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March 19, 2004

Paul Martin continues to receive bad news on the eve of finally finding out who will be the leader of the upstart and suddenly threatening Conservative Party.  In the wake of controversy regarding available ridings and already declared candidates, former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna has decided not to run for the Liberals.

McKenna was of course Martin's dream candidate, and would have likely been poised for a high ranking Cabinet position had he decided to put his name forward.  In fact, McKenna has long been rumoured within Liberal party circles to be the right-of-centre successor to Paul Martin's dominating political organization come the next leadership contest.

In regards to McKenna, the fact that Martin was unable to guarantee him a free ride to being a nominated candidate weighed heavy in his decision.  His requirements for engagement were ridiculous considering Martin's constant preaching about fixing the democratic deficit, and thus McKenna decided to go back into the welcoming wing of Canwest Global's corporate empire (where he currently serves as the Interim Chairman).

Liberals attracting star candidates?  At this point, the party should be happy with wishing-on-a-star candidates

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The National Post has never been known to be a newspaper that is clandestine in its political agenda.  In fact, some would say that politically, it is the most brazen and blatant publication in the country.

That being said, the Post's interview with Brian Mulroney in this morning's edition was nothing if not a great chuckle to begin the day.  Mulroney was apparently consulted on the manner in which the Liberals have administered governance.

Some excerpts:

"The Chretien Liberals, for the first time in modern history, introduced systems of tollgating and corruption and patronage that constitute an abuse of power."

The Liberals have the "most squalid record in Canadian history" for dishonesty.

While admitting he made a mistake in trusting Lucien Bouchard and other separatists, Mr. Mulroney defended his decision by pointing out that Mr. Martin has welcomed former BQ MP Robert Lanctot into the Liberal caucus and appointed Jean Lapierre, the co-founder of the Bloc Quebecois, as his Quebec lieutenant.

How very selective the human mind truly can be.  Cue the laugh track now.

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On the verge of a campaign where jobs, the manufacturing sector and outsourcing will be highly sensitive topics, George W. Bush has proven himself to be the ultimate hypocrite who has relinquished any claim to holding the line on moral accountability.

It has just been discovered by Newsweek magazine that much of Bush's promotional clothing for the election campaign is produced in Burma (Myanmar), home to one of the most brutal and oppressive military regimes in the world.

This is on the heels of Bush signing into law the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act last July, saying "The United States will not waver from its commitment to the cause of democracy and human rights in Burma."  Violators of the import ban are subject to fines and jail.

There was a time when Burma was one of the richest nations in Southeast Asia, known for its natural resources, and particularly its gold deposits.  Now, the Burmese people suffer some of the worst human rights abuses on the face of the planet, and families like TDH's are hard pressed to ever return to their homeland, so as not to support tourism revenues flowing to the ludicrously named military regime of the State Peace and Development Council.

Bush doesn't have any legs to stand on - one has been chopped off by his own domestic economic contradictions regarding outsourcing (remember the Made in the USA campaigns?), and the other has been decimated by his illegal support for a Burmese regime that forces slave labour upon its people and oversees wages of 7 cents per hour for textile workers.

George W. Bush's selective, holier than thou foreign policy declarations have just become that much more sickening with this revelation.

Comments? jonathan@tdhstrategies.com