… on the the Harper Christmas card too.
But his boss said no (wait for it), one rodent is a enough.
Budda-bing!
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tony clement
So, uh, the President of TB…
… doesn’t have anything better to do than to declare war on Santa-haters?
Really, Uncle Tony? Really?
The Government of Canada has no guidelines that restrict federal employees from putting up Christmas or other holiday decorations in their workspace.
“There are those who would like to snuff out the holiday spirit in the name of political correctness or expediency,” said Minister Clement. “Our Government will not allow the Christmas spirit to be grinched.”
We Canucks are a pretty tolerant sort and even for those of us who don’t really care for Christmas and the like, the vast, vast majority are not going to rail on someone who wants to put up some tinsel, or hang a ball on their nameplate.
Is it really necessary for the GoC to issue a declaration in support of the holiday? Seriously? Surely this was done tongue-in-cheek.
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Tony, Tony, Tony…
…. you should know better than to get into a Twitter mud-slinging match just because Ezra thinks it’s a good idea to bash former newspaper editors!
I thought you were a tad better than that! I mean, I’m not exactly your “fan” (though hey, I’ll be in your riding this weekend so wouldn’t decline a chat. Maybe you could win me over!), but I didn’t think you’d plunk yourself smack into the EzraZone!
Oh, yeah – for you other readers who are not named Tony Clement, you might have missed this. You know that unparalleled purveyor of windbag wisdom, Ezra Levant? Well, he huffed and puffed about former G & M editor Stephen Wicary following his wife (who works for Care Canada) to (urk!) CUBA! The noive! And to be with his wife! To Ezra this was PROOF that the G & M is indeed nothing more than a commie rag!
In the meantime, there was an article in the Globe referring to the celebration of Norman Bethune – Gravenhurst, Ontario’s fave son
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Conservatives can be comfortable that there’s a message here broader than just his communism,’ @TonyclementCPC says. bit.ly/N1DDFJ
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So yes, @ezralevant, do let me know when the two-part hit job on that dirty red @TonyclementCPC goes to air: bit.ly/N1DDFJ
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“that dirty red @TonyclementCPC” – snicker…
This is where you got involved, Tony. And you really should have kept your BB in its pouch. Really.
As Kady O’Malley notes:
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@wicary @ezralevant My point was to celebrate things other than his communism. You chose to live in a communist country. Big difference.
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@TonyclementCPC Joining the pile-on ill befits a minister of the crown.
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@wicary Then stop baiting the bear.
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And it went back and forth like this for a while before others in the Twitterverse chimed in.
So what are you saying, Mr. Minister? Am I and the tens of thousands of Canadians who travel to Cuba for work or pleasure being bad little Canucks? Is there a diff between Chinese Communism and Castro’s version? Is China’s less evil? Is there a GDP line in the sand?
I need some clarity here, sir.
And if you do care to explain, I’ll be at the Parry Sound town beach on Saturday. Meet you at 2 pm by the swings on top of the hill.
In the meantime, enjoy your summer and keep your BB holstered.
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Just to repeat – the 100K gazebo. Remember.
This is where your tax dollars ended up.
So it’s only 100K? Right?
100K buys a low income family a decent living arrangement.
100K buys a whole lot of food for a food bank.
100K buys more than a few boxes of textbooks for our kids.
100K could have been spent better.
httpv://trashysworld.ca/2010/08/01/the-tony-clement-gazebo-on-video/
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Homer Simpson vs. Tony Clement: in a cage match…
Tony, Tony, Tony… do your homework, man!
Don’t go saying that the Feds are playing the “heavy” so provincial governments, businesses, universities and Shamwow marketers get an “easy ride” by not having to pay for data themselves.
They already do pay. Most data are already sold on a for-fee basis…
Tsk, tsk, tsk… I think some little 20-something neocon researcher is going to lose his or her job!
At least pay attention to Homer Simpson – he had a better understanding of the subject matter than you will EVER have!
Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that. –Homer Simpson
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true! –Homer Simpson
Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that. –Homer Simpson
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Friday miscellany
Montreal Simon has a good take on why the ReformCons are taking a quick veer to the libertarian right… abandoning, at least momentarily, their courting of the centre soccer moms in order to win that elusive majority.
