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[PITA]

I would not vote for Harper if he was the only one running.
I just can"t trust that guy. Too slick.

Pita

[Moose47]

<<<Then we could call him 'Iggy Pop'.>>>

How about 'Iggy Poop' cause he's full of it.

[Rockie]

Why does Harper need a press guy? Reporters are kept about 50 feet away at all times, can only ask four questions with no follow up, and they've been informed no questions about campaign staffers will be answered.

I could do that guy's job from my living room with a cell phone and I'll only charge half what he does.

[Hedley]

Deleted.

[fingersmac]

He was alluding to the fact that Harper only allows four questions from the media per day and keeps them at bay with a fence.

I thought he campaigned on openness, transparency and accountability?

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/specia ... 84854.html

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Stephen Harper takes heat over Conservative campaign media chill
By: Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press
Posted: 03/31/2011 8:48 AM | Comments: 16 | Last Modified: 03/31/2011 5:16 PM

HALIFAX - The yellow steel fence that kept reporters far from Stephen Harper on Thursday was a potent symbol of his election campaign.
Harper is running a tight travelling show with little room for spontaneity, where national media are limited to four questions a day — and kept a safe distance from the Conservative leader.

Harper was pressed by frustrated reporters to explain the strict control of his campaign and his reluctance to answer more questions, in contrast to the dozens that are taken by his rivals.

The Conservatives rode to power in 2006 promising greater transparency, more accountability and better access to information.
"If there are other subjects I'm not addressing, I'll take em. What's the subject, one subject?" Harper said, ignoring the question about the limits placed on the media.

On Wednesday, following two days of questions about controversies involving campaign volunteers, Harper's team told reporters they would not answer any questions about riding campaigns.

Thursday's events followed the usual campaign script: a policy announcement made against an appropriate backdrop — this time the Halifax harbour to talk about trade deals and exports. Harper committed to signing a trade deal with the European Union by 2012 and with India by 2013, while suggesting a united opposition would derail such talks.

A few dozen chairs were set up in front of Harper's podium where local candidates, Tory senators and other area Conservatives sat and applauded.

National media — who are paying $11,000 per person per week to travel with Harper — were asked, as usual, to provide the names of four reporters for questions, two in English and two in French. After he was pressed Thursday, Harper allowed a fifth. A local reporter got a question as well. And then it was done.

Harper finds time to do one or two carefully staged photo opportunities each day. In Halifax, it was at the Red Stag Tavern at the Alexander Keith's Brewery. As with all such events, the people who come in contact with Harper are Conservative supporters or part of the planning.
The brewery was almost completely empty but for some Tories sitting appreciatively at the bar. A Conservative staffer placed bar stools in front of the small media pack to restrict their movements before Harper arrived, then another more experienced aide quickly moved them. An RCMP officer said it wasn't a security issue but a campaign one.

Questions are forbidden at Harper photo-ops.

Days usually wrap up with a campaign rally. In St. John's, N.L., on Thursday night, Harper walked on stage with pumping music and supporters seated around at varying heights. He eased around the stage delivering his speech like a motivational speaker, glancing now and again at a large TV screen for his lines.

"We need you, we need you for the same reason Canada needed Newfoundland and Labrador to join Confederation in 1949, you needed to join Canada, but we needed you to join Canada," Harper told the crowd of about 300.

"We need your views, we need your wisdom. Four hundred years of history is a lot of experience to be left standing outside of the door."
At the end of each speech, Harper shakes the hands of supporters along his exit route and leaves the room to applause.

Oh, and why did he challenge Ignatieff to a one-on-one debate only to back down 24 hours later after the challenge was accepted?

[Hedley]

Deleted.

[niss]

That's it? That's all you've got?

What does Stephen Harper's colon taste like?

[Hedley]

Deleted.

[Rockie]

That's it? That's all you've got?

Well since you asked Hedley.

1. Prorogued parliament to avoid inconvenient questions.
2. Lied, and continues to lie about true cost of crime bill.
3. Lied, and continues to lie about true cost of F-35 aquisition.
4. Thinks we're stupid enough to believe him over the Pentagon, USGAO and Kevin Smith. Maybe most of us are.
5. One full year after being ordered to do so by our democratically elected parliament, he still has not handed over documents pertaining to the Afghan detainee issue.
6. Gets repeatedly caught trying to destroy, literally destroy civil servants who dare to disagree with his approved version of the truth.
7. Installed a public sector integrity commissioner to help him do it (read up on it Hedley, her name is Christiane Ouimet)
8. Used to criticize the government for non-transparency and undemocratic centralization of power in the PMO's office, but is now the worst offender on record of what he used to stand for.
9. Refuses to answer legitimate questions about his government and party.
10. Caused this election by being found guilty of contempt of parliament. A no brainer that is impossible to contradict given his repeated refusal to adhere to parliamentary rules, and the first time it's ever happened in the history of the Commonwealth.
11. Probably worst of all, he uses hairspray.

The list is much, much longer but you get my point. I voted for the Conservatives because the Liberals were doing the same thing and it was time to toss them out on their ass. I'm voting this time to do the same thing to Harper because instead of doing what he promised, he learned from the Liberals and advanced the art of contempt for democracy to a whole new level.

