sunday lazy' today and don't feel like writing much ....



Cartoon courtesy Filibuster Cartoons version 3.0 - Design copyright 2003 Jaco Joubert - All original images copyright JJ McCullough

History was made today as Chinese astronaut, Col. Zhai Zhigang left his spacecraft and conducted a spacewalk while in Earth orbit.

As proof of how 'west centric' the main stream media is, the event is hardly garnering any news reports in North America. Chinese, Asia and European news agencies are giving good coverage to the spacewalk. Unfortunately, it is being downplayed here!

The PRC is the third nation to achieve this feat.* The USA, the old Soviet Union and now China have all been able to send humans into earth orbit and have them conduct missions outside of their orbiter. Congrats to the PRC ... and SHAME on western media!

-Telegraph - UK
-CTV News

"Dear Mr. Cherniak:
Every time you post one of these nonsensical posts on Layton, you manage to lose another 1728 votes for your Party and Leader! Exactly who do you think you are winning to the Liberal camp with this 'National Enquirer' approach to blogging?

I see the desperation in your recent blogging efforts.

Don't worry, I have no illusions of reading this post on your site. I simply wanted, at a personal level, to point out that trying to influence voters to your side by writing about Layton and 911 conspiracy types seems like a fairly unproductive strategy. Unless - perhaps, I can only assume, that the New Democrats are eating into a certain demographic where you believe your blogging strategy may shore up Layton's inroads.

From the very beginning of Dion's leadership, I told you that he would go nowhere. You were wrong, I was correct."
Leftdog

Postscript:
And the count is still rising!!!

Liberal Party hitting the dumpster!

-Liberal candidate, Drew Adamick: The Green Shift is not “revenue-neutral”.

-Dion ditches candidate over remarks about 9-11

-Liberals already musing about potential leaders



Even Liberal bloggers are fed up with this nonsense!

Stephen Harper thinks that this statement by Lee Richardson, his candidate in Calgary Centre, is "overblown"!

""Canada accepts so many refugees, for example. These are people that have had a very difficult life from whence they came. If you’ve been in a refugee camp, then you live day-to-day. And those are troubled people. They come here and, well, it’s easy to take advantage of people that are trying to help. [...] “Particularly in big cities, we’ve got people that have grown up in a different culture. And they don’t have the same background in terms of the stable communities we had 20, 30 years ago in our cities… and don’t have the same respect for authority or people’s person or property.”
Lee Richardson
Calgary Centre Conservative candidate


Well Mr. Prime Minister, if this is "overblown" - you obviously MUST agree with it!

CBC

Unless you are a First Nations person, everyone of us had ancestors that were immigrants to Canada. That also includes Calgary Centre Conservative Member of Parliament, Lee Richardson.

Yet he seems to believe that immigrants to Canada are the reason for much of our crime. Tories will come running to his defense to say that Mr. Richardson now 'regrets' his remarks. Damn right he does, he got caught telling us what he and his Party believes!

This guy absolutely needs to step down as a candidate. His tepid little 'regrets' is pathetic. If this guy does NOT step down, let's hear what Jason Kenney, (Harper's immigrant lieutenant) has to say about his colleague, Mr. Richardson!

You see why Harper keeps all Tory communications close to his fingertips ... when he doesn't, the true nature of what these guys believe gets into the public realm.

-Calgary Herald

"Canada accepts so many refugees, for example. These are people that have had a very difficult life from whence they came. If you’ve been in a refugee camp, then you live day-to-day. And those are troubled people. They come here and, well, it’s easy to take advantage of people that are trying to help. [...] “Particularly in big cities, we’ve got people that have grown up in a different culture. And they don’t have the same background in terms of the stable communities we had 20, 30 years ago in our cities… and don’t have the same respect for authority or people’s person or property.”
Lee Richardson
Calgary Centre Conservative candidate

"Tyler Kinch, a freelance graphic designer (and Progressive Blogger) who’s running against Richardson for the NDP, says Richardson’s comments are “disgraceful.” “Crime comes from everywhere, and there are many immigrants in our country that contribute to our society in great ways,” says Kinch. “...I don’t think those comments are productive, and I don’t think those comments should come out of an MP’s mouth.” Kinch says Richardson “should resign out of this election for those comments.”
ffwdweekly.com

-Calgary Herald
-Canadian Press

Due to overwhelming response ... I am going to run the '100 Reasons' again ... in a slightly different format:

100 Reasons NOT To Vote For Stephen Harper's Conservatives!

100 Reasons NOT To Vote For Stephen Harper's Conservative Party

Take some time to read through the list .... amazingly researched! Every canvasser knocking on doors for ANY political party that is fighting Harper, should have this as a resource!!

