My book: Loyal to the Core

You may have noticed that I have not been too active on this blog lately.

But there is a good reason for that.

I am actually working hard to finish my first-ever book; it's called Loyal to the Core: Stephen Harper, me and the NCC.

It's one part memoirs, one part history of the National Citizens Coalition and one part cautionary tale for Canada's conservative movement.

You can read more about it here.

The book is scheduled to be released in late February, but you can pre-order a copy here at a special discounted rate.

So act fast!

Trust me, if you like politics, if you are interested in conservative activism, if you like behind-the-scenes stuff, you will love my book.

Seat Sales

Here's a company that knows how to capitalize on the news.

Happy Holidays

Merry Capitalist Christmas!

Balance of Power

Let's see, the Liberals appoint somebody from the CBC to the Governor's General's office, so the Conservatives appoint two people from the CTV to the Senate.

I guess this is the Canadian version of checks and balances.

Making the Cut

Hey I'm number 11!

Number 11 that is on Michael Taube's "Best of the Blogoshpere" list.

All I can say, is it's a good thing it wasn't a top ten list.

Spend, Spend, Spend

Thank goodness that NDP/Liberal/Bloc Coalition didn't take control of our national finances.

I mean those left wingers were going to blow the hinges off the budget with a massive spending spree.

That would have meant monstrous deficits.

Luckily, the more fiscally responsible Conservative government is still in power, meaning it will blow the hinges off the budget with a massive spending spree.

And we all know that monstrous Conservative deficits are better than monstrous Left Wing deficits.

Right?

Outlook for So-Cons

My friend Paul Tuns has an interesting analysis of the recent political showdown in Ottawa and what it means for social conservatives.

Bail Outs: Good or Bad

While attending a Liberty Fund seminar last year I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Don Boudreaux, who teaches economics at George Mason University.

An outspoken libertarian -- he's one of the authors of my favorite blog, Cafe Hayek -- Boudreaux is dead set against offering any kind of government bail out to the auto industry.

You can see him here on CNBC debating this issue.

Deck the Guns ....

I so want this for Christmas!

Explaining to America

My friend Rondi Adamson has a great piece in the Christian Science Monitor explaining the recent wacky Ottawa power struggle to Americans.

Next, she should explain it to Canadians.

Democracy Liberal Style

Say what you will about the Liberals, but they sure know how to streamline the democratic process.

First, they tried to change our government without all the fuss and muss of those tiresome and costly elections.

And now, they have shown how easy it is to pick a new leader: No conventions, no delegates, no votes. Just acclaim.

It makes me wonder what other time-saving measures they have in mind.

Stifling Free Speech

Canada isn't the only place with gag laws. Seems they have a gag law in Colorado that's similar to the one I fought for years.



H/T Janet

Bye, Bye Bob ... One more Time

New Alignments?

Here's what I would like to see unfold.

First, Bob Rae and his left-wing Liberal supporters, angry at getting cut out of their party's leadership sweepstakes, join forces with the NDP and Bloc Quebecois to form a new "Progressive Coalition Party".

Then, the Michael Ignatieff-led Liberals, fearful of becoming a splinter party, decide to join the Conservative Party.

We would then have a two party system, which would certainly make setting up debate formats during elections a lot easier.

The Big Union Boss Coalition

Here are some of the "progressive" groups supporting the NDP-Liberal-Bloc Coalition:

Canadian Labour Congress

Federation des travailleurs et travailleuses du Quebec

Service Employees International Union Canada

United Steelworkers Canada

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Canadian Auto Workers

Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada

Canadian Union of Postal Workers

National Union of Public and General Employees

Confederation des syndicates nationaux

Central des syndicates du Quebec

Public Service Alliance of Canada

International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers

What this means is that had the Coalition succeeded in grabbing power, big union bosses, as well as separatists, would have a say in how this country is run.

Now that's a scary thought.

Also I wonder if any union bosses actually consulted their rank and file before they decided to support the Coalition?

I doubt it.

And if national public opinion polls are anything to go by, I bet the majority of unionized employees oppose the Coalition just as the majority of Canadians do.

So much for democracy.

Dion vs Harper

If this recent political fiasco has reminded us of anything, it's how much of a hapless, flop of a leader is Stephane Dion.

But we should also remember something else: Stephen Harper, with his "I'm not really a conservative" routine, could not bury this hapless flop of a leader in the last election and win a majority government.

That should tell you something.

Are the Tories Worth Defending?

