John R. Bolton

* The Right Opinion.

* What if you held a hearing to discuss politicians pay and nobody showed up? You cancel the hearings. That’s exactly what happened in Alberta. You’d think a bunch of overpaid politicians wages would attract a crowd, but you would think wrong. Does this mean most people feel MLA’s (or in Ontario – MPP’s) are getting paid fairly? I doubt it. I think most people think politicians make too much money. I don’t. Spend an afternoon or a few days with a politician and you’ll find out quite quickly the job never ends. Even local politicians are out most evenings at meetings or at some event. Sure they run for the position and know going in what’s involved, but they should be paid properly for the work. That’s not to say we should bend over every time they want a pay hike. A citizens panel should determine what’s fair.

MLA pay review panel cancels hearings – Calgary Herald
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* Harper says Sun rises in east. The opposition vows to fight every step of the way.

If you follow American politics you’ll know social security reform is a political football. American’s refer to social security as an unfunded liability that is unsustainable. Well at least Republicans do. Congressman Paul Ryan has proposed changes to social security that would not affect anyone collecting it right now or the foreseeable future, just young people who are years away from collecting it. While Prime Minister Harper makes suggestions of raising the age of retirement, he hasn’t put anything in stone. Leave it to Scott Brison to jump wildly to conclusions.

Opposition fire back against Harper ‘threats’ to pension system – Globe & Mail

Although, he did not detail what those measures will be, there are issues with the sustainability of the Old Age Security System as the population grows older and older.

“Now, he’s threatening … seems to be trying to precondition us to cuts to the OAS, which is there to help the lowest income Canadians,” charged Mr. Brison. “At a time when other global leaders at Davos are addressing income inequality not only is Harper ignoring it he’s threatening to make it worse.”

Is the PM threatening to make things worse? I suppose he is if your an over emotional liberal.

* Talking to an environmentalist.

One that makes sense.

* I thought Obama was the enemy?

Click to enlarge.

Newt Gingrich’s big win in South Carolina has scared the hell out of the Republican establishment. They are in full out assault on the former speaker and it has raised the ire of people who knew Newt during the Reagan years. Broadcaster Mark Levin is disgusted at what has become of the race to choose a candidate in the November election. He spent the first hour of his show last night hammering away at people who are claiming Gingrich was anti Ronald Reagan. The Super Pacs have been relentless and are getting dirtier by the day and Mitt Romney can say he’s got nothing to do with it. Like the title of this post says… I thought Obama was the enemy?

Related: Romney paints Gingrich as mentally unstable – Washington Post

Related: Coordinated Avalanche Against Newt Doesn't Match My Memory of Reagan Years – The Rush Limbaugh Show

Related: Newt Backed Reagan, Romney Opposed Him – Newsmax

Related:Conservatives Criticize Drudge for Anti-Gingrich Assault – NYTimes.com

* It’s just Joe.

Remember this? August 13th, 2006. Macaca ended a career.

Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology – Washington Post

Yesterday: The New York Times runs cover for Biden.

Oh No, Joe! The ‘Indian’ Accent Comes Again – New York Times

Mr. Biden is sure to get heat for this. But it also raises a perplexing phenomenon – for reasons that India Ink cannot figure out, putting on an “Indian accent,” or making fun of one, is not seen in the United States or other English-speaking nations as offensive as it would be to mock many other accents. Rush Limbaugh aside, the days when it was common to put on a “Chinese” accent and trot out tired Chinese stereotypes passed long ago. It seems impossible to believe a cartoon character-like Speedy Gonzales would be created today.

Of course Biden has a history of this so we’ll just let it pass.

* MSNBC… irrelevant.

Who is this man?

If you said Rush Limbaugh you win a cigar. There’s not too many people who come to this blog who wouldn’t get that right. What about the braniacs on Jeopardy? They would know Rush, but what about the darling of the left… Rachel Maddow?

* This explains a lot.

Sources Tell CBS 2 30 Pounds Of Cocaine Was Delivered As Package To The United Nations – CBS New York

Related: Canada: Our home and UN land – Toronto Sun

I think most Canadians would find it ridiculous that the UN, the body that told its peacekeepers to stand by and let the Rwandan genocide happen, would intervene to protect a man accused of instigating the mass slaughter.

This isn’t the first time the UN has tried to take control of Canadian decision-making.

* I’ll have deep fried chocolate covered fried chicken.

Mmmmmmmmmm. Deep fried chicken head.

Fried food heart risk 'a myth' – Telegraph

The authors concluded: “In a Mediterranean country where olive and sunflower oils are the most commonly used fats for frying, and where large amounts of fried foods are consumed both at and away from home, no association was observed between fried food consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease or death.”

Related?: I don’t care what anyone says, this can’t be good for you.

'Fear Factor' — Donkey Semen Makes NBC Execs Hot – TMZ.com

We’re told the challenge involved teams of twins drinking the full glass of donkey semen — with a glass of urine thrown in for good measure. Contestants had to drain both glasses in order to move on to the next round.

Donkey semen makes NBC Execs hot… heh.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… Easybeats.

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* The Right Opinion.

- Okay, okay, I get it. Politicians misuse money. Politicians disrespect taxpayers. Politicians misuse power. It’s something we all know and hate. It’s even worse when some jerk separatist named Gilles Duceppe takes the money and runs. I only wish we could dig into the misuse and disrespect politicians have for our tax dollars. Can anyone answer this question?

