Hillary Clinton: She keeps going and going and going and going...

But is she going to get somewhere? It looks highly unlikely that she will surpass Barack Obama in pledged delegates or popular vote. Maybe it's time for her to quit and bring peace to the Democratic Party so that they can win the November election.

Lou Dobbs of CNN: The Flagpole

Rush Limbaugh: He's mad... literally

He wants riots at the Democratic Convention in Denver in August.

Limbaugh: "Riot In Denver!"
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh called for Democrats to riot in Denver at the Democratic National Convention in August. Local news outlets were understandably appalled. Click here to read more.

Felipe Calderón, Stephen Harper and George W Bush: NAFTA meeting in Louisiana, USA

The Three Stooges.

Calderón has relatives in the US who are illegal immigrants
Mr. Calderón, who has said he has relatives working in the U.S. illegally, drew heavy laughter when he suggested that only after the U.S. overhauls its immigration laws would he reveal their whereabouts. Click here to read more.

What I Can't Stand About Harper

Harper's Baggage
What I Can't Stand About Harper: Thanks to Mound of Sound for the idea. I'm taking up his request to bloggers and writing down my list of things I don't like about Stephen Harper's policies. I would encourage all of you - if you dislike Stephen Harper's policies - to do the same as well. So, without further adieu, here is what I can't stand about Stephen Harper's Conservative government: Harper on The Environment:
Stephen Harper is so ideologically blind, and so enthralled to the Alberta oil industry that he refuses to acknowledge the obvious threat of global warming and the need to take action to curb it. He's flouted Kyoto, obstructed negotiation of a new international climate change agreement, and has been hesitant to take any kind of action to combat global warming (so much for the days when we could take pride in our country's foreign policy, such as Pearson's creation of peacekeeping forces and Mulroney's bold stand against Apartheid South Africa, now it's a foreign policy of selfishness, obstructionism, and sucking up to Bush). Overwhelming scientific evidence won't convince Harper, neither will the fact that most other conservative leaders, such as Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and Newt Gingrich, among others, have recognized the threat of global warming and the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. George W. Bush is one of the few leaders today who still refuses to face up to the facts of global warming, and Harper prefers to follow his lead.
Harper on Immigration and Multiculturalism:
As Canadians, we can take pride in an open immigration policy and a commitment to multiculturalism. While these are the legacies of Liberal Prime Ministers Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, they have been upheld by New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives such as Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney. However, Stephen Harper's recent immigration policies threaten to tear apart the fabric of multiculturalism and immigration that have been the cornerstone of this country for the past forty years. This is nothing short of tragic. As well, in Parliament Stephen Harper committed an especially appalling and racist act by trying to link a respected Sikh MP, Navdeep Bains, to terrorism. There is enough of this kind of racial profiling going on in airports and at border crossings in the post-9/11 World, we don't need it from our Prime Minister in the chambers of Parliament as well. Hypocrisy/Vindictiveness:
In 2006 Stephen Harper campaigned against the Liberal sponsorship scandal and against the income trust scandal plaguing then-Finance Minister Ralph Goodale with the promise of "clean government." These issues were the primary reason Harper won the 2006 campaign. Now it turns out that despite his campaigning against corruption, Harper's own party was engaged in several of their own acts of corruption over the last few years, including dodging federal campaign financing laws, trying to bribe a dying MP for his vote, and possibly interfering in the elections of a foreign country (ie. the NAFTA-gate revelations about the US Democratic primaries). Furthermore, there is a general vindictiveness and lack of professionalism in the way Harper conducts his government, for example by only allowing select journalists entry to a press briefing and blocking entry by respected journalists such as CBC's Keith Boag. Also, there is an overall Machiavellianism about the way Harper governs, for example using John Manley (a Liberal hawk on Afghanistan) to chair the Afghanistan study with the intention of dividing the opposition Liberals on this issue. Of course, politics is about tactics and seeking advantage, but Harper takes this to a new extreme where it surpasses mere tactics and enters the realm of Machiavellianism. Campaigns, Not Governs:
While Paul Martin's minority government marked a rocky period in Parliament punctuated by brinksmanship and constant election speculation, there were at least some long-term policy initiatives such as public daycare and the Kelowna Accord. Thus while the parties may have been in permanent campaign mode, at least the Liberal minority government was governing with a long-term policy agenda.
Not so with Stephen Harper. His minority government has been marked entirely by campaigning, by short-term initiatives that are not good policy but merely designed to drum up votes (for example the GST cut which most economists argued against). Harper has been so concerned with trying to get a majority, with trying to one-up the opposition, that there have been no long-term initiatives, and no governing. This could very well be due to his neoconservative ideology which sees government as a burden, as something to be dismantled and hallowed out. For Harper, there is nothing positive about government, no role it can play in improving people's lives. So it's all about campaigning, all about short-term advantage, and not about truly governing our country.

Stephen Harper explains "in and out"

So far he's been a good escape artist, now let's see what happens next.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - Pennsylvania Primaries

Does Hillary Clinton have any chance of winning the nomination? Should she quit now for the sake of the party? Obama and Hillary tearing each other apart will hurt Democrats in the long run and may cost them the fall vote in general election.

Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty - practicing circa December 2005

In and out - back and forth.

In-and-out plot thickens
The Conservatives keep protesting their innocence in their dispute with Elections Canada, but new evidence suggests they knew full well that they were at least skirting the law with their "in-and-out" scheme in the 2006 election campaign. Click here to read more.

Barney Rubble (Peter Van Loan) looking for the grumpy voter

On the request of the grumpy voter, I hope you like it bro.

George W. Bush Being Pummelled

A peak at Dubya's legacy.

LeDaro International

I was checking visits to my blog, quite international. Then I found translations in a few languages including Chinese. I thought I will brag, dammit I sound like a certain politician, egotistical.

Stephen Harper: His transparency has become more transparent

Over the weekend, the Conservative Party held an "information session" and invited only a very select group of reporters.

Hillary Clinton, Bosnia and Dick Cheney factor

Dick Cheney claims that Hillary Clinton should be given some slack because when she said she was in Bosnia, Cheney says she was actually with him on a hunting trip. Poor Hillary was thus exposed to constant sniper attacks -- for a change, I agree with Cheney ;)

Gordon Brown: A fan of Pope Benedict XVI ;)

What was he thinking when he decided to visit US at the same time as the Pope? The Pope completely marginalized him when it came to media coverage.

Rex Murphy of CBC - the know-it-all

Rex Murphy last week gave an interesting commentary, as usual. He commented on Rick Hillier and made him sound like Alexander the Great. But did Alexander the Great abandon his men in Afghanistan and run to the safety of Greece?

Rex Murphy, the way he moves his head and eyes, he scares the kids watching TV in the evening.

Barack Obama – The Right Person For President

I want to take some time here and talk a little about why I believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate for President.

To begin, he’s the candidate best poised to restore America’s reputation overseas. Over the last seven years, the Bush-Cheney administration, through its arrogance and unilateral military actions, has tarnished America’s image around the World, not to mention created untold suffering in Iraq. Obama promises a new approach, one that uses diplomacy, where he talks to enemies and friends of the United States, both to build up goodwill and to avoid military conflict. Hopefully, this will avoid another quagmire like Iraq.

This is the kind of approach we need and unfortunately its not an approach that either Hillary Clinton or John McCain subscribe to. Both of them voted for the Iraq War and supported Bush’s hawkish stances towards Iran, it was only with the Presidential campaign, and the obvious unpopularity of the Iraq War, that Hillary Clinton finally became anti-war (and even then, she hasn’t apologized for her initial vote to authorize the war in the first place). McCain still remains hawkish on both Iraq and Iran, promising no end to the disastrous foreign policy of George W. Bush.

Frankly, with this kind of bad judgment shown by McCain and Hillary, I don’t buy their experience arguments. What’s needed is a leader with the common sense and judgment to make the most prudent decisions, and that leader is Barack Obama.

It’s also been impressive how Barack Obama’s campaign has inspired young people and encouraged people, previously not interested in politics, to get involved in the political process. His charisma, his powerful speaking style, and his appeals for hope and change, have inspired countless Americans and rekindled their confidence in the political system, a confidence that had been badly shot with the disasters of the Bush-Cheney Presidency and the "do-nothing" Congress.

Obama’s charisma and ability to inspire is something we Canadians could use as well in light of the low calibre of the current set of leaders in Ottawa (hopefully someone of Obama’s calibre will come along in Canada soon).

Obama is also someone who is sincere about wanting to help people and lift them up. This is shown through his earlier involvement both as a community organizer and as a civil rights attorney. We need more leaders like Obama who stand up for those whose concerns are usually ignored by politicians.

For these reasons, I’m rooting for Obama and I think he’ll make a great President.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - April 16th debate on ABC

Who won? I believe that McCain did. As usual, Clinton and Obama tore each other apart - more so Clinton than Obama. Moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson were not much help either. They spent more than half the debate rehashing tabloid questions, including the controversy over Barack Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright among others.

I lost some respect for the moderators, especially Charles Gibson whom I held in very high regard prior to this debate.

Rick Hillier ejects

He has a good survival instinct and knows how to avoid crashing and burning.

Pope Benedict XVI: Private meeting with George W. Bush

Bush gets all his information from Uncle Dick.

