👔
July 27, 2015 7:58 AM Subscribe
Man in Blue Suit Thanks Firefighters
For a second straight day, firefighting efforts at the Westside Road fire were the backdrop for political photo ops. Today, several federal politicians stood around waiting, occasionally wiping dirt from their clothing while sweaty, ash-covered, exhausted-looking firefighters surrounded them for the tightly controlled photo opportunity. Helicopters carrying empty buckets buzzed overhead and a steady stream of wildfire fighting aircraft circled prior to the event.via: HuffPoCanada
It has been interesting to see how reporters have been responding to Harper's refusal to answer questions at any event, and this Not The Onion calibre article does a great job at pointing out the hollowness of these contrived events, although I'm sure photos from it will show up in next week's riding mail drop.
posted by furtive at 8:08 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by furtive at 8:08 AM on July 27, 2015
All I can see with that title is a really sweet pseudo-vic-viper style star fighter. Pew! Pew!
👔