Andrew Coyne says that Michael Ignatieff has two choices in order to get back into the game (The Road Back.) The first is to follow Peter Donolo’s plan to capitalize on Iffy’s so-called brilliance, and the other is to play the ‘politics of cheap populism’ as John Ivison fears and pull yet another flip-flop on the HST.
Both Coyne and Ivison seem to credit Iffy with trying to stake out the moral high ground on most occasions (the Sir Galahad of Canadian politics, John???), but wonder if he might weaken and give into the down and dirty stuff.
Personally I never thought of Michael Ignatieff as having that sort of integrity.
I see him more as a flip-flopping opportunist, but hey. What do I know?
I’m just one of the Tim Horton’s crowd.
* * * *
Update: (Related links)
HST could be a game changer - Lorrie Goldstein
Tories march out over HST – Star
Dalton doesn’t care about voters on HST – Sun
Harmonized tax does it — Ontarians are getting angry – Connie Woodcock
Condo owners will be uber screwed when HST hits – Rachel Sa
Afternoon Update:
The NDP is going right after Iffy. Michael Ignatieff on torture: Be careful what you ask for – Post
And on that point – Iggy vs. Iggy (ChuckerCanuk)
Will he sell his soul, not for the whole world, but for (only) “Wales” as Thomas Moore asked in A Man for All Seasons?
I just got back from a Timmies run and I’m sipping away at my usual XL DDSW. Does that make me a cheap populist?
Joanne, the difference between Sir Galahad and Sir Ignatieff is that the legendary persona of Sir Galahad accomplished his quest for the Grail. Sir Ignatieff is the knight in Monty Python’s Quest For the Holy Grail that got decapitated by the killer rabbit after all his tough talk or that wishy-washy knight that got hurled into the Gorge of Eternal Peril for not being able to give a straight answer – What is your favorite colour?” “Red! No, blue! Arrrrgggghhhhhh!”
Take this latest and reoccuring issue about torture. The Liberals know they are utterly weak and their desperate need to therefore correct this slide needs to be done any way they possibly can with whatever “scandal” they can flog. Witness one Liberal blogger. Most likely unbeknownst to himself, he is bang on –
The Grits, hovering at historic low levels of 23 per cent in the polls, desperately need a new strategy. They’ve got to throw out the kid gloves and start responding to the Tories in kind. Ignatieff hasn’t wished to be front and centre on the Afghan allegations because of his past controversial remarks on the use of torture. But the torture allegations are only one element of this story. There’s a bigger one. It’s the alleged cover-up. Iggy should smear the Conservatives with that. Unlike most Tory charges, it might even be true.
http://darrylraymaker.blogspot.com/2009/11/lawrence-martin-gets-it-right-its-time.html
So it MIGHT be true. Not that it matters if it is or not, as long as Liberals can use anything like this (and they have) to try and “smear” the Tories” with for political partisan advantage. Pathetic, moreso than usual.
Iffy will take the lowest road possible so that his successor ,Rae, will not be saddled with a sleazy reputation. That will be firmly stuck to Iffy.
Iffy does not realize that this is the strategy. When he is replaced there will be a huge sigh of relief as the Liberals will think they have solved the problem. Rae will reunite with Chretien’s boy who will be sitting front and centre with Layton and Mulcair and Libby.
Norman Spector has a selection of cartoons from the French media on the subject of Janine Krieber’s Facebook page here.
Enjoy !
Does anyone EVER remember the MSM giving Stephen Harper hints on ‘how to get back in the game’ – or even caring if he did get back into it.
The media’s shilling for the Liberals is mind boggling!
There is a presumption that if Iffy flip flops and condemns the HST,
Ontarian voters will flock back to the Libs and blame the federal Cons…..
and another presumption that Iffy can make Canadians swoon over his brilliance, given time and the right pr guy.
Reality, Liberals don’t control the message on HST, the NDP does, which ever way Iffy goes, Jack has his number.
Reality, 23% may not be bottom for the Liberals,
there is no reason why the LPC won’t go into the teens and be neck and neck with the Dippers.
I know it is the unthinkable for our msm,
but why not?
The ads are done, the persona developed, the realities of the personality in full evidence.
To get back in the game would require a full out, smoke and screen assault.
Canadians, are NOT THAT STUPID and now with the wool (over the eyes) ball on climate change hysteria, unravelling, Canadians with rational minds will continue to see Ignatieff as nothing more than an opportunist that planted himself on Canadian soil to ‘fake it till he makes it’…..
