Tory Tape Worms

These gormless, unethical nitwits really shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near recording devices of any sort.

The NDP says it may pursue criminal charges after the Conservatives covertly listened in, taped and distributed audio of a closed-door NDP strategy session.

Priceless. As is this elaboration by Thomas Mulcair in the same article concerning the now infamous letter from Harper to the Governor General in 2004 demonstrating the rank hypocrisy of the Conservatives:

As for the substance of the call, Mulcair said the talks with the Bloc were perfectly normal consultations between parties in a minority government. They began only after the government’s economic update was delivered last Thursday, he said.

And Mulcair pointed as an example to consultations that took place between Layton, Harper and the Bloc’s Gilles Duceppe in September 2004 when the Liberals were freshly installed as a minority government.

Harper, who was leader of the Opposition at that time, held lengthy discussions with Layton and Duceppe aimed at supplanting Paul Martin’s Liberal government without an election in the fall of 2004.

Those talks did not invoke a coalition, but rather revolved around replacing the elected Liberal minority with a Conservative government led by Harper and supported by the New Democrats and Bloc on an issue-by-issue basis.

So much for the undemocratic “coup d’état” talking point being flogged by certain Conservative “blowhards” (who shall remain nameless to save them the embarrassment of their own idiocy).

Update: Jeff has the video of Mulcair’s press conference this afternoon.

Bonus snark from Scott Brison talking on Newsworld this morning: “I knew that Stephen Harper had the policies of George W. Bush, but I was shocked and appalled to see that he’s got the ethics of Richard Nixon.” (Or words to that effect — a loose transcription from memory.)

S&S Employee Orientation Video

Sebben & Sebben: Building the law firm of tomorrow today!

Featuring the voice of Stephen Colbert as the deranged co-founder Phil Ken Sebben.

“Help! Help! We’re Being Oppressed!”

It’s little wonder that the Conservatives manage to raise greater amounts of donations from the hardcore party faithful seeing as they’re absolutely shameless when it comes to making feverish, hysterical pleas for money on any premise whatsoever (often entirely manufactured and phony — impending destruction of western civilization, etc.).

Even though prideful boasts that their war chest is brimming with so much money they can hardly spend it fast enough have been widely reported, they’re now shrieking with bellicose alarm about the “undemocratic coup” being staged by those nefarious thugs in the opposition and beseeching diehard partisans to immediately cough up “emergency donations of $200 or $100” (forget those paltry nickel and dime Obama-like contributions — this is WAR!!!).

Well, it’s not like you really wanted to spend that money on Xmas gifts for the grandkids, is it? Poor Stevie needs your tax deductible donations — NOW! That high-tech war room, massive pre-writ spending sprees and non-stop, year-round negative advertising doesn’t pay for itself you know!

Kill or Be Killed

Scott Reid lays out the case for terminating the Harper government with extreme prejudice.

Fate tends to be grudging with gifts of this significance. To ignore it would be an error every bit as historic as the one Mr. Harper himself has made.

So don’t get fancy. Don’t get confused. And don’t get weak in the knees. If you don’t put Mr. Harper in his grave, he’ll put you in yours.

Of course, it may be academic. The opposition may not even get the chance if, as has been rumored, Harper decides to prorogue parliament for the remainder of the year.

Update: The Tories’ latest maneuver is to move up the date of the budget to Jan. 27th when parliament returns from holiday, but it’s still unclear what, if any stimulus they’re prepared to deliver.

Atheist Advertisements

Only in America would such a thing be considered necessary, or for that matter, be regarded as being “offensive” or at all controversial.

Big surprise that O’Reilly would weigh in on the matter given his predilection for waging a neverending “culture war” with secular humanists. Here, he interviews spokesman Fred Edwords (American Humanist Association) about his motivation for advertising during Christmas Season.

A Strategic Retreat

Well, well… Harper flip-flops (again):

After 24 hours of peering into a yawning political abyss, the Harper government took a step back on Saturday, dropping a plan to kill subsidies for political parties.

“When it comes to the funding and subsidies that political parties get, we just don’t think it’s worth getting into an election on that issue,” Transport Minister John Baird said.

“We won’t be proceeding.”

A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the government will have more to say on Sunday, suggesting there may be more further [sic] retreats in store.

Now, does anyone this side of Jupiter think that der Führer won’t try this again at some time down the road?

Colbert on CBS

From last week, Stephen Colbert appearing on the CBS Early Show and on The Late Show with David Letterman, promoting his Christmas special.

Attention: Conservative Hypocrites

To all of those Tory supporters fuming with outrage at the possible “overthrow” of Harper’s minority government in an “undemocratic coup” and who are especially aggrieved at the thought of the Bloc’s participation in a progressive coalition government, please read the following letter from your Dear Leader to then Governor General Adrienne Clarkson dated September 9, 2004:

As leaders of the opposition parties, we are well aware that, given the Liberal minority government, you could be asked by the Prime Minister to dissolve the 38th Parliament at any time should the House of Commons fail to support some part of the government’s program. We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority. Your attention to this matter is appreciated.

That letter was signed by all three opposition leaders: Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton and Stephen Harper.

Bob Rae Speaking About the “Crisis”

From a speech in Victoria earlier in the week.

Barbara Walters Interviews Barack Obama

Must be nice to have a leader that inspires confidence…

There are five more parts. It’s quite a charming interview.