Harper's photo-op in Washington flops...

Today saw Stephen Harper meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, obviously punctual because with just 40 or so minutes of face time there isn't a second to waste.

While the meeting does absolutely nothing for Obama in terms of gaining or losing political points, for Stephen Harper the chance to be seen on newscasts from coast to coast in the US capital had at least the potential to boost his fortunes at a time of heightened political instability back home.

The U.S. president was perhaps so committed to limiting his time with Harper that he didn't even bother to greet him upon his arrival, as CTV news is reporting.



I did see Harper on NBC news this evening, there was a video clip of Obama being peppered with questions about former President Carter's comments on racism at the Whitehouse. Harper was sitting there and to my eye he was looking like a wall flower at the prom, all decked out nicely and just hoping someone might notice him. I haven't found any video on that yet, but I'll add it here if it becomes available.

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Conservatives to "fast track" immigration for hundreds of Afghanis

Listening to CBC radio last night I heard a report that Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is opening up a "fast track" for Afghanis who have been supportive of our war effort in that country and who've worked for the Canadian government for 12 months or more. The National Post is also reporting the news HERE, quoting Mr. Kenney as saying there is the potential for "hundreds" of Afghan citizens who would be offered a quicker path to Canadian citizenship.

It will be interesting to see how much play this gets with Stephen Harper's religious right Christian base. Personally I'm a big fan of immigration, with Canada's low birth rate its not simply a matter of humanitarism and multi-culturism, but of economic need. Still, many fundamentalist Christians I know are quite hostile to the Islamic faith, viewing it as something of an "evil" religion.

I wonder how many will choose to settle in Calgary?

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Harper promises no new taxes or spending cuts. He's lying...AGAIN

There's a very simple method for those who wish to discern whether or not our Prime Minister is lying, watch his lips. When they're moving, be on guard.

To be fair Stephen Harper is far from being the first Prime Minister to say one thing and then do another. Pierre Trudeau ridiculed wage and price controls, then implemented them. Brian "Brown Bag" Mulroney dismissed the idea of pursuing a free trade agreement with the U.S. before being elected and negotiating one. And of course Jean Chretien feigned amnesia about his repeated pledges to axe the GST.

With Stephen Harper there are a number of choices which spring immediately to mind when it comes to Olympic flip flopping. There's the promise he made in the last election but one (I think it was a couple weeks back) when he said a Conservative government would "never" tax income trusts. Then there was his promise backed up by legislation to eliminate snap election calls, a promise he broke when he last sent us to the polls, (that was a few days ago if memory serves).

And then of course there was his pledge not to stack the Senate with partisan cronies...a promise broken with flair as Mr. Harper unseated the likes of the aforementioned Messieurs Trudeau, Mulroney and Chretien to become Canada's all time patronage champ.

Apologists for the Prime Minister are quick to offer up excuses or course.

Finance minister Jim Flaherty had no choice but to tax income trusts they say, because leaving them tax exempt would have decimated the federal treasury. In other words Paul Martin's Liberals were telling the truth while Harper lied to garner votes among seniors worried about protecting their retirement nest eggs. Well done, it helped give Pinocchio the keys to 24 Sussex.

As for last year's (yes, I know it wasn't a few days ago) snap election call, that was necessary because parliament was dysfunctional according to the spin masters. This despite the fact that the Liberals under former leader Stephane Dion nearly set a Guinness Book world record for sitting on their collective hands. Last year's election was a blatantly obvious attempt to attain majority status, to rid Harper of the need to be conciliatory...something he's horrible at.

He had to break his promise not to stack the senate because...uhm, well everyone else does it. Assurances that there would be no recession and no deficit, well...even if CTV's Craig Oliver saw it coming...uhm, nobody else did...and like things are really really bad.

Anyone who believes Stephen Harper please sign a copy of the Fixed Election law and have Mike Duffy deliver it to me.

While past performance isn't always an indicator of future results, it can be used as a pretty decent measuring stick when trying to decide if Harper is telling the truth or just piling on more lies in an effort to win votes. The big lie now is that the Conservatives will be able to bring government revenues back into balance without any funding cuts or tax increases. Anyone who believes Stephen Harper please sign a copy of the Fixed Election law and have Mike Duffy deliver it to me. I'll redeem it for a 100 units in a tax exempt Income Trust.

The Liberals under Jean Chretien and Paul Martin were able to finally slay the deficit beast by slashing transfer payments to the provinces, transfers that pay for things such as Health Care. They also reneged on the promise to eliminate the GST, using the windfall from a booming economy to swell government coffers into repeated surpluses.

I doubt Harper would endorse major tax increases, but I can certainly envision the Conservatives taking a scythe to a whole host of government programs...the "socialist" ones Harper so detests. Health Care? Harper has never been a big fan of socialized anything, and that includes medicine. Programs to help the poor and needy? Get a job, or a better one.

Just give Harper his coveted majority and you won't recognize this country...of course if you're among Canada's most wealthy, you probably won't mind.

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Fire Gary Bettman - Something all Canadian hockey fans should agree on

At the risk of offending a dozen or so Phoenix Coyote hockey fans, I'm going to use my little cyber pulpit to wander off the political path and write about some shinny. Specifically about the way the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is taking hockey loving Canadians for granted.

Back in June I started an on-line petition calling on Canadians to boycott all NHL licensed products until Canada gets a 7th franchise, with Hamilton being the obvious choice. While there are only 35 signatures so far, I have gotten some positive feedback for my effort. The most recent of which was an email from a gentleman named Ken. He's started his own petition which calls for the firing of Gary Bettman, after a nanosecond of deliberation I signed it.

Putting a team in Hamilton would be a no brainer if the NHL had a commissioner who was interested in viable franchises and growing the game. I'm no Rhodes scholar, not by a long shot...but it doesn't take an Ivy league genius to know that sticking hockey teams in places with no attachment to the game is a recipe for failure.

If you're the commissioner of a major sports league the last thing you want is teams playing in front of a bunch of empty seats, unless you're Gary Bettman, who seems to prefer it. Why else have teams in places like Nashville, Atlanta and Phoenix?

You want people clamouring to join your ownership club? How about showing potential suitors arenas filled with rabid fans!!! That's what you'd have in cities like Hamilton, the 'Peg and Quebec city. Instead we have teams in Florida practically giving tickets away, while puckheads in southern Ontario have to take out a second mortgage to go and see a crappy Leafs team.

Part of Canada's national character is that we're 'oh so polite'. Protesting and signing petitions isn't really our thing, but I suggest its time true hockey fans get angry. Stop buying products licensed to the NHL and sign the petition to have Gary Bettman fired.

Click here to sign the 'FIRE GARY BETTMAN' petition.

Click here to sign the 'BOYCOTT NHL LICENSED PRODUCTS' petition.

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