What is left of a single tax dollar after it is collected and then filtered through the multiple levels of government, through department after department, through the hands of endless bureaucrats and pencil pushers, through the fingers of dozens of public servants and eventually to be distributed to programs and communities.

I’d also like to know where all of the money goes. That’s a bigger story than Gilles Duceppes book.

Where’s the money go? This will make your blood boil.

Taxpayers funding anti-pipeline activism – Calgary Sun

Aboriginal and environmental activists opposed to the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal have tapped a gusher of funding for their activities — taxpayers.

- Zzzzzz. There was another NDP debate last night. The Dippers are racing towards choosing the person who will drive the party into the ditch known as third place in the next election.

NDP contenders spar in Montreal over language, mergers and “new politics” – iPolitics

Related: The Bob Rae bounce: Liberals continue to gain steam – Globe & Mail

- I love bikes, but I don’t think taxpayers should subsidize them. It’s akin to taxpayers feeding children at school. You want a bike… buy one. You have kids… feed them. The City of Calgary has a bunch of global warmers as Alderman (yes Alderman). They want to shell out over a million dollars a year to provide rental bikes to cut carbon emissions. That doesn’t include over $2 million just to start the program. It’s a program that won’t die despite the efforts of some to kill it.

Wheels of misfortune – Calgary Sun

Ontari-ari-ari-owe.

- A new report says Ontario and BC are being shortchanged when it comes to equalization payments. This goes back to the days of the Liberal government. I have to commend the federal government for withholding this money from the Province of Ontario and Dalton McGuinty. If I might paraphrase Robert Redford at the end of ‘The Sting’… “he’d only blow it”.

Ontario shortchanged in wealth-sharing system, censored federal report suggests – Toronto Star

- Major pet peeve. Pop ups on news sites. Particularly the animated pop ups. You have to watch the whole animation and then you can’t find the little close X in the corner. I don’t even know what product they’re trying to sell me. Maybe the advertisers and newspapers should clue in… they’re not selling anything, they’re just pissing me off.

- If you look at the top of the page you’ll see the heading ‘Broadcaster & Writer’. I am definitely a broadcaster and I certainly dabble in writing on this blog. How good at writing is another thing. I would like to announce that I am writing a book. The hard part is being disciplined enough to sit down and write each day. I’ve been at it for about a year and a half and have a good start, but need to do more. I already have the story planned, plus the screenplay, movie deal and sequel… I just have to finish the book. If you have any encouragement email me.
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* The PM is right… in more ways than one.

Hey haters of conservatism, haters of the Conservative Party, haters of people who voted Conservative. The Prime Minister is smarter than you. I really feel for the poor saps living in the once great Province of Ontario. McGuinty will be gone when the green sh!t hits the fan.

Harper’s smarter – Toronto Sun

Germany is poised to slash public subsidies for solar energy — which sent shares in solar companies crashing world-wide — because it can’t afford the grossly inflated, 20-year feed-in-tariffs it has been paying for energy that’s so unreliable. In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Barack Obama ignored the growing list of alternative energy fiascos in the U.S., including taxpayers losing $535 million in the bankruptcy of Solyndra, the California solar company that was his poster-child for green energy.

In the U.K., an all-party alliance of MPs has been formed to fight the proliferation of wind turbines, amidst public fury over higher energy prices, unreliability and the problems it has caused for the nation’s electricity grid…

Smarter than the left.

It’s the same story across Europe, whose seven-year-old cap-and-trade carbon market, the Emissions Trading Scheme, is in disarray, with electricity and consumer prices rising, multi-billion-dollar frauds and no reduction in emissions…

[...]

Is Harper owed some apologies? You bet he is.

Will he get them? You bet he won’t.

I’m glad I finally got away from the madness in Ontario. Come on out west… it’s great out here.

* Aren’t we lucky we have conservatives running the country?

Legislation sought to speed oil, natural resources projects: Oliver – Calgary Sun

“To get those projects built, we need to have in place processes which look at the scientific facts in an objective way and determines if the project are safe to Canadians and safe for the environment,” he said.

“Also one which is open to legitimate intervention by Canadians with concerns about the project and its environmental impact.”

Related: The story headline speaks for itself.

US fought and won WWII in less time than Obama had to evaluate Keystone pipeline – CNS News

* The left hates religion…

Until they can exploit it.

Going green at holy sites in Cornwall – TheCornwallDaily.com

This interfaith environmental event is a response to growing recognition, among faith communities, that caring for the environment is part of their role as stewards of all creation.

Now before you even suggest the environmental movement isn’t a left right thing… you’re wrong. Conservatives care about the environment, but object to being told how to live our lives to protect it. Particularly by the government and holier than thou (pun intended) enviro-wackos.

* Warren Buffet’s secretary.

Since she’s being used as a pawn by The White House, Rush Limbaugh asks a legitimate question. How much does she make? Plus he has a lot more to say.

