Federal Conservative Advantage Evaporates (Nanos Poll Completed September 3rd 2010)

Although Harper's bag of cummulative error is getting bigger and heavier, which is bound to happen for a ruling party, the opposition does not even have a bag in which to place programmes or goals that would significantly differentiate them from the Conservatives. Ignatieff, by his actions or lack of action, still appears to me to be a pseudo-Conservative in coalition with Harper in-spite-of what he may say to the contrary. On the otherhand, Harper's political learning curve for what the broader electorate will accept or wants, if they know themselves, appears to have flattened for the last year or so. I do not know what we have done in Canada to deserve such less than satisfactory "leadership" for the present and future in this wonderful land of ours. An obvious assessment by the Canadian electorate would be "none of the above", which will not change until after an election, or will we hold our collective noses and vote FOR one of the major parties, supporting majority government, or PARK our vote with one of the minor opposition parties showing our displeasure with the two major parties. I believe majority vs minority will be or should be a major issue for the next election rather than the issue of mediocre leadership both parties suffer at the moment.

The summer bus tour and the summer Arctic junket were essentially photo ops or show- the- flag for the daily diet of the media. Nothing concrete came out of either of those tours but I give Harper full credit for again drawing attention to the Canadian Arctic.

Was it not the Big Bad Wolf who said "I will huff and puff and blow your House down".....do not believe that will happen in the coming parliament as "election" seems to be a political dirty word.

I wonder how historians will view this period in Canadian political history ?

[updated Wed Sep 08 04:26:17 -0400 2010]

As long as the parties' interests are paramount to policy, as long as leaders refuse to place the interests of most Canadians above everything else, they will never grab the attention of the majority of Canadians.
I can understand why the polls show no overwhelming support for any politician or party because none of them is much better than the other. None of them have a plan for the future of a Canada that we feel happy about.
One thing I don't understand is why the two thirds of us, who have no intention of ever voting for Harper, can tolerate staying the course. Four years is much longer than necessary to evaluate the trust, vision and competency of the leader or the party. Surely after two years when we see that there's no forward motion we can stop this and try something else. Even of the other is no better we can at least see that they may be like and if not good enough get rid of them too. Eventually we'll hit on a good one. What we have now is political stagnation. No, worse, we are regressing. Any change would be better.
I also can't understand how 30% can trust Harper. He continually lies, changes the reality, gives false presentations and denigrates and demonizes anyone who has a different viewpoint. That is not the mark of a mature individual, let alone a mature politician or PM. After four years he has shown no evidence of improving.
Ignatieff may not be the heck of a lot better but at least he is not that negative and vindictive. If he ever got elected we could also get rid of him after one or two years.

Neither Harper or Ignatieff have shown any degree of vision, trust or competence that would cause me to vote for them. And I can't see why anyone else would. So why not change?

[updated Wed Sep 08 08:59:53 -0400 2010]

As Nik readily points out the increase in the Libs numbers has nothing to do with what the Libs did but the self inflicted wounds that the Conservatives caused themselves.
Ignatieff rode the bus all summer pretending to be something he is not and his leadership numbers are even worse. People are not going to vote for a party whose leader they do not like or think should be PM.

[updated Wed Sep 08 10:34:54 -0400 2010]

Harper scores 30.3% (core vote) on competency and Gilles Duceppe scores only 8.7%.

Like his politics or not (I do not), Duceppe IS a competent leader. A more competent leader than Harper by a country mile. He is likely more competent than all the others as well. Just because he is a separatist does not make him incompetent. I wish he was, but he's not.

These stats are meaningless.

[updated Wed Sep 08 14:15:38 -0400 2010]

Todays Harris Decima Poll shows Harper continues to slide and Libs continue to improve..

Cons down 1 to 33% and Libs up 2 to 30 %
vs 6% lead in last HD poll.

Harper is tanking with women ove rthe gun registry and abortion.
Ignatieff is picking them up.

[updated Wed Sep 08 17:22:18 -0400 2010]

Hey Ronald, I see that there is another R.A.T. infestation going on, so I will keep this short

Here is that smoking gun, you were looking / hoping for and now it really gets interesting and when it does I will be back and hopefully the infestation will be gone by then.

"Among women, the Liberals led the Conservatives 34 per cent to 27 per cent. The Tories had been ahead of the Liberals among women in several polls over the past year, but they lost ground this summer."

[updated Wed Sep 08 19:16:19 -0400 2010]

Oh boy, this is going to go s down well with the voters. What a waste of taxpayers money. Add this to the other money managment disasters and Harper is looking a lot like a failure to most voters.

No cash, no signs: Tories made stimulus funds contingent on erecting billboards

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces a carbon capture and storage project outside
Harper received briefings from top civil servant on number – and in some case GPS co-ordinates – of ‘Economic Action Plan’ placards erected

Ottawa — The Canadian Press
Published on Wednesday, Sep. 08, 2010 3:54PM EDT

Last updated on Wednesday, Sep. 08, 2010 7:50PM EDT

Millions of dollars in taxpayer stimulus cash doled out by the Harper government was conditional upon project managers putting up federal promotional signs, The Canadian Press has learned.

And the government was so concerned with the placement of “Economic Action Plan” signage that Prime Minister Stephen Harper received briefing notes on the sign count from Canada’s top civil servant.

[updated Wed Sep 08 22:05:39 -0400 2010]

Afghan intelligence officer bragged about torture, documents show

Startling 2009 admission spurred troops to halt prisoner transfers and sent Canadian officials scrambling to verify NDS statement

Ottawa — The Canadian Press
Published on Wednesday, Sep. 08, 2010 3:13PM EDT

So they did know about this afterall. Someone is going to pay for this.

Too bad Harper has extra cash to blow on NHL franchises but not on helping the vets. I don't think the troops are going to vote for him this time, they are feeling a little used.

[updated Wed Sep 08 22:09:42 -0400 2010]

Stephen Harper: A Liberal Good Luck Charm!

This Prime Minister -- the bountiful fountain that keeps on giving. Isn't it enough that this government has so far managed to bumble its way from non-crisis to crisis on a host of issues. But now, the Conservatives have gone on the offensive to help restore Liberal fortunes with Canadian voters as Liberals look for the next uptick in polling which could conceivably see Liberal support pass that of the Harper government.

I doubt know about you but I've certainly got plenty of reasons to smile these days.

Some genius has decided that extended employment benefits are about to come to an end. Couple that with the cutoff of stimulus money next March and Liberals find themselves with another winning combination -- a delightful one-two punch that is bound to send the PM reeling in the polls.

To my mind, it just doesn't get any better than this. We work hard as the alternative government while the incumbent goes out of its way to prove our point.

[updated Thu Sep 09 22:46:02 -0400 2010]

No punishment for Bernier? Harper is losing control and will soon be turfed.

Friday, September 10, 2010 9:15 AM

Maxime Bernier breaks ranks on arena funding
Jane Taber

Maxime Bernier. It seems the libertarian Conservative MP is offside with the rest of his Quebec caucus colleagues over the issue of funding a multi-million-dollar hockey rink. He was conspicuously absent from a photo-op this week, in which Quebec MPs donned Nordiques jerseys to show their support for the arena and the possibility of bringing an NHL team back to the provincial capital.

“It was instructive that Quebec MP Maxime Bernier, who opposes public handouts for private enterprise, was missing from the photograph and e-mailed me a curt ‘no comment’ when asked about the merits of federal support for the arena,” National Post columnist Don Martin wrote at the time.

Mr. Bernier has since taken to the local airwaves in his Beauce riding to pour cold water on the idea of the Tories showering taxpayer dollars on sports facilities while battling a $56-billion deficfit.

Meanwhile, La Presse’s Joël-Denis Bellavance suggests a backbench revolt could be brewing. One Conservative MP is reported as saying he fears alienating the party’s western base if the government starts throwing money at a rink to curry favour in Quebec.

[updated Fri Sep 10 10:14:30 -0400 2010]

This is being resoundingly panned by even conservatives. It is so bad you have bloggers calling Tasha Kherridin a Liberal. Next, they'll be calling Tom Flanagan a liberal. Harper has now become a sick joke.

Don Martin: Abundant signs of Tory spending

Don Martin/National Post
Cape Spear in St. John's, Newfoundland. The Action Plan sign is there but there's not much action.

Don Martin September 9, 2010 – 7:49 pm

Visitors watching Atlantic waves crash into the eastern tip of Newfoundland this summer couldn’t miss one clear sign of Canada’s recession. There, within camera range of the iconic Cape Spear lighthouse, billboards advertised economic stimulus dollars at work, even though there wasn’t a shovel in sight.

Similar signage blankets the western edge of the country with more than 5,000 places in-between featuring Economic Action Plan posters promoting your federal deficit dollars at work.

Political opponents are raising a hullabaloo in Ottawa this week following the release of documents to The Canadian Press showing excessively costly and controlling behaviour by a government that insisted every paved pothole had to be flagged for government credit.

One can only imagine the mother of all billboards that will dangle over the proposed Quebec City hockey arena if Prime Minister Stephen Harper kicks in almost $200-million for this gargantuan seat-buying opportunity.

Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/09/09/don-martin-abundant-signs-of-tory-spending/#ixzz0z8VPfkGr

[updated Fri Sep 10 10:26:36 -0400 2010]

If What I'm Hearing Is Correct...

Harper will announce federal funding for the Quebecor Arena in Quebec City while in town on Monday. We'll see!

[updated Fri Sep 10 14:16:55 -0400 2010]

Harper, Castro: Who can tell the difference?
National Post · Friday, Sept. 10, 2010

Optics Offside In Arena Gambit, Don Martin, Sept. 9.

Side by side this morning I see the old socialist Castro finally admitting he was wrong now that he sees the results, and a younger Stephen Harper promoting yet another massive pork barrel project despite having seen the results of such socialist policies. Ya win some and ya lose some.

Canadian public finances were devastated by Pierre Trudeau, an open admirer of Castro. Brian Mulroney continued that trend with his record high deficits, but thankfully, Jean Chretien "saw the light" and cut public spending. Now, Mr. Harper has reverted back toward the Cuban model.

Depending on how serious Cuba is about moving away from socialism, perhaps some day Canadians will be flocking to Cuba for more than just the sun.

[updated Sat Sep 11 00:34:40 -0400 2010]

One more NDP to drop off Harper's list or the NDP supporters of the Con fiasco stay home and Harper is defeated and humiliated.

‘Cynical’ Tory tactics prompt third NDP MP to back gun registry

NDP Leader Jack Layton smiles alongside then-candidate Claude Gravelle in Sudbury on April 23, 2005. CP
Claude Gravelle, who voted to scrap program last time, lines up behind Jack Layton in bid to fix it instead of killing it off outright

Ottawa — The Canadian Press
Published on Friday, Sep. 10, 2010 12:36PM EDT

[updated Sat Sep 11 00:42:35 -0400 2010]

Danielle Smith's Siren Song!

I must say that the Lord is both kind and merciful. The way politics have been going on in Ottawa has led to the need for a tuneup. I've got the purfect answer -- bring on The Wildrose Alliance to Ottawa.

I've watched Danielle Smith in action and I have great respect for her. I also respect her provincial party (like I do all others). Some have recently accused me of being some kind of right-wing disciple. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I'm a political strategist -- my work is on behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada. And having Wildrose go national is an answer to my prayers!

Why, some of you may ask. Let me tell ya: what this country needs is a return to a carve up of the right-wing vote. We need to get back to the good old days where two parties competed for the hard right-wing vote while three worked for the right-of-center vote.

Westerners are clearly dissatisfied with the present incarnation of the Conservative Party of Canada. That is their right. They view this Prime Minister as having moved far too close to the political center. Again, that is their right. What they need is a political voice that adequately expresses their concerns -- and much to my delight, that voice is no longer the CPC!

Translate that equation into the world of real politik and you get the following result -- centrist and moderate voters moving toward the Liberal Party of Canada while social democrats as other left-wing voters weigh whether to throw in their lot with the Liberals or stick with the New Democrats. My money is on migration to the Liberals as a strategic device to STOP the Conservatives.

And yes, I've saved the best for last! A Wildrose Alliance operating out of Ottawa would allow legitimate western concerns to be adequately expressed in the Nation's Capital while also giving yours truly an incredible bonus -- seriously SCREWING the Conservative government, electorally speaking.

So I say, by all means, bring the Wildrose to Ottawa and don't forget to drop off the thorns at 24 Sussex. No Prime Minister ever deserved them more...

[updated Sat Sep 11 11:58:45 -0400 2010]

Tomorrow's Man In Quebec City.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest is a man I respect, both as a person and as premier. But as some of you know, it's my fervent wish to see Charest retire -- sooner rather than later. To my mind, the political situation is not recoverable.

The prospect of a premier Pauline Marois has both upside and downside: part of me yearns for a female to take control. Quebec badly needs that. I'm troubled by the level of subtle sexism that I see in my province in 2010. I'm also troubled by the belittling of the institution of marriage as a sign of respect between a man and a women. (But that debate is for another day along with the debate on why the Quebec government STILL refuses to extend the patrimoine familial to common-law relationships. Imagine, waiting for a decision of the Court of Appeal rather than looking to government action, but again, I digress.)

The downside is, or course, the question of sovereignty. I don't want another referendum, even in a second PQ mandate. Not because I think federalists will lose -- but I tend to think that we've already thoroughly exhausted that question.

That brings me to tomorrow's man, namely Jean-Marc Fournier (whom I've met) who is running in a byelection in St-Laurent. Fournier has joined Charest's cabinet, having recently left Michael Ignatieff's office.

IMHO, this gentleman is the Quebec Liberal Party's next leader. (It can't happen fast enough for me.) In my view, only Fournier has a realistic chance of stemming the PQ tide before we go to the polls again in about two and a half years.

I'm hoping the Premier is seriously reflecting on what is best for Quebec -- not only what is best for himself and his family. Don't get me wrong -- Jean Charest has done a lot for Quebec and for Canada. Most of his life has been spent in public service. That's admirable. But there comes a time when it's time for a second act. To my mind, that time is now. If Quebec Liberals are to have any chance of remaining in office, one would hope that Charest would reach a decision on his future, as quickly as possible.

[updated Sat Sep 11 12:38:36 -0400 2010]

Stupid Is As Stupid Does.

I know political desperation when I see it. A case in point: those fawning Nordiques zealots poised before any operating camera in Quebec City. Boy, did I ever get a laugh watching that spectacle.

It's really amazing if Conservatives think that greater Quebec City residents will actually fall for that extremely poor display of amateur theatre. I nearly died when I saw "Capitaine" Verner actually don that Nordiques jersey. I would have thought that she could have talked the lame brains in the PMO out of it. As a stunt, it was pitiful.

No visually soothing optics display can make up for the bone-headed plays made by this Prime Minister in the last election. Harper's words sealed the deal -- and not in the way Conservatives might have hoped. His not-so-clever remarks on glittering cultural galas and perceived Quebec softness on crime as it relates to young offenders did more to send Conservatives into the basement than anything any of the other parties could have hoped to accomplish.

Let's not kid ourselves about what is happening on the ground in Quebec. When Conservatives begin to lose ridings in and around Quebec City, they'll be going Bloc. The good old standby de facto choice will win again -- not because they are the alleged defenders of the Quebec nation -- but precisely because the other parties are incapable of putting forward policies that adequately address this province's pressing issues and national temperament.

Put another way, Conservatives might as well wait until Easter for an election and dress Harper up as the Easter bunny. In case you haven't guessed, the end result will be the same as when Conservative MPs were foolishly sweatered up as enthusiastic Nordiques supporters.

[updated Sat Sep 11 22:01:33 -0400 2010]

If these polling numbers hold, the next election will be Stephen Harper versus the Liberal party brand. Harper is the leader with a sagging Conservative party, and the ever-popular Liberal party doesn't have a credible leader.

We saw the same thing happen in the 2008 election, with Dion tanking and taking down the Liberal party with him, and Harper getting a 'majority' from the RoC (excluding Quebec)... while shrewd Quebecers flocked back to their BQ favourites to deny Harper his overall majority government.

The big question is can Harper boost Conservative party fortunes and parlay it into a true majority government ... and will Ignatieff bomb and complete the blowing up of the Liberal party?

Unfortunately, polls are like yesterday's pizza leftovers and "who can say why, tomorrow will be yesterday" .

[updated Sun Sep 12 13:18:25 -0400 2010]

"What do you think? Cheers, Nik"
..............................................................

Nik ... with such dismal numbers for Iggy and such encouraging numbers for the Liberal brand .... do you think polled Canadians identify Iggy with the Liberal party?

They know the Liberal party ... but may not associate Iggy as the Liberal leader!!!

Perhaps you should first ask those you poll to name the leaders of the parties ... ya think?!

[updated Sun Sep 12 14:17:30 -0400 2010]

It is sad to see that the board has disolved into a rant exchange and that the discourse between individuals has reached what can be considered as a new low point.

Ron,

Any chance you read Mr. Davies comments to a potential 6.5 million voters, interesting comments and very informative as it it reflective of that the Liberal party is all about.

[updated Mon Sep 13 09:46:18 -0400 2010]

When the man is right, he is just right

Mr. Nanos also asked Canadians about reforming the Commons, wondering about the effectiveness of allowing MPs to vote against their party.

He found that roughly two thirds of Canadians, or 65.2 per cent, think free votes would have a positive effect on the workings of the Commons.

This compares to 11.4 per cent who believe it would have a negative effect and 13 per cent were unsure.

It’s an interesting question, given there has been a lot of coverage of the fact Mr. Ignatieff is not allowing his MPs a free vote on the upcoming Conservative private member’s bill to scrap the registry.
...

.

[updated Mon Sep 13 14:29:29 -0400 2010]

Zachary,

I'm busy for about 15-20 minutes but would appreciate your take on Julia Gillard finally forming government in Australia (with the help of 2 of the 3 so-called independents) and moving ahead for what she hopes will be several years. Is this a game-changer, in your opinion? What's the dynamic for Canada and the lesson(s) learned.