"So far, there's no question he's just being Stephen Harper's puppet. He has no interest in doing a proper assessment of how the different environmental plans are going to affect the province."
Sandra Morin, MLA
New Democrat Environment Critic

It should come as no surprise to anyone in Saskatchewan, that Premier Wall has been dispatched to sing Stephen Harper's praises during the current federal campaign. After announcing that he would remain neutral during the election, Wall immediately began to tow the Conservative line.

The Regina Leader-Post verifies New Democrat MLA, Sandra Morin's contention ... "At issue are comments last week by Wall where he strongly advised reporters to read a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that said carbon taxes used in Europe had no impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and that Canada's potential introduction of carbon tax could spark a "global trade war."
But in fact, the report Wall cited was not done by the OECD --"

For decades now, the Gospel of the Right has been 'deregulation'. The ideology of American Right wing presidents Reagan, Bush Sr., and Bush Jr. has been to deregulate wherever possible ... most notably ... Wall Street. So it should come as no surprise to anyone, that letting Wall street 'regulate' itself, has led to the disastrous financial melt down that is currently occurring. You see, the basic rule of Right wing ideology is to get the government off the back of good honest hard working business types, and miraculously ... ALL WILL BE WELL FOR EVERYONE!

The flaw in the ideology is that there are a lot of crooks, scheisters, con men and greedy thieves who will walk over everyone else in their goal to accumulate as much capital as is humanly possible.

North of the border, Canadian Right wing ideologues have modeled their beliefs on the same concepts. Preston Manning's Reform Party ... (now having morphed into Stephen Harper's 'Conservative' Party), completely adhere to this same failed ideology. Deregulation is their reason for being. Harper wants to give Canada MORE of what is causing the fiscal failure of Wall street and the American economy.

They have only one trick in their repertoire - and if used by the hand of a majority Harper government in this nation, well ... we will have only ourselves to blame!

McCain Defends Deregulation of Wall Street


And to prove that I know what I am talking about .. here were some earlier predictions on Buckdog .....
-If The Free Market System Works So Bloody Well - Why Does The Private Sector Always Seem To Need Billions Of Tax Dollars To Bail The Bastards Out?

-The Myth of 'Fiscal Conservatism'

My good friend, and fellow 'Progressive Blogger', Tyler Kinch is running for the New Democrats in Calgary Centre riding.

Tyler is a member of Progressive Bloggers and the Blogging Dippers with his site: 'A Socialist In Calgary.'

Tyler is NO stranger to politics. He ran in the last Alberta provincial election and he has been a strong community presence in the city of Calgary for some time now. You may recall last year, when Tyler posted a number of strong blog posts .... taking on Federal Tory Cabinet Minister, Jim Prentice. over his Copyright Bill. (That's Tyler breathing down the Minister's neck, making life miserable for him)!

Tyler has been endorsed by an eco/political group, 'The Conservation Voters of Alberta' for his environmental work and views. If you live in Calgary Centre, be sure to give Tyler both your vote and some of your time.

I want to tip my hat to this guy, who not only is an active political blogger, but who also puts his efforts where his beliefs are! This guy is the real thing!

Go Tyler!

(Rusty Idols has more ...... )

"A former Conservative candidate who was sidelined by the party after he refused to participate in a controversial in-and-out financial transfer in the last election, is warning that a Conservative majority government could pose a threat to democracy in Canada.

In a sharply critical attack on the party he once supported, (Lawyer) David Marler, says he has come to realize that candidates who stand up for their ideas and speak their mind are not welcome in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's party.

"The pattern emerging from the Harper Conservatives' control of the selection of the candidates makes one wonder if Mr. Harper would not prefer to be the top guy in a presidential republic," Marler writes in a book he has self-published on his website.

"If the Conservatives were to wind up with a majority government, then Mr. Harper would be an absolute ruler so long as his party were in power and without any constraint from the members of his party who would have been carefully selected to mutely follow him wherever he might lead."
Montreal Gazette

WINNIPEG–Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said today that his Green Shift plan featuring a controversial carbon tax is not a major part of his election platform. "You have said it was but never me," Dion told reporters. His surprise declaration follows by a day campaign appearances in the Toronto area where he failed to mention it once in his speeches.
The Star

Can you actually believe ANYTHING that comes from the mouth of Liberals these days? Between the crap that Jason Cherniak is spouting as well as that of his Guru .... Stephan Dion .... how stupid do they think Canadians are???