Every government eventually gets far too comfortable in power and they begin to think it is their right to rule. In Harper's case that only took a few weeks despite being a minority government. I truly am afraid to think what a majority Harper government is capable of.

[Hedley]

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[Rockie]

A minority goverment "comfortable"?! You're pretty disconnected from reality if you think that it's "comfortable" when every vote could bring down the government.

I actually didn't think you would get my point Hedley. Harper has ruled from day one as if he had a majority government because he knew the opposition couldn't find their ass with both hands and a flashlight. He dared the opposition to bring down the government a number of times when it suited him, but they didn't have the balls. He called the last election when it suited him. He shut down parliament when the opposition got so uppity they started asking uncomfortable questions. He ignored parliamentary rules and is totally unconcerned about the contempt of parliament ruling against him. If that didn't bring down his government his budget was designed to...because he wanted this election.

I think perhaps out of the two of us you're the one disconnected and should probably pay more attention to what's going on in between elections.

[Hedley]

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[trey kule]

First of all, Niss, why do you want to know what Stephen Harpers colon tastes llike?
That is more than a little weird, although it is in line with some of the things I have heard .

So, I am getting the feeling that this whole kittens dying everywhere is a bit of a hoax. This thread is not about kittens. It is about jackasses......and their views on the different political parties and their leaders.

As far as the he said, she said, you guys are playing, one can selectively find good things or bad things to say about all the leaders and their parties...well, maybe except for the green party....what can one say good about them?

If you decide to vote for against someone because they kissed this or that baby or played a musical instrument you are part of the problem with Canadian democracy. As Jean Cretian would say....mumble mumble mumble....ay..win!

[Hedley]

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[Rockie]

The length of his government is more an indictment of the inept opposition and complete apathy of the Canadian voter. His ironfisted control over every aspect of government exceeds anything Chretien was capable of. He is building a little mini-dictatorship that started out because his cabinet ministers were prone to embarrassing off-message gaffs, but grew to the natural order of things in his office. He ruthlessly crushes anybody who disagrees with his approved truth, and if it weren't for the media I know of at least two of them who would be ruined forever for simply telling the real truth.

Speaking of the media, they aren't allowed to ask legitimate questions during a campaign of all things. Imagine going to a job interview and telling your prospective employers they were limited to four questions and couldn't ask about certain subjects.

I'm not idealogical and have no heroes Hedley. I see the faults of both sides and will not overlook any of them for the sake of blind idealogical support of right or left. I will vote for anybody I think will do a good job. Alternatively I will not vote for anybody who has so little regard for parliamentary democracy as Harper. And right now that is the overriding factor.

[niss]

but I get tired when people consistently ignore what he's done right, and instead attack him on a childish, high school popularity basis.

You're honestly going to vote for Iggy or Stalin Jack?

PPS Imagine the howls of outrage if Harper had committed 1% of the sexual misconduct of JFK or Clinton. Different standards for different people. Got that. But JFK and Clinton are the coolest guys in the country. Uh huh. From where I am, they look like the sleaziest guys in the country, even if your left-wing media gushes over them endlessly.

Trying to find someone who will admit to voting for that clown is like trying to find someone who will admit to buying a Corey Hart or Bay City Rollers album. They sold millions, but no one will admit to their incredibly poor judgement in their youth.

He's certainly earned it. Running a minority government for this many years wasn't easy - the opposition couldn't do it for 5 minutes (see Stephanie Dion coalition, which I understand voters here want).

Quote:
you'd be in support of a Liberal/NDP/Bloc coalition


That's like supporting the tooth fairy, or the easter bunny. It's not going to happen.

What I simply can't believe is that you people are going to vote for Iggy and Jack.

Wow. I'd vote for the tooth fairy or the easter bunny before I would vote for Iggy or Jack. More credibility, better leadership skills.

[Hedley]

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[Hedley]

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[niss]

Rockie: I think it's a hilarious comment on your perspective that you look at an incredibly shaky minority government, and what you see through your distorted filter is a malevolent dictatorship

I think it's a hilarious comment on your perspective that you look at an incredibly shaky minority government that withheld information from the parliamentary body, limits the questions people are allowed to ask him during an election, and prorogues parliament to avoid questions about being complacent in torture, and what you see through your distorted filter is a shining example of collaborative democracy.

[niss]

Niss: you still haven't answered my question. Are you honestly going to vote for Iggy or Stalin Jack? Really?

Neither, I actually understand how our parliamentary system works and will be voting for an MP in my riding.

[Hedley]

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[Rockie]

Incredibly shaky minority government? Are we even talking about the same government Hedley?

You should probably ask Richard Colvin how malevolent Harper is. The stars in your eyes give you a different perspective than his.

[niss]

shining example of collaborative democracy

Where did I say anything remotely resembling that?

You just said that him doing these things does not resemble in any shape a dictatorship, when in fact 9 times out of 10 that is exactly what a dictator does.

[Hedley]

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[Hedley]

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