"Mr. Casey is not welcome into our caucus ... when there is a next federal election, there will be a Conservative candidate in Mr. Casey's riding, and it will not be Mr. Casey," he said.
Hold the phone tough guy:
A Conservative riding association in northern Nova Scotia is defying Prime Minister Stephen Harper and throwing its support behind renegade MP Bill Casey.
Scott Armstrong, president of the Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley riding association, says the board has voted to support Casey, who was booted from the Tory caucus in June for voting against the federal budget.
Armstrong says the riding association wants the district to be part of a federal Conservative majority government, and it believes backing Casey is the best way to achieve that.
Perfect.
UPDATE
More
26 comments:
Ha ha, just when the CPC thought they were on a roll...like the old line says a week is a long time in politics.
A day nacho, lol.
Isn't this weird Steve? Perhaps not. Maybe we're seeing the rise of the PC's, or at least some of them.
Harper has tacked to the left in an effort I suppose to appeal to them, but apparently it's not going to plan.
Casey is now a local hero and Harper's petulance will lose him the seat, in spite of MacKay throwing money in the region.
Funny, when Martin threw money around, he was called on it...not so much with these guys.
Anyway, these David and Goliath scenes always bring out the worst in Harper. We shall see.
thx for the link
"Casey is now a local hero and Harper's petulance will lose him the seat, in spite of MacKay throwing money in the region."
Harper's political tin ear missed this point, or maybe vindicativeness won the day. Whatever the case, Harper has turned a supposed plus with the equalization agreement into a headache. Harper is really an asset sometimes isn't he?
Casey basically a free agent now, so can he be convinced to run for the Libs? So far it doesnt sound like he is interested.
"Maybe we're seeing the rise of the PC's, or at least some of them."
It's bound to happen. Stevie is not a Conservative (and he's not a leader :) )
Harper is really an asset sometimes isn't he?
It's embarassingly delicious.
900 ft. jesus, we live in hope.
Here is some more to chew on:
"But the Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley riding association's board voted Sunday to reinforce Casey's nomination, putting the longtime MP's future as a Conservative candidate back in Harper's hands.
"There is a democratic process in place, they nominated me once, they reinforced that tonight," Casey said in an interview following riding association's two-hour meeting in Truro..
"If (Harper) believes in the democratic process, then that decision will hold."
Officials with the PMO couldn't be reached for comment, but Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who told Parliament earlier this year that no Conservative who voted his conscience would be punished, said the prime minister has made his position clear.
"I think the prime minister has made it very clear that we'll be running a Conservative candidate in Cumberland-Colchester," MacKay said at an unrelated announcement in Halifax."
Maybe a little to clear, huh Peter? The "democratic process", how quaint.
Knb Nacho:
Just wait until Jean Chrétiens book is released officially this week ? Then we'll talk.:)
Bill Casey is a Conservative the only thing that he disagrees with Harper is the Atlantic Accord.
Steve Knb:
"Casey is now a local hero and Harper's petulance will lose him the seat, in spite of MacKay throwing money in the region."
There is no seat to be lost here for Harper, he doesn't have it remember? It belongs to Bill Casey. This isn't
Outremont here where the liberals had the seat and lost it to the NDP.
Nacho:
"Casey basically a free agent now, so can he be convinced to run for the Libs? So far it doesnt sound like he is interested."
Casey has already stated that he will not join the liberal party, because he is a Conservative in is heart he has said this in the past.
Knb:
"Funny, when Martin threw money around, he was called on it...not so much with these guys."
When Martin was doing the same thing you lefties were all happy about it, but because now Harper does it, its vote buying etc...etc... just simply amazing.
People there isn't any news here !!! There is an old saying that goes:
"Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures." But this is ridicules.
Why aren't you lefties talking about the Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty a (Liberal)who has said that he would not raise tax's just one week after is election victory they are already thinking about raising the PST tax by 2% amazing hey?:) Just typical left wing liberals.
This is really going to play well for the libs isn't ?
Steve sorry to have put such a long post. Goodnight everyone. I just hope I didn't offend anyone, because its not meant to.
"People there isn't any news here !!!"
Keep hoping :)
Steve what do you have to say about Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty ?
Let me guess nothing right ?:)
Congratulations?
Steve what do you mean by
Congratulations?