"HALIFAX: As Elizabeth May launched her party’s platform in the Grand Parade in Halifax on Wednesday, an angry heckler interrupted her news conference as she attacked Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s economic policy. [...] But John Bennett, her communications director, said he got nervous watching the heckler on TV from his Ottawa office. "If that heckler had had malicious intent, there was nobody between him and her," he said. "There was a row of microphones and a couple of women with her."
The RCMP provide teams of trained plainclothes Mounties to protect Mr. Harper, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe and NDP Leader Jack Layton but haven’t offered Ms. May the same thing."
Halifax Chronicle Herald

In spite of my little dust up with John Bennett of the Greens, I think that the time has come to say Ms. May should be given a minimum of security during the remainder of this campaign.

An incident with a gun carrying man outside of Jack Layton's event the other day brings into focus the fact that these leaders put their lives on the line for what they believe. There are a lot of kooks and crazies running around out there and far too many handguns.

Clearly, an evaluation needs to be done of current security measures for national party leaders. Until that is done by someone, I think that we should be cautious.

So ... note to the RCMP ..... consider increasing security for Elizabeth May for the remainder of this election campaign.

Leftdog

"Why won't the prime minister get tough on handguns in our cities?"
Jack Layton

TORONTO -- Minutes after NDP Leader Jack Layton said Wednesday afternoon that the NDP had a plan to eliminate handguns in cities, a young man, who reportedly had a gun, took a swing at a Toronto police officer outside the party rally and tore off down the street.

Three officers chased the 20-year-old and arrested him. The police officer had a lump on his cheek but did not appear to be seriously injured.

Layton had just gotten into his car and was being driven away before the man punched the officer and started running. "I'm very thankful that our police force, and I gather with some assistance from our RCMP detail, were able to act so quickly and that no one was (seriously) hurt," Layton said later Wednesday. "Nobody should be carrying around a handgun in Toronto or any other city unless they're a law enforcement official and we need laws that make that possible for our communities."
-CanWest News Service

Buckdog is featuring some guest blog posts during the current election campaign. Today's guest post comes from a community group -Concerned Residents of Frost Fish Cove.


St. Margaret's Bay is a growing suburban area and tourist spot west of Halifax. However, this growth has highlighted the need for leadership from elected officials. Local residents have been concerned about a large new house that is being built on a tiny tidal flat, with a sewage system that is designed to drain at the shore of Frost Fish Cove on St. Margaret's Bay.

Shellfish harvesting is already closed here because of bacteriological contamination. (See Environment Canada map. Throughout this summer there has frequently been brown foam across the water which is obviously from sewage. The fish are also depleted around St. Margaret's Bay, so that while we are attempting to promote tourism in this area near Peggy's Cove, instead of seeing swordfish, tuna, whales, sharks and so on, it looks more like an acid lake near Sudbury, Ontario.

For the Green Party, the NDP and the Liberals, this septic approval may be a good example of a local environmental issue that needs governance. At least those parties have specific new environmental policies. Gerald Keddy, the current MP (Conservative), has received lots of information about the problems here, but apparently prefers to be in the newspaper for ribbon-cutting and has not acted in any way with this case.

The Ombudsman has investigated this property, concluding that "applications for variances must include an evaluation of the potential for adverse effects" (Aug. 28/08). That doesn't seem to have happened in this case.

The provincial Environment department also conducted an investigation of the system, because it was never inspected as legally required when first installed. However, they delayed for a year and then said that there was not enough evidence to press charges. (It is not clear what sort of evidence they expected to find to prove that an inspection was not done.)

Nova Scotia also has an archaic inspection procedure in the guise of privatization and efficiency. The landowner pays the engineer for designing and surveying, and also for the inspection. So the engineer inspects his own work, and the property developer holds the purse strings. A few conflicts of interest there.

The NS Auditor General did a report on the Nova Scotia Environment department this year, concluding that they are doing a poor job of protecting the environment: "policies and procedures are inadequate, information is incomplete and sometimes enforcement is ineffective... The report also concluded that inspection processes are not adequate enough to ensure compliance with the Environment Act."

Ordinarily septic approvals are a provincial matter. However, the lead regulator is supposed to consult with other relevant regulators to ensure compliance. Yet it appears that Nova Scotia Environment has issued a Variance and a Septic Approval in this case that violates the federal Fisheries Act.

