Friday, September 11, 2009

The Taped Crusader and Other Thoughts

To me the story of the tape is not so much what Harper said, because after all, for those of us who follow this man, well we've known what his agenda has been all along.

No, the story to me was how the media reacted, as if it was a surprise that Harper would speak in such a manner, because after all, they have been telling us for years that he's mellowed, become a centrist and now understands that you cannot run this country from the right. Article after article, usually with the term Tory in the title, have been trying mightily to convince the masses of a kinder, gentler Harper since he was elected.

During the last election some of them were, laugh out loud funny, falling for the blue sweater and allowing him to get away without announcing policy until the election was practically over and even then, his announcements were ridiculous.

So to me, the tape is more of an indictment against the lack of real information we are provided by some quarters, while of course confirming precisely what Harper's agenda is.

Since it's release though, it certainly seems as though an election is underway, if not by convention, in spirit.

Any CPC member that can find a mic or camera has been pushing the coalition meme that Harper emphasized on the tape and for that reason, Ignatieff came out today to make it perfectly clear that there would be no coalition. It would seem the PMO is not happy with Ignatieff's clear declaration as I heard Baird and that buffoon Poilievre still pushing it today, but the media are reporting it clearly, so if they want to continue down that road, they will simply look more ridiculous.

Now, I know there are a good many Liberals out there that still like the idea of a coalition, but it's important to understand why this faux talking point is being pushed by the PM. Yes, he's trying to scare the public again and bastardize our system, but it's more than that.

What does Harper have to offer? He's not big on the vision thing, Flaherty has already tipped his hat and told us that there is no plan to get us out of deficit, what else does Harper have? Killing the gun registry? More crime bills? Selling off assets? These may be part of his agenda, but they are not exactly vote getter's.

No, Harper needs a way to derail and distract during an election. So, he would love nothing better than to take the focus off ideas and his track record and have everyone nattering about a coalition. The Liberals today took action to ensure that doesn't happen.

If you are one of those Liberals who is unhappy about this, I'd ask you to consider how life in this country was before Harper made a mockery of this option. We can work co-operatively with other parties...it's just Harper who cannot. Admittedly, I'm presuming here that Layton has learned an invaluable lesson and wouldn't play silly beggars again.

One last thought. I saw an ad today for Canada's Economic Action Plan. Overall, I think this advertising is ridiculous and completely unnecessary, but more than that, it crossed a line in my opinion. The majority of the ad tells us where the stimulus money is going, but there is one line in there, that smacks of electioneering to me. A man appears after various sector announcements outlining what the stimulus is doing and tells us that 'we must stay the course', implying of course that a change of government is inadvisable.

I can't find the ad on line yet. I just saw it today. If you see it, I'd love your take and if you find it on line, please forward it to me.

Update : This news clip contains that portion of the ad.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, Layton's been out here on the west coast during the past day talking how he thinks it's more important for Parliament to get back to work.

I was pleased to see that the press reported on the one student who questioned Layton how he could be considering supporting a government he has been condemning out of hand all year.

Perhaps people are waking up on a number of fronts.

I certainly hope so.

Karen said...

Fingers crossed my friend, fingers crossed.

WesternGrit said...

That ad is blatantly partisan. I saw it, and was sickened. He's using our tax money to try to buy an election...

Karen said...

Thank gawd you saw it WG, I was starting to think I was losing my mind.

No one I know could confirm it and I can't find the damned thing.

Anything else to add re'content?

Ted Betts said...

It was real alright. I saw it too.

But I think you've made a mistake. Harper is not the Taped Crusader. I think he thinks of himself more as Bond, Stephen Bond in a death fight with S.P.E.C.T.R.E. (the Separatist Progressive Egalitarian Coalition of Traitors, Revolutionaries and Evolutionists).

Karen said...

lol, that works too Ted!

marie said...

Yup, seen it too KNB. The only people he wants to fool are the brown nosed Media who for some reason, can't see him for the monster he really is. I would think CBC would do a little more to counter the Harper attack for the reasons that because Harper can't seem to control them, he's working on cutting their funding to force them out.

We all know by now that nothing is beyond Harper using our tax dollars for advertising and buying a win in the next election. What stuns me is that the public can't see through him.

Karen said...

Okay, this now becomes a legal issue.

Government is not allowed to do this.

Gawd, yet another court case? Is there another gov't in our history to bring so many to the fore?

A Eliz. said...

I must have missed something..but what kind of ads are we paying for..damn them!

Anonymous said...

Harper just spent a big chunk of cash buying votes in Toronto. Can you beleive that lying turd? He spend a bundle on Quebec last year and now his sight is on winning Ontario. If nobody can see through him they are either blind or brainwashed or the combination of both.Harper is agin using the tax payers money to buy votes and win an election. I hope literely that the whole thing falls on his stupid head. OOps, there went my password again. Sorry.

Marie

Anonymous said...

Anon #1,

Harper will have a tough time winning any ridings in Toronto... and that was before Baird was polite enough to say "F^&* Toronto" when it came to discussing the application that Toronto submitted for the Community Adjustment Fund.

TTYL,
Anon #2

RuralSandi said...

I've seen the ads - and to me they have crossed the line. I read an article a few weeks ago where a professor (political science) questioned them. I'll try to find it for you.

I wonder what Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch would think about them?

Received my 24th ten percenter yesterday (Sept 11).

I wonder - with the constant ads (Economic Action Plan), ten percenters and polling, how much the Harper government has spent of taxpayer monies.

RuralSandi said...

Sorry to cut and paste, but here it is: PART 1

The Hill Times, August 17, 2009

$34-million ad campaign for Economic Action Plan priming voters for election
Critics say tax-payer funded advertising has partisan overtones, but Minister of State Fletcher says ads focus on issue at hand.
By Harris MacLeod
The governing Conservatives are using taxpayer-funded ads to gain a political advantage in anticipation of a fall election, and the federal government's $34-million advertising campaign for its Economic Action Plan would be in violation of Ontario's Government Advertising Act, says a leading government advertising expert.

Karen said...

Just updated with a news clip containing that portion of the ad.

$5.6 million of our dollars.

This is the most disreputable government in history.

FredfromBC said...

KNB said...

This is the most disreputable government in history.

---------------

Wow. HUMAN history? ALL of it?

Stephen Harper must be The AntiChrist, then...;)

FredfromBC said...

RuralSandi said...


Received my 24th ten percenter yesterday (Sept 11).

I wonder - with the constant ads (Economic Action Plan), ten percenters and polling, how much the Harper government has spent of taxpayer monies.

---------------

Probably about as much as any Liberal government has spent in the past. And speaking of 'ten percenters'...weren't the Liberals all upset about that a couple of months back? Screaming tirades in the House of Commons and the whole works? Someone must have forgotten to tell Hedy Fry about it, then...

(or maybe she heard about some "burning crosses" in Atlantic Canada and felt it was her duty to send 10 percenters all the way there? heh...)

WesternGrit said...

Fred: You're off your rocker... The old Liberal "ads" were not ads. There were no fancy TV ads. The Chretien/Martin Liberals placed a "Canada" logo on various projects, and at events. They were not PARTISAN in any way. They celebrated the nation. They didn't even say "the Government of...", or "Canada's New Government (hahaha)". NO. They very simply said "Canada".

Now if - in your "blue-blockers" can honestly say - without cracking a partisan smile - that those Liberal "Canada" posters were ANYTHING like the hyper partisan 10%er abuse, OR the "economic action plan - stay the course" garbage... you're extremely mistaken.

Sad indeed...