Harper is
Soooooooooooo
HIP!

Mr. Pichette. and Mr. Harper
about to watch some
Stephen on the flat screen.

After the Lamestream Media gave fuzzy warm Stevie Harper rave reviews for playing a Paul McCartney song (did he obtain "permission" for public performance from Sir Paul the estate of Michael Jackson?)on YouTube, how could the micromanager not try again to circumvent the "media filter" and reach the "people" with his response to the Throne Speech? Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Throne Speech kinda actually FROM St. Stephen himself, at least as long as he is pretending to be Prime Minister? I know he sits in a chair and basks in his own bullshit while the GG, who always accepts notes from Stevie's parents excusing him from Parliament, reads the speech. However, doesn't Stevie either write the speech hisself, or hire people to do that for him while he uses a lint brush on his sweater vest?

It's one thing to gain some popularity with the low forehead crowd by humanizing yourself by competing on YouTube with cats walking on the ivories. But putting out the call for questions, questions of substance, and then showing the same lack of willingness to answer them as you exhibit in the House of Parliament or the rare press scrum you don't manage to avoid by sneaking out the back, is hardly a public relations coup.

I wonder if Mr. Harper and his brain trust in the PMO were surprised by the direct nature and the areas of concern by the generation, generally even younger than the PM and his gang, that compose the YouTube contituency. He is undoubtably aware that his performance would have appeared even more lame, if his questioners had been present to either ask follow-up questions or point out that he had avoided answering the question that had been asked. Replying to questions about the Afghani detainee issue according to the Toronto Star he went into the normal "Support the Troops crap:

Some of the questions chosen by Google were tough ones, including one person who asked why every question about Afghan detainees - particularly about their potential mistreatment after being handed over by Canadian soldiers - was treated by the government as an attack on the troops.

Harper said he didn’t accept the premise of the question and said he was trying to “compromise” in having Afghan-detainee documents reviewed by former Supreme Court justice Frank Iaccobucci. But then he also implied - almost proving the questioner’s point - that the forces’ reputation was being impugned by the controversy.

He shouldn't have been surprised that the issue which the most questioners wanted answers to was the legal status of marijuana. Once again he had to conflate marijuana and all drugs and all evil to defend his indefensible postion. Indeed, if he reads the demographic writing on the wall he would immediately do a 180 on his policies, but he knows that would alienate his Canadian Taliban base. Some would claim this is a sign of integrity, but I see it as a sign that he realizes his remaining ideological paralysis on multiple issues would still alienate those he might satisfy with a sane, rational drug policy.

“The reason drugs are illegal is because they are bad,” Harper said. “And even if these things were legalized, I can predict with a lot of confidence that these would never be respectable businesses run by respectable people.”

The Prime Minister said that while people may argue there’s nothing criminal about the casual use of marijuana and some other drugs, it’s the drug trade and the drug business that concerns him.

“When people are buying from the drug trade, they are not buying from their neighbour. They are buying from international cartels that are involved in unimaginable violence and intimidation and social disaster and catastrophe all across the world.”

He also made clear that this feeling was strongly personal - when it came to himself and his children.

It's funny how bootleggers like some mucky-muck Canadian first families and the Kennedy's in the USA, became completely respectable once the perverted experiment of prohibition came to an end AND Chicago quit providing fodder for episodes of the Untouchables. "He also made it clear that this felling was strongly personal," well, some people feel that his desire to incarcerate people for possession, cultivation and use of an herb that grows wild and indeed is hard to eradicate once established is PERSONAL.

Most people today don't realize that up until William Randolph Hearst and the early 20th century marijuana was neither prohibited, nor used that much except by certain segments of society who had an exposure to it. Even cocaine and opiates were freely available in many cases OVER THE COUNTER, yet drug use was much less than today, and much less of a problem to society as a whole. Of course the rampant availability kinda eliminated the "black market" opportunities and the attraction of the forbidden. The most obvious FACT is that the current approach not only doesn't work, but exacerbates the problems while CERTAIN individuals reap enormous profits - that extend beyond the gangs into law enforcement, government AND the justice system.

It's too bad that the questioner didn't toss some of the more amusing questions at not so Little Steven. Questions such as:

can you explain how selling our Natural Resources is good for Canadians?

why is the quality? of this video so shitty?

WHAT'S YOUR HAIR MADE OF??

I think the prime minister should invest in? a steady cam and a better mic for his youtube rep... c'mon.

I think I have a way to cut the deficit ...? stop making Canadians pay for your makeup PM. You want to look the way you do - do it on your own darn dime.

This guy sounds like he just gargled a bucket of? (answered by questioner - but censored by koot)

Thanks to the Galloping Beaver for sifting through the kimberlyte for some diamonds.

It is very telling that Mr. Harper is totally dedicated to "science" to support the votes from Atlantic Canada seal hunt, yet refuse to even consider reviewing drug policy because he personally (and his pastor, and his base) think
“The reason drugs are illegal is because they are bad."

For a transcript of the complete YouTube Interview/Video Op, seguing from French to English and back click here. Transcript

More Re-Guergistation

After my post regarding the Duo of Dumbass yesterday it was a blast to go over to the Beaver today and find that they have discovered more MBA mysteries regarding whether or not Helena herself has, is working on acquiring, or just lying about being the holder of the credential no self respecting white collar criminal can do without.

Blogger A BCer in Toronto today posted an item regarding a claim on embattled Minister Helena Guergis’s official website that she holds an MBA from the University of Alberta. Apparently last year a community paper looked into the matter and after a little pressing a Guergis staffer testily admitted the Minister of State for Status of Women has “put on hold” her “aspirations” to attain a graduate degree.

Considering that as a cabinet minister (albeit a minor one for an inferior (re:women in Harper World) file)she is employed by us, the voters. As her employers, we really have the right to know if she is telling the truth on her resume or web-site. I know, truth, Harper, PseudoCons and ReformaTories - Cognitive Dissonance to the Nth!

Since we're back on the Couple from Hell(ena)- it is only fitting to include what is purported to be a wedding picture of the couple who can't seem to drive, stomp or talk straight.



I've been to many informal weddings, including my own, but I've never been to one where the groom appeared to be wearing a neoprene wetsuit top and the bride a Stanfield Underwear Top of the sort once favored by coast loggers - back when there were coast loggers.

The Sound of a Birdbrain Tweeting!

Now I have to listen to Kevin "Birdbrain" Falcon as he explains how attracting medical tourists will shorten wait times for British Columbians and why Kootenay Regional Hospital should be penalized for surpassing the performance of other facilities in the province. Falcon sees medical tourists as utilizing "under-utilized capacity" which begs the question of why British Columbians on wait lists aren't utilizing this same "under-utilized capacity."