Rex Murphy’s All Politics, No Government is a worthwhile commentary to give perspective on the current grandstanding partisanship on display in Ottawa.
You are currently browsing the archive for the Jack Layton category.
Layton’s Machavellian grab at power seems to have been a long time in the making, longer than he’d like you to think. Robert Fife has a excellent report available on CTV.ca about early meetings with the Bloc to trap Harper and form a coalition. In an ironic turn, Layton’s latest would see Stephan Dion as Prime Minister in a coalition with the NDP.
Politics certainly makes strange bedfellows. Remember the debates when Layton stared a demure Dion in the eyes and slammed him for his leadership credentials? If you don’t, check out the video below. Remember a few weeks ago when Canadians clearly reflected their thoughts about Dion’s leadership cred when the Liberals and NDPs saw the Conservatives gain a stronger minority?
If at first you don’t succeed, Jack…
Loading ...This is getting ridiculous!
A lot of people were watching politicians go at with the second consecutive Leaders’ Debate in as many days in Canada, and the much anticipated Vice Presidential Debates in the US.
Unfortunately they occurred at the same time. I flipped between the Canadian and American coverage, but spent most of my time watching to see how Palin would do. At times it was hard not to confuse the debates with episodes of Royal Canadian Air Farce or SNL. I must say I was surprised by the difference in tone between the two debates. While the MSM has been throwing around the muck at the candidates in the US, Palin in particular, both Palin and Biden were above the frey, and were stately and respectful.
Some impressions (of the candidates I saw) in four words or less:
US VP Debate
Palin - folksy, intelligent, repetitive, composed
Biden - clear, vague, slightly impassioned
Ifill - balanced
Canadian Debate
Duceppe - one trick pony
Dion - wimpy, ineffective, funner
May - argumentative, unprofessional?, scrappy, whatever
Harper - attacked, composed, prime ministerial
Layton - cocky, pointy, articulate
- Canadian Election Series -
That about sums up the campaign slogan of Canada’s New Democratic Party as we approach the October 14 election date. Just how far the apple has fallen from the tree is hard to measure. The NDP was founded by Tommy Douglas, a minister from Saskatchewan, affected like many Canadians at the time by tough economic times in the Great Depression. As a party the NDP have traditionally stood for medicare, social programs, and balanced budgets.
The present party’s efforts to form the government in the House of Commons - the goal NDP leader Jack Layton set his eye on - is threatened by the mere fact that candidates continue to resign amidst scandal. At the rate of three drop-outs a week, the party will dwindle to the brink of oblivion by election day.
Julian West is the latest NDP candidate to bow out of the race after reports emerged that years ago he stripped naked then stood and watched teenage girls face-paint at a summer camp before he went for a dip in the ocean. Last week two other NDP candidates dropped out of the race for videos featuring them taking drugs on the website Pot TV. Dana Larsen was featured taking LSD, while Kirk Tousaw was featured on the site smoking pot. Both candidates were running as NDP candidates in the Vancouver area.
The scandals have led Jack Layton to admit a need for his party to “review how we can ensure that candidates are straight up with us about their histories.”
Buy My Film!
What I'm Reading:
