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February, 2004 Archives

February 27, 2004 - Jean Pelletier sinks lower than mud by attacking the honesty of an Olympic hero, and Stephen Harper's unfortunate Christopher Columbus error. (click here to continue)

February 26, 2004 - They say that "hell hath no fury like a scorned woman."  As Tony Blair is finding out, the same can be said for a scorned Cabinet Minister. (click here to continue)

February 25, 2004 - Another flip flop in federal government "policy" proves convenient in the lead-up to the election. (click here to continue)

February 24, 2004 -  "The Martin government is moving toward major new steps to co-ordinate economic and security policy more closely with the United States in an initiative that likely would not get under way until after a federal election."

"Mr. Martin has been vague about what kind of policy he intends to pursue with Washington, beyond saying he wants a more constructive relationship that avoids the backbiting that occurred toward the end of the Jean Chrétien regime."
                - Globe and Mail, February 24, 2004

Closer ties with the US, vague about how much integration this entails, but only formally introduced after the federal election.  Yup, definitely all the characteristics of another excursion into the Paul Martin black hole of policy. (click here to continue)

February 23, 2004 - Despite a wave of media reports that were unable to conclude a clear winner in the first Tory leadership debate that took place yesterday, it is clear that Tony Clement gained the most ground.  (click here to continue)

February 20, 2004 - Boy does Dick Pound, former Vice President for the IOC look and sound angry.  It was always clear that John Furlong was a wonderful ambassador for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics bid by serving as President for the successful bid committee.  However, if the process to select a CEO for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics organizing committee has been rigged by Premier Gordon Campbell, as Pound is claiming, there could be some long term problems brewing. (click here to continue)

February 19, 2004 - It has been a scream, but Howard Dean's campaign for the Presidency, which began with a flurry and then fizzled like alka seltzer (which is something he could probably use right about now), has officially come to an end. (click here to continue)

February 18, 2004 - An admirable, yet opportunistic pledge by the Official Opposition, and a communications strategy that could have worked, if only delivered properly. (click here to continue)

February 17, 2004 - 35% polling for the federal Liberals?  A balanced budget for the BC Liberals?  Figures like these haven't been seen around these parts for a very long time. (click here to continue)

February 16, 2004 - "The reality is that Mr. Martin believes people have an obligation to compete for their own nominations.  It is patronizing in the extreme to suggest that women are somehow less able to organize themselves in an open nomination battle than men." - Scott Reid, senior Paul Martin strategist, November 21, 2003, Canadian Press.

"The civil war within the Liberal Party escalated on the weekend after a long-time supporter of Jean Chrétien was prohibited from seeking the nomination in the former prime minister's riding.  Steven Hogue, 36, who had served as Mr. Chrétien's deputy press secretary until his retirement in November, was told Friday night that only women will be allowed to contest the Liberal nomination for the riding of Saint-Maurice-Champlain." Jane Taber, February 16, 2004, Globe and Mail.

Patronizing in the extreme?  Indeed. (click here to continue)

February 13, 2004 - There is now no doubt now as to whether Paul Martin had any idea about the sponsorship scandal, making his comments from the last couple of days about knowing nothing extremely confusing. (click here to continue)

February 12, 2004 - Sheila Copps' hypocritical high horse is choking, and federal surplus estimates prove to be wrong...like always. (click here to continue)

February 11, 2004 - "Every time I read this report I get angry.  I mean, this is so outrageous, what happened here." - Auditor General Sheila Fraser 

The stingingly cold Ottawa air this morning is thick with a combination of fear, opportunity and intrigue...all the necessary factors for what should turn into a blistering period of activity leading up to an election call that no longer has any specific time frame attached to it. (click here to continue)

February 10, 2004 - Try as Paul Martin might to distance himself from the explosive Auditor General's report that will be released today, it will prove to be a very difficult task considering he was the man that presided over government spending for nine years.  If Mr. Martin is willing to claim credit for his prudent and skillful fiscal record as Canada's Finance Minister, then he must also be ready to accept the mismanagement of public funds that occurred under his tenure. (click here to continue)

February 6, 2004 - "Mr. Speaker, this law is not against Quebec. This law is in favour of giving people of Quebec the right to make their own decisions.  This law is in favour of the people of Quebec and I support this law unequivocally." - Paul Martin, House of Commons, December 10, 1999, referring to the Clarity Act.

February 5, 2004 - George W. Bush, Tony Blair, and now Paul Martin all investigate the politics of truth. (click here to continue)

February 4, 2004 - Bulk buying of party memberships destroys the illusion of participatory democracy, and Paul speaks out of both sides of his spectrum. (click here to continue)

February 3, 2004 - Amongst the many casualties of the Chretien-Martin power struggle was Quebec MP Martin Cauchon, and now unfortunately as a result of being left out of Cabinet and totally forgotten by the Martin administration, Mr. Cauchon is leaving public life. (click here to continue)