The Fisheries Act is very straightforward: "No person shall deposit... a deleterious substance of any type in water frequented by fish" (Section 36[3]). That is why MP Gerald Keddy should have gotten involved over the past two years. This septic system is approved to release up to 1000 litres a day of sewage effluent (every day), on this small cove where people swim and near where a kayak rental business tries to attract customers.

This has been a major local issue that has received extensive media coverage, as you can see from the web site (below). Just down the road, there is a new park and beach at McCoo's Island. So why would approval be given to release sewage effluent at the shore on the same road?

Environment Canada is responsible for Section 36 of the Fisheries Act, and does have an Enforcement Office nearby. But how likely is it that they will embarrass the provincial regulators and enforce the law for this new construction? Municipalities across Nova Scotia already pipe their raw sewage into the ocean. Perhaps that is why the public servants have withheld Freedom of Information documents about this, and why there have been so many inconsistencies in this case. We need some leadership here.

Concerned Residents of Frost Fish Cove.

"I'm saying to the prime minister, 'Look, the public has a right to know here how their taxpayers' dollars are being used, what the costs of the war are, and an election is no time to start shutting the doors on important public information on a key issue that is facing Canadians as they make their choice.'"
Jack Layton

The War in Afghanistan has two distinct costs. The most expensive cost is the life of young Canadians in uniform killed in that hopeless quagmire. The lesser cost is the hundreds of millions or billions that taxpayers are spending to foot it. But we don't know what that cost is. It's our money ... it is being spent by our government in our name ... but we don't have any idea what we are spending.

Parliament's new budget officer, Kevin Page, told reporters that he would release the cost of the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan during the federal election as long as he had all-party agreement.

Layton - Dion - May want to know! Canadians want to know!

Mr. Harper has no choice but to instruct Mr. Page to release the relevant documents. Too bad if it doesn't fit into some strategist's election planning.

I was glad to see Quebec Premier Jean Charest give Harper a slap for cuts to arts funding. You need to understand that Harper is, in reality, driven by Reform concepts on many issues. One of those issues is public funding of the Arts.

Every great civilization, from the ancient Romans and Greeks to more contemporary times, have understood that drama, music and art define a culture and provide both contemporary benefits and legacy. Patronage by the Crown allowed Shakespeare to pursue his work and the legacy he left to the English language is invaluable.

In Canada, the Arts employ thousands and thousands of people and allow a sparsely populated nation like Canada to remain culturally intact and unique from our larger American neighbor.

Right wing thinking argues that the Arts should be self funding. Lacking that, the corporate sector should provide patronage ... but they fight public funding as a matter of ideology. They are wrong.

In terms of world history, the Canadian experiment is only 141 years old. We have gathered people from almost every nation on the planet and unlike the American 'melting pot' we have a patchwork quilt of cultures that is truly different from the United States and unique in the world. Canada is truly the 'united nations' in one nation.

In terms of arts funding as a line item of the federal budget, we are only talking about crumbs. Cutting funding to the arts may be an ideological statement, but it is short sighted and clearly indicates a disregard for Canada ... what we are ... and who we are.

Harper and his Conservatives want Canada to play a part on the world's stage. Their thinking is that we make that statement with military might .. hence our ongoing war in Afghanistan. If Harper truly wanted to see Canada make a mark in the world, he should ensure that Canadian arts are well supported.

Good for Jean Charest - speaking out during a federal election.

CAUTION: Liberals ... do NOT read this article in the Star!

(Everyone else, read it and laugh at the follies and foibles of Canada's once 'natural governing party')! LOL

I wonder if the Greens will try to sue me again for posting this guest post from JanfromtheBruce?

"Yes, you too can run in the 2008 federal election - add to your CV, impress your friends and neighbors." [...]

"However, from the “don’t send it by e-mail if you don’t want it to be forwarded” department, comes this missive from the Green Party’s Director of Organizing, Sharon Labchuk."

"I would obviously prefer to see higher Liberal numbers. I'm not wearing blinders. However, as much as I would prefer good news I think it is important to not overstate bad news. The polls aren't good, but they are not determinative of who is doing well. Use your own judgement on who has run the better campaign so far."
Jason Cherniak

Lib blogger guru, Jason Cherniak won't allow my comments on his blogsite. Fair ball ... it is his site and that's his right to block any comment he doesn't want. So as a result, to comment, I have to post something on my site in hopes that readers can connect it to his thoughts.

The Liberals are tanking out! No doubt about it! If they can't figure out the reason, well, they truly are too stupid to even think about forming government. When they chose Dion, they picked a dud leader. They don't want to hear that, they will let him take the brand down even further than it was in election 2006 and when this sorry mess is over, they will ditch him.

