Is There a Rift in the Harper Cabinet Re-Peter Mackay?

Well,this should put that rumor to bed.  Check out David Akin's blog, On The Hill.

Some pundits have taken Peter MacKay's less-than-subtle signals that he was unhappy with the decision made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and others in cabinet to deny landing rights airlines from the United Arab Emirates and, in doing so, forego the free use of the Camp Mirage staging base near Dubai, as a sign that he is preparing to leave the cabinet and perhaps even quit politics. My sources close to MacKay say he's going nowhere but who knows? Stranger things have happened.

In any event, here at the NATO summit in Lisbon, if there is a rift between MacKay and Harper over the UAE decision, the two are putting on a first-class job of hiding it. The body language between the two men -- at four photo ops I saw today as well as the opening of the NATO summit -- told me those two are getting along like gangbusters. I couldn't hear what they were saying in the summit room but whatever it was, they were making each other laugh and smile a lot. And, as you can see in the picture above, MacKay was Harper's wingman all day while Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon had the backseat.

Seems to me just another faux scandal the MSM have dreamed up again to make it look like trouble in the Tory family.  Kudos to David Akin for this report!

Canadians Need A History Lesson

Immigration and Citizenship Minister Jason Kenny says Canadians need to be more knowledgeable about  our history and values or the country is at risk.

OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney warned a conference of historians and educators that unless we do a better job of teaching history and common values, we risk social unrest in the future.
Kenney said there is a need for both native-born Canadians and newcomers to have a solid understanding of Canada’s past including our political system, and how Canada’s culture of rights and responsibilities developed.

The new study guide "Discover Canada" the government put out last year was a good start.

“That’s why the government says that 'Discover Canada' and our efforts to promote civic literacy have to be focused on all Canadians and not just newcomers,” Kenney said.
Discover Canada is the government’s study guide issued to help immigrants prepare for their citizenship test. It was released last year and replaced an older guide that spent little time on Canadian history but did teach would-be citizens the importance of recycling.

I also agree with Mr. Kenny that we just don't know our own real history because it's just not being taught. Instead revisionist history is being taught.

Kenney also took a shot at how Canadian history is often taught, saying there is too much emphasis put on social history and some recounts of Canada’s story make it sound like the country was built of oppression and injustice.
“If that indeed is the way in which we seek to teach history, no wonder that young people aren’t particularly interested,” Kenney said.

Canada has a great historical story, I believe that needs to be told.  . The progressives for some reason  are the ones who have not wanted Canada's real history taught. They would have you believe for instance that our military history is that of just peacekeeping which is not true.  
The only way for us to know our real history sadly is to actually learn it on our own and  pass it on to our children. We have to go back, take the time to research, and read the actual words that our leaders have have spoken and have written.  That's the way you get the truth about our history.

If we don't know our true history we cannot really move forward and are doomed to repeat. My hope is that someone at the new SunTV will take up the mantle just as Glenn Beck has done on Foxnews.  He and his staff have done a fantastic job doing the research and presenting it to the American people the true history of the United States of America. He has presented facts about their history that was not known by most people before just by going back and reading the actual words of their leaders.  I really truly hope that someone will do that at SunTV and  teach Canadians our real history.

Liberal Volunteers Have to be Rewarded?

What has happened to the Big Red Liberal Machine? If Jane Tabolo is to believed, there seems to be a lack of morale and enthusiasm amongst Liberal volunteers in the three by-elections that are to be decided later this month. According to Jane, volunteers have to be cajoled by rewarding them to go out and work for the party.

Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals are offering up big prizes – tickets to Ottawa Senators games and even a $150 gift certificate to Hy’s Steakhouse – to round up volunteers to help them identify the Grit vote in upcoming by-elections.
But this odd pitch for help has some Liberals wondering where the Grit spirit has gone. Why do volunteers have to be cajoled?

 Could it be the internal numbers are not encouraging?  Is it the the Waffle's leadership or just the party itself?   As a long time Liberal MP has put it:

But a long-time Liberal MP sees it differently: “It speaks to the lack of morale and enthusiasm. It used to be that people eagerly volunteered. Now they have to be ordered or rewarded.”

It says a lot about the current Liberal party if the grass roots have to be bribed to go out and work.

I don't see them winning   Dauphin-Swan-River-Marquette in Manitoba, that will stay CPC.  I believe the NDP will probably retain Winnipeg North.  As far as Vaughn, it could very well swing CPC.   That riding will in my opinion  depend on GOTV but do you have to bribe your workers to get that vote out?

Charles Adler on "Michael Clouseau Ignatieff"

Charles Adler had a another great monologue yesterday on Michael "Cluoseau" Ignatieff playing games with race and culture concerning the by election that's going in Winnipeg North where the Waffle has accused the CPC of playing games running a Filipino candidate splitting the vote to hurt the Liberals.

You can listen and/or read it on Charles's website.

 Charles sums it up with a bang as usual.

 If Michael Ignatieff, the has-been BBC interviewer, the has-been Harvard professor, and by next spring he could just be another has-been leader of a party that has gone from being the Natural National Governing party to a Party of Has-Beens. That's what happens to political outfits that play games instead of The Game. They get washed away like fishing boats in a Filipino Monsoon.

Iggo Waffle Has Egg on Face and Insults Voters

The Winnipeg Free Press this morning is saying Iggo Waffle has egg on his face.  Why?  Well the Waffle made a comment when asked a question on the weekend when he was in Winnipeg campaigning for the Liberal candidate for the by-election later this month. He accuses the CPC of playing games? because there is a candidate of Filipino decent running in the riding of Winnipeg North in the by-election to be held later this month? What? The riding does have a large Filipino population and is traditionally held by NDP.   The Waffle also claims CPC candidate Filipino Julie Javier is a fake candidate and will split the vote hurting Liberal's chances.  Well boo, hoo, hoo!

Does anyone know what Michael Ignatieff is talking about?

The Liberal leader was in Winnipeg on the weekend campaigning for Winnipeg North candidate Kevin Lamoureux when he accused the Conservatives of fighting dirty by running a Filipino candidate in the riding.
Voters, he said, deserved "a straight-up fight" and not "a bunch of games." He was apparently referring to speculation that the Tories were trying to weaken Mr. Lamoureux's support by running Filipino Julie Javier in a riding that traditionally supports the New Democratic Party and which has a high number of Filipino residents.
Once again, does anyone know what Mr. Ignatieff is talking about? Is he really suggesting that the Conservatives should have fielded a non-Filipino candidate to make it a fair fight for the Liberal contender? Is it his view that Ms. Javier is a fake candidate who has cynically offered her name to spoil Liberal ambitions and ensure an NDP victory?
Mr. Ignatieff's comments were an insult to voters in general and Filipinos in particular. To be fair, it doesn't look like he anticipated the question, but the leader of an institution like the Liberal Party of Canada should be smarter on his feet. In the big leagues, you're only allowed so many stupid mistakes.

Insult to voters? You bet! Does the CPC not have a right to run a candidate of any nationality if based on merit?  I have news for the Waffle, this is not kindergarten!  This is the big leagues!
 Good luck to CPC candidate Julie Javier and may the best candidate win!