Rush Limbaugh:

Do you realize Mitt Romney…? I’ll get to this in a second. You look at the number of dollars Mitt Romney has paid in taxes, charitable donations, and Mitt Romney is giving away 40% of his income, if you count his tax rate and his occasional donations and other things. You look at the way he’s being castigated, though. I’ve had people, so many people ask me over the years, “Why? Why are all these rich guys all of a sudden so liberal? Buffett, Gates.” Folks, there’s a simple answer: The filthy rich will SAY they are liberal — they will do things in public that reflect that they might be liberal — to keep the peasants with the pitchforks away from ‘em.

[...]

It is a protection mechanism. It is to keep the Occupy Wall Street crowd off of their front yards and instead on the front yards of people that work at AIG. That’s all it is.

The media slaughtered ‘Joe the Plumber’ when he asked a simple question of Barack Obama. They dug up every little bit of information they could about him. Where’s the lame-stream media now?

Related: Despite Unfair Tax Burden, Warren Buffett's Secretary Was Just Able To Buy A Second Home – The Smoking Gun

Related: Warren Buffett's Secretary Likely Makes Between $200,000 And $500,000/Year – Forbes

In other American talk show news:

Mark Levin's book Ameritopia will be #1 on the New York Times bestseller list this week. This despite being ignored by the left wing media. Levin did the same thing with his previous book Liberty and Tyranny. I haven’t read Ameritopia yet, but it’s on my reading list. It must be driving the NYT crazy.

* The left and the poor.

P.J. O’Rourke nails it in this article. Although it refers to the United States the same logic applies in Canada. I always say the left perpetuates poverty with their entitlement mentality. O’Rourke explains it and expands.

They Hate Poor People – The Weekly Standard

But the real reason progressive elites hate poor people is fear. What if the poor quit believing in the progressive elite, quit supporting the progressive elite, quit voting for the progressive elite? The elite would be out on its ear—impeached, recalled, defeated on the ballots, dismissed from the universities, fired at newspapers and television networks, booted out of nonprofit foundations, and chased away from church pulpits.

* Can you help?

This is a sad and frustrating story from Eastern Ontario. I only hope it turns out okay. It’s now become a national story.

Ottawa CTV anchor pleads for public’s help to end ‘nightmare’ of missing husband – Calgary Herald

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… I saw this guy on one of those PBS specials the other night. Davy Jones from The Monkees and Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits were the hosts. This is great 60′s rock.

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* The Right Opinion.

- I see the City of Cornwall is going to get input from Cornwall citizens on a possible condo at the waterfront. That’s it… the project is dead. Sorry to the Waterfront Committee, but you’re already doomed.

- Did the Waterfront Committee actually say if they didn’t have the condo project they wouldn’t have anything to do? My advice? Call Community Waterfront Friends in North Bay. They’ll have some ideas to keep you busy.

- Isn’t it nice to see we have a government that doesn’t beat up on the very thing that makes our society great? Capitalism. We need more of this and we need more capitalism.

Harper to tout capitalism, Canadian oil at World Economic Forum – Vancouver Sun

- Orange purge. Support for the NDP in Quebec is half what it was on election day. It couldn’t happen to a better party.
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* That was a great speech last night.

Debate Winner: Mitch Daniels – The Weekly Standard

* The easy target.

Oil companies. Obama likes to play the class warfare card when he talks about oil. We have to invest more in clean energy and stop subsidizing big oil is the populist call. We need to make them pay more so every American has a chance to achieve the middle class dream. Blah blah blah. While I’m no big fan of corporate welfare, I do know oil companies spend billions on R&D and pay more taxes than the average American too. The same goes for Canada. You might want to remember that the tax revenue generated by oil is paying for a vast amount of the social services in both countries. Remember when Ed Stelmach raised the royalties on the oil business in Alberta? I do. The R&D and investment dried up and Stelmach had to do a 180. That’s the effect of overtaxing any business.

Oil companies already pay their share of taxes.

What The Top U.S. Companies Pay In Taxes – Forbes

… we took a look at the 2010 annual reports of the 20 most profitable U.S. companies. Some of the results may surprise you. The average income tax rate within the group was 25.4%. America’s three biggest oil companies, ExxonMobil ( XOM – news – people ), Chevron ( CVX – news – people ) and ConocoPhillips ( COP – news – people ), all endure income tax burdens of more than 40%–higher than the statutory U.S. rate of 35%. Exxon, with a 45% rate, tallied $21.6 billion in worldwide income taxes for 2010. Wal-Mart Stores ( WMT – news – people ) paid $7.1 billion (at a rate of 32.4%) in income taxes.

Related: More on taxes. The continuing dialogue from Obama is that Warren Buffet’s secretary pays more in taxes than Warren Buffet. That’s bull. Buffet pays 15% on capital gains, that’s true, but first he pays tax on his income. So he’s taxed twice.

* I’m having a bad case of déja vu all over again.

Cartoon by Michael Ramirez.

* Tweet of the day.

I’ll try to come up with one of these when I can. Fire one off if you see something interesting.

Honourable mention:

* No sense of humour.

Since when has it become against the law when you offend someone? The case shouldn’t even get a hearing.

Leno sued over Sikh joke – Toronto Sun

He joked about multi-millionaire Romney and his wealth, quipping that he vacationed in a solid gold palace, before showing a picture of India’s Harmandir Sahib, a sacred building to the Sikh faith.

One viewer was so offended by the joke, he has filed a lawsuit against Leno, accusing him of encouraging hatred and ridicule of his religion.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… Stones live from 1969.

