Updated, newer ad on Harper's comments on healthcare

I think they may have preferred sticking with the original.



{Video by LiberalVideo}

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Gaffe Alert: "Businesses first. Families and pensioners second."

Oh really?

"Let's be clear. We can only bring tax relief where we can afford it. It's for business first. For families and pensioners second."

I'm pretty sure that this is a good example of why Harper muzzles his candidates and requires them to run bubble campaigns and to keep away from ordinary Canadians and the media.



Or put another way, as the saying goes, "a gaffe is when a politician speaks the truth" and a Conservative gaffe is when a Conservative speaks the truth about their real priorities and concerns.

{Video by Burn25x}

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What's at stake - The Hard Hitting Liberal Ad

The ad that has the Conservatives freaking out, whining all over the place, showing they can dish it but can't take it.

{Video by liberalvideo}

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"You deserve a lot better"

"You deserve a lot better for the government you pay for."

I like the tag line. Doesn't work on a poster or bumper sticker but it sums up the themes nicely.



{Video by LiberalVideo}

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The Ballad of Steve and Tony

Here's another take on the Boondoggle Bay and Stephen Harper's incredible growing G20 waste.

{Video by sprawlville}

If you see any other creative attempts at ridiculing this ridiculous waste of money, please let me know.

For what it is worth, here's my version, penned a couple of days ago:

If I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you a summit - I would buy you a summit
And if I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
I'd buy you a photo op for your summit - maybe a nice landscape or a waterfront
And if I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you a steamboat - a nice old fixer-upper
And if I had a billion dollars I'd buy your vote.

If I had a billion dollars
I'd build a gazebo in our yard
If I had a billion dollars
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I had a billion dollars
Maybe we could put like a $200,000 toilet in there somewhere.

If I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you a Muskoka lake - but not a real Muskoka lake, that's cruel
And if I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd shut down a city - yep, like a Toronto or a Huntsville
And if I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you Lyin’ Bryan's remains - ooh, all them crazy jowel bones
And if I had a billion dollars I'd buy your vote.

If I had a billion dollars
We wouldn't have to walk to the store
If I had a billion dollars
We'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
If I had a billion dollars
We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner
[Ed note: really, what would you change in that verse? It’s perfect as is.]

If I had a billion dollars - If I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you a sidewalk - but not a real sidewalk going somewhere, that's cruel
And if I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you some vid - a Sony or a Jumbo
If I had a billion dollars - if I had a billion dollars
Well, I'd buy you a monkey – I have so many monkeys to spare
If I had a billion dollars I'd buy your vote.

If I had a billion dollars, if I had a billion dollars
If I had a billion dollars, if I had a billion dollars
If I had a billion dollars left, we'd be rich.

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G20 Boondoggle Ballads - Now With Video!

The G20 boondoggle has had at least some good results: it has certainly sparked some creative work out here in the blogosphere.

I dug into my inner Barenaked Lady and penned a quick take on this called "If I Had A Billion Dollars". But Mike Watkins' "The Wreck of the Conservative Party", inspired by Susan Delacourt's twitter call for Edmund Fitzgerald spin-offs, is brilliant and must be read.

But now JimBobbySez has taken it a step further by putting together an audio/video recording of "The Ballad of Fake Lake", also inspired by Gordon Lightfoot's classic ballad.


{Video by jimbobbysez}

As the saying goes, you are in big trouble when they stop screaming at you and start laughing at you.

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Ignatieff: Harper worse than Palin on climate change

In a great speech full of vision and economic policy, I can't help but focus in on one of the best one-liners I've heard in quite a while:

"We're investing less in renewables than the state of Alaska. So when it comes to clean energy, Stephen Harper's not just behind Barack Obama, he's behind Sarah Palin."

{Video by Liberal Video}

Full speech is here, but I'll give you this additional poignant excerpt as well, but read the whole speech for both the sharper attacks on Harper's use of stimulus to fund Conservative ridings, and his general fiscal mismanagement, but also about what a Liberal government under Michael Ignatieff would look like. The election that comes, and it will come, will be about choices and whether Canadians think more of the same is good enough or whether Canadians think we can do better.

"Back in July, after the G8 Summit in Italy, Mr. Harper gave an interview to The Globe and Mail, in which he said, and I quote:

“I don’t believe that any taxes are good taxes.”