Finally, Tony Abbott reminds me of this Prime Minister, temperamentally speaking. No wonder he couldn't make a go of it!!! (Now it's my turn not being able to resist throwing one in.)

Thanks.

[updated Mon Sep 13 18:02:00 -0400 2010]

Don't Bet Against The Albertan Even When That Goes Against The Wishes Of Alberta.

III—Whether the convention exists
It was submitted by counsel for Canada, Ontario and New Brunswick that there is no constitutional convention, that the House of Commons and Senate of Canada will not request Her Majesty the Queen to lay before the Parliament at Westminster a measure to amend the Constitution of Canada affecting federal-provincial relationships, etc., without first obtaining the agreement of the provinces.
It was submitted by counsel for Manitoba, Newfoundland, Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Alberta that the convention does exist, that it requires the agreement of all the provinces and that the second question in the Manitoba and Newfoundland Ref­erences should accordingly be answered in the affirmative.
Counsel for Saskatchewan agreed that the question be answered in the affirmative but on a different basis. He submitted that the convention does exist and requires a measure of provincial agreement. Counsel for Saskatchewan further submitted that the Resolution before the Court has not received a sufficient measure of provincial consent.
We wish to indicate at the outset that we find ourselves in agreement with the submissions made on this issue by counsel for Saskatchewan.

[...]

IV—Conclusion
We have reached the conclusion that the agreement of the provinces of Canada, no views being expressed as to its quantification, is constitutionally required for the passing of the "Proposed Resolution for a Joint Address to Her Majesty the Queen respecting the Constitution of Canada" and that the passing of this Resolution without such agreement would be unconstitutional in the conventional sense.

[updated Mon Sep 13 22:16:38 -0400 2010]

Ron,

Looks as if Bobby is up to the same old tricks again, unless he is tired of sitting on the opposition side of the house and is shopping himself around again and as Harper is way to the left of Ignatieff, maybe he see an opportunity to move a more central party.

...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 2:18 PM, Harper, Rae singing same arena tune,Norman Spector

Bob Rae has denied ever having spoken to Sun Media about the proposed arena in Quebec City. Knowing Mr. Rae, I know this must be an honest mistake. The mistake is likely due to the fact that “Sun Media” is not a name used in Quebec.

In Quebec (and increasingly in the rest of Canada), Sun Media now goes by the name of QMI. And here’s what Mr. Rae said to that news agency’s reporter, Laurent Dionne, according to a report in Le Journal de Quebec on Sept. 10:

“I’m a hockey fan, so naturally I would love to see a team in Quebec City…The federal government must first establish a policy for the whole country…It can’t do something for Quebec City which it is not prepared to do for other cities.”

Which, as far as I can figure out, is pretty much what Stephen Harper said yesterday about the proposed arena.

[updated Tue Sep 14 17:55:54 -0400 2010]

Spoken like all good Liberals, who follow the "thoughts" of Ignatieff and the man who brought him to Canada, Ian Davey, the former chief of staff.

...

“It was once said about the Toronto Sun that it’s a newspaper for people who can’t read,” he said. “And I think that probably applies to the whole chain.”

...

When Heather Mallick writes in the Toronto Star that women worry about the end of the registry because it protects them against having “their own personal bodies torn apart by bullets,” that’s somehow not a wedge?

When she adds “there are women walking around intact today who will die at the hands of their violent husbands if the registry vanishes,” she isn’t trying to drive a wedge between men and women? Or between Canadians undecided about the registry and those who oppose it?

Come on. We columnists are wedge peddlers. It’s the nature of our craft.

....

Think of Margaret Atwood’s recent call for a prohibition on Sun TV, a Canadian version of Fox News.

Oh, of course, she’s all in favour of free speech, she just thinks Sun TV would “mimic the kind of hate-filled propaganda with which Fox News has poisoned U.S. politics.”

So it can be disallowed without infringing on free speech because propaganda isn’t speech, it’s hatred.

[updated Tue Sep 14 18:03:01 -0400 2010]

Speaking about putting their foot into their mouth, it would appear that the Liberals under the tyranny of the Party Leader (do you not just love over the top) that are faced with a public flogging by the boys from Toronto and Montreal, if they do not vote as they are told.

The enlightened and truly democratic NDP Party, has reached out to their MP`s and by thoughtful and considerate debate by the enlightened and truly democratic Party leader Jack Layton (do you not just love over the top), they may well be able to save the gun registry.

One is whipped, the other is through consensus and debate, and I wonder if the NDP will be able to sell this.

...

Commons Showdown, Jack Layton wins over enough New Democrats to save gun registry
NDP Leader says he’s persuaded an ‘overwhelming majority’ of his rural MPs to halt Conservative bid to kill program

[updated Tue Sep 14 20:27:17 -0400 2010]

It is good to see the Canadians who serve are standing up for Canada and is it not strange that one never seems to see a Liberal, Bloc or NDP standing up for our men and women in the service.

...

Forces brass push back hard against Afghan torture allegations

This more combative mood on the part of the Forces is a change from this spring, when the detainee controversy dominated the spotlight and sources spoke privately about the military’s frustration at how much attention was being given to the charges of transfer-to-torture.

Lt.-Gen. Deschamps also said he felt maverick diplomat Richard Colvin was risking operational security in 2006 and 2007 when the foreign service officer broadcast concerns about the treatment of detainees through the government email system.

Mr. Colvin is the Canadian diplomat formerly posted in Afghanistan who last fall accused the federal government of turning a blind eye to the risks of torture facing detainees.

“He was talking about current and future [military] operations quite openly .... the distribution list was quite large. Many people received this information and we saw a problem in that,” the general told the complaints commission hearing.

“We were quite concerned that Mr. Colvin found the need to expand his discussions about

[updated Tue Sep 14 21:37:06 -0400 2010]

That Exquisite Sound You Heard On Your Newscasts Tonight Is Known As...

