Yesterday, Stephen Harper used my statement that war crimes were committed in this conflict to launch a personal attack on me and on my colleagues running for the leadership of the Liberal party of Canada.
Mr. Harper's remarks were a disgrace. A disgrace for a man who holds an office that is supposed to represent all Canadians. A disgrace for a man who is supposed to defend our constitution and our national institutions, including the integrity of our Parliament. There is no basis for Mr. Harper to suggest that the Liberal Party is biased against Israel. The Prime Minister showed a profound lack of respect to the official opposition and a profound lack of respect to the Canadian people who elected him.
For Mr. Harper, all issues are black or white. He believes that you're either with him or against him. He believes that the blind pursuit of ideology and power should trump all else.
It is because of this one sided, black or white, blind to the realities of the world approach that Mr. Harper failed Canadians this summer.
Mr. Harper and the Conservatives failed to address the damage that the conflict was doing to relations between the Lebanese and Jewish communities in Canada.
Never mind, failing to stake out the positive role that Canada could play in defusing the crisis.
Finally, by taking an entirely one-dimensional position on the conflict, the Conservatives may have weakened Canada's ability to contribute to the potential long term resolution of Middle East tensions.
Leadership means talking honestly and directly with Canadians. Leadership means putting aside the political game now and again to talk about what is in our country's best interests.
Canadians deserve a Prime Minister that helps Canadians from all communities to find a common language in which we can speak about difficult issues together.
One of the first facts about you learn when studying for your citizenship is that once elected, the elected official represents ALL the people in the constituency. A Prime Minister represents the office, not a partisian political party.
To see how good the Conservatives are at dividing Canadians, splitting friends against friends, and provoking rather than defusing, check this comment left on Michelle Oliel's blog by a conservative.
The liberal party is embracing an ever-growing muslim immigrant community that despises us. The liberals don't hate Jews or Israel, they are opportunists who will do anything to get votes. The writing is on the wall. Soon the muslim vote will mean more than the Jewish vote. Iggy's just being a good little red. Jews helped the liberal party get where they are and now they don't need you anymore, Michelle.
Iggy's words are typical of the left. Throw out an accusation for consumption of the unclean masses and hope it sticks. He said these comments to gain support of Quebecers and muslim immigrants in Quebec who are viciously anti-Semitic and viciously anti-Israel. My family is from Quebec and that's how it is there. To deny it shows you don't know Quebec.
Michelle, when Ignazieff wins your nomination and turns the entire party into an anti-Semitic basket-case, what will you do? Or you can sit back as they lie to your face that they're friends of Israel. Don't believe them. And look at Ottawa Liberal's comments for what the NEW liberal grassroots thinks about you as a Jew.
Stephen Harper, you are without class. I can't wait to defeat you out of office under the next Liberal leader, whoever it is.
Tags: Stephen Harper Michael Ignatieff
6 comments:
It's funny... but Bob Rae was doing all of Ignatieff's damage control yesterday, and was the first person to call Ignatieff out on it. *He* alone was the guy to watch, and still is. But I guess we can overlook that, and not interfere with the coronation...
Bob Rae I thought looked Prime ministerial last night on tv, as did Gerard Kennedy.
its dirty politics from Stephen harper, but with Canadians not complaining much about the status quo I think it was actually a smart move on his part. With all the controversy from the liberal leadership race Stephen harper is only adding gas to the flames and I think its working.....I dont think I'm going to jump ship yet but I think the Liberal party is in a HUGE downslide that it will have great difficulties getting out of once a leader emerges.
However petty, it seems Stephen Harper's ploy is working. Going into the weekend the headline is already "Ignatieff takes swipe at Rae."
Fret none or very little. Canadians, in the face of people who think like the poster mentioned that a vote from a jew is worth more than a vote from someone else are dinosaurs and real Canadians know this. Such people, along with Stockwell Day are dying a long slow death. Canada will not become a place where a vote is weighted by colour, class or creed, no matter how hard Harper and his ilk try.
You just can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse. Those backwards, backwater, back in the dark ages types are simply not up to modern living, thought or higher emotion, and will be shown that come the next election.
I'm opposed to dirty politics, yet I don't believe that Harper is worse than the Liberals - in fact, I believe this isn't as dirty as what was done to him, to be honest.
All this party name-calling stuff should stop, but a part of it is acknowledging that the Liberals are to Canadian politics what the Republicans currently are to American - it's been really sad for a non-partisan, swing voter like me to watch these last years.
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