Harper has final say on who runs as a CPC candidate and it won't be Casey. For Libs to criticize that as undemocratic is pretty rich considering Dion will be handpicking lots of candidates with no input from the riding association.
As for Harper being mean I wonder if Joe Comuzzi would be welcome to run again as a Lib?
" I wonder if Joe Comuzzi would be welcome to run again as a Lib?"
Let's hope not.
Lefties? Really? Not very original. As far as the health tax (do we really have to go through this again) um how bout the 5.6 billion deficit that Eves left us with as a parting gift. 2% increase? There is no way to spin the Casey debacle. Maybe Harper can send in Manley to fix it?
Come on, your quoting from a story in "the Sun" from Linda Leatherdale about a rumoured 2% increase. That's credible
nacho
Don't bother with the dodge and weave, it's the typical Con diversion tactic, when thing don't go there way. Yawn.
I miss the Red Tory's, this new brand of Harris/Harper types are so annoying. Old PC's like Casey are a dying breed. You may not have liked Mulroney's policies, but he had a purpose, he wanted to improve the country. What is Harper's agenda besides trying to prove he is the smartest kid in class?
nacho...bang on. I miss them too. That was an honest fight, one that far closer to what this country stands for.
Slowly but surely though, Harper will eliminate them.
Steve. Is MacKay the slimiest guy/politician you've ever seen. Ugh. As a woman, and we're meant to fawn over him, YUCK.
John, get over yourself. Chretien's book will end up being what it is and the rumour about McGuinty...gawd, it's right wing rumour.
knb
Oh, is that John your troll?
Just to get back on track, this Casey thing has tenticles. It isn't just this riding, but Harper could suffer across the province, because by all accounts, Casey is well respected. This is a serious gaffe, to be so firm, without leaving any wiggle room, in case something like what happened tonight happened. Harper's black and white approach bites him again.
'Armstrong says the riding association wants the district to be part of a federal Conservative majority government, and it believes backing Casey is the best way to achieve that.'
But Casey is an independant, no longer part of the Conservative party, by choice (voting against the budget).
Can a riding association vote in a non-member???
Casey burned his bridge with PMSH when he went to the media with the locked-in story.
IMO PMSH will not back down.
With his very nasty reaction to the question of Casey coming back aboard, he must have know this was in the works, but the riding assoc defied his message and had their vote anyways.
hmmmmmm
An ousted MP and his riding association gang up in defiance of the leader....
Chretien regrets having been talked out of firing Martin...
bye bye Casey and gang.
"As for Harper being mean I wonder if Joe Comuzzi would be welcome to run again as a Lib?"
Anon - perhaps you missed all those conservative cabinet ministers criticizing Dion for kicking Comuzzi out of caucus?
If Harper wants to defuse this issue he would just allow Casey to run as a conservative. If he wants to put his own ego ahead of the party, well then he will stick to his guns. God forbid the man ever admit he made a mistake!
"An ousted MP and his riding association gang up in defiance of the leader...."
Riigggtt, Wilson. Seems your antenna is out of whack because this movie has the 'thug' taking on old independent constituent server. Maybe you've over-eaten at the side-deal cafe too much.
The incredible part is how quickly McDonald sold out Casey for what isn't even a signed document, nor according to him, easy to explain. First, the minority Premier pleads for all MPs to vote against the CON budget. When one does and is kicked from the caucus, he tries to tie his limited future to the grey-haired independent, using 'DAvid and Goliath' kind of framing. Suddenly, Harper pokes his nose in, offers a different side deal (hmmm, where's that Flaherty letter when you need it?) and suddenly McDonald tosses Casey overboard like some half-eaten tuna.
Wonder how many days McDonald has left on his job? And as for Casey, no one in Harper's CON party can afford to have principles.
Although it remains a longshot, I get the feeling Elizabeth May stock just went on the uptick today....
""Funny, when Martin threw money around, he was called on it...not so much with these guys."
When Martin was doing the same thing you lefties were all happy about it, but because now Harper does it, its vote buying etc...etc... just simply amazing."
Oh TRIWIA, you slay me. So you're perfectly fine with the mantra of 'do as I say, not as I do...?
And nice way to dodge the question. Get a new act. Those blogging orders from your So-Called Leader are kinda stale.
McGuinty has asked Harper for 1% of the GST to help communities - perhaps this is something to be used against Harper
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