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* The Right Opinion.

- Listen for the progressive talking points tonight when President Barack Obama continues his war on the rich, we need to be fair, populist assault during the State of the Union address. Obama is aware he can’t win on his record, even his former Chief of Staff knows it. So all of the problems of the last few years can be blamed on Congress (that’s the Republicans), the 1% who don’t pay enough tax and of course George W. Bush. It’s the beginning of the campaign tonight and he’s got to stir up the class warfare while he’s got a big audience. It’s typical of the left and Obama… instead of trying to elevate the lower class, he’s got to bring down the upper. Let’s face it, that’s what gets liberals votes. You just buy off the ignorant in society with other peoples money. They aren’t interested in politics they just want their share without earning it. A stunning 46 million Americans are on food stamps and many more collect some other sort of social assistance. They all want to see the gravy train continue. That will be the challenge of anyone running this fall against Obama. Obama will promise more money and the Republicans will promise the American dream. Who do you think will win the argument?

- More on the legalization of pot. I still think my commentary on January 16th was better.

Dan Arnold: Okay so we legalize marijuana. Then what? – National Post

- Great news from Calgary. It looks like I’m going to be filling in a lot more on The Corus Radio Network. Apparently they liked my show on Friday night. I should know more in the coming days.
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* Here comes the shakedown.

Just like health care the answer to all of the problems with aboriginals in this country has been to throw more money at it. It has been the cowards way out. I wonder if Jim Flaherty will show up with a similar deal to the one he gave the premiers? He should. Making a threat is a great way to begin a meeting… isn’t it?

‘An aboriginal uprising is inevitable’ if Harper doesn’t listen, chief threatens – National Post

“We must do better. The honour of the Crown and the very integrity of Canada as a nation is at stake,” said Stewart Phillip, grand chief of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, in a news release issued by the Assembly of First Nations’ B.C. wing.

“Otherwise, an aboriginal uprising is inevitable.”

Phillip cited the handful of violent confrontations involving aboriginal groups starting with the 1990 Oka crisis in Quebec, which included the shooting death of a Quebec police officer and the non-lethal showdown between Canadian soldiers and armed Mohawks.

Related: Special seats for native MPs? – Winnipeg Free Press

* There is a big problem in black America.

Outrages of the week: Black and Blue Ivy – The Daily Caller

How serious is the black illegitimacy crisis? Compare that 72 percent figure with the 29 percent number for non-Hispanic white American children. Nothing north of zero is a good number, but if we’re going to be non-cowards we have to acknowledge that the fatherhood problem in America affects black families more than others.

No one wants it to be so, but pretending otherwise doesn’t make it any less true.

* Tim Thomas… well done.

Of course he’ll get the usual treatment from the left because of his principled decision. It’s because he’s a racist. The next game he plays in will be interesting. It might be tonight vs. Washington.

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins goalie, snubs President Obama – Politico

Thomas refused the invite for “political reasons,” Sports Illustrated reports.

Nearly every other member of the Bruins was at the ceremony, where President Obama congratulated the team on its victory. Thomas is a staunch conservative and is expected to explain his snub of the president on his Facebook page this evening.

Thomas’ statement.

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.”

Related: Tim Thomas shows real courage in standing by his convictions – The Cheap Seats

Related again: Tim Thomas for President – New York Post

Related again: Tim Thomas, go to the penalty box – Boston Herald

* Not surprised.

The people will decide what it wants, not the government.

GM Dealers Say No To More Chevy Volts – Jalopnik

General Motors sold only 7,671 Volts in the United States in 2011, well short of its 10,000-unit target for the first year. GM spokespeople have attributed weakness in demand to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into the risk of fires in the car’s battery pack. But I’m not entirely certain that can all be blamed on that considering the weakness in sales existed well ahead of the NHTSA investigation.

Now we’re hearing reports of dealers who don’t want to buy the cars from GM because customers just aren’t materializing for the Volt.

* Well done!

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… This guy snubbed me for an interview a few years ago at Lift-Off. I thought he was a bit of an ass for doing that, but I still like his music.

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* The Right Opinion.

- Get ready for the criticism, for the over the top rhetoric, for the hatred towards the Conservative party. It’s coming because the feds are cutting back on public service jobs to trim the deficit. It’s really about time because the government has been growing at leaps and bounds… that’s not very conservative. We really need to look at this from a different perspective. When the Liberals start to complain there’s something we, as conservatives, need to do. Tell them to shove it!

Remember the 90′s when Paul Martin hacked and slashed transfer payments to the provinces. It was about $25 Billion. That left provincial governments scrambling. In Ontario Mike Harris’ name was mud because of his cutbacks… and for a lot of lefty’s it still is. Ralph Klein had to trim back in a big way in Alberta as well. Liberals to this day applaud Martin and Jean Chretien for being good managers of the Canada’s purse-strings. Other than cutting all of that money, what else did Martin and Chretien do? They cut jobs… a lot of jobs. The number of federal public employees fell to around 204,000 in 1998 to from more than 250,000 in the early 90′s (Read here). Still the left loves Martin and Chretien. They are a case study in how to manage government.

So when liberals and lefty’s start screaming bloody murder because the federal Conservative government is doing exactly the same thing, just bring up Martin and Chretien. Make them eat their words.

It’s already starting to happen.