Think about that for a moment.

“Je ne crois pas qu’aucune taxe soit bonne,” a dit Stephen Harper.

C’est une déclaration renversante pour un premier ministre.

It’s an astonishing statement for a prime minister to make.

We pay taxes, Mr. Harper, so that premature infants get nursing care when they’re born; so that policemen will be there to keep our streets safe; so that we have teachers to give our kids a good education.

We pay taxes, Mr. Harper, because we’re all in this together.

It costs us something, but it makes Canada the place it is: a place where we look out for each other.

But Stephen Harper doesn’t think that way.

Stephen Harper thinks no taxes are good taxes because he believes that the only good government is no government at all.

Liberals say no.

We don’t believe in big government, but we do believe in good government. If we give up on good government the way Mr. Harper has, then we will cease to exist as one great people sharing one great country—and Liberals will never let that happen.

That’s the difference between us and them.

That’s the difference between Stephen Harper and me.

His is an ideology of the past. An ideology that’s contemptuous of anyone who sees government as a means to do good.

It’s an ideology that vaporized the day Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy a year ago.

When Wall Street crashed, even the most ardent free marketeers turned to government to save the free market.

The last year has proved government’s value, as the guarantor of risk of last resort in the capitalist system.

The last year blew Stephen Harper’s ideology out of the water.

Liberals believe in good government. Canadians believe in good government.

You can’t get growth without good government."

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Liberal Ad: "Green Jobs"

Latest round of Liberal ads, this one about helping create the "green jobs of tomorrow today".



And once again, a nice contrast of a positive ad identifying what Liberal priorities will be versus Harper's ads of personal character assassination that even outright lie.

Is it any wonder to anyone that the Conservatives are afraid to tell us about their record or even to put Harper in any of their own ads?

{Video by LiberalVideo}

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Ignatieff on becoming world leaders again

Michael Ignatieff is bringing out more and more policy positions, laying the groundwork for a platform that will come during an election.

At a speech yesterday, we see the strong internationalism and liberalism and proud patriotism of a Canadian Liberal, aspiring to be leaders instead of concentrating on expensive photo opportunities, unapologetically lauding Canadian internationalism and Canadians servicing abroad rather than belittling Canadians abroad or cutting veteran funding at home.

There will be an election in 2009. Relying on the support of the NDP and the Bloc despite assurances to the contrary, Harper may avoided one in October. But there will be an election and it will be about choices.

Here, Ignatieff lays out the choice we will have on Canadian internationalism.


{Video by Liberal Video}

As Ignatieff said yesterday, we once were world leaders, embracing internationalism, helping the poor and starving, sending our soldiers where they needed to be to protect the world's most vulnerable, the world's leading diplomats. We still have much of the talent out there in the world. We still have many of the leading diplomats and bravest soldiers. But we cannot be world leaders without government support and leadership at home. It's time for leadership at home so we can re-find our leadership abroad.

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Liberal Ad: "Jobs/Emplois"

From the second round of Liberal ads this past weekend, here is the Liberal ad "Jobs".
{Video by Liberal Video}

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Liberal Ad: "Vision du monde"

From the second round of Liberal ads this past weekend, here is the French version of "Worldview" called "Vision du monde".

{Video by Liberal Video}

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Liberal Ad: "Bilan environnement"

Here is one of the French Liberal ads: "Bilan environnement".

{Video by Liberal Video}

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Ignatieff press conference: he's ready, Harper's time is up

I have seen Ignatieff give a lot of press conferences before. I honestly don't think I've seen him sharper, more focused, and tougher on the message.

This to me sounds like a man who is fully geared up for battle, with a very sharp sword in his scabbard.


{Video by JJedras}

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Liberal Minute - 2009 Federal Election Message

A short summary of why the Liberals can no longer support the Harper Conservatives from Liberal Minuteman Justin Lamarche.
{Video by LiberalMinute}

And no, I don't know what's going on with this guy's arms during the video.

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Caucus Speech / Discours au caucus estival

Yesterday, Michael Ignatieff put the Conservatives on notice that they have failed their probation and their time is now up. An excerpt of his speech to caucus is below.