Prime Ministerial SOUR GRAPES! Nothing quite like the whining of a soon-to-be defeated man. Look at his body language at the podium -- not to mention his tone. Stephen Harper is no idiot. He knows he's already beat. The vote on Wednesday of next week is now nothing more than a mere formality.

This Prime Minister says his party and his government won't rest until the long-gun registry is abolished. Fair enough -- but get this straight: the rest of us are at least equally determined to save the long-gun registry and momentum is on our side (thanks mostly to Jack) so enjoy the ride! It'll be bumpy for some, enjoyable for others. And memorable for all of us.

[updated Tue Sep 14 21:39:13 -0400 2010]

You Tell Me!

Let's see, first you unceremoniously dump a woman as your candidate and then -- wait for it-- get this, you apparently replace her with another woman. It would seem it's supposed to take the sting out for giving the proverbial shaft to the "former MP".

Think it will go over well with women? Will they really be able to sell it? I think not.

[updated Tue Sep 14 22:10:45 -0400 2010]

What Next? I know, BLACK Hockey Jerseys!

In the movie and television business at least you get to do selective reshoots! Not so in politics where the bonehead play of the year of dressing up eight (8) Conservative MPs in Quebec Nordiques sweaters has backfired spectacularly.

What to do to repair the damage? Let me take a shot at it: how's about donning mourning jerseys in splendid but, of course, understated black to weep for the arena that never was and to pine for better political days in the future.

I don't know about you but I'll bet the magnificent eight wish they could run for office in North Korea -- or some other such place where the Dear Leader always comes out on top -- all pertinent political considerations having been summarily and routinely cast aside!

Good thing that most Quebecers are not big on American television because yes indeed my friends, it appears that "Eight Is Enough"...

[updated Tue Sep 14 22:36:35 -0400 2010]

Ron, Just remember that these guys are part of your coailtion.

...

In a lengthy television interview broadcast last week, Pierre Curzi, the Parti Québécois language critic, advanced his theory about why there are not more Quebecers lacing up for the Canadiens: It is a federalist plot to rob Quebecers of one of the most stirring symbols of their identity.

Asked by the host of the Télé-Québec program Les Francs-tireurs about the shortage of “francophone Quebecers” on the Canadiens, Mr. Curzi said it is by design.

“I don’t get paranoid about conspiracies, but I say that when the biggest symbol of our identity, namely the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, does not play any more francophones, when you go there, that is damned well political,” he said.

[updated Wed Sep 15 17:10:07 -0400 2010]

It appears Kory Teneycke got the sack fron Sun News. Looks like he could have been Mr. Snuffleuphagus after himself. hahahahahahhahahahaha

In a letter formally submitted by civil rights lawyer Clayton Ruby, that the Ottawa Police and RCMP launch an investigation into apparent fraudulent signatures among the 80,000 added to the petition that came from the same Ottawa IP address. Teneycke admitted to insider knowledge of the perpetrator.

Then Kory miraculously "resigns." soooooooo obvious. Not too swift that boy.

More dishonesty and manipulation from The CPC

[updated Wed Sep 15 19:11:07 -0400 2010]

True And Loyal Canadians, My Ass!

Dear Joseph,

We thought the world was well rid of you. Your legendary shenanigans with your sidekick Roy brought tremendous shame and embarrassment to a nation. You seemed to revel in every minute of it: destroying people, their health, their careers, their reputations...

And now are we to endure the misfortune of having your spirit reappear in this country to once again practice the unsavory politics of us vs. them, divide and conquer, browbeat and intimidate.

Who are you, Joseph, to tell us what the definition of true and loyal Canadian is! I'll have you know that most Canadians love this country just as much as their fellow neighbours. You may not have noticed Joseph but there actually is no litmus test to define genuine patriotism. I'm sure it upsets you greatly that patriotism does not go hand in glove with a particular political party. God knows, if you had your way Joseph it would, wouldn't it...

But remember Joseph, Canadians are a lot smarter and have greater common sense than you would like to give them credit for. They aren't inclined to fall for hollow sounding platitudes spawned under the twin artifices of deliberate deception and political subterfuge -- I know how free thinking Canadians rub you the wrong way. Might as well get used to it Joseph because whether you happen to like it or not, Canadians aren't buying the bullshit you're so enthusiastically peddling.

[updated Wed Sep 15 22:43:39 -0400 2010]

I'm A Pretty Good Guy -- But Not THAT Good!!!!

So...I'll just throw it out there for Zachary and see if as a Conservative, he'd care to tell us which way he'd play the following:

This Prime Minister is looking to get his majority. From his perspective, if the opposition parties are in disarray or lack intestinal fortitude (neither of which I agree with) but since we are looking at this from a CPC perspective, is it better now for Harper as a strategist to engineer his own defeat this fall OR does he need a further more reliable predictor which way the wind is really blowing -- put another way, would it be advantageous for him to get a string of byelections out of the way first before plotting the final Conservative political strategy and policy implementation mecanisms?

As I've said because I'm not that good a guy, I won't be saying how I'D PLAY IT!!!

[updated Thu Sep 16 11:36:17 -0400 2010]

Conservative Job One: Playing Canadians For Fools.

W-H-I-P-P-I-N-G is in the eye of the beholder: sometimes it's really great -- other times not so much...yes, we're only talking politics here (just in case some of you were wondering!) with the same act amounting to both the moral equivalent of Yes AND No...

The Conservative whine drones on -- how dare Michael Ignatieff whip his MPs on the upcoming motion with regard to the Long-Gun Registry. Can't you just hear the righteous indignation from various CPC bags of wind. Whatever happened to Athenian democracy?? Surely, rural Canada is being betrayed. Maybe yes, maybe no. One could make the same argument about urban Canada.

Wednesday's vote will be another fine example of principle by stealth. Liberals will take a stand in favour of the LGR while Conservatives, emerging from behind the fog machine will do precisely the same thing -- vote as a unified block against the LGR. Like Liberals, Conservatives will find dissent absent.

The party line will be fine as three of four parties enforce discipline and caucus solidarity. What Conservatives need to remember is that they are no different from the other two parties. It would be rather refreshing, if for once, they could own up to it rather than spend countless hours, days and weeks deliberately fine-tuning the dishonesty machine.