At Least 11,000 PS Jobs On Line Study Argues – Ottawa Citizen

The national capital area could lose between 11,000 and 22,000 jobs as federal departments begin to digest three waves of the Conservative government’s spending cuts over three years, says a study by a left-leaning think tank.

The report needs to be taken with a grain of salt because the unions were involved in creating it. Credit to the Citizen for using the words ‘left leaning’ in the article. Usually things only lean right.

Related: Criticism of the federal government from the ‘right leaning Fraser Institute. Even they long for the days of Martin and Chretien.

Where is Paul Martin when you need him? – Canadian Business

- Just as I expected the boo birds are showing up in droves to bash an idea of developing in Lamoureux Park in Cornwall, Ontario (see yesterdays post). The Standard Freeholder ran a story on the proposal on the weekend and the usual no growth, no vision I don’t want you to block my view of the river people showed up to comment. Check out the link and comment if you wish. I know the people making the presentation tonight could use the support.

My two cents:

It’s fascinating to read the negative comments about this proposal. People want the park to remain passive… Well it’s passive alright. Fire a gun down there in the middle of summer and few people would hear it. I commend the committee members for their forward thinking and efforts to improve the city of Cornwall. I hope they continue to think big. Open the canal, add to the marina, put a hotel down there too. Make it a place to congregate and enjoy the park too.

- There is no truth to the rumour that Robert Menagh is assisting with the hiring of new Human Resources Manager at city hall. I would advise all people attending the upcoming meetings on this issue to listen closely for the words ‘golden handshake’. Also be wary of lots of bling on the hands of CAO Paul Fitzpatrick.

Related: City starts hiring process for new Human Resources manager – TheCornwallDaily.com

- Sheila bought a new humidifier to moisten up our air. Without it the we had 20% humidity in the house. Yesterday we hit 52%. The cats are happy… they thought we were trying to electrocute them.

- It’s -4 this morning. That’s a 27º change from the middle of last week. Temperatures the rest of the week are expected to stay above 0.
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* They don’t want the government involved…

Until they do.

Since when is it the business of the federal government to stick its nose into a labour dispute involving a private business? It never is. If the feds had intervened the unions and the Mayor of London would have been saying something else about the PM’s ass. What to stick up it.

London, Ont. mayor to PM: 'Get your ass down here' – Toronto Sun

“I suppose I should have been a little more diplomatic, I suppose,” Fontana said Sunday.

While addressing thousands of unionists and their supporters at a Saturday rally backing the Electro-Motive workers, Fontana said: “Get back to the (negotiating) table, Caterpillar; get your ass down here, Prime Minister Harper.”

His outburst caught London West Conservative MP Ed Holder off guard.

* The US mess.

When Andrew Sullivan wrote his article in Newsweek touting the amazing record of Barack Obama, liberals had orgasms and conservatives laughed uproariously. People who I thought had a head on their shoulders bought Sullivan’s propaganda hook line and sinker. Since then a number of articles have shown Sullivan’s article for what it is… trash. Today the Washington Times has a go. The first few paragraphs are a treat.

CURL: The truly dismal state of the union – Washington Times

Now, President Truman made it very clear: The buck stops with him. No passing the buck for that guy. But Mr. Obama blames everyone but himself. Mr. Bush, he says, left the nation in a ditch, a deep ditch, and he’s been digging out since he took office. And Congress? Those guys are just plain awful, he says. So mean. Wah, they won’t do anything I want done! Mr. Obama feels so sure about it that he’s basing his re-election campaign on bashing Capitol Hill.

Related: U.S. economy unlikely to fully recover: Carney – Financial Post

“It’s going to take a number of years before they get back to the U.S. that we used to know — in fact, they are not, in our opinion, ultimately going to get back to the U.S. that we used to know,” he said.

Obama’s ‘fundamental transformation’ is taking hold. Pity the USA.

* Shakeup at Rim.

Still using a Blackberry? Having second thoughts about switching service? You do have an option.

RIM shakeup: BlackBerry's Lazaridis, Balsillie out as CEOs – Calgary Herald

Much of the negative sentiment around RIM in 2011 was caused by the underwhelming launch and poor performance of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer, a device that was supposed to be RIM’s answer to rival Apple Inc.’s iPad. While some analysts expected RIM to sell several million PlayBooks in its first year, to date, RIM has sold only about 850,000.

For the record I still haven’t taken the smart phone plunge.

* Good cause.

I like this story because it shows how helping people trancends politics. Well done to Trudeau and Brazeau for putting the time in to help Fight For The Cure. I’m putting my money on Brazeau. He just looks tougher, bigger and meaner.

Trudeau on the left and Brazeau on the right.

Maybe this is the way we should handle all of our problems.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… In the garden of Eden. Short version.

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* The Right Opinion.

- I see there is talk of a condo development in Cornwall beside the Civic Complex. It will be discussed at city council on Monday night. I have a feeling this idea will go over like a lead balloon. There are still too many backward thinkers in the city who feel Lamoureux Park should be passive. It’s passive alright. Does anyone else remember when the Chamber of Commerce offered the city a hundred thousand or so dollars to build a tourist info booth in the park? It was in the mid 90′s. People complained it would block their view of the river and the idea was killed. I commented that the St. Lawrence River is 1000 kms long… must be a big booth. Maybe someone else remembers this. I’ll bet Chris Savard would know. I think he was with the Chamber at the time.