Unacceptable, even to Canadians and Jack and perhaps even Gilles, will continue to hammer that FACT, home.
Donollo, for all his tooted talents (whatever!)is still a mere mortal that has only been perceived as a ‘king maker’ but has NEVER been proven as one.
Is it possible that Layton will be leader of the opposition after the next election. Too bad he didn’t go after Dion’s job instead of PMSH’s job last election.
Were the latest polls taken before or after Donolo came on board.
Reality, Liberals don’t control the message on HST, the NDP does, which ever way Iffy goes, Jack has his number.
Wilson, you’ve nailed it there.
I agree with Wilson too Joanne!
The Liberals are so out of touch with Canadians that they don’t see themselves as irrelevant, but hey, that’s a good thing. The more irrelevant the LPOC is seen the better for both Harper and Layton.
‘Does anyone EVER remember the MSM giving Stephen Harper hints on ‘how to get back in the game’
lol AG,
PMSH was written off semi-annually by the media, even from within the conservative camp.
Tho I think Flannigan and Ian McDonald gave him some advice after the Coalition of Losers struck panic into Canadian hearts.
When comparing Stephen Harper and the last 3 Liberal leaders,
perhaps we have the media to thank for toughening up Conservatives.
The Harper govt is doing a fantastic job, all around.
Anyone else’s spidey senses tell them that Liberals are going to regret, big time,
turning the Afghan detainee issue into ‘complicite in war crimes’?
Ian McDonald on CTV just said this is like the Liberal attempt to turn H1N1 in Hurricane Katrina, so over the top, and not a winner for them.
Somehow Libs are going to try to contain ‘information’ to 2006 and 2007 detainee handovers.
They will not succeed.
Liberals handed over detainees for 4 years, with NO written assurance from the US, and for 3 months the Lib govt handed over the first detainees into the unprepared Afghan system…
it is reasonable to assume that the most and worst cases of abuse were leveled against the first detainees handed over, under Liberal rule.
Why is it that every time I read this Coyne character, I get the unmistakable impression that he’s a Toronto liberal who’s disguising himself as a conservative pundit.
How can anyone not read between his lines and not see this?
If the situation ever evolved enough to get the Liberals back in to power, he’d turn against the Conservative’s in a heart beat.
Don’t be fooled by his clever disguise, he’s got “Trojan Horse” written all over him.
LOL
and Jack begins his pre-election election attacks,
go for it Jack, go hard, go often!!!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 24, 2009
REALITY CHECK: Join Ignatieff’s Book Club on Torture
http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/11/24/ignatieff-torture-ndp/
Blame Crash, I concur. I don’t trust Coyne either. You got CBC having him appearing as “conservative pundit” that says a lot. Why not have Lorie Goldstein or Lorne Gunter, Lowell Green etc., real conservative pundits.
But then that’s CBC for ya!
The conduct of the Liberals on Afghanistan is becoming a joke of gigantic proportions, just when Canadians thought they may be on to something, other than political gamesmanship like we had with wafergate, Olympic logos, door knobs, course of the Torch relay, stimulus spending etc.
David Mulroney, the number one man in Afghanistan at the time, has volunteered to fly down to testify immediately, before the parliamentary committee, and we have the Liberals going to set up road blocks so he can’t be heard by the committee, and prevent Canadians from hearing him now. Liberals for their shameful short term political gain, want the accusations to float in the air as long as possible, before some credible evidence is brought forward, by a well qualified source like David Mulroney. Liberals set out a smoke screen, that they want all documents released before Mulroney testifies, knowing full well only some documents can be released because of security concerns, and some are classified, but this will only serve the Liberal game plan, because then they can make accusations of coverup – they are treating Canadians like turnips. This is all about political games and not a search for the truth and I am surprised members of the media are now being duped by the tactics being employed.
do we really need Marlene Jennings screaming in QP.
If she isn’t careful, she will have a stroke on camera.
Sgheebeeshee corners the market: on Liberals Iffy, Dionky, et al.
Iffy’s lib.caca off to the PET* Cemetery.
…-
“Pulling the plug on ‘onprobation.ca’
I guess the Conservatives have paid their debt to society or been on really good behaviour.
That’s the conclusion one could draw from the fact that the Liberal website, http://www.onprobation.ca, is dead.”
