I could care less who apologizes for the latest incident, what really matters is further evidence that Harper simply isn't WORTHY of his office. How many other world leaders found it necessary to get so personal and partisan during this gathering? This isn't a one off, Harper has done this before on the international stage, never ceasing to calculate. It's for that reason that the responsibility clearly falls on Harper, because this is simply what he does, his approach to leadership, his STYLE.
I'd like to apologize too. I'm sorry Canadians elected such a bottom feeding CAD and put him on the world stage, when clearly he deserves to be "off Broadway".
Bob Rae sums it up best, and mediocre is RIGHT:
It shows terrible judgment on his part. It shows that he never is capable of rising above a cheap partisan attack and in so doing, he cheapens his reputation and he cheapens the office that he holds," Rae said in an interview.
"The country expects a prime minister on the world stage to show judgment, leadership, character, integrity, generosity of spirit, all of those things. Instead of which, we get somebody who cannot help himself. He can't stop himself from stooping to launch a mean-spirited, and in the end, stupid attack on the leader of the Opposition. "I'm sure people in L'Aquila are shaking their heads, well, why would you attack the leader of the opposition when you're on the world stage? You don't see Barack Obama going after John McCain. You don't see anybody else thinking about doing that. That's not what you do.... I just found it breathtaking in its mediocrity."
28 comments:
Misrepresentation is Harper's stock in trade. Whether it be political opponents, civil servants, government economic detail, law, protocol, common sense or common decency, nothing is sacrosanct to him.
(But, to his credit, he can bring out the worst in me!)
Was it in response to a specific question or did he go out of his way?
Either way it's inexcusable and gross misconduct, but the media needs some blame for bringing domestic partisanship to Italy, if that was the case.
It was after a question on the G8. Harper gave a long winded response, then paused and said he "must" speak about recent comments by Ignatieff. You can actually see the wheels turnings.
He made the comments in French. At the end of his attack on Ignatieff, Harper then said he should speak in English as well. Really thought he hit a homerun there I guess, wanted to make sure both languages covered Ignatieff's regrettable comments ;) Was the apology in both official languages too?
Apologize for the spelling error in the title, which I corrected. Maybe more embarrassing because I actually took a course on Zen buddhism a few eons ago.
And his apology remarks started like When I attacked M Ignatieff. That is exactly what Harper does when he feels threatened. What a sham and disgrace he is. He has no class shows only contempt and lies and bullies his way wherever he goes. And the Media just hangs on to this unqualified Dictator regardless of what he does. I agree with footthefire. He does have a way of bringing out the worst in me and people in general.
When it comes to his bragging about being an economist, he should be embarrassed letting Canadians see how much of a sham his inadequacies as a person, a world leader and a Prime Minister are. I am ashamed to admit that Canadians voted this control freak lying SOB and the Reform/ Cons and to this day still support him.
Marie
Marie
What's even more amusing, just prior to this unwarranted attack, Harper was whining about how "low" journalism, in relation to the communion kerfuffle. Amazing that he has such a disconnect between his targets and himself.
It is an interesting angle, but a reader of G&M also rightly pointed out that one other consequence of this latest Harper boneheaded maneuver is to actually highlight to an international audience the idea of Canada not being in the G8.
So he used a false attack to raise an issue the media in attendance certainly weren't contemplating until Harper decided to launch a salvo.
Wonder when that might crop up? Perhaps some eager European journalist is wondering right now if he should include it in his report about opinions on how to make the G8 and international summits such as this more effective?
Wouldn't that be a sorry icing on the cake moment for this latest embarrassment?
If the Grits were smart, they should buy some advertising ad using the Harper attack as the main focus.
This is a major gaffe, almost similar to the election finance kerfuffle which lead to the coalition.
"So he used a false attack to raise an issue the media in attendance certainly weren't contemplating until Harper decided to launch a salvo."
That's a great point. Harper defending Canada's right to be in the G8, when nobody was pondering it prior. Nice job!
"If the Grits were smart, they should buy some advertising ad using the Harper attack as the main focus."
Couldn't agree more. A main point of distinction, that Ignatieff has tried to make, is doing politics differently. What better way to highlight Harper's hyper partisanship, within the concept of "we can do better".
He made 3, count 'em 3 - insults the media, insults Ignatieff and insults Kevin Page (calls him dumb).
A Catholic woman that was upset and one of the priests started the wafergate stuff, Ignatieff didn't say what Harper claimed and Kevein Page is at least as educated, if not more than Harper, in economics.
