“Senator” Mike Duffy. “Senator” Patrick Brazeau. Bend Over, Canada.
So. Is Harper:
- expressing his complete and utter contempt for the Senate, as an institution?
- sending a message to Canada that the only criterion for a Senate seat is a track record of propaganda on behalf of the Conservative party?
- indicating that he’s all out of vaseline, so he’s not gonna bother to lubricate anymore?
- All of the above?
Mike Duffy you know…nuff said. Patrick Brazeau, as head of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, took a reasonably credible organization, and in a few short years single-handedly turned it into a disfunctional, divided mouthpiece for the Conservative policy of assimilation.
The staff of CAP and CTV will be happy today – let their healing begin. But I am depressed.
OH MY GAWD! Never did I think it would actually happen. I am gobbstopped!
Hands up anyone who thought Duffy was actually, you know, a ‘journalist’…
Meanwhile over here on the left side of the Granite Curtain, after all the talk about a possible aboriginal or Asian-Canadian appointment to fill the vacant BC seat we get… Nancy Greene!!??
You have to hand it to Duffy, he’s landed himself a hell of a retirement gig.
And all he had to do was set aside his integrity, journalistic credibility, and probably soul to push the government’s product. (as noted previously he seems to have really stepped it up since his brush with death/heart surgery).
Sets a pretty poor precedent for the rest of the national press galley. Give enough verbal hand-jobs and the world, or at least cushy patronage position, can be your oyster.
You said «Patrick Brazeau, as head of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, took a reasonably credible organization, and in a few short years single-handedly turned it into a disfunctional, divided mouthpiece for the Conservative policy of assimilation.» You got it all wrong. Just like the strong and wise Algonquin he is, Patrick Brazeau is doing things right! He is the only aboriginal with enough brains to understand that in order to find aboriginal solutions to problems that have existed FOREVER in this country, no thanks to the AFN, he is working WITH the government and not AGAINST the government. This guy is smart. He has given a meaning to CAP. Now, watch him give meaning to a senate!
So I went to read Mr Brazeau’s bio to learn of his accomplishment and the gains he has must have made for urban Aboriginal people…..nothing there. Nadda…not a single accomplishment except for one. In fine print at the bottom..
“has a 2nd degree black belt in Karate.”
He was quoted in a “Citizen” interview a few years back he thought he made a good National Chief for the Congress of Aboriginal People because of his modeling experience. He believed he had “face” that people liked. Evidently Harper thinks thats good enough too.
Can you imagine his glee? Thirty-five (six?) and set for life.
OK Igloobum….under the guidance of Brazeau how have rights for off-reserve Aboriginal people improved? What successes can he claim as his initiatives?
Whooee! That dang old liberal MSM. D’ya reckon Duffy’ll like bein’ sidelined? He’s got way more power as a CTV-CPC personality than as a Senator.
I figger Harper shoulda only been allowed to appoint 38% of the senate vacancies.
JB
A perfect example of addressing multiple wrongs with additional wrongs and telling people it’s right.
I imagine Conservative supporters are just as happy as can be with this, regardless of the levels of personal and party hypocrisy involved — I heard one on the radio earlier saying they’ve been a long time in the wilderness and felt “entitled” to the power this will provide the party.
Who would have thunk it, Conservatives feeling entitled and saying so…. the more things change the more they remain the same ‘eh?
Partisan appointments!?!?!? In Canadian Politics!?!?!?!? I’m shocked!! SHOCKED!!!!
(yawn)
Heh. Igloobum, having just about destroyed CAP (talked to any of the staff there lately?), Brazeau may do the same to the Senate – I wonder if that’s what Harper has in mind.
Disgusting appointment.
I’m a hardcore small c conservative and I’ve known Mike Duffy for over twenty years. To the best of my knowledge the Duff has always been a Liberal. He made no secret of his sympathies and ,to his credit, he tempered his opinions when playing the role of a working journalist. Harper’s appointments are neither better nor worse than the people(70% liberal) who currently reside comfortably in the senate.
Not sure whether you’re a liar or simply misguided, Paul. I first met Mike Duffy at a Conservative party fundraiser in 87 or 87. Is the fact that he’s sitting as a Conservative Senator not something of a giveaway?
Paulb – I call bullshit.
“Harper’s appointments are neither better nor worse than the people (70% liberal) who currently reside comfortably in the senate.”
Well, notice no one is protesting any of the former Premiers, Members of Parliament, Provincial or Territorial Legislators…just the sad excuse for a journalist-turned-politician Duffy, and the “I’m a good President because I was a model” kid Brazeau.
I’m 26 and I consider Brazeau to be a young man…not exactly “sober second thought” material.
Is anyone else a little fed up with the Conservatives’ “Hey, so Far We’re Only a LITTLE Bit More Disgusting Than the Liberals at Their Worst” defence?
A little fed up, maybe. No more.
@paulb – Well I’ll be absolutely snookered…. he was able to cover his Liberalness so well on TV
[/snark]
Anyone who talks about Duffy losing journalistic credibility only has to look at the joke of a station called CBC…I still marvel the amount of Grit sausage Mansbridge sucks every election, it is mindboggling.
Considering how liberal the media is in this country, you can’t possibly assume it’d all be left across every channel. Go cry about these appointments all you want, but what’s the point?
Well now people might go “HOLY JUMPIN LIZARDS! Look what happens when a freak like Harper is allowed to PICK! – that rule has got to change.”
I think he chose a weak list and has ridiculed the chamber on purpose – to prove his point. Maybe he wants us to see that The Senate Chamber is too important to leave to a single person to choose.
So far our anonymous one-hit wonder Harperite meme-bombers have hit exactly the opposite notes:
- a liar who claims Duffy is Liberal
- a somewhat confused argument that (yawn) media are too liberal and Duffy represents balance. (That’s a LOT of balance on one end of the scale, by the way).
Guys, Daddy REALLY likes his troops to get their messaging right. Consult with Party HQ and figure out WHICH bullshit talking point is going to be the party line.
Ha, ha, ha, ha ha. Ooh, stop. My ribs… I can’t take it anymore. Brazeau???What a nitwit! What an ultra maroon! Quel idiot! And I haven’t even started with Puffster or the grand fromage cwho made all of this possible. The Reform-Con Party is in deep doo-doo and I can only hope the majority of Canadians want a brighter day (and leader) come the spring.
If you watched Mike Duffy regularly it was plain to see he was a conservative. I have to wonder about Mike Duffy’s journalistic ethics in using his position in the media to obtain a senate seat.
I would have to agree with Democracy Watch that appointing a political journalist raises question about the independence of the media. How long has Mike been vying for a senate seat and using his position to influence the Canadian public in the conservatives favor? Is this legal? Who will be the next political journalist to be courted for a seat on the senate? I guess we can only wait and see.
@Shmohawk – I agree! I went to school with him…. In fact….he was in my class. There are a few things I recall of him. I honestly hoped he would have done better for himself as he had an entrepreneurial score on a career choice test, but to think it would lead to THIS???? He’s sacrificing the well-being of first nations’ people. How DARE he!!!! He didn’t even TRY to be involved with the first nation’s community prior. He ridiculously flashed his status card around class telling everyone how he could get a free education…..the same education that the Current Conservative is trying to get rid of….the government he SUPPORTS! That’s the same government that was the cause of the OKA crisis in an effort to turn peoples’ focus away from the failing of the stupid Meech Lake Accord, when Mr. Brian BALONEY was in power! UGH! This whole thing disgusts me!!!