And there are STILL four weeks to go!

Meanwhile, Mr. Cherniak continues to dream up reasons to attack ........ Jack Layton!

"Many times Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton worked together … Mr. Layton was beside him in 2006 to go to an election. He said to Canadians, to Liberals, at that time: ‘Lend me your vote.’ OK, he gave to Canada Stephen Harper."
Stephan Dion
Liberal Leader

(desperately hoping that Canadians are stupid enough to forget that the Liberals abstained from EVERY non-confidence motion that Harper faced)
(( sheeeeeesh!))


Want proof?
-Will The Harper - Dion Coalition Government Continue For Another Year?

-Dion's Liberals Will Allow Harper's Conservative Government To Continue In Power With Votes Tonight

-Thank Dion For Every Day That Harper Remains Our Prime Minister

Buckdog is featuring a post today from guest blogger JanfromtheBruce!

Dion Will Backup EMay - Leader's Debate

Some argued, like Buckdog, that May should not be invited to the debates because she would serve as Dion's back-up, effectively giving the Liberal Party two debaters.

Today, May put this nasty rumour to rest and set the record straight: Dion will be May's backup in the English debate. May says she can do Dion's job of getting people to vote Liberal better than Dion can.
Who would have thought that?

Canadian Press

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In an interview Sunday on CTV's Question Period, Green Leader Elizabeth May also alluded to Dion's linguistic obstacle, saying her presence in next month's leaders' debates may actually benefit Dion because she will have an easier time explaining the Green Shift to Canadians.

"Since it's our plan, the Green Shift plan, I can explain it well," May said. "I think the fact that I can explain it may be useful for Canadians in making up their minds on how to vote."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
In less than a week, May is slapping those that supported her taking part - in the face.

Twenty months ago today, I published a post entitled, 'Trying to Market Dion In Saskatchewan - Yikes!' wherein I stated:

"If there is a true wasteland for the Liberal Party in Canada, it must surely be Saskatchewan. Alberta is not much better, but in Edmonton, the provincial Liberals are the Official Opposition Party. In the Saskatchewan Legislature there isn't even one elected Liberal. David Karwaki, Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals, has tried two times to win a seat; both unsuccessfully." (NOTE: and after last fall's provincial election there STILL isn't one Liberal in the Legislature AND Karwacki is now long gone!) [...]

"There is NO possibility for a Dion breakthrough in Saskatchewan. Ralph Goodale will likely win his seat (as he usually does). The next election will be fought by and large between the New Democrats and the Harper Conservatives. Anyone who leans Liberal (outside of Goodale's Riding) who wants to stop Stephen Harper will VOTE for the New Democrats.

You see, a vote for Stephane Dion in Saskatchewan will help to elect Stephen Harper."

I stand by what I said 20 months ago ... in 13 of Saskatchewan's federal seats, if you vote for a Liberal candidate, you vote for Stephen Harper!

(let Liberal and Green harping and spin commence ...... now!)

The RCMP didn't do enough independent research into Tasers and relied too heavily on data supplied by their American manufacturer before authorizing their use, a new report says - a report completed last June and only released now as the result of Freedom of Information requests!
CTV News

Tasers have been linked to 22 deaths in Canada.The RCMP said Friday it was considering the report's observations and recommendations. Based on recommendations made in June by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, the force said it had already made a number of improvements.
Regina Leader-Post

A couple of inaccuracies NEED to be clarified yet here:
1) Bennett, the Green Party Director of Communications referred to me twice on Mike Duffy tonight as a 'Conservative Blogger' - that is what he may wish to advance in his own defence, but it is NOT true. Everyone knows I am a proud Blogging Dipper.

2)May states that there was an immediate apology to me ... well 36 hours after the first threat of legal action.

I am posting this ... without further comment from me ... or from you.
Special thanks to TVO for this video!

From: John Bennett
To: leftdog@hushmail.com
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:58:55 -0600
I apologize for my hasty email yesterday. My actions came out of a
concern to ensure that internet content is an honest and real
representation of facts and I look forward to future positive
dialogue with you and other bloggers.

In the TVO clip, Elizabeth May clearly says "they" think Canadians
are stupid, referring to the opinions of some politicians. She then
turns to the questioner and agrees with HIS assessment that a carbon
tax is essential. No spin can change that.

I have included a video clip and quote from Elizabeth May that
indicate her clear respect for the intelligence of Canadians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIWFDsmmfz4

"It needs to be explained, but I think Canadians are smart enough to
understand the idea that we need to ensure that we reduce our use of
fossil fuels, that the climate crisis is upon us, and this is not the
only thing we need to do, but it is the foundation for a successful
climate policy," Elizabeth May said. CTV's Question Period on
Sunday, May 25, 2008.