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2009/11/pulling-the-plug-on-on-probation.html
…-
*PET/Coyne:
Pierre Trudeau and Deborah Coyne – Dating, Gossip, News, Photos
18 September 2009… Pierre Trudeau and Deborah Coyne photos, news and gossip. Find out more about…
http://www.whosdatedwho.com/…/pierre-trudeau-and-deborah-coyne.htm
Wilson
The game is on. A brilliant strategy. Dion’s wife criticizes Iffy. Layton backs her up. Rae is silent. Hammer Iffy from all sides. Rae takes over. The coalition lives on. This Donolo is as dirty as his teacher, Goldenberg.
Oh, I forgot, Donolo was encamped with Laughing Little Eddie, thanks for that reminder, dilon @ 4:26 pm.
I agree with Flannigan on tonight’s PP, if the opposition want to take down the government on the Taliban prisoner issue they can do it. Tommy Clark picked up on some other comments Flannigan said that he thought would fit the Liberal/Left agenda like the Conservatives shouldn’t have taken ownership of this issue. Let them have an election on it and we’ll see who has ownership of what.
An election on this one would clean out the Liberal stalls, they’d be lucky to have enough horses to sit as the Official Opposition.
Add your items to Iffy’s Do-Do List.
Contribution from Ezra Levant below*.
…-
“Gerry Nicholls: Michael Ignatieff’s latest to-do list
Using the Access to Information Act, I managed to get a hold of this key political document:
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff’s “To Do List”
* “De-friend” Janine Krieber
* Memorize names of my new staff members
* Renew VISA for working in the United States
* Take piano/singing lessons
* See doctor about mysterious knife-like wounds in my back
* Ask Warren Kinsella when “ass kicking” will begin
* Tell aide to stop showing me those blasted poll results
* Hire a new pollster
* Find out why Bob Rae is measuring curtains in my office
* Remind myself why I wanted this job.”
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/24/gerry-nicholls-michael-ignatieff-s-to-do-list.aspx
…-
*The last 100 Jews in the Liberal Party
I saw a headline pop up on my BlackBerry tonight: “Jewish leaders ask Harper to trash Tory flyer”.
Naturally, when I saw “Jewish leaders” and an attempt to publicly embarrass Stephen Harper, arguably the most pro-Jewish and pro-Israel head of government in the world, I thought that the Jewish leaders involved would be Bernie “Burny” Farber and the pro-Liberal Canadian Jewish Congress.
So when I read the item I was surprised, and even a little pleased, that the list of “Jewish leaders” denouncing Harper does not include Burny, or for that matter the leaders of B’nai Brith or the Canada-Israel Committee or the Simon Wiesenthal Center or any organization of synagogues or really anyone who leads anything, other than various branches of the Liberal Party.
There’s not a lot of leaders on the list of “Jewish leaders”. For that matter, many of the names aren’t Jewish, either. I guess it’s like the Holy Roman Empire — not really holy, not really Roman, and not much of an empire.
It’s not a list of Jewish leaders. It’s a list of the last 100 Jews left in the Liberal Party.” (More)
http://ezralevant.com/
Liz J 5:46 pm
“I agree with Flannigan on tonight’s PP, if the opposition want to take down the government on the Taliban prisoner issue they can do it.”
Liz: Libs should take a deep breath. First Mr Colvin’s own admission, he came to Afhganistan in May 2006 the abuse he referred to in his memos pertain to January 2006 and probaly before. These allegations prompted the Conservatives to strength the prisoner transfer agreement and allow for better access to monitor the detainees.Paul Martin’s transfer agreement was a haphazardly designed plan which did not allow for Canadian forces, Red Cross or Human RIghts groups to go in and review the treatment.
This whole exercise is another psuedo scandal with the hope of embarrassing the government. Like Tom Flanagan said; if the opposition is so sure of their stance let them bring in a non-confidence vote and defeat the government then the Canadian people will decide who is right or wrong
I watch PP with Tommie boy, simply because its like watching and episode of the Canadian Air Farce, and every now and again I need a little comedy relief.
MaryT, the NDP playing the holy and thou card as if they care for the little guy. Not so, in fact, the prime minister has given the NDP what they want in the stimulus package which the ndp never supported.
No dearest, the ‘little guy’ the ndp like to prey on for support is esactly the type of people they would not support.
