Online diary: A moment-by-moment account of the Bush visit

[moghrabi]

CBC News Online's Ottawa journalist Paddy Moore reports by Blackberry and cameraphone from the streets of Ottawa on the sights and sounds of the Bush visit, along with News Online producer Peter Hadzipetros in our Toronto newsroom. Check back for updates throughout the day.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/continentaldivide/moore.html

 

[moghrabi]

RE: Online diary: A momen

What a way to waste taxpayers money. He is not welcome in this country, why should I pay for a murderer to come to Canada and be treated like a prince?

BTW: He is not meeting with Mr. Layton. He is a chicken (expletive).

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Online diary: A momen

Layton is going to be going after Martin hard on on BMD (Bush's Missile Debacle). Apparently he did get to talk to Condie Rice and a couple of others about it. Martin is in trouble over this because Bush is tying it to everything and Canadians just don't want it.

 

[moghrabi]

RE: Online diary: A momen

No. As a Canadian, I don't want anything to have with the Missile Sh*t. I hope Mr. Layton hammers Martin about it. And If Martin is going to appease Bush, then he is going to be a one-termer.

 

[Chewy]

Re: RE: Online diary: A momen

No. As a Canadian, I don't want anything to have with the Missile Sh*t. I hope Mr. Layton hammers Martin about it. And If Martin is going to appease Bush, then he is going to be a one-termer.

I don't care for this visit and the attempts to win over the Canadian populous with cheesy statements about NHL Hockey,…. Even worse is this BS with using the cattle industry and softwood as tools to leverage support for Bush’s War and his missile system. IMO Martin should be dismissed from office for this insult to the integrity of this Nation and kindly escorted to the border and asked to remain in the US. If he wants to kiss Bush’s backside let him as a US citizen. IF not then he needs to represent this nations and the wishes of those who inhabit it.
All I can say is I’m thankful for a minority government.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Online diary: A momen

Except the official opposition is for missiles in space, leaving us depending on Liberal backbenchers, not members of cabinet, to speak up for us.

Something that really gets to me is the media's role in this. I've heard it a hundred times this week. "The US is going ahead with BMD anyway, so we might as well sign on," and, "We've said no on so many other things that we have to say yes to something."

What the hell is that all about?

 

[moghrabi]

RE: Online diary: A momen

Basically we are being pushed to accept the BMD. If we like it or not, it is going to go ahead. However, we can as citizens voice our opinion and say no.

I truly believe that the people of Canada can make a big difference in standing up to the US and its policies, and also against the policies of our government who are trying to be nice to killer Bush.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Online diary: A momen

I think we're beginning to see that happening. Canadians do not want BMD. Canadians do want out government to start playing hardball on trade.

Martin is headed away from what the Canadian people want. Stevie Harper seems to be retreating more and more back to what those in the oil patch want instead of reaching out to the rest of Canada.

There seems to be a move by the right side of the Liberal Party to join forces with the Harperites as much as possible, leaving Layton and Duceppe (who should be carrying the balance of power and shifting things to the left) largely unheard.

That leaves the left side of the Liberal Party, the former Chretienites, as the wild card. They might toe the party line or they quietly rebel. I'm not at all convinced that Martin would do very well in a leadership race right now. Unfortunately minority governments are not prone to holding leadership races.

 

[moghrabi]

RE: Online diary: A momen

Agreed. I have the feeling that Martin wil not even survive an election anytime in the future. I see a different party coming to play and I am afraid it could be the conservatives. I just joined hands with my local NDP guy and we are going to be raising hell about every other issue.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Online diary: A momen

Go for it Moghrabi. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Conservatives get the next minority government, but it would be extremely short-lived because the Martinites would lose control of the Liberals and join forces with the NDP.

More likely is another Liberal minority though...likely with more a few more seats going to the NDP, including a couple that the Conservatives hold right now. Martin would still be in power, but would have to deal with the NDP at that point. There would be too much pressure from within the Liberal Party not to.

The Conservatives have pretty consistently taken the side of the US in everything since they became the official opposition. They've also pushed for socially conservative programs that echo those of the Republicans in the US. That plays well to their core in Alberta, but doesn't sell well anyplace else.

Something has to give in Parliament soon though...they really aren't getting anything done at all. Usually when that happens a confidence vote shows up pretty quickly.