Sincerely,

John Bennett

-----------------------(To which I replied) ----------------

Mr. Bennett;
A Canadian federal election is a mutually agreed and defined period
of time where an unfettered free forum of opinion and debate should
ensue. The debate will inevitably contain both bold statements of
vision as well as blind narrow partisan rhetoric. It will be full
of humour and conflict and is intended to attract the citizens of
the nation to cast their votes a particular way.

New to the debate is the ability of individual citizens to climb
onto a modern day soap box - known as a ‘Blog’. The collective
community of individual blogs is called the ‘blogosphere’ and it is
a virile and potent force. You have witnessed the potency of this
community over the last two days.

Those who do not recognize the power of the blogosphere nor even
one sole member of it, do so at their own peril. The blogosphere is
dynamic and it is unpredictable. It is well suited to facilitate
this unfettered free forum of opinion and debate.

Using your position with a national political party to silence my
voice by threatening me with legal action was both offensive to me
and an extremely unfair use of your voice in the election campaign.

I will accept your apology and urge you and others to respect the
potency and validity of the blogosphere in your future dealings.

Leftdog
Regina

A sorry shade of Green - Kady O'Malley

Jill Javet, TVO's director of corporate relations, made this statement on the matter this morning:

"TVO confirms that the audio of the clip in question is intact. As such, TVO is not and will not be pursuing legal action of any kind on this matter."
TVO

"John Bennett of the Greens insisted that Taylor doctored the audio tape (Taylor denied this) and informed at least one blogger that both the Greens and TVO were considering legal action if the video remained posted on his site."

Kevin Libin - National Post

From: John Bennett
To: leftdog@hushmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:37:56 -0600

Please be informed that the if the video

Canadians Are Stupid!" - Elizabeth May

is not removed from your site with the hour the Green Party of Canada will seek means to prevent legal proceedings further slander.


John Bennett
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
(613) 562-4916 ext. 230
(Cell: 613) 291 6888
Fax: (613) 482-4632
-------------------------- (To which I replied) ----------------

Dear Mr. Bennett
You are attempting to shoot the messenger here. I am merely
reporting ... as is my right as a citizen journalist ... an item
that is CURRENTLY POSTED ON YOUTUBE ... with the following URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIxmfBPrptM

I did NOT post this item on youtube NOR did I produce it.
Therefore your threats to me as a citizen journalist have been
turned over to my solicitor.

Should I receive an apology from you within the hour, I will take
no further action against the Green Party of Canada which would
include:
1) A nationwide news release which includes the text of your
threatening email to me,
2) Details which show that I had NOTHING to do with the production
nor posting of the item in question on youtube,
3) That as a citizen journalist, the Green Party of Canada is
attempting to suppress my freedom of speech,
4) A blog posting itemizing what has occured here including your
threatening email to me.

Should your apology to me be received within the hour as I stated,
I will take no further action against the Green Party of Canada

Leftdog
Regina

------------------------ (To which Ms. May's representative replied --------
From: John Bennett
To: leftdog@hushmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:11:13 -0600

You are knowingly asisting in slander get it down or you face legal action us & TVO.

Journalism is more than repeating. You have a responsibility to verify the facts.

Get get it down now.
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UPDATE -
You will note that I am the ONLY blogger who had legal action threatened by the Green Party of Canada. Special thanks to Stephen Taylor!

For all the yammering I am hearing from Saskatchewan's Green Blogger, I think it is humorous that in Saskatchewan's 14 Federal Ridings, the Greens only have 4 candidates seeking election.

I am sure that by the date that nominations close, they will have strong armed a further 10 individuals to let their names go on the ballot for the Green Party - each and every one a quality candidate, strongly articulating Elizabeth May's viewpoints, I am sure!!

For any Saskatchewan resident who is considering throwing their hat in the ring for the Greens, maybe take a few minutes and read my friend, Dipper Chick's analysis of the current iteration of the Green Party of Canada ... under May's tutelage.

UPDATE:
As a result of threats of legal action by the Green Party of Canada against this blogsite, I have removed the video pending legal advice from my solicitor.

As a citizen journalist, I reported on the video which is located on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIxmfBPrptM

I apologize to my readers that as a result of these threats of legal action by the Green Party, the video has been removed.
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Oh bring on the debate!!! Let's see Elizabeth May call Canadians 'stupid' on a live National Leaders Debate ... just like she did in this clip!