NDP want big business to pay for the little guy, yet those same business create jobs for the people but if NDP want to treat business their(ndp) way, businesses will simply pack up and leave canada.
Did anyone happen to watch Michael Coren’s show on CTS this evening? He had Lord Monckton as a guest who is well informed on the GW scam/sham/fraud.
Does anyone know how much CTV is paying the charlatan, Al Gore for his appearance on Canada AM?
He charges $300,000.00 for speeches so this guest appearance must be somewhere in between. He also doesn’t answer any questions other than those prearranged. Like Suzuki, Gore will not debate anyone they know will embarrass/out them.
The opposition parties are putting our troops’ lives at risk with their daily chants over the taliban detainees.
Prime Minister once pleaded with the opposition to stop it because they were putting the lives of troops at risk.
Unfortunately, his plea fell on deaf ears.
I think I might be cured of watching Power Play (the CBC one is not even in contention).
Tonight I watched Corner Gas at five and then King of Queens at five thirty. Usually by six o’clock I’m fuming but this time I felt great.
I tuned into Michael Coren at six and hoped that he would talk about the recent computer hacking at CRU but it was a repeat of an earlier climate change show so I put my newspaper down and promptly fell sound asleep.
Free at last……
but then I sit back at my computer and my blood quickly gets boiling again after reading about the three Navy SEALS who are being charged with assault after a ‘most-wanted’ terrorist responsible for killing four American security officers was captured and ended up with a bloodied lip.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576646,00.html
To add to my post above, the four Blackwater security officers were
“transporting supplies for a catering company when they were ambushed and killed by gunfire and grenades. Insurgents burned the bodies and dragged them through the city. They hanged two of the bodies on a bridge over the Euphrates River for the world press to photograph.”
And all the Navy SEALS gave the master-mind was a fat lip? I’d say he got off really easy.
Does anyone know how much CTV is paying the charlatan, Al Gore for his appearance on Canada AM?
I would suggest writing to their sponsors and complaining.
I thoroughly enjoyed His Lordship’s analysis of the GW scam on Michael Coren’s broadcast. He dissected the GW boosters’ baseless enthusiasm so logically and thoroughly, that there should be no doubt about the assinine nature of such a grandiose political and economic proposal to squelch CO2 emissions. It’s a complete “non-factor” since we don’t produce enough of this gas to make a beanfield’s bit of flatulence in the big picture. He rightly stated that it would take roughly 80 YEARS of complete global interruption of carbon-based industries to halt global warming of 1 lousy degree. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it? But then I guess that’s why the mindless Left is going for it, hook, line, and sinker, at the beckoning of the big Liebral wheelies like Chairman Mo and other influencial, non-slapstick Stooges. We could use a return to the more ‘traditional’ kind, where a fat lip could be delivered without repercussions of extreme politically-anal human rights for criminals. When the Igneutered does his exit (stage left) there will be a new Fearless Leader for Moose & Squirrel to try to save the world from. In the political spectrum sometimes it’s really tough to differentiate between entertainment and real life issues. It’s up to us to brace up our heroes led by PMSH for the battles ahead, which could very well include an engagement with X-Rae Dipper, who would be suited to another Coalition powerplay with Lack Jayton, Gills Triceps, and Deeyawn and The Belmonts, from the entrails of the Igneutered’s cutting room floor. Yes, the forecast remains: Promising times prevail for our dedicated leader Mr. Harper and the steadfast representation he exemplifies.
Speaking of taking the loe and lower roads….reading the headline in NP:”PM Stands By Soldiers In Torture Hearing” by one David Akin. You’d assume it’s already been decided the soldiers are guilty by the usual subjects. To add to the insult he highlights this “The torture issue is turning into a complete fiasco for the Conservatives”. Who said that? Mr Jack Layton.
It appears the Opps want to stall this issue as long as possible to take the heat off their own royal mess. It’s not a winning issue for them. You don’t carry on like friends of the enemy when you have soldiers fighting and dying in the field.
An election could well be called. Resorting to implying a government was/is complicit in war crimes is something for the people to deal with. In this case they’ve gone over the top and way over the line. I don’t think Mr Harper will put up with such outrageous tactics from the opposition and their toadies in the media.
Oops, that would be “low” road, not “loe”!
“Am election could well be called”.
Yesterday, Tom Flanagan suggested if the detainees is such a big issue for the Opposition, they should force a confidence vote on whether or not the goverment is prepared to hold a judicial inquiry.