Some choice excerpts:

“We’re working against a government that’s ready to sacrifice national unity to stay in power. But we have a secret weapon on our side: Stephen Harper’s record. The worst unemployment record in two decades The worst deficit in our history. And last quarter, the worst performing economy in the G7.”

“We can do better. Nous pouvons faire mieux.”

“Stephen Harper hasn’t just failed to stand up for Canada—he’s also failed to stand up for Canadians. Suaad Mohamud. Omar Khadr. Makhtal. Bahari. Mohamed. Abdelrazik. Being a Canadian must mean the Canadian government will stand up for you—no matter where, no matter when. This is at the heart of what every Liberal believes: a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. A Liberal government would stand by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We would stand by our citizens. And we would bring forward legislation to protect Canadians abroad—to make it illegal for the government to pick and choose which citizens it protects—to make sure these abuses never happen again.”

“In fact, only two hundred of the twelve hundred infrastructure projects that the Conservatives announced in Ontario have actually received the funding they were promised. Only Stephen Harper could count that as 80% underway.”

“Stephen Harper’s response has been: “Don’t worry, give it a few years, and the books will balance themselves.” You can put that next to his promise not to run deficits in the first place. Or his promise not to tax income trusts. Or his promise not to appoint Senators.”

“You can’t count on a government that can’t count—and a prime minister who’s only good at division.”

“Liberals proudly support public health care in this country—and, unlike the Conservatives, we’re not afraid to defend it.”

“In June, we set out four tests for Stephen Harper. Mr. Harper, you have failed all four. You’ve failed to protect the most vulnerable. You’ve failed to create jobs. Failed to defend our health care. Failed to restore our public finances.”

“After four years of drift, four years of denial, four years of division and discord—Mr. Harper, your time is up. Vous avez raté votre chance. The Liberal Party cannot support this government any further. We will hold it to account. We will oppose it in Parliament. Canadians deserve better.”

“So let’s get started. Allons-y. Notre pays nous attend.”

{Video by Ignatieff}

Full text of his speech is here.

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Mark Holland MP Update 24 August 2009

Mark Holland on what he has been up to this summer and on what has been going on in Ottawa.



{Video by Mark Holland, MP}

Also, congrats to Mark on his recent wedding. Check out photos here.

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Ignatieff on Pharmacare

Thank you to Bob Speller for uploading all of these great clips from the summer BBQ tour with grassroots Liberals that the media and the Conservatives would like to believe has not been happening.

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Nothing says "I'm a Man" like using soldiers for props

Ok, folks, from the top again, into positions, let's get it right this time, can we get the submarine to move over about 5 metres, pretend you are talking, start looking up, alriiiight... "Mission Accomplished", Take IV ...



It's a cool campaign photo election propaganda photo that they set up for, I have to admit. But I thought about calling this post "The Million Dollar Shot" but that wouldn't be accurate as $1 million wouldn't even cover the cost of the Prime Minister's security detail for this giant-ego-sized photo opportunity for his election campaign ads. Especially when you can't get right the first time. Or the second time. Or even the third time.

Mission accomplished

Alison Crawford reflects on the exquisite precision of a Stephen Harper photo op :

The Coast Guard’s Pierre Radisson ship and the submarine HMCS Cornerbrook lined up one one side of the frigate HMCS Toronto. On the deck of Toronto, was a gaggle of reporters, cameras at the ready.

Then, Defence Minister Peter MacKay sauntered onto the deck with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. They stopped to make idle chit chat until urged by handlers to move forward a few metres in order to have them perfectly positioned with the other two vessels in the background.

But wait! There’s more! Three CF-18 jets flew past in formation. But the fly-by was a little to fast for some camera operators and photographers to catch the entire montage of sub, jets and coast guard, so the CF-18s passed over four more times.

Which reminded me of this gem from Jim Flaherty, November 27, 2008: "We cannot ask Canadians to tighten their belts in tougher times without looking in the mirror."

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Because it's hard to get a good photo op with an isotope

Not, strictly speaking, a video, but funny and accurate nonetheless.

Ignatieff on Medical Isotope Crisis

Thank you to Bob Speller for uploading all of these great clips from the summer BBQ tour with grassroots Liberals that the media and the Conservatives would like to believe has not been happening.

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