Make sure you read my friend, Dipper Chick's analysis of Canada's Green Party.

NOTE: (There is high traffic on youtube tonight watching this video so if you can't access it at the moment ... try back in a bit. The rightwingosphere is going nuts with this clip tonight as well on Steven Taylors site and oher blogging tory sites.

"Poverty and hunger are priorities for Greens, but the Green Party will not simply strive to reduce the poverty rates in Canada, we want to wipe poverty out for good. To eliminate poverty and hunger, the Green Party would look at introducing a Guaranteed Livable Income for Canadians."
Elizabeth May
Green Party Policy Book

Persons living in poverty across Canada will be trembling with anticipation ... when they find out that Elizabeth May is going to 'look at' poverty!!!!

Stephen Harper - surrounded by his legion of Conservative candidates!


Photo courtesy CBC News.

One positive for the ever suffering leader of the Green Party is the fact that in terms of public perception, she has managed to DOUBLE her issue base!

1) All things Green and Eco.

2) She has now achieved recognition as a modern day 'Canadian Martyr'!

"A Conservative government would withdraw the bulk of Canadian troops from Afghanistan in 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday. "We're planning for the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan in 2011. We've been very clear about that," Harper told reporters ... "
National Post

Don't tell me that the War in Afghanistan is NOT registering as a problem in Tory polling results!!

"I would choose if I had to, instead to be a fruit. It's just what I am, sweet and colourful."
Conservative Leader
Stephen Harper
Winnipeg Sun

Shhhhh .... don't tell Tom Lukiwski!

(Oh ... and speaking of Tom Lukiwski .... he NEVER did get in touch with Regina's GLBT community!)

"We recognize that a government in which Stephane Dion served as prime minister could work well with a Green caucus of MPs, led by Elizabeth May, committed to action on climate change."
Joint Statement issued by:
Stephan Dion & Elizabeth May
April 2007

From CTV News:
"Long before the election writ was dropped last Sunday, the Green party leader had repeatedly touted Dion as her choice for Canada's next prime minister. [...] In April 2007, when May and Dion sealed a non-aggression pact -- agreeing not to run candidates against each party's leader -- the two issued a joint statement."We recognize that a government in which Stephane Dion served as prime minister could work well with a Green caucus of MPs, led by Elizabeth May, committed to action on climate change," they said. "Yes, Stephane Dion would like to see me in the House of Commons and I think that he should be prime minister," she said, adding with a laugh: "Of course, I'm my first choice for prime minister but he'd be very good as second choice." May also vowed to defend Dion's record and character, calling him a man of "deep integrity and extraordinary character."

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."
William Shakespeare

"Yet Another Reason to Spoil Your Ballot"
"Green Party excluded from the leaders debate. If this isn't yet another great reason to spoil your ballot and let the powers that be (know) that you've lost all confidence in the hyper-partisan "democratic" system, then I don't know what is."
Dodosville Blog

I don't know if Dodosville is an actual 'Green Party Blogger' but they seem to be urging Green Party supporters to spoil their ballot and 'let the powers that be' know how ticked off they are that Elizabeth May hasn't earned the status to be included in the leaders debate.

Instead of spoiling all of your ballots, perhaps the smart thing to do is to work hard, get your vote out, ensure that a few ACTUAL Members of Parliament are elected from your slate ... and don't do something as stupid as spoiling your ballot!

Grow up ... act like an actual mature party!

POSTSCRIPT:
Now before I am attacked by Green Party supporters, PLEASE READ WHAT I FIRMLY BELIEVE ..... Those voters who want to vote Green or who even remotely support the polices of the Green Party should listen carefully to what I am about to say ... VOTE GREEN! PLEASE! GET OUT ON OCTOBER 14TH AND VOTE FOR THE GREEN PARTY OF CANADA! SUPPORT THEM! PUT UP A GREEN PARTY SIGN! GET OUT YOUR CHEQUE BOOK AND WRITE A DONATION CHEQUE FOR THE GREEN PARTY OF CANADA! DO NOT SPOIL YOUR BALLOTS ...

