PSA: Rally for Change This Thursday!

by matttbastard

Via The National Union of Public and General Employees:

Citizens rallying across Canada to support federal coalition

Parliament Hill rally at noon Thursday just one of many across Canada

Ottawa (2 Dec. 2008) – Rallies are being planned across Canada Thursday to support a coalition government in Ottawa to replace the administration of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The biggest rally is expected at noon on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is supporting the coalition and is urging the 340,000 members of its Component unions across the country to add their voices to the campaign by attending the rallies.

The Harper government introduced an economic and fiscal statement last week that failed to provide economic relief for Canadians, or any measures to get the economy back on track.

The Harper government is also committed to trampling workers’ rights and women’s rights to pay equity.

Canadians want a government that shows leadership. The opposition parties are acting in a responsible manner. They are not going to force another costly election. Instead, the Liberals and the NDP are planning to form a coalition government − with the support of the BQ in the House of Commons − to get this Parliament to address the economic crisis in a way that benefits workers and their families.

Let’s support a coalition government that will get us through this crisis

Here is the list of rallies planned.

St. John’s, NL Thursday, December 4th 7 p.m. St. Theresa’s Hall Mundy Pond Road Halifax, NS Thursday, December 4th 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Maritime Hall – Halifax Forum Windsor & Almon Street (enter off Almon Street) Charlottetown, PE Thursday, December 4th 7 p.m. Murphy’s Community Centre Richmond Street Moncton, NB Thursday, December 4th 7 p.m. Moncton City Hall Front Lawn Main Street Regina, SK Thursday, December 4th 7 p.m. Speakers @ 7:30 p.m. Education Auditorium University of Regina

Edmonton, AB Thursday, December 4th 6 p.m. Winston Churchill Square Downtown Edmonton Central Winnipeg, MB Thursday, December 4th 7 p.m. Marlborough Hotel 331 Smith Street Ballroom (Room for 600) Vancouver, BC Thursday, December 4th Doors open @ 5 p.m. Speakers @ 6 p.m. Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre Ballroom “A” | Toronto, ON Saturday, December 6th 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. City Hall Nathan Phillips Square Ottawa, ON Thursday, December 4th Noon Parliament Hill NUPGE

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Jonathan Kay: Wrong on the Internet

by matttbastard

Jonathan Kay once again illustrates why the thin ranks of the Canadian pundit corps do not represent a meritocracy:

It so happens that, with Barack Obama gradually rolling out his star-studded Cabinet in recent days, I’d already been giving quite a lot of thought to the deficiencies of our Parliamentary system. The wonderful thing about the American system — the aspect that never gets talked about for some reason — is that the President can appoint any genius he likes to Cabinet spots — people like Larry Summers, Robert Gates and Colin Powell. And these people do not have to kiss babies, run in by-elections, or get sham appointments to some upper chamber in order to gain their offices. The President, as ultimate decider, just picks the best people, they accept and … that’s it.

Well, yeah, except for that pesky little check and balance called Senate confirmation–otherwise, yeah, that’s it:

The role of Congress is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, which directs the president to select officials with the Senate’s “advice and consent.” Only 51 senators, a simple majority, are required to approve a nominee.

All 15 Cabinet secretaries require Senate confirmation, as do federal judges and ambassadors. White House aides such as chief of staff and national security adviser don’t. The law establishing a federal agency dictates which agency officials require Senate approval.

This, my friends, is one of the many, many reasons why they can’t give away the National Post these days. Paul Godfrey has his work cut out for him.

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Gee, Thanks.

by matttbastard

Bill Berkowitz reports:

In one of those better-late-than-never moments that came one week before Thanksgiving, Bob Jones University of Greenville, South Carolina, issued a belated, but seemingly heartfelt, online statement apologizing for “allow[ing] institutional policies regarding race to be shaped more directly by that [segregationist] ethos than by the principles and precepts of the Scriptures.” In 2000, Bob Jones III, then president of the university that was founded in 1927 as a private Christian institution, admitted that the university had been wrong for not admitting African American students until 1971. At the same time, “he announced the lifting of the University’s policy against interracial dating.”

Apparently someone in Greenville didn’t get the memo that white guilt is, like, so 2007.

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Awesome.

by matttbastard

Well well — James Moore just dropped the other ‘S’ word (no, not that one) in a Newsworld propaganda exercise interview, in reference to the NDP part of the coalition troika.  First time I’ve heard ’em explicitly refer to the Dippers as ‘socialists’ throughout all this constitutional bruhaha.  The Harpercons must be very rattled to be upping the rhetorical ante like that.

Also, is it just me, or does Moore look like the sort of politico who used to enjoy wearing bow ties, but quit the habit at the urging of his image consultant:

Now that’s a face that screams “mommy still folds my underpants”.

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