Just remember, they ain't the Christian Heritage Party of Canada:

So the CPC is, like, totally necking with the Religious Reich now. I don't know what to think about this. I have trouble believing that anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-sex education, anti-abortion bigots like Focus on the Family could possibly have the success in moderate, socialist Canada that they have had in America. But still. This is a scary trend. If they have the pull to get nominations, they have the pull to get votes....

these people, they just live the families, yknow. Except for single parent families, families with working mothers, families with two dads or two moms, families which would rather plan themselves than live on social security, non-Xian families, Xian families which don't want to embrace their fag-hating, woman-hating fundamentalist line, and, yknow, basically, families. That's right: Pro-Family Advocates Hate Families.

[via Paranoid Left-Wing Ranting , emphasis mine]

If we were to take 30 percent of the effort spent on legislation and invest it instead on sensible and palpable persuasion, we would get an awful lot farther.-- Brian McLaren in 10 Questions for Brian McLaren

Maybe it's just politics, not strictly the Liberals...

Corruption is present in all levels of politics (must I really link to some of the many stories that have been swirling this past week to prove this?). Having worked and lived up north in many different settings I certainly also know that corruption is also rampant within the Aboriginal leadership structure.

[via Reflective Musings]

[via Been There...Still There]

Terms such as "accidental addict" do not serve us well. It's not a case of "whoops! my doctor prescribed me this medication and now I use it compulsively to zone out or get high." It's a case of "whoops! my doctor is in bed with the powerful and preadatory pharmaceutical companies and now they both are making big money by causing millions of us to become dependent upon brain damaging drugs thereby ensuring we will always be in their 'care.'"

See? It ain't addiction, and it for sure is NOT accidental.

Shifts in power don't come at election time: they're only realized at election time....

When I pointed out to my own MP certain indelicate problems of racism and sexism that were occurring with the constituency board in our electoral district, coupled with a tremendous over-focusing on religious issues, nothing happened and nobody cared. So, I didn't go back.

-- from the post Harper's Image at Heart of Canada

When you're spring cleaning...

An older man (as in older than me) brought in a very old American Indian blanket, possibly once owned by Kit Carson. The appraiser was beside himself, and after describing how wonderful it was, "a national treasure", he told the guy it was worth between $350,000 - 500,000. The guy started crying! It was very cool as I'm sure he will find a good auction house to sell it and have money for his golden years (which are only golden if you happen to have some gold). He was absolutely joyful.

So, the moral of the story might be if there are people rich enough and crazy enough to spend half a million dollars on a blanket, at least an older man and his family will have fun spending it.

[via The Cathy J Weblog]

Uhhh...are you sure, Paul Martin?

On Belinda's Leadership Aspirations...

She can't speak French. She can't give a speech. She can't answer questions off the cuff. She has no real political experience to talk about. This may have all been forgivable in a party that needed to look like they were in touch with young, urban, moderate Canadians. But in the Liberal Party, this simply won't wash. In some sense, it might be good for Belinda to run because of the 9 or 10 rumoured Liberal leadership candidates not a single one is female. And if history is any indication, money and a "cut throat kill your enemies" attitude are two keys to any successful leadership run. But until Belinda develops even passable political fundamentals, there is no way you can discuss her as a legitimate contender.

[via CalgaryGrit]

What I learned from the Liberals this week:

Like bargaining? Enjoying stealing ideas and people from others? Then join The Liberal Party of Canada:

Confident. Complacent.

If you can't keep a moderate:

I believe that Harper is partly responsible for the immense failure that was the last budget vote. No one can deny Belinda's ambition but Harper made a strategic political mistake that was a major factor in Belinda's decision.

[via The Heresy]

As if women were cautious about Conservatives already:

Not that politicians "selling out" for personal or political gain, or even out of spite, is a new trend in human history. It happens all the time. Even Winston Churchill did it for crying out loud. When men do it, well, they were bad but I'm sure they had their reasons. But when a blonde woman makes a similar move, she is labeled with "dipstick", "bombshell", "whore", "bitch" and "wench" (I was a few steps away from the person who used this last one). Of course, Conservatives across Canada are upset and angered with the budget vote hours away, but can we ever evolve as a nation and species to drop the derogatory sexist b.s.?

Did anyone notice it was the "born again" people responding with the most condemnation? Am I supposed to respond in a similar way? Listen, if Mackay had crossed the floor, people would have been mad but the comments would have been a lot different.

[via ~scottyd]