Personally, I think it’s a great idea if it’s done properly.

More: Proposed waterfront homes next to Civic Complex, Marina 200 – TheCornwallDaily.com

- So the Newt won in South Carolina? On to Florida. I wonder how John King is going to feel if Newt turns out to be the next president? There’s a lesson to be learned here by every politician on the right. Don’t let the left wing media get away with anything. Call them out on their liberal bias. Watch for this to be a continuing theme as the Republican battle continues.

- To the liberals who think the Republican race is in a shambles because it’s going on too long… remember this. Barack Obama didn’t clinch until June.

- Interesting how Canada has become an issue in the US election. Interesting how important we are to the US. Interesting how Americans are learning the name of our Prime Minister. Interesting how they almost need us more than we need them. My how things have changed.

Newt gives PM a nod in victory speech – Toronto Sun

- I’ve heard so many liberals in the United States wrongfully say conservatives are racist because they oppose Obama. They accused whites of voting for McCain, simply because he’s white (or he’s not black). Then I see a tweet like this and I have a question…

If minorities (blacks) vote predominantly for Obama because he’s black… are they racists?
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* Liberal whiners.

On the 18th I posted the video below that was produced by The National Citizen’s Coalition. I said it didn’t tell me anything about Bob Rae I didn’t already know. The Liberals must have been unaware of Rae’s disastrous Ontario past because they took offence. Lorrie Goldstein has great article today about the vid and he reinforces my stance on why public sector employees shouldn’t be in unions.

Attack ad double standards – Toronto Sun

Yawn. Compare this tempest in a teapot to what’s been going on in Ontario for the past decade.

Here, well-organized, left-wing groups like the Working Families Coalition (WFC), funded largely by public sector unions that rely for their pay hikes on Premier Dalton McGuinty, have spent millions of dollars doing the Liberals’ dirty work, by running ads attacking Conservative leaders Tim Hudak, John Tory and Ernie Eves, before and during the last three elections.

All three were defeated, although last time out, McGuinty lost his majority.

Alberta has a similar problem. Premier Alison Redford got the PC leadership based on a “bribe” to a teachers union. She promised to reinstate funding of $107 million within days of her election as leader of the party. Voila! She won and gave the money back. Her entire leadership is based on support from a union. I wonder if she’ll play hardball in negotiations with teachers if she wins the spring election?

She needs too after this report.

Public sector employee costs skyrocket in Alberta, study finds – Vancouver Sun

By 2010, the wages and salaries per Alberta civil servant was $83,326, a 103 per cent over a decade earlier. The national average only went up 40 per cent.

I had Lorne Gunter from The National Post on the air the other night talking about this. Now the Post Editorial Board weighs in.

Related: National Post editorial board: A wage cut for Alberta’s future – National Post

* The fall of the American empire? (Via: small dead animals)

This is an absolutely amazing article about the decline of the United States. Being married and religious served people well in the past… it’s absence is dragging us down. A study on how two different sections of society are coping.

The New American Divide – Wall Street Journal

When Americans used to brag about “the American way of life”—a phrase still in common use in 1960—they were talking about a civic culture that swept an extremely large proportion of Americans of all classes into its embrace. It was a culture encompassing shared experiences of daily life and shared assumptions about central American values involving marriage, honesty, hard work and religiosity.

Over the past 50 years, that common civic culture has unraveled. We have developed a new upper class with advanced educations, often obtained at elite schools, sharing tastes and preferences that set them apart from mainstream America. At the same time, we have developed a new lower class, characterized not by poverty but by withdrawal from America’s core cultural institutions.

* Losing touch with reality.

Instead of being concerned about people avoiding high crime areas, the NAACP should be concerned about high crime areas.

App That Would Guide Users Away From High-Crime Areas Proves Controversial – CBS

Tommy Jones, who works downtown, said an app like Microsoft’s could hurt a city’s economy.

“From a business standpoint, it could be devastating,” he said. “Especially in the area of tourism.”

I take it back. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea and tourism could suffer. I really wouldn’t want people to miss the amazing collection of chalk outlines in inner city’s across America.

Here’s a work around if the APP doesn’t come to market.

I call it the ‘No Cap APP.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… A little rockin’ country.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion.

- Thanks to everyone for all the best wishes on Facebook and the Re-Tweets on Twitter about my appearance on The Rob Breakenridge Show on QR77. I had a great time.

- We’re finally coming out of our cold spell in Calgary. It’s interesting how it happens. An arch appears. Really. It’s called a Chinook arch. I’ve seen it 3 or 4 times since I moved to Alberta. Sheila and I will drive west from Strathmore and there will be a visible line of cloud cover over the city. The clouds trap warm air coming over the mountains which warms us up. Think about this for a moment. Yesterday it was -22, today we’re expecting a high of 4. That’s a lot of warming and it happens fast.

Gotta love the arch.

- We’ve finally decided to stop torturing our cats and each other. Sheila bought the mother of all humidifiers. If someone could figure out how to contain all of the static electricity out here we’d have an alternative form of energy. Anyone want to buy a de-humidifier cheap?

- Just think. I thought I was free of elections for awhile. I voted in, commented on and moderated a municipal, federal and provincial election in slightly over a year in Ontario. Whew… no more elections. Wrong! Albertans… that’s me, vote in an election sometime between the beginning of March and the end of May.