LOL! I went to visit a friend of mine yesterday afternoon to watch the Saskatchewan Roughriders football game on his TV. When I go to his front door, I encountered a wonderful sign that he had made and placed for everyone to see!

h/t to illegalelection.ca
Cartoon courtesy www.execulink.com

Well ... we are in an election .... time to remind Canadians what our Conservative Prime Minister has been up to over the last 2 1/2 years. His honesty record is NOT very good. Some of Canada's BEST progressive bloggers have a few things that they want Canadians to know:

-Stephen Harper's Broken Promises Page(Tootrusting) as well as Tootrusting's great blog site ... Stephen Harper's Broken Promises

-Promises from the last campaign that Stephen Harper broke (Scott's DiaTribes)

-Lies That Stephen Harper Told Us (The Vanity Press)

-Canada NEEDS a NEW Prime Minister -(Danielle Takacs: Galloping Around the Golden Horseshoe)

-Harper’s lies about “fixed elections” (Designated Driver of North America)

-You've GOT to be kidding me - (four strong winds)

-(illeglelection.ca) and illegalelection blog

-And now, the lying begins - (Rational Reasons)

-Harper: Bold-Faced Liar (video) - (Woman at Mile 0)


Photo courtesy Tootrusting.

I would like to invite ALL Progressive Bloggers, (Green - New Democrat -Liberal) to join in a common theme by blogging a post this Sunday to the general theme of 'Lies that Stephen Harper told us'.

Living in Saskatchewan, I will have NO difficulty finding a few lies that our Conservative Prime Minister told my province. Progressive bloggers from across the nation may find that they have been on the receiving end of similar lies by Harper.

So ... there it is ... my challenge to my fellow bloggers. Harper is expected to drop the writ for a federal campaign on Sunday and I can't think of a better way to kick off the election.

Postscript:
I just saw the first run of the 'misty-eyed' soft and gentle Harper ad on TV ... and nearly got sick!

We have a serious problem in Saskatchewan between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and First Nations people. The fact that eight individuals have been shot (5 fatally) or seriously injured by the federal police force in such a short period of time indicates that there are problems with communications or enforcement here.

The Saskatchewan Federation of Indian Nations is asking for a public inquiry to determine what the cause of the numerous shootings can be attributed to.

Clearly, if individuals are resisting arrest for minor offenses resulting in the use of deadly force by the RCMP, then there may be a need for aboriginal 'peacekeepers' to mediate volatile situations.

"Mentally police are in a tough situation especially in light of Mayerthorpe and Spiritwood, but I still question the use of lethal force. Last spring RCMP employed a SWAT team to peacefully end an armed stand-off in the town of Indian Head. There are examples of where lethal force is not the only option."
FSIN Chief Lawrence Joseph

-Aboriginal leaders ask for public inquiry

-FSIN calls for public inquiry

Jon Stewart Has Fun With Sarah Palin - Sexism and the Hypocrisy Of The Right!

Jon Stewart

"What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick"
Gov. Sarah Palin
-Republican VP Nominee

"When Palin wasn’t attacking Obama, she was praising McCain to the skies and talking up her family and her background. She’ll never be able to cry sexism again after describing herself as a ‘hockey mom’ and then asking: ‘You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick.’”
Rational Review

Misogyny from the Governor of Alaska?????

According to officials of the Alaska Independence Party, Governor Palin was a card carrying member before she became a Republican!



She says that she loves the USA ... yet she wanted her state to secede from the Union! How does that work?

While everyone is more focused on her pregnant teenage daughter for the moment (naughty scandals always get people's interest first) I think some hard questions need to be asked about her loyalty to the country she could be President of one day if Americans are stupid enough to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket!

She's a SEPARATIST! How can you be a potential Vice President of the United States of American when you wanted to break up the Union??

(I tried to point this out to Kate at smalldeadanimals but as usual, she won't allow my posts on her site. Fair ball ... I don't want her ilk here either!)

"To finalize its campaign preparations for the upcoming federal election, the Prime Minister's Office has instructed all the Cabinet minister's offices to put together binders pertaining to their portfolios, which outline anticipated opposition attacks during the course of the campaign and how to respond, Conservative sources told The Hill Times last week.

"All ministers' offices have been told to prepare binders for the campaign ... This is just summarizing all of the anticipated lines of criticism, what we've done, and so the people on the campaign have [all the material before the writ is dropped]. It's basically so that the people on the campaign, when something arises, they don't need to go to the minister's offices [for a response]. They want to have all the material on hand," a Conservative source told The Hill Times last week, adding that ministerial offices have been instructed to submit the information by this week."
Abbas Rana

The world we live in - the things we enjoy ... have been built by the hands of working women and men! There are those who would repress working people ... take away the rights they have won such as safe working conditions, freedom of association, fair wages and freedom from abusive behaviour!

Happy Labour Day .... (to my American friends ... Happy Labor Day)


Photo courtesy 'Scratch and claw'.