Thank God for opposition resolve otherwise the big political fraud might have finally been able to get real traction. Effectively containing this Prime Minister. Now that's the Canadian way! May it continue.

[updated Sat Sep 18 10:39:12 -0400 2010]

Absolute Political Certainty In Ottawa - WITHOUT A Majority!

Harper: "And the party I lead will not rest until the day it is abolished”;

Guergis: "They’re angered that their opinion, their vote, at this point has not mattered, and they have told me very clearly that they will support me as an Independent”;

MacKay: "This is the right plane. This is the right number. This is the right aircraft for our Canadian forces and for Canada";

Baird: "We can't balance the budget and continue billions of dollars in new spending".

For the life of me, I'd call that a bit of a pattern. Thinking again, are you Canada???

[updated Sat Sep 18 22:46:12 -0400 2010]

Ignatieff on Mansbridge One On One.

Every political junkie along with every thinking Canadian should watch this to get the measure of the man. I enjoyed it myself and thought Michael came across very well.

It made me hopeful again for a less confrontational and ideologically rigid Canada where litmus test are no longer the order du jour -- and where the old man's word had better be law -- or else...

[updated Sat Sep 18 23:12:55 -0400 2010]

Taking The Sting Out Of The HST.

Something can be done at the federal level to make it more palatable in British Columbia, Ontario and other areas of Canada.

I've come up with an idea. I wonder which party knows what I have in mind -- if any. Let's see if anyone can pickup on my personal pet theory. Good Luck! (I actually mean that.)

[updated Sun Sep 19 21:21:49 -0400 2010]

A Dream Job If Ever There Was One In Ottawa!

What I wouldn't give to personally get a heads up to take this on -- placing the order on behalf of four political parties for a fleet of "SCRAP THE HARPER GOVERNMENT" SUVs!!!

But unlike this government on the CF-35 Joint Strike Fighter -- I plan to be smart enough to multi-source my contract both to bring costs down and to evenly distribute 100% of the work across Canada.

Now that Candice's bill is likely to go down in flames on Wednesday, perhaps she might want to give me a call. I'd be more than happy to take that SUV quickly off her hands and put it to productive use if the price is right.

[updated Mon Sep 20 21:30:14 -0400 2010]

Scott Reid is really getting his groove back. If you don't believe me, just check out today's edition of Power and Politics on the CBC.

[updated Mon Sep 20 22:00:27 -0400 2010]

From Big John to Stern Jim.

You know something is up when this Prime Minister decides to road test a new candidate for the messenger of fear...that's right, Booming John is out and Doom-and-gloom Jim is the new lecturer-in-chief of the Harper government. The Canadian Club of Ottawa were the "lucky" recipients of a speech short on economic policy and long on overheated political rhetoric.

I really felt sorry for those people...couldn't help but hope that Canadian Club did in fact come with lunch. I'm sure many of them needed it.

What really puzzled me was whether the coalition bogeyman was really something he was trying to stop -- or encourage. Given recent purported Conservative Party internal events, one wonders what this PM is really up to in putting fire and brimstone Jim before an unsuspecting public.

Anyway, it did make for relatively amusing political theatre. Gives you a pretty good idea of how the rest of the parliamentary session is likely to shape up. Perhaps a precipitous election will look okay to most people given what they've witnessed today.

[updated Tue Sep 21 21:22:52 -0400 2010]

Is this another coalition - Ekos, CBC and the Liberal party - to bad that the CBC gets to block all Freedom of information requests.

---

In her two-page letter, she references a report that aired Sept. 13, characterizing it as the CBC seeking “to portray domestic efforts to end the long-gun registry as being influenced by a foreign organization.”

She accuses the corporation of supplying no evidence to back their claims, suggesting this “selective reporting is clearly an attempt to sway viewers to one side of the debate – the side preferred by the CBC.”

And Ms. Byrne does not stop there. Noting the CBC receives a “not insignificant subsidy” from taxpayers, she says “Canadians deserve better.”

As well, she invokes the culture war battle from earlier this year when the Tories accused the CBC of portraying “known Liberal Frank Graves as a non-partisan commentator on politics.” Mr. Graves is a pollster for EKOS Research; he does not do work for the Liberal Party.

“The CBC itself should strive for higher journalistic standards, rather than use its platform to take a political position that mirrors the partisan position of any political party, whether by coincidence or not,” she wrote.

[updated Wed Sep 22 16:46:33 -0400 2010]

Thank you.

[updated Wed Sep 22 18:35:47 -0400 2010]

There's a great column in today's Toronto Star by Joe Fiorito. Fiorito is a mild, meek guy who normally speaks up for the down and trodden, the very lowest on the economic and social scale.
Today he wrote about what Flaherty, acting on behalf of Mike Harris, did to Toronto.
He didn't mention half of what Harris did , nor what he did to the rest of Ontario.
What Flaherty did for Harris to Toronto, he will do to Canada for Harper if they ever get a majority.

[updated Fri Sep 24 09:34:26 -0400 2010]

Stephen Harper: The Only Conservative Who Can Put A Smile On Every Liberal Face!!!!

Like nearly all Liberals, you've just got to love this Prime Minister: the guy is willing to move heaven and earth to make things happen for Michael and the party. I mean, never have we as a party owed so much to a political foe -- don't it just kill you to see Harper solidly entrenching himself on a host of issues with his nuclear-rotated shovel. I say, keeping digging, Man!

Picture it: on to número uno of fumbles and bumbles (handling Guergis), you can't buy ads like that which favour the Liberals! Jesus Christ himself could come down from on high and make a beeline for 24 Sussex -- only to be refused by the man who knows "best". Unreal.

Move it along to the census, the JSF, or especially the long-gun registry -- all fine examples of a prime minister's so-called "steely determination". (It's a driven will like that that goes a long way in helping you find the opposition benches.) Again, aren't you just loving it?

Predictable -- as pie. Some say familiarity breeds contempt. Au contraire, an easily readable Prime Minister brings nothing but joy to Liberal hearts. For Liberals, there is no greater pleasure than in contemplating the enormous payoff likely to flow from a seemingly perpetual Harper dividend.

