All Purpose Politics and News Thread

[Darth Penguin]

I take no solace or joy in this man's passing. We will not dance upon his grave, nor stand vigil at his funeral holding "God Hates Freds" signs, tempting as it may be.

He was a tormented soul, who tormented so many. Hate never wins out in the end. It instead goes always to its lonely, dusty end.

I just got this off FB..

[Patty Smyth]

I just got this off FB..

He is definitely not Irish , you don't forgive people like this and you certainly never forget. When will people learn this. Forgiving people gives other like him permission to do the same.

[Darth Penguin]

I have aunts and great-aunts who would be multi-gold medal winners if Grudge Holding was an Olympic sport. I'm sure they still talk about the time when a velociraptor ate the proto-mammal ancester of ours.

[Darth Penguin]

No funeral for Phelps?

Westboro Baptist Church is famous for its funeral pickets, and now that its founder, Fred Phelps, is on his deathbed, some people have raised the possibility of protesting his funeral. Others urge taking the high road.
However, it seems that there may not be a funeral at all, according to WBC member Margie Phelps, who told Huffington Post editor Nick Wing in February that memorials were not in line with their church policy.

Phelps' estranged son, Nathan, wrote in a Facebook post that his father had been excommunicated from WBC, and was "on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas."
WBC directed media inquiries to an FAQ page about Phelps that was vague about his current status. In response to the question, "Has Fred Phelps been ‘excluded’ from membership at Westboro Baptist Church?" they wrote, "Membership issues are private."
WBC says it will continue its activities without change regardless of Phelps' condition.

[Patty Smyth]

When the rats start jumping ship .........

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03...88165.html?123

[DaveP]

It may be health, Patty. He hasn't looked/sounded well for quite some time.

Edit: As for him being a rat, he got us through the worldwide economic crisis better than any other member of the G7 and led us back to a balanced budget before any of the G7. I could see you calling some other Conservatives 'rats' but Flaherty has always seemed to be a good man to me. He wanted to serve our country, he did, and now he's moving on. I wish him all the best in the future.

[Natalka]

That's just nasty, Patty, for no reason.

He's been dealing with serious health issues for some time, I'm surprized he's stayed as long as he did - considering the workload, let alone all of the stress.
However, he says it's not related to his health, but I'll bet the workload/stress issue played a big part. Once in the private sector, he'll have more flexibility.

He's been a great minister of finance. It's due to him and Harper that we got through the serious economic crisis so well, where other countries did so rather poorly.

[Patty Smyth]

That's just nasty, Patty, for no reason.

He's been dealing with serious health issues for some time, I'm surprized he's stayed as long as he did - considering the workload, let alone all of the stress.
However, he says it's not related to his health, but I'll bet the workload/stress issue played a big part. Once in the private sector, he'll have more flexibility.

He's been a great minister of finance. It's due to him and Harper that we got through the serious economic crisis so well, where other countries did so rather poorly.

Oh boo-hoo

Easy to forget all the lies about the deficit, all the diverted monies during the G8. Why should he have my sympathy? He chose to stay in office even if he is "sick" and is fair game while in office like any other politician.

As for your continued harping that he got us through the "world economic" crisis Dave. That is baloney. He did nothing, our banking system was already in place and relatively safe. But alas that is also a lie and we are not in that great shape it's just that the states was WAY worse.

[Patty Smyth]

Maybe he can load up some of the other clowns in his clown car and take them with him.

Wonder what company is going to be paying him a few million dollar salary? Or will it be a senate position?

[DaveP]

Sigh. I try to give credit where credit is due. I'm on record here as saying Martin was an excellent finance minister - he got us through some trying times. Flaherty did too. We've been fortunate in Canada to have steady hands at the helm of the Finance ministry for more than 2 decades, while all the other political foolishness swirled around them. Those steady hands have been both Conservative and Liberal. I think Finance ministers are cut from a different cloth than other politicians.

[Patty Smyth]

Our system is the result of many many years of measures being implemented by all governments, I agree. Lets' just hope we can reel in the deficit and not go the way of the U.S. They are not out of trouble by a long shot and we are walking the edge of a sword as well.

[Natalka]

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver will become the federal government's new finance minister, replacing Jim Flaherty who announced his resignation earlier on Tuesday, CBC News has learned.
Oliver will be named finance minister on Wednesday in Ottawa.


The Toronto MP is a relative newcomer to politics, having been elected in 2011. But he was quickly promoted into cabinet, taking over the natural resources ministry, which included the important Keystone pipeline file.


Oliver may be a compatible choice for Bay Street, where he spent most of his career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and, at one time, president and chief executive officer of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada.
He was also executive director of the Ontario Securities Commission.


His schooling includes an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Civil Law at McGill University.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/joe-...ster-1.2577648

[DaveP]

Our system is the result of many many years of measures being implemented by all governments, I agree. Lets' just hope we can reel in the deficit and not go the way of the U.S. They are not out of trouble by a long shot and we are walking the edge of a sword as well.

Done. The deficit has been reeled in.

And when the government posts a surplus next year and begins paying down debt I expect you'll be the first to cry foul that funding to social programs isn't being increased. Or increased enough.

Even though you claim to want the deficit reeled in and to not to want to walk the edge of a sword anymore.

And if the government caves to your demands, then they're trying to buy votes, right?

Government options:

Be fiscally responsible and get the books in order, by spending less: OMG! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE!

Be fiscally irresponsible and DON'T get the books in order by spending more: OMG! YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO BUY VOTES!

I guess there's no way for the Conservatives to win in some people's minds.

[Patty Smyth]

Done. The deficit has been reeled in.

And when the government posts a surplus next year and begins paying down debt I expect you'll be the first to cry foul that funding to social programs isn't being increased. Or increased enough.

Even though you claim to want the deficit reeled in and to not to want to walk the edge of a sword anymore.

And if the government caves to your demands, then they're trying to buy votes, right?

Government options:

Be fiscally responsible and get the books in order, by spending less: OMG! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE!

Be fiscally irresponsible and DON'T get the books in order by spending more: OMG! YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO BUY VOTES!

I guess there's no way for the Conservatives to win in some people's minds.

As long as they are the gun party, they will never win my vote.

[walkonby]

" And now for something completely different "

Thought I'd lighten the thread up a bit with this......................

Canada's New Alphabet


ABCDEFGHIJKLM NO PQ RSTUVWXYZ