Peace, order and good government, eh?: Aaaaaand they’re off!

A favourite strategy of the Conservatives is to deflect discussion of the issues and instead try to make it look as though even an opponent’s participation in the conversation is somehow illegitimate. The best example was the focus on Michael Ignatieff’s years abroad but it’s a ploy they’ll use whenever the opportunity presents itself. It’s interesting to see the Globe and Mail doing it’s part by blasting the news that interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel was a member of the BQ for several years — as if it was a closely guarded secret that somehow implies something deeply significant. And it will be equally interesting to see how many other media players are quite happy to reinforce the frame while indulging in their favourite game: speculating about all the possible negative consequences for the opposition. It must be a slow news day. Of course, as Greg Fingas points out, the force of this shocking revelation would be somewhat blunted by the fact that prior to 2006, Turmel was deeply involved in NDP politics over a much longer period. So while the Globe story provides a brief history of her career with the PSAC, her previous association with the NDP is…

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The New Kids in the Bloc

This is the real reason that an NDP/ Liberal merger is impossible.  The Liberal Party of Canada, if nothing else, is the party of the “NO” vote, the party of two official languages, and the party of the constitution.As long as the NDP favours aban…

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Critical Brain Candy: Yay, more debt!

Congrats to the USA for raising the debt ceiling.  Wait, is that a good thing?  No, I’d say it isn’t.  I think the fight over reigning in US spending is a good one to have, but doing it over the debt ceiling seems like the wrong issue.  As many people point out, the debt ceiling […]

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