[updated Sat Sep 25 18:40:24 -0400 2010]

Can't You Just Feel It? That Security Council Seat Is...OURS!

To borrow a phrase from Chrétien, for the life of me, I don't know why some people are running around like "nervous Nellies" worrying about our chances at the United Nations. After all, this Prime Minister is handling the file personally:

let's see, the rundown goes something like this -- Muslim and Arab nations: we're in like Flynn, yessiree Bob. (It pays to take a "balanced" approach on Middle East diplomacy.)
Africa, Central and Latin America, Asia -- again, a lead-pipe cinch ! (Freezing foreign aid brings much needed discipline to an otherwise haphazard approach.) And who can forget the Europeans -- the nations who worked tooth and nail with us to foil a worldwide financial catastrophe. (Never mind that we undermined the so-called bank tax and its comprehensive approach to the financial crisis.)

Like I said -- nothing to worry about. It's practically in the bag already. Might as well start to count them chickens!

[updated Sat Sep 25 19:17:39 -0400 2010]

Those MPs who Voted to keep the Gun Registry will pay a price in the next Election, there will no Liberal or NDP in West (Manitoba,Sask,Alberta and British Columbia) the new power in Canada. We do not need the numbers we got the wealth, we are going to charge more for gas and oil in the East. Have a nice winter boys!

[updated Sun Sep 26 02:50:56 -0400 2010]

Ronald forget about Chretien he should be in one those new prisons they are building, you know the one for Canadian Politians in the far far north, like Baffin Island we need a presents in the North Pole.

Oh by the way, when is Rich Fadden coming out with his report they waiting here in Vancouver. After reading the Globe and Mail about Liberal Riding President, we need about 1000 more CSIS agents on the West Coast and going to China, I hope they were on the case when Robertson and his NDP group made a recent trip to China.

[updated Sun Sep 26 02:56:35 -0400 2010]

Conservative Drone On Language Courses.

Just thought you'd like to know that I plan on signing up for a session or two of Conservative Drone On language courses. These days, when Conservative-speak has yes meaning no and no meaning yes, I could really use some help in deciphering the Harper government's intentions this fall.

This Prime Minister says an election is out of the question. He says they will focus exclusively on the economy and the wellbeing of Canadians. (Uh huh.) And yet the blue phone lines were humming back on September 15th -- planning or should I say, seemingly plotting election strategy.

Come on guys, which is it? Are you your usual timid selves or has something dislodged and finally fallen into the sack? I know you're hardly used to showing your true colours (even to yourselves) but hey, call me curious. How's about a heads up?

The country is waiting. After all,. that majority government is yours for the asking, right? Why all the suspense? Come on, clue us in. We're supposed to be important. Apparently, that's why they call us V-O-T-E-R-S.

P.S. Do you think you can get me the same cut rate as the RCMP guy precipitously received? After all, we are coming off a recession.

[updated Sun Sep 26 15:49:23 -0400 2010]

Hey Ronald, a couple of points for your considerations as it seems that I might have been on to something as to the uptick and where the down ticks are occuring.

Conservatives (win, win), Liberals (win, lose) and NDP (big, no make that a very big Loser)

...

As Canadians Watch Showdown Over Gun Registry, Conservatives (35%) Continue to Lead Liberals (29%), NDP Caught in Squeeze on Gun Registry and Sink (12%) to Tie with Greens (12%)

...

Mr. Graham, the first premier in the province's history to be defeated after only one term, said after the result that he would step down as party leader.

The Tories were elected in 42 of the province's 55 ridings. The Liberals took the other 13.

[updated Tue Sep 28 09:19:30 -0400 2010]

Is Stephen Harper Hollywood Bound???

I only raise this in light of recent events -- after all, it's fair to say that this Prime Minister should really put in a name change application that would further a future acting career in California...how's about Dr. "No" , assuming that is not already registered or even trademarked!!!

Can't you picture it? What with the stonewalling over the Guergis affair and the refusal to reveal even to Ms. Guergis why she was given the heave-ho both from cabinet and caucus.

And if that wasn't enough, the good Doctor will be giving thumbs down again in short order -- as soon as a Liberal motion on restoring the long-form census is adopted by the Commons, either today or tomorrow. Harper is not otherwise known for a flexible disposition on these matters. Just ask Pablo Rodriguez. No wonder the environment on the Hill is so toxic.

In any event, look for more of the same old-same old in the coming weeks. This Prime Minister will only reinforce his view buoyed by the New Brunswick election results which he believes is a further pox on all houses-Liberal. Something tells me that the Conservative tide will have abated long before it ever has a chance of reaching the political precincts on the Ottawa River.

Let Harper continue on his same trajectory. Canadians will not only take notice but are bound to come to some interesting conclusions about the Prime Minister and Party of No...

[updated Tue Sep 28 17:55:40 -0400 2010]

The Wright Broom?

I'll bet ya these days that more than a few precarious staffers are able to relieve themselves in the PMO without the necessity of laxatives!!!

With everything topsy-turvey over there and a general shambles as the order-of-the-day, it's not too much of a stretch to think that the hangman will arrive -- fully equipped. Of course, with the main prize out of bounds, incoming COS Nigel Wright will have to contend himself with lesser political scalps...

Dare one even contemplate what will be done with the Quebec team -- whose brillant "underperformance" has become nothing short of legendary. But hey, I'm certainly not complaining!

All of this to say that the new watchword over at Langevin is probably, dans la langue de Molière, ça va marcher les fesses serrées au bureau du premier ministre.

[updated Tue Sep 28 18:51:25 -0400 2010]

This is the aniversary of the death of The Great Man and no one has commented on it yet.

[updated Tue Sep 28 19:11:35 -0400 2010]

As clear as Liberal can be.

...

1) Michael Ignatieff says coalition governments are ‘perfectly legitimate’ and he'd be prepared to lead one if that's the hand Canadian voters deal him in the next election.

2) But the Liberal leader says it would be disrespectful to voters and damaging to his party to try to strike any deals with the NDP before voters have spoken. ……

3) Ignatieff insisted he still believes the Liberals can win the next election. But should no party win a majority and the numbers make it feasible for a Liberal-led coalition to provide ‘progressive, stable, compassionate, good government,’ Ignatieff said he'd ‘make it work for Canadians.’

4) ‘I can make all kinds of electoral arrangements work and people should have confidence that I can. I'm a unifier, I'm not a divider’.

Ms. Bryden’s report continues:

Until now, Ignatieff has sent mixed signals about coalitions.

5) He was a reluctant signatory to the unpopular 2008 coalition deal struck by then-leader Stéphane Dion with the NDP and Bloc Quebecois to topple Stephen Harper's newly re-elected minority Conservative government.

6) Upon taking over from Dion, Ignatieff briefly maintained the coalition threat – coining the phrase ‘a coalition if necessary but not necessarily a coalition’ – to wring some budget concessions from Harper.

7) But he eventually abandoned Dion's deal and has seemed opposed to the idea ever since.

8) Last September, as the Tories were trying to revive the spectre of Liberals joining forces with ‘separatists and socialists,’ Ignatieff declared: ‘Let me be very clear. The Liberal party would not agree to a coalition. In January we did not support a coalition and we do not support a coalition today or tomorrow.’

9) Just two weeks ago, talking points issued by Ignatieff's office asserted: ‘Liberals will campaign to form a Liberal government. We aren't interested in coalitions.’ The script further argued that ‘parties in Parliament can work together – without forming a coalition.’

10) In the interview, Ignatieff said he can't recall ever having categorically ruled out a coalition. He said he continues to adhere to the ‘coalition if necessary, but not necessarily coalition’ line’.

[updated Wed Sep 29 13:21:35 -0400 2010]

Not only must the USA get tough with China, so must Canada, we have to many civil servants and government executives just sitting there with their finger up their butts doing nothing all day. But that is Canada for you. And we have Quebec complaining because they cannot stand the truth about themselves in magazine article. yes your a corrupt country if your so worried about the press, why is your Premier Charest not doing something about this Truth, or he just sitting there with his finger up the butt also.

[updated Thu Sep 30 02:19:24 -0400 2010]

Dear Readers,

Time for some more time off...thanks for your support.

It's a lot of fun exchanging views but eventually you have to recharge your batteries -- especially when you reach a point where an asshole-full-moon is prominently in the sky. Hopefully, that will pass soon enough so the regulars here can get back to business.

Zachary, Bernie, and the others. See you...later.

[updated Thu Sep 30 10:19:53 -0400 2010]

Now we have a new issue in Canada what to do with the 1800 Canadian accounts in Swiss HSBC bank accounts, because it is HSBC I will guarantee you that those on the list are immigrants from Hong Kong and China. Most Chinese in Canada do bank with HSBC, I do not because I know what this Bank has been up to.

[updated Thu Sep 30 18:57:39 -0400 2010]

Will the new governor general waste money and should we get rid of this position?

[updated Sat Oct 02 01:33:28 -0400 2010]

Conrad Black admires Ignatieff Trudeau and Mulroney, but NOT Harper.

No one like Harper anymore. Too much vindictiveness and sleeze.

Conrad Black: Helena Guergis deserved due process, too
Comments Twitter LinkedIn Digg Buzz Email Conrad Black October 2, 2010 – 10:00 am

[updated Sat Oct 02 17:27:42 -0400 2010]

Dr. Johnston's Welcome To The World Of Politics!

Your Excellency,

Welcome to the town that gives regular hemorrhoids -- which are, more often than not politically induced. However, I suspect I don't need to remind you about what Truman said.

In any event, because I'm in a particularly charitable mood and rather pleased with your appointment knowing that the new vice-regal couple will quickly make us proud, I thought I would presume to give you a piece of solid advice: generally speaking, Governor Generals are loathe to become the subject of political footballs.

With that in mind, might I suggest that your first and most intense priority be known as French language "polishing"...with respect and speaking quite frankly, it's never a good thing when a person who spent twenty years in Montreal is outshone in the French department by a once unilingual Prime Minister from Alberta...

[updated Sun Oct 03 08:36:18 -0400 2010]

There Goes The Harper Government?

Some have suggested in the past that the NDP has absolutely no appetite for an election -- the theory being that the NDP's divided long-gun registry vote had gifted a new breath of life to the Harper government.

So much for that working theory: just listen to Jack as he comes out of National Council insisting upon giving Canadians a break on their home heating costs. Layton wants the Conservative government to forego its portion of the GST or HST collected on home heating products.

This PMO has responded via the Finance Minister's press secretary with its usual tin ear and failure to adequately read the signals being telegraphed by the voting public. Jack has hit pay dirt here. He's seen the monster and is moving to slay it where it counts the most -- in a judicious manner which most affects ordinary Canadians with low to medium incomes.

Want to bet that Liberals and the Bloc will quickly hop on the bandwagon. This is what's known as win-win-win politics. But more importantly, it demonstrates the beginning of evident common opposition resolve to defeat this government at the earliest opportunity. I'd call that significant.

That brings us to Conservative pet theory number two, namely, that a federal election -- when it comes will lead to more of the same with the Harper government returned with about the same number of seats as they presently hold. This Prime Minister seems rather confident of that. The rest of us, not so much.

Harper had better read up again on the fine art of the politically possible. Something tells me he badly needs a refresher! The PM also would be strongly advised to get in early every night going forward. He'll need all his wits about him in the coming weeks.

[updated Sun Oct 03 20:29:31 -0400 2010]

What 1000 Long-Form Census "Complaints" Should Look Like...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75
76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175
176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200
201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225
226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275
276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300
301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325
326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350
351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375
376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400
401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425
426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450
451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475
476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500
501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525
526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550
551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575
576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600
601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625
626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650
651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675
676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700
701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725
726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750
751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775
776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800
801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825
826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850
851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 874 875
876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900
901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923 924 925
926 927 928 929 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950
951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975
976 977 978 979 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000

[updated Mon Oct 04 21:36:54 -0400 2010]