This campaign is not only turning out to be a clash of ideology between socialism and progressive capitalism on economic lines, but it's also beginning to become a clash of ideology between Trudeau's centralized federalism versus provincial autonomy -- something the old Mulroney PCs used to do well in Quebec on. Harper appears to be playing Brian's old card. And it's working.
Anyway, I wanted to summarize what Paul Martin and the Liberals have been saying and doing over the campaign, and I think it's all going to backfire come January. Watch their war room salvo a massive negative attack against Harper on Jan. 2nd.
1. Quebec Campaign
Martin and Couchon making the Liberal campaign in Quebec about a choice between federalism and sovereignty, saying a vote for the Bloc is a 'Yes' vote in the referendum is not working. Last week, Martin challenged Duceppe to a debate on "any street corner in Quebec", so Duceppe makes such a challenge which Martin declines! Then Harper steps up and offers to debate Duceppe.
Harper is also getting support from Liberal Premier Charest and ADQ leader Mario Dumont on Harper's vision for a decentralized federal gov't. Harper gets credit for saying the Liberals prefer the PQ in Quebec so Martin can look like the saviour. While the Conservative Party's best chance in Quebec is 3 seats -- likely none, they are splitting the federalist vote there, causing the Bloc to shoot way ahead. Currently, polls show the Bloc at 60% and the Liberals dropping to 20%. This could be a Bloc sweep.
2. The Americans
Martin's Liberal war room has been planning to use the anti-U.S. card at the right time in the campaign. At a Montreal international conference on global warming, Martin with Bill Clinton targets the U.S. on not participating in Kyoto, that they're not following the "global conscious" was quickly responded by the American ambassador to Canada. All the while emissions in Canada are up 24% while in the U.S. they're only up 13%. Harper brilliantly jumps in the frey and says Martin is irresponsible to begin a war of words with the Americans during an election campaign with softwood lumber a major trade issue, while at the same time, says the U.S. ambassador shouldn't get involved by staying out of the federal election.
But this was all planned by the Liberals from the get go. Separately released Liberal TV ads show a different message, but obviously recorded with the same people at the same time... I guess they assume Canadians are really that dumb. Speaking of which...
2a. Liberal Ads
In trying to show average Canadians supporting the Liberal record, the truth came out in exposing that the people in the ads were actually Liberal workers, and some relatives of Liberal candidates.
3. Day Care
The "Beer and Popcorn" gaffe by Paul Martin's chief communications guru, on top of Martin saying that they would never suggest that parents don't know how to spend their money, automatically ended the debate and declared Harper the winner. How do I know? Well, Martin's response to this was to lambast Harper on same-sex marriage.
4. Holiday hours! Liberal campaign workers go back to work ... at the gov't.
Over the holiday season, campaign workers paid by the Liberals will go back to work at the gov't, but won't be collecting cheques from the Liberals. Why? The Liberals are broke. Usury?
5. Handguns
Harper points out that Martin's declaration to ban handguns is frugle since THEY ARE ALREADY BANNED! Martin's living in desperate times.
6. "Take your NRA gun loving ass back to the U.S!"
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Page: A5
Section: News
Byline: Glen McGregor
Column: Highway 308
Source: The Ottawa Citizen
Guns & Drugs
Elie Betito is known in political circles as the chief spokesman for
generic drug company Apotex, and can often be seen on the Hill helping the
company in its ongoing campaign for changes to patent drug rules. But Mr. Betito
got a splash of ink this week for something entirely different over an e-mail he
sent to Stacey Cherwonak, a sport shooter and forensic firearms expert with the
RCMP in Ottawa.As a volunteer on Liberal candidate Bonnie Brown's campaign in Oakville, Mr. Betito fielded Mr. Cherwonak's angry e-mail last week over the Liberal announcement about further restrictions on handguns. He closed his e-mail with, "you lying bastards."Mr. Betito e-mailed back: "take your NRA , GUN LOVING ASS BACK TO THE U.S. WHERE YOU BELONG, E. BETITO." Mr. Betito admits the e-mail was written in "a moment of insanity," and says he was provoked into the foolish move by the tone of Mr. Cherwonak's message and his concerns about the Dodge City environment in the Toronto 'burbs. He has resigned from Ms. Brown's campaign and apologized to Mr. Cherwonak.But Mr. Betito says he now feels like he's the one in the crosshairs.
Once his e-mail was posted on a blog, it spread rapidly among the guns 'n' ammo set across North America. He says he has received hundreds of e-mails from the U.S. and Canada, many threatening in tone."I have been bombarded," he said. "I got concerned about my welfare. I never knew the reach and breadth of these groups." Mr. Betito says some e-mails are suggesting a boycott of Apotex's drugs and others were sent to his bosses to demand he be fired.One message confused his gender and began with the salutation, "You Liberal slut." One website posted his home address.
'This is the greatest level of intimidation I have ever seen,' Mr. Betito said, and
that's something coming from someone who regularly picks fights with the most
powerful industry in the world -- the brand-name drug companies.And Take Your Beer and Popcorn With You
Meanwhile, Mr. Cherwonak is giving some serious consideration to taking Mr. Betito's advice. "I may be taking my gun-loving ass to the U.S. after all," he said. He is reconsidering his future in Canada because of the Liberal approach to gun control. He calls Liberal leader Paul Martin's proposal on new handgun restrictions "a grub for votes in Toronto," that may force him to relocate if he wants to continue competitive sport shooting. The message from Mr. Betito did not surprise him, he said, given the party's past position on guns. It was one of only a few replies he received after blanketing Ontario Liberal MPs with his e-mailed message of protest. One reply from a Liberal campaign worker came with a suggestion: "It said you better practise because Harper's going to send you to Iraq," he said.
That's all for now. Those are the major Liberal blunders, in case you forgot to keep track.