- I see there’s bit of a revolt over a certain blog in Cornwall. People are tired of the negativity about their community and the good people in it. The sad part… the instigator doesn’t seem to understand he’s a major pain in the ass. Neither do the people who blindly follow him. I have never mentioned his name or his blog, but I hope he gets his comeuppance. A lot of good people are speaking out about his stupidity and organizing a boycott. To that I say… it’s about time.

- Congratulations to Graham Greer the new Communications Coordinator at Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall. Could there be a better choice for the job? I think not.
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* Congrats Newt Gringrich.

Mitt Romney was heard to say…”But the media already said I am supposed to win!”

Not the real Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich wins South Carolina primary – Associated Press

Newt Gingrich stormed to an upset win in the South Carolina primary Saturday night, dealing a sharp setback to Mitt Romney and scrambling the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul trailed badly.

* Obama is insane.

Don’t get mad at me, get mad at the Washington Post. Yeah, that’s right, the left wing Washington Post has slammed Obama again for his stand on Keystone XL. This time they think he’s insane.

Barack Obama - Crazier than a bag of racoons.

Rejecting the Keystone pipeline is an act of insanity – Washington Post

President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico is an act of national insanity. It isn’t often that a president makes a decision that has no redeeming virtues and — beyond the symbolism — won’t even advance the goals of the groups that demanded it. All it tells us is that Obama is so obsessed with his reelection that, through some sort of political calculus, he believes that placating his environmental supporters will improve his chances.

* Oil’s well.

There was a bit of controversy recently in Calgary over an oil well that will be built inside city limits. People are concerned about the risks. The story was in the newspapers, on the radio and the television as well. I was chatting with a few people at QR77 and told them it’s no big deal. There are oil well’s all over Los Angeles and even people who live there don’t know it. With all of the concern about spills, watch this video and see how safe people are living so close to “evil” oil.

* Maybe the Republicans are too.

Insane that is.

The GOP’s Suicide March – Charles Krauthammer – National Review Online

For the first few weeks, the class-envy gambit had some effect, bumping Obama’s numbers slightly. But the story was still lagging, suffering in part from its association with an Occupy rabble that had widely worn out its welcome.

Then came the twist: Then came the most remarkable political surprise since the 2010 midterm: The struggling Democratic class-war narrative is suddenly given life and legitimacy by . . . Republicans! Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry make the case that private equity, as practiced by Romney’s Bain Capital, is nothing more than vulture capitalism, looting companies and sucking them dry while casually destroying the lives of workers.

Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO nods approvingly. Michael Moore wonders aloud whether Gingrich has stolen his staff. The assault on Bain/Romney instantly turns Obama’s class-war campaign from partisan attack into universal complaint.

* The nanny.

The authors of the study likely did too much tobogganing in wooded areas when they were young.

Helmets for tobogganing kids get crash tests – CBC

A Canadian study suggests young children should wear helmets while tobogganing, but concludes there’s no clear answer about what type of headgear works best.

Nanny’s are so annoying.

My solution.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… This has always been one of my favourite Ten Years After songs. I hope you find it amusing.

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JRB

* The Right Opinion.

- Again my apologies for the short posts over the last few days. It has been rather hectic. Yesterday I travelled from Strathmore to Calgary and back three times. Unfortunately my internet was down most of the day yesterday as well. Today… very tired. I was at the radio station until midnight last night and was up very early today. I’m ready for a nap.

- Pardon me for singing the praises of Newt Gingrich (again), but you’ve got to be impressed by his knack of turning a negative into a positive. Gingrich has also done something very cagey… he’s focused on the left leaning media in the United States and is firing at it with both barrels. Something that is sure to win over republicans and conservatives who have a strong distaste and distrust of the media. Recent allegations in an ABC interview with Gingrich’s ex-wife Marianne, claim Newt wanted an open marriage. He asked for the unusual arrangement while giving speeches on family values in 1999. Gingrich denies the allegation. It came up in the Republican debate last night. A debate which comes just days before an important primary in South Carolina. Gingrich has been gaining ground on Mitt Romney in the important state (South Carolina has a knack for picking presidents in their primaries). How did Newt deflect the story to his advantage?

Brilliant! Meanwhile Romney is having a hard time. He found out yesterday he didn’t win in Iowa, Rick Santorum did. He’s also being dogged by questions regarding his finances. Romney is still the likely guy to run against Obama, but this thing isn’t over.

Related: The John King-Newt Gingrich debate – Politico

Related again: El Rushbo speaks.

Rush Limbaugh: Time to ‘focus on’ personal lives of journalists – The Daily Caller

Related again: As much as I like Gingrich’s moxie, his past is a huge liability. Can conservatives support a man with his history of infidelity? Or can they support him because they believe in redemption and that people can be forgiven?

Santorum: GOP ‘can’t afford’ risk of Gingrich embarrassing himself as nominee – The Daily Caller

Related again: Charles Krauthammer.

The GOP’s Suicide March – National Review

- Don’t forget you can join me on the air on The Corus Radio Network tonight from 9 to 11pm (11-1am Eastern) as I guest host on The Rob Breakinridge show on QR77.
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* Losing support?

President Barack Obama’s decision to kill the Keystone XL pipeline is being applauded by environmentalists, but is being criticized in some very unusual places. The very liberal Washington Post thinks Obama has made a big error.

Click to enlarge.

Obama’s Keystone pipeline rejection is hard to accept – Washington Post

ON TUESDAY, President Obama’s Jobs Council reminded the nation that it is still hooked on fossil fuels, and will be for a long time. “Continuing to deliver inexpensive and reliable energy,” the council reported, “is going to require the United States to optimize all of its natural resources and construct pathways (pipelines, transmission and distribution) to deliver electricity and fuel.”

It added that regulatory “and permitting obstacles that could threaten the development of some energy projects, negatively impact jobs and weaken our energy infrastructure need to be addressed.”

Mr. Obama’s Jobs Council could start by calling out . . . the Obama administration.

Related: Keystone XL rejected by Obama; will Canada just sell that oil to China? – Washington Post (Blog)

If you live in Canada this is a big story, but if you live in Alberta… this is thee story. Yesterday on The Dave Rutherford Show on QR77 in Calgary Nebraska Senator Mike Flood told Dave he was stunned that Obama turned down the project. Nebraska has okayed the a new route provided by Trans Canada. The Senator is sure the project will be approved, but politics is getting in the way.

* Can you read this?

Television show producers can’t.

OMG: Eye test blooper on Norwegian news – The Local

Newsroom editor Solveig Tvedt conceded that she and her team hadn’t properly examined the chart before going to air.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… Today a change of pace away from David Gilmour and over to Roger Waters. I think you’re going to love this. Rogers Waters with Jeff Beck on guitar.

God wants peace
God wants war
God wants famine
God wants chain stores

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JRB

* The Right Opinion.

- My apologies for no posting today. I get up early… 3am today, but my internet was down. I am sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Calgary and really haven’t got time to blog today. I do have a rant in the works about David Suzuki. I’ll see if I can get it up on the site later.

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… No deep cut today.

More later.

JRB

* The Right Opinion.

- I have to be brief today. I was up late and need to be out of the house early today. I will likely update the blog later today.

- NDP leadership hopeful Thomas Mulcair has a citizenship problem. He has dual citizenship… Canadian and French. Mulcair has pie in the sky hopes of one day becoming our top guy in the country (God help us all) and we currently don’t have any rules when it comes to being Prime Minister in this country. You don’t have to be born in Canada and you can hold dual citizenship. So, until we have those rules changed Mulcair is well within his rights to be the PM. It will be up to voters to decide if they want someone with ties to two different countries running Canada. Personally, I think you should be a Canadian citizen only. Mulcair’s suggestion that the Prime Minister’ s comments on the issue is being disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who also have dual citizenship is off base. We’ re not talking about them, but someone who could be leader of the opposition and potentially prime minister.

Thomas Mulcair defends dual citizenship – CTV

Mulcair's dual citizenship supported by party leadership candidates – Canada.com

That of course doesn’t address the real problem here… dual citizenship. I can see the benefits of having it, but the problems accompanied with it can be challenging and expensive for Canada. Do you remember the conflict between Israel and Lebanon in 2006? 15,000 Canadians with dual citizenship who decided living in Lebanon was more preferable to Canada started calling for help. It was up to the Canadian government to get them out. The cost? About $85,000,000. At the time it was revealed many of the 50,000 Canadians in Lebanon hadn’t lived (or paid taxes) in Canada for years. There was supposed to be a report on how to handle the situation in the future, but I don’t recall ever hearing anything about it. Maybe with leaders and leadership candidates running into this problem frequently (remember Stephane Dion?) the issue will be brought forward again. I have my doubts though. It makes for a great controversy and an opportunity for politicians to take potshots at one another.

Related: Concern grows for Canadians in Lebanon – CBC

Related again: MacKay compares Lebanon evacuation with mall at Christmas – CBC

- I’m pretty darn excited. I am heading into QR77 this morning and tomorrow to meet with the staff and learn a little bit about the radio station and The Rob Breakenridge Show. Rob does a show from 9-11pm weeknights and he’s off on Friday night, so I’ll be filling in for him. I’m excited and I’m hoping the opportunity could lead to some additional shifts on the station in the future. Wish me luck.
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* Bashing Bob.

What do you think. Is this dirty pool? Hit ‘Comment’ below.

I personally don’t think this tells me anything I didn’t know about Rae. I lived through his time as Ontario Premier. It does let other Canadians know what he is about.

Third-party advertising spending should be restricted between elections – Hill Times

Bonus track today:

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* Wiki… what?

I knew Wikipedia was going to be down this morning, but that didn’t stop me from clicking on a link while getting information on the dual citizenship story. I got the picture you see above. Wikipedia and many other big sites are protesting SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). You should read about it, it could have a drastic effect on the internet.

Related: The Stop Online Piracy Act: the SOPA story so far – The Verge

Rob Breakenridge on QR77 also discussed SOPA with Michael Geist from Ottawa U on his show last night. You can hear the podcast here

Today on ‘Deep Cuts & Lost Classics’… I’ve had fun with the Gilmour music over the last 3 days. Yesterday I featured something from his latest (and only 3rd) solo album ‘On An Island’. Today… something from his very first solo attempt. I hope you enjoy it.

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More later.

JRB