Now that the political crisis in Ottawa has abated, at least temporarily, my friend Pierre Lemieux asks an excellent question: Should we even care if the Coalition takes over?

Writes Lemieux:

"Either there is some realistic hope that the Conservatives can progress towards restoring our liberties, or there is not. If there is, then the coalition government is not a bad idea.

The reason is simple. There is no way the Conservatives could be re-elected in a few years after the country has been wrecked by the economic crisis. A majority Liberal government would be brought to power and undo anything good the Conservatives might have done as well as make sure to keep everything else bad.

If, on the other hand, there is no hope with the Conservatives, then why should we care if the coalition takes over?"

Read the rest of Lemieux's comments here.

Turn Out the Lights

This is most likely the final nail in the Coalition's coffin.

Rae is Finished

The Globe and Mail is reporting Liberal MP Bob Rae is taking over as the chief spokesman for the doomed Coalition.

If that's true, then the Liberal leadership race is all but over; Michael Ignatieff has won.

I mean by taking this action and basically pushing Stephane Dion aside (a coup within a coup) Rae is showing incredibly poor political judgement.

Can't he read the polls? Doesn't he understand the vast majority of Canadians don't want the Conservative government toppled by the Bloc-NDP-Liberal Junta?

What the Liberals should do now is basically acclaim Ignatieff as leader as quickly as possible, before the Dion and Rae tandem do any more damage to the party brand.

Why Not Canada PM?

Did an interview on Canada AM this morning alongside the "Prince of Darkness" aka Warren Kinsella.


We talked about the political fallout resulting from the Governor-General's decision to shut down Parliament.


And I came away from that discussion with one firm conclusion: It's hard to do interviews at 7:10 AM.

The Liberals Should Have Listened to Me

The Liberal Party of Canada should send the Governor-General a bouquet of roses.

Her decision today to prorogue Parliament , after all, saved the Liberals from making the biggest mistake in their history.

As I noted a few days ago, it would have been a political disaster for the Liberals to join forces with the separatists and socialists so they could topple the Tories.

Constitutional or not, I said Canadians would not warm up to the idea of a unelected government.

And now the polls are showing I was right. Ipsos Reid reports that 62% of Canadians are angry with the Coalition for trying to take power from the Conservatives.

Luckily the Liberals now have the chance to pull back from the abyss, which they will.

I wonder if the NDP and Bloc will still remain bosom buddies?

Reviewing Dion's Talk

Note to Liberals: 70 percent of Canadians don't like your leader.

So what's with the extreme close up?

Reviewing Harper's Talk

Prime Minister Harper's televised speech was not really much of a plea.

It was more like a game: How many times can you say "separatist" in less than five minutes.

Sad Time for Canada

The saddest part about the political battle raging in Ottawa is that it's a fight over nothing but power.

It's not about principle or ideology or competing values.

What are watching, in other words, is just a turf war between competing gangs determined to wipe each other out.

Like I said, it's sad.

The Disneyland Coup

My friend Theo Caldwell has an excellent column putting the silly nonsense going on in Ottawa these days into some perspectve.

Writes Caldwell: "And now, weeks after spending $300 million on a pointless election, our sheltered and shallow Parliamentarians are creating a trumped-up 'crisis' and have the gall to insist it’s 'historic.' There’s making history, and there’s making noise."

And he adds: "The real question is, with the nation at war and a global economic crisis ongoing, should we be focused on the constitutionality of a hackneyed power-grab? As this country and the world face extraordinary challenges, the events of this week remind us that some political cultures are too slow to move beyond the Mickey Mouse, navel-gazing mentality of fatter days. This is a bloodless coup at Disneyland."

Shape of Things to Come ...

Well it looks like nothing will stop the Liberal-NDP-Bloc Junta from seizing control of our government.

So we might as well accept our fate.

But what will it mean for our country?

Well here's what we can expect in the next few months:

* To make life easier for Gilles Duceppe the capital of Canada will be transferred from Ottawa to Quebec City.

* Toronto will be renamed Hugo Chavezville.

* Somebody from the Taliban will be appointed to the Senate and made Minister in Charge of the Human Rights Commissions. (Which will likely make it more tolerant.)

* The five dollar bill will feature a picture of Buzz Hargrove.

* Alberta will be converted into one big national park.

But don't worry, this can all be changed whenever the Junta decides to restore democracy.

Get Ready for the Three Stooges ...

.... otherwise known as Gilles, Jack and Stephane.

Actually that's not fair.

The real stooges -- Larry, Moe and Curly -- would probably do a better job at handling our economy.