Kevin Page was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1957 to James and Stella Page. A graduate of Fort William Collegiate Institute, he later studied at Lakehead University, Simon Fraser University and took his M.A. in economics from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario.
Given their predictive track records, if Page is "dumb", what is Harper?
Who is missing REPETEDLY from Photographs of The G8 groups Mr Dumb Harper ... I start to think it is no accident...
The subversive and "I know better than all of you" smog attitude on the world stage is just embarrassing.
Dumber?
Didn't Harper appoint the dummy? It's sort of comical. Harper is reduced to questioning the intelligence of his own appointment, which then puts into question his judgement.
Hmmm....I just took a quick little look over at international media - it's like Harper wasn't even there.
Yet, the Cons (Powers) are trying to claim Harper was a big hit, accomplished a lot, etc., etc.
Page's job description:
Kevin Page was appointed March 25, 2008 as the first Canadian Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the Library of Parliament who reports to the Speakers of the Canadian House of Commons and Senate.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer's responsibilities include providing an independent analysis of the state of the economy, the nation's finances and the government's expenditure plan and an analysis of the expenditure estimates of any government department or agency when requested to do so by a Parliamentary committee that's reviewing those estimates. The officer is also mandated to provide an estimate of costs for any proposal that falls within the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada.
...well, damn, the guy is doing his job.
I love how they always have Rae responding to these attacks on Ignatieff. It allows them to demonstrate party unity, and Rae is so eloquent who would not listen to him?
What a fucking jerk Harper is. I mean really, what more can be said? The guy is an embarrassment. End of story.
I just occurred to me....remember Harper's attack on Iggy about Algonquin Park - the G8 Summit is being held at Deerhurst Lodge/Muskoka/Huntsville are - "Algonquin Park" region.
I am perfect. I never ever make mistakes. I am a super human and therefore know all things about everything and am always right.
This gives me the power to judge all others for their inferiority and humaness. No Conservative will ever be as perfect as me.
I am perfect. I am Liberal. I am just like the news media. They are perfect too and would never make a mistake.
That is why only perfect Liberals and the perfect media should be allowed to run this country.
Mere feeble human error prone imperfect conservatives must be crushed.
Oh the self righteous, martyr conservative schtick. When you have NOTHING for counter... How entirely original and DEEP. What a hoot.
Hey, here's an idea? Act like a freaking statesman for a nanosecond, and then maybe you don't have to worry. Should have been a feel good photo op, but the DUMB guy manages to bastardize it into a statement on his hyper partisan, always aim for the knees, approach to discourse.
He just doesn't get it. The irony here, Harper has actually benefitted recently from appearing concilatory and "rising above". Soudras shouldn't be canned for not doing his homework, these guys should be gone because they can't understand there actually is a better, more advantageous way. Shhhh.
Oh Marie, Marie, the paranoid.
The media didn't make this stuff up you know. Harper did it right on TV in a press conference - and, brought the subject up all by himself.
The media really didn't need to report it - anyone watching TV saw it.
Do any of you know what Ignatieff actually said about the G8? On Wednesday - in London? About Canada?
It was not very nice...but he badmouths this country outside of it when speaking to his fellow mucky mucks.
But, the media does not report it because his vacuous verbosity is just so edious and no matter what he says he derides people that he was taken out of context.
The classy thing to do when one makes a mistake is to apologize. Harper did that. Case closed
Ignatieff has never apologized - he claims everybody misunderstood his words and it is all of US who are wrong.
Big difference.
And we have now met totally clueless, or perhaps Dmitri after a few drinks trying desperately to salvage something positive from the trash he tried to peddle earlier today.
Anonymous 12:23 am, it's you.
Please do share. Why tease, unless it's all bull? But, alas, we all know it is, including you.
Harper stepped in it today, on the world stage, unprovoked, slave to his own vile instincts. An apology only because he knew that this time his lie would be shoved down his own throat by the end of the day if he didn't.
Face it. Live with it. Stop lying to yourself and everyone else.
I can't believe the media reported on a PRESS CONFERENCE. Jackals.
Anonymous 12:23, discussing Canada intellectually does not make one a bad Canadian. Calling others a bad Canadian because of one's own shortcomings and insecurities says more about the accuser than the accused.
Reading and comprehending things does help Anon 12:23. You should have paid more attention in school.
Does this matter, Does economic development and GDP figures can change our level of happiness and misery. Is human emotions a measure of quantity.
This is important, we need to figure out a correlation first.
i have tried to find answers to basic questions that i find it no where, but are the essence of what we are.
Please visit, if you have time http://karmaeconomics.blogspot.com/
Thanks.
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