Danny Williams: Who parts his hair?

If you said Mrs. Williams, then you were wrong.

Stephen Harper: The transparent PM?

...and paranoid too!

Marilyn Monroe: Bill Clinton drooling

Businessman who bought film for $1.5 million wants to protect her privacy
Click here to read more.

Lou Dobbs of CNN - the cone head

CNN has fairly smart commentators, so why they keep on a schmuck like Lou Dobbs is mind boggling.

Bill Clinton on "bitterness"

You can click here and here to read more on Obama's comments.

Hillary Clinton is having a bad hair day ;)

Up to a few months ago, I was a Hillary Clinton fan. Then, I was turned off when she and Bill Clinton started demonizing Barack Obama. Even John McCain refrained from such personal attacks.

I had alot of respect for Bill Clinton, but his part in this demonizing process has done alot of harm to his image.

Wait for Bill Clinton's picture next...

Hillary Clinton: Is dementia at an advanced stage?

Dick Cheney - Who's in the image?

Some technical enhancement. What is Dick up to? Should Mrs. Cheney be worried ;)

Carla Bruni bares it all

Nicolas Sarkozy has bragging rights for transparency ;)
Nude image of Carla Bruni sold
A nude photograph of France's first lady, Carla Bruni, has been auctioned for $91,000 (£46,098) - more than 20 times the expected price. Click here to read more.

China's Power: Hu Jintao has economic muscles

The West is conceding, and Harper, as usual, is a yes-man to Bush.

Olympic Torch: Hu Jintao, President of China, with his Olympic Torch

...clearing land to build the Olympic stadium.

China evicting 13,000 per month in Olympics prep: advocacy group
China continues to evict 13,000 people each month in preparation for the Beijing Olympics, despite worldwide attention and increased scrutiny, a housing rights group said Wednesday. Click here to read more.

Bernard Lord of New Brunswick: Official Languages Report

Bernard Lord has proven one more time that he's a loser. He sought an ambassadorial position with the Harper government, but former PEI Premier Pat Binns beat him to it. Then Lord accepted the Official Languages review from Harper and played patsy to him -- if Harper asked him to jump, Lord's only question was "how high."

According to the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages, Lord produced a very vague document. For example, one important issue - the Court Challenges Program which the Harper goverment abolished - gets no mention in Lord's report. Rather, there is only the vague assertion saying that those aggrieved should sue as the courts are available to everybody. Yes Bernie, but it costs money.

Bernard Lord has proven, one more time, that he's a loser in BOTH official languages.

George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, their last meeting as Presidents

They shed rivers of tears.

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and political pundits

Thank you political pundits, now I feel very informed about the US Democratic primaries.

Whitehouse for Sale...

...and sold to Hu Jintao of China. The way China is buying American companies and lending money to the Bush administration, it can own the US in the foreseeable future. China can conquer the US without firing a single bullet, it's called the financial nuclear bomb.

Stephen Harper has the beef!

Yes, around his waist and under his skull, voters should be watchful because Wendy's may snatch him away for their commercials (I hope so).

Charleton Heston at the Pearly Gates

Dick Cheney is a legend here and hereafter;)

Hillary Clinton knows best how to answer a 3AM phone call ;)

She has plenty of experience.

Iraq War: Who is really winning? Moqtada Al Sadr or Al Maliki and Bush?

Despite claims by the Bush administration and Al Maliki, it looks that violence in Iraq is not ebbing. In actuality, it looks that the situation is going from bad to worse, this despite the "surge" and now, in tonight's news, more "surge" -- as an additional 10,000 US troops are to be sent to Iraq.

An Open Letter to Stéphane Dion

The Dalai Lama meets Stéphane Dion: Will they shake hands? Mr. Dion is considering... but he has not made a decision. He will discuss it with his caucus.


An open letter to Mr. Stéphane Dion

Prior to the Liberal leadership convention in December 2006, I knew very little about you. However, after you were elected leader I tried to learn more about you and read your book, Straight Talk. I was impressed, both by your sincerity and by your dedication to national unity.

However, in the ensuing months, I’ve become disillusioned by your leadership. There are a myriad of issues on which the Harper government could have been brought down, both on ethical grounds and because of blatantly bad policy. Some of these issues are as follows:

1. The War in Afghanistan: NATO cannot win in Afghanistan militarily. The geography, culture and history of the area make such a victory virtually impossible. The mountainous terrain of the country make it ripe territory for guerrilla warfare, similar to the type of warfare the Viet-Cong used to defeat the Americans thirty-five years ago. Also, historically, foreign powers who have militarily intervened in Afghanistan have met frustration, most recently the Soviets for whom their invasion of Afghanistan played a major role in their political downfall. There is too much loss of innocent lives on both sides. True, there could be a negotiated settlement by talking to local leadership, but Karzai is not one of them, he has incompetence written all over him. The Harper government could have been brought down on their extension of the mission, the war is not popular with Canadians and Harper would have had difficulty going into a general election on this issue.

2. The Mulroney-Schreiber Affair: Harper was apparently friends with both these controversial figures, definitely Mr. Mulroney at least. This affair raises many ethical issues (especially for Harper who campaigned in 2006 on offering ethical government) and thus the Harper government is very vulnerable in this regard. While I must add that, aside from these personal failings, Mr. Mulroney was a much better Prime Minister than Stephen Harper, the ethical issues around the Schreiber Affair and associations with the Harper government are a serious weak-spot for the Harper government.

3. The Cadman Affair: The Harper Conservatives offered a dying man a million dollar insurance policy in order to buy his vote. While it’s not certain if Harper was personally involved (though released tapes do shed light on his probable personal involvement) it is definitely certain that key members of his party were. Whatever little credibility on ethics the Harper government had, it lost over this issue. The Harper government could have been brought down on this issue when it presented its budget, the Cadman affair would have seriously dogged the Harper campaign in a general election. However, you and your party forfeited this opportunity.

4. Immigration Policy: The Liberal Party, because of Mr. Trudeau’s legacy, is the party of immigration, multiculturalism and human rights. However, Mr. Harper is turning the clock back by introducing discrimination and giving too much power to his Immigration Minister in this regard. This is indeed an agenda of the Reform Party and is truly a disgrace. If the Liberals allow this to pass, then the party will suffer irreversible damage for not standing up for the principles of the party and of this country. We live in a global community and will become a laughing-stock for moving backwards on the immigration issue.


So Mr. Dion, stand up for this country and for your party’s principles. Do something before it's too late. Too much water has already passed under the bridge. The Liberal Party’s stance, "that we oppose such and such but will not vote against it," is not selling with the public, neither is the line that the public "is not ready" for an election. You are coming across as a weak leader.

You and your party are not ready for obvious reasons of disorganization and disarray. Chrétien was able to bring the party together and make it a formidable force (even after the party’s devastating defeats in 1984 and 1988). Why can’t you do the same as well? In the end, you will shoulder the blame for the party’s failings because you are the leader.

Sincerely,

LeDaro.

New Immigration policy: Minorities Need Not Apply

How far will the Harper Government go to implement its Reform Party agenda? What are Dion and company going to do... "we disagree but will let it pass."?

Harper wants to take us back half a century. Are Canadians going to just sit back and watch? We are in a global community. Even Bush has a more liberal immigration policy because the checks and balances in the United States are stronger. Harper is being a control-freak, he wants all the control which, in this case, means giving all the power in immigration policy to the Minister of Immigration.

Harper will stop at nothing and knows how to go for the Opposition's jugular and get away with it.

Tories trying to reform immigration by stealth, Liberals say
Changes in budget bill reintroduce discrimination in system, contends legal community. Click here to read more.

Identity Revealed

Of course, it's George W. Bush and Stephen Harper pimping for Afghanistan poppy fields -- they're pleading for more NATO troops to protect the poppy fields. If anyone thinks they're bringing democracy to Afghanistan, then think again. They're protecting the warlords whose main source of income is opium and merchandizing other illegal drugs.

Bush and Harper just don't understand the meaning of democracy.

After all, Harper's minority government is tenuous, yet he's already behaving like a dictator. Too many powers are concentrated in the PMO. With anaemic opposition, he's flourishing in his own glory. Imagine if he does get a majority, in that case fasten your seat belts because Canada will be in for a very rough ride. Also Bush, with 30% approval, should consider resigning because in a democracy majority rules.

Democracy in Afghanistan? Did Bush and Harper poll the Afghan people as to whether they wanted to be invaded? Did the majority agree? Nonsense! Last night, April 2nd, CBC News revealed the misery of the lives of Afghanis under the current war.

Finally, there are the people who were involved in 9/11. According to America's own reports, they were not Afghanis. They were mainly Saudis.

This whole thing of bringing democracy to Afghanistan is the biggest crock in history.

Guess Who?

I didn't have the time today to do any fancy pictures, so I decided to try this. These two are at the NATO meeting in Romania, can you guess who they are? The identity will be revealed in the next picture.

Stephen Harper and John Manley Want Canada to be Important in the International Community

Manley said on CTV that we as Canadians must play a prominent role in the World and that we cannot do this if we pull out of Afghanistan. In particular, he said we cannot go to G8 meetings and then, after dinner, make an excuse to go to the bathroom in order to avoid paying the bill.

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney: When the cameras are off