In this age of online politics, it is interesting to see how effective the Conservatives and Liberals have been at harnessing the web to get out their message and sway public perception.

Based on the sheer numbers, the Conservatives are crushing the Liberals.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 10:50 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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In a video that could go viral, at least within Canada's online political community, Stephen Harper cuts loose at the National Arts Centre Gala, playing "With a Little Help from My Friends" by The Beatles, to a standing ovation.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 07:01 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Remember Stephane Dion's Green Shift tax grab?  Apparently the Liberal Party does not, since they've allowed the domain name for the French-language site to be used to peddle a masturbation aid.  And yes, you can follow links from the Liberal Party home page to find this page dedicated to...the Fleshlight!

I kid you not.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 03:36 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Buried in Don Martin's latest column, printed in the Calgary Herald, is a remarkable statement.

There is a potential floor crosser lurking in the Liberal caucus.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 09:48 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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So now it is possible to rape a girl, but that's ok, unless the rape was, you know, "rape" rape.

"Rape" rape?

Posted by: Steve Janke at 09:56 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I suppose we'll see this get cancelled, but after Denis Coderre's performance on Monday when he blamed a Toronto-centric coterie of advisors for Michael Ignatieff's troubles in Quebec, do you think Denis Coderre is likely to be the special guest at a Liberal dinner in Ontario?

Posted by: Steve Janke at 08:43 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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In a follow-up to my post pondering on the delay in making Garth Turner the official Liberal Party candidate in Dufferin-Caledon, I decided to ask around and see if I could tease out the level of unanimity in the riding association for having Garth Turner carry the Liberal Party banner in an upcoming election.

I suggested in my last post that there seems to be a division in the riding association.  It looks like I was right.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 08:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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With the public self-immolation of Denis Coderre, much focus has been brought to bear on the Rosedale Gang, the coterie of advisors who surround Liberal Party Michael Ignatieff.

It might be fun to look a little bit at Rosedale.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 07:54 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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The Liberal Party, led by Michael Ignatieff, has tabled a motion of non-confidence.  Though support from the NDP seems assured, it is more than just technically possible that the country will be facing another general election as early as Thursday.

So why is it that the Liberal Party refuses to allow the riding association of Dufferin-Caledon to hold a nomination meeting?  They already have a nominee in the person of Garth Turner.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 12:25 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper is Saint John, New Brunswick, to deliver the third and final quarterly report on progress in dealing with the recession.

Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party demanded that these report cards be delivered as the price for supporting the Conservative budget in January.

So why is it that Liberal MP Brian Murphy tried, unsuccessfully, to disrupt the prime minister's presentation.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 12:32 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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How far can Liberal apologists tolerate the miserable leadership of Michael Ignatieff?  He is tanking in the polls.  Media pundits write piece after piece about his lack of policy or substance.

And now, without warning, Denis Coderre has very publicly resigned his position as Michael Ignatieff's Quebec lieutenant.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 09:29 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The Outremont fight has laid bare a terrible truth of Michael Ignatieff's leadership of the Liberal Party.

His leadership is already over.  Michael Ignatieff is a lame duck.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 12:23 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Liberal Party partisan and war room specialist Warren Kinsella blogged about Michael Ignatieff appearing in front of farmers.   Kinsella suggests that Stephen Harper would not know what to say to a farmer.

How about what to say to a farmer heckling him?  That's what Michael Ignatieff had to face.  Actually, numerous farmers heckling the Liberal Party leader.  Funny that Warren Kinsella forgot to mention that.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 02:47 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I think the Liberal Party is playing mind games, probably taking aim at NDP leader Jack Layton.  The idea is to make Jack Layton think the NDP could fare well in an election against the Liberals right now.

It'll be interesting to see if Jack Layton falls for it.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 09:33 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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It is rare for a politician to reveal the base motives for his actions.  We all suspect they are there, but publicly the reasons given for doing this or supporting that are mature ones.  The weight of responsibility, protecting the common good, the obligation of government -- and so on.

Michael Ignatieff, on the other hand, seems to lack this sort of reflexive filer all politicians have.  Why will the Liberals support the Employment Insurance legislation?  Because it will make Jack Layton and the NDP look bad, and presumably that will make Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals feel better.

This isn't politics.  This is psychotherapy.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 09:04 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Michelle Simson, the Liberal MP for Scarborough Southwest, is gleefully hoping that a private citizen who has yet to be formally charged with a crime is punished severely.

Of course, in her mind, he is already guilty of the crime of being a Conservative MP.  A former Conservative MP, though apparently returning to private life does not absolve you of the underlying crime of having been a Conservative.

We're talking, of course, of Rahim Jaffer, who was arrested on suspicion of speeding and possession of cocaine.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 11:53 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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The husband of Conservative MP Helena Guergis, Rahim Jaffer, is facing charges of drunk driving and cocaine possession.

No spin.  This is serious.  And that means a serious response is required.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 06:44 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff has declared that the Liberals have withdrawn their support of Stephen Harper's Conservative government.  Now it falls to the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois to keep the government in power and get the work of government done.

In doing so, Michael Ignatieff has handed the separatist Quebec-centric Bloc Quebecois a commanding role in parliament.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 11:26 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Though it's hardly mandatory, it can help to have a narrative to guide your actions and statements.  Michael Ignatieff created such a narrative in January when he decided to support the Conservative budget.

The Conservatives, he declared, were on "probation", and Ignatieff is the probation officer.

Too bad nobody followed the script.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 10:10 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Funny how low expectations can dramatically change your point of view.  For the Liberals, it is to show not that the the Liberal Party is better than the NDP, but that the NDP is as bad as the Liberal Party.

You can hear the cheering from Liberals across the country.  Liberals are high-fiving each other from St John's to Vancouver.  The NDP is as unprincipled as we are!  Yes!

Oh, and Stephen Harper is still the prime minister.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 12:17 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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