In short, to pander to the centre as well as the Christian right, the Harperites have had to put aside some if the principles espoused by their Libertarian supporters. And not just put aside, but downright demean them, most blatantly in a speech given by Harper in March of 200:
… Over the next twenty minutes or so, we would be treated to one of the most bewildering speeches I’ve ever heard Stephen Harper give. After launching into a sweeping defence of conservatism he would direct his attention towards classical liberals and libertarians who he acknowledged, some of whom were in the very room he was speaking.
The speech also contained a definition of what conservatism is. In his words it is made up of the “three Fs: freedom, family and faith”–a definition which might leave some libertarians feeling even more uncomfortable with it’s social conservative undertones.
Harper took the gloves us last night. He made it clear who’s in his tent. The message was clear: libertarians need to get on board or get out of the way.
Now, with the decision on the length of the form thingy, and on the questioning of affirmative action in the hiring of public servants, he is paying the piper in an effort to get the Libertarians back under the tent.
Of course, they chose to blow these horns in the summer with the expectation that Canadians wouldn’t hear them over the din of loons and motor boats.
Oops.
In other news…
I dunno if Iggy’s super cross Canada tour will truly have any impact on his popular support (he has yet to take my advice on what to do next), but Justin Trudeau is sure doing his darnedest to get in on every photo-op possible!
Been a crazy last week before my Holidays… and I am left with one question:
- Why are they called “pairs” of pants or “pairs” of underwear?
There are two legs or leg holes, but that is all of the “pairishness” I can find. Anyone?
What is $700 million? The size of the OCDSB budget.
What weighs over 5 pounds? The information package just sent to me by Board Services… and I’m thankful, but they coulda sent me a CD instead to save paper and postage.
Conrad Black is out on bail! And he might come back to Canada! Woo-hoo!
I am not being completely tongue-in-cheek here. Despite the fact that I really have never felt warm and fuzzy for the guy, I think he was railroaded somewhat by the American “justice” system… and he, like anyone else, is entitled to due process. And this due process says that he can go free on bail… so no bitchin’ about it…
Obscurantism. (French: obscurantisme, from the Latin obscurans, “darkening”) is the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or the full details of some matter from becoming known. I just love this word.
Glenn Beck – why not his voice?
Helena Guergis – The PM should say sorry and buy her some nice flowers… um, sure….
Tony Clement– here’s hoping that folks in my old stomping ground have the sense to turf this moron at the earliest opportunity. But I’m not holding my breath.
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Will the writ be dropped over this?
If someone had told me a month ago that the future of the Harpy government would hinge on something that had anything to do with the only government department in the news these days, I would have slowly backed away and not turned my back until very, very far away.
But what now? Will Harper take this to the mat in spite of all that is happening… the opposition by everyone and anyone, the poor optics during the summer months – typically a time when politicos are given a bit of a break by Canucks – all of this must be proving tiresome for the Robot and his Roboteers.
But will he back down? The RLG pointed out to me this morning that until old dead eyes states himself that we ain’t going back, that there still exists the possibility of a reversal. Twittering Tony might get the fall guy label and all would unravel as these things do. But once the emperor himself proclaims the issue dead, it is dead. And no number of fb groups or editorials will change it.
But you know, I can’t see Harper letting this go on much longer. His advisers must be counselling an abandonment of the issue. Pushing it further will only lose them votes and it wouldn’t be wise going into a fall election with such a prosaic cloud hanging over the ReformCon camp. How would they fight such a fight? The Libertarians and Albertans and the small town/minded are already solidly behind them, so what could they gain?
Let’s switch sides and consider the options that the Opposition have before them. On the one hand, it might be a good idea for Iggy to hitch his wagon to this and prepare to make this the election issue. It’s not such a bad idea as it would allow the Grits to, for the first time in a long time, spell out the policy agenda.
The other choice is for Iggy to continue his bus tour, shake the babies and kiss the hands (or is it the other way around?), smell the cheese and update his fb status now and then. In other words, don’t take a position. Jack would normally be leading this charge, but I suspect that he is dealing with his prostate cancer and trying to let his body and mind heal for the summer… can’t blame him for that.
And Gilles? Well, what does he care? This is a Canadian issue!
So, Mr. Ignatieff, it is up to you. Call a press conference today and announce that it is the Liberals’ intention to, immediately after the House reconvenes, introduce a Bill that would effectively reduce the government’s decision. Undoubtedly, Harper would see this as a matter of confidence and the writ would be dropped. This would be an election that would show the schisms that exist between the educated and uneducated, the Starbucks crown and the Timmies gang, those of us who understand the importance of information and those who wonder what all of the fuss is about.
So my advice to Iggy, Jack and Gilles – make a big deal outta this! It’s a win-win for you guys!
And my advice to Stevo – though I am loathe to give it – tell Tony to make a statement that in light of all of the concerns raised about the government’s decision, we will go ahead as originally planned and will set up Task Force /Working Group / Collection of Experts Who Think Like Us to examine the issue in more detail.
That is their only way out of this mess. It isn’t just going to disappear.
Stephen Harper's "ideal" re: information management
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Friday miscellany…
In the news….
More titter-titter about le gaspillage in and around Parry Sound / Muskoka wrt the Gee-Ate pork-a-thon!
Local residents, unaccustomed to such attention, are expecting a massive tourism boom…local entrepreneurs arranging guided tours of the childhood home of Bobby Orr, the Magnetawan haunted bridge, the Rosseau General Store, and, of course, the now famous Orrville gazebo…
A Request for Proposals for the construction of a gilded statue of MP Big Tony Clement is being prepared by local staff…
In the States…
Obama sends BP oil mandarin to his room for a time out…GOP Congressman apologises for apologizing to BP for the “shakedown” by the President.
GOP execs send said Congressman to his room for time out.
In soccer…
Noisy bee sound making plastic things are turning off fans and players alike. Claims by South Africans that these vuvuzelas are a part of their culture is nullified by the fact that plastic horns – made in China – have no place in the African archaeological record.
Upsets, upsets… Spain attack nullified by strong play by the Swiss in the neutral zone… get it? Neutral zone?
France loses to Mexico and immediately appeals to FIFA for a replay of the match due to an undisclosed injury to Thierry Henry’s hand… which hampered 100% of the the French goal scoring ability…
England must win today to be assured of moving on. South African police on guard for hooligans armed with valazuzas… ear plugs on standby.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebpt4bvgV2k
Right now, Trashy is thinking about…
- whether he should take the leap and attend a certain information session tomorrow.. tough call.
- why, oh why is the forecast for every single Saturday filled with rain? Ain’t right, I tell ya!
- how much dynamite will it take to open the fault line close to the building where I work? Workers are blasting rock at a construction site and seem to be trying to find out.
CPC drop continues… and so does the Grit inability to capitalise…
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Those wacky gun nuts are at it again!
Just when I think that I have seen the most ridiculous thing ever to come from our neighbours to the south, along comes a new doosy-winner.
According to Metro, a candidate for South Carolina’s adjutant general – the dude in charge of the state’s national guard corps (whatever that is) – invited the public to join him for a round of shootin’… and a chance to win a brand new AK-47!!! Yup, $25 gets ya a BBQ, a clip of bullets for target practice and a chance to win the gun!
And 500 folks came out to join him!
I wonder if our politicos are paying any attention to this. But being that big guns that can literally cut a moose into two are frowned upon north of the 49th, they’d have to think of another grand prize…
- Like a free ticket to one of Stevo’s anger management classes. Valid only for those 18+ or 12+ if from Alberta.
Grrr... I'm angry... grrrrrrrrrr....
- A lecture by Minister James Moore on why the Calgary Stampede is more culturally enriching than the now buried National Portrait Gallery. Anyone named Paul Dewar will be stopped at the door.
- An inside look at the speech therapy classes being attended by Pierre Polievre… he’s been struggling to say anything not scripted by the PMO since ‘05.
- A free workshop hosted by Tony Clement on “Using the “wet-look” to your advantage”. Cost of Bryl-cream not included.
Pretty damn tempting. Might even buy a ticket to one of these for the fun factor!
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