Monday, December 15, 2008

The End is Nigh, The End is Nigh, The Star Comes out for John Tory

As the Ontario Legislature adjourned last week for a two-month winter recess, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory still didn't have a seat. And his self-imposed deadline of the end of this year is fast approaching.

However, the lack of a seat in the Legislature for Tory is not, in itself, the main problem facing Tory today. Rather, it is a symptom of the problem, which is that support for him within the provincial Conservative party is eroding. By now, a leader in a stronger position would have been able to force another MPP to step aside and make a seat available. Tory has pushed four or five different Conservative MPPs, and they have all pushed back.

The signs of the shakiness of Tory's position are everywhere, from disparaging quotes from unnamed party members to slack attendance at fundraising dinners.

This may seem strange to outsiders, as Tory is a man of obvious talent with an unrivalled work ethic. But he is also a Bill Davis Conservative, and the Mike Harris wing of the party has never much liked him. When the Conservatives lost the 2007 election, the Harrisites blamed Tory and his proposal of public funding for "faith-based schools" (even though the idea flowed from one of Harris's own policies, the private school tax credit). Now the Harrisites are actively undermining Tory, and sources say he may quit out of exasperation.

This would be a loss, and not just for the Conservatives who would have to turn to second-stringers in the Harris wing for a replacement. Under Tory, the Conservatives are a middle-of-the-road party that can present itself as a viable alternative to the Liberal government. Under a Harrisite replacement, the Conservatives would undoubtedly turn hard right and essentially give the Liberals a free pass to stay in power. That would not be good for democracy or the province.

Ironically, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Harris-style Conservative himself, could help Tory out by appointing one of his MPPs (Bob Runciman is the mostly likely choice) to the Senate. That would open up the seat that Tory needs.

If that is what it takes to keep Tory at Queen's Park, it is a Senate appointment we would welcome.


Also, correct me if I am wrong, but don't we even pay lip service to the idea that someone is selected for the Senate on their merits and not as a means to an end, in this case, a job for John Tory.

If you're curious to see whether I made all this up, you can click here.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

A plan and a half...


John Cole: We need to invade Michigan, and rebuild the state from the ground up. We will be greeted as liberators, we have clear supply lines, and we can easily rebuild the auto industry with the kind of money we spend on other countries we invade. This is very doable. Just tell Congress we will give KBR no-bid contracts to fix Detroit.
HT: BJ Via Drudge

I suppose the any colour you want provided its black could do with some revision too...

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Another Portent of the Coming Apocalypse?


Today I noticed that the Clock outside the Rolex Store on Bloor had come to a halt. My guess is that the world will come to an end at precisely 1:00 in the afternoon.

The Harper Dictatorship

I am sorry. The enclosed video is just too good not to post. HT: M2

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Friday, December 5, 2008

The View from Down Under: 'Canada is Closed; Citizens Feel Safer'

Canada is Closed; Citizens Feel Safer

Reminds me of the old, possibly apocryphal, story about the laconic border guard on the Canadian side. American tourist asks if they can get back across the border, even if it is after midnight. Border guard tells her, "Yes ma'am; Canada never closes."

Well, yes it does. If the Parliament were open, there would be a vote of no confidence. So....close the sucker. The Iraqis, and other people whom we tell so condescendingly that they should have "democracy"...they must be so PROUD right now.


HT: KPC

From the Always Aren't they File



Maid: Hitler Was Nice to Me

Rosa Mitterer, 91, who worked as Adolf Hitler's maid at his mountain retreat in Bavaria in the 1930s, has broken her silence to describe what he was like then: "He was a charming man, someone who was only ever nice to me, a great boss to work for. You can say what you like, but he was a good man to us."

Thursday, December 4, 2008

I Think I am Detecting a Pattern Here

Bush Dragged Behind Presidential Motorcade For 26 Blocks
December 4, 2008 | Issue 44•49

KANSAS CITY, MO—President Bush sustained serious head injuries, massive internal bleeding, and a broken left leg Monday morning after being accidentally dragged behind the presidential motorcade for a period of 15 minutes. According to Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan, Bush's necktie became caught in the trunk of the motorcade's second vehicle at 4:13 p.m., shortly before the driver accelerated. The president was dragged down 175th Street for 26 blocks and through four stoplights, leaving a trail of blood more than a mile long. Upon hearing shouts emanating from behind his vehicle, the driver abruptly applied the brakes, causing the third car in the motorcade to run over the president's left leg at a speed of approximately 25 miles per hour. President Bush is resting comfortably in Bethesda Naval Hospital.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

How the Credit Crunch Affects Britain


HT: GN

Mixing the Old and the New: Birkett's Radio Shop, Lincolnshire



The shop does not have email because:

he replied in all seriousness 'what is wrong with morse code?'.

From an American Blog: What The Hell Just Happened In Canada?


What The Hell Just Happened In Canada?

The three opposition parties look like they may form a coalition government and oust the conservatives. Frum thinks whoever wins is committing political suicide.

HT: AS