I thought Banting was a bantam weight boxer?
The thing about this story is that given what’s been said so far it is impossible to know what’s true, despite the fact that you’d think dozens of people would be in a position to spill the beans.
On one hand the story has bene reported by just one media source, the Toronto Star, which cited only unnamed sources, and which absolutely IS out to get Ford - just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you. The Star’s reportage of Ford-related things sinks to sub-tabloid levels. If Ford had been loaded at the ball you’d think many people would be saying so, but there is a remarkable lack of people saying so (and many who’ve said the opposite.) Disgracefully, we now have the Star leading the charge on stuff like the example Muffin posted (albeit that example’s from the CBC) where it’s not primary evidence, but “here’s a quote from a political opponent vaguely insinuating that Ford is an alcoholic.”
On the other hand, Ford’s denials carry no weight because he has just as vehemently denied the same thing before and turned out to be flat-out lying his ass off. On one occasion he was drunk and disorderly at a Leafs game, was seen by witnesses in plain sight, and just flat out denied he was even at the game. When it was proven beyond any doubt he was there, he claimed to not remember it. He had earlier claimed to have forgotten that he was charged with DUI in Florida. Sure. Why should I believe him now? You don’t get the benefit of the doubt when you set it on fire twice before.
There were HUNDREDS of people there and Ford is not an easy man to miss. Why isn’t someone else stepping forward to say what happened?
Yeah, but not the Best.
Groan.
[QUOTE=RickJay]
…On one hand the story has bene reported by just one media source, the Toronto Star, which cited only unnamed sources, …
[/QUOTE]
Not quite, there is one named source, and that’s what gives the story some legs:
He doesn’t say why, but he confirms the “asked to leave” part. Has he subsequently retracted?
I just saw a news story that is making me wonder - some Conservative MPs want to talk about things in public that the PM and/or his office don’t want them to talk about (the biggest example seems to be pro-life/abortion issues). On the one hand, I can see why the PM doesn’t want them to go there - he’s spent way too much time already telling people over and over that he isn’t opening that debate again. On the other hand, should MPs be free to talk about whatever they want to talk about? Are they supposed to always toe the party line?
He’s not stopping them (at least not directly) from talking in public. They’re complaining that the PMO is controlling what they say in Parliament. And it’s all about abortion.
Which, to be quite frank, is the PMO’s job. The leadership of the party sets the legislative agenda, and what private members can bring up is limited, or else the government would never get anything done. That’s just too bad; the party has to take a line, and the Conservative Party has decided not to raise the abortion issue. They’re simply whining that they aren’t getting their way, despite the fact that anyone with an ounce of common sense knew Harper wouldn’t allow this issue to gp anywhere. Well, if you wanna be part of a political party, you have to make some compromises, and if they want change they need to convince the party to dump the most successful leader it’s had since basically ever.
Hey, if they wanna do that, and get the support, they can, but I hope they enjoy being back in opposition in 2015. Harper, whatever one might think of him, is not an idiot, and he knows as well as anyone that keeping the social conservatives away from abortion and gay marriage is absolutely necessary for continued electoral success.
Risk of litigation – libel slap suit.
Not wanting to be media fodder.
Not having a reason to make an issue of it.
I had this exact conversation with my Liberal car pool buddy this morning. At the end of the conversation he agreed with me; political parties need to put forth a unified face on electoral issues basically. If you want to go against party lines for electoral issues then declare yourself an independent.
I doubt the Chretien Liberals were allowed to run amok in Parliament.
I cannot believe the party whip continues to allow this. Someone on staff is supposed to have the specific job of snapping everyone back in line whenever someone tries to step off course. The fact that no one does makes me wonder about 1) party discipline, 2) actual party motivations and 3) actual party agenda. None of which is good for the Conservatives.
I think Harper needs to step up and make an example of someone. Stand up in the House of Commons and declare that Rob Anders has been thrown out of the party (I don’t care whether he’s one of the ones shooting his mouth off this time; I just want that ass-hat gone). Just a modest proposal on my part. 
Alright! Let’s start the Dump Rob Anders campaign again!
[QUOTE=RickJay]
On one occasion he was drunk and disorderly at a Leafs game, was seen by witnesses in plain sight, and just flat out denied he was even at the game. When it was proven beyond any doubt he was there, he claimed to not remember it.
[/QUOTE]
Of course not! He was drunk!
It’s a charity event. How would the charity benefit by pissing off the mayor and his supporters?
The same things come up with every government, and every time people complain as if it’s the first time it’s ever happened:
- Muzzling the MPs
- Too much power in the PMO
- Secrecy
- Canada allegedly losing influence on the world stage
Seriously, every complaint I’m hearing was said, word for word, during the Chretien government. And during the Mulroney government.
I’m not saying the government should be immune from criticism but WRT backbenchers, shut up. You can kick Harper out of his cushy office if you get a majority of your party to do so. But let’s be clear; Jim Bob Nobody, the MP from Asshole Lake - Wherethehellisitagain, SK got his plum job and pension plan largely not because of himself, but because his name was on the blue signs with Stephen Harper’s face on them. He’d be back in Asshole Lake selling cars if it weren’t for Harper and the CPC, and if he wants to blow up a good thing, well, I hope he knows what he’s getting himself into.
The Conservatives are in power largely because of Stephen Harper’s machinations, and one of his key machinations was “keep the social conservatism stuff out of the agenda.” Harper knows full well that the key to a majority is making continued gains in Ontario and having at least a toehold in Quebec, things that his predecessors failed to do but that he succeeded spectacularly at. And to have those things, you absolutely cannot have stuff like abortion and gay marriage chasing away moderate voters. There is no future in social conservatism, not in the foreseeable future, anyway. In muzzling the super-Christian MPs, Stephen Harper is quite literally trying to save their jobs.
That’s the politics, anyway. As to the constitutional issues, nothing is stopping these guys from crossing the floor. If you don’t like it, join the Liberals, or start the Coffee Party or something. Help create a non confidence vote. Better start brushing up on your car-selling pitch, though.
[QUOTE=RickJay]
Harper knows full well that the key to a majority is making continued gains in Ontario and having at least a toehold in Quebec, things that his predecessors failed to do but that he succeeded spectacularly at.
[/QUOTE]
This is over-stating Harper’s electoral successes, and under-stating Mulroney’s electoral successes. In 1984, Mulroney won the largest majority in Canadian history, with support from both Quebec and Ontario. In 1988, he repeated (although with a reduced majority), scoring the first back-to-back Conservative majority governments since John A. Macdonald.
Harper has yet to win back-to-back majority governments.
You know that, and I know that, and (I would guess) a whole lot of Canadians know that, so why don’t these yappy MPs know that?
It was the Righteous Harmony Society’s Bantam Boxer Rebellion, in which the Bunting v. Banting bout was Best.
It would seem that Ralph Klein has died.
I just saw that on Twitter, Le Ministre. There are many things I’d like to say about him, but because I was raised right, I’ll just say I hope he rests in peace.
ETA: And I don’t think he’ll be back in three days.
Happy Easter everyone. Hope you get your fill of turkey/ham/family over the weekend.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the man, but I did vote him in the last time so blame me for your wait times at the hospiatl if you must. There’s no easy way to die, but going out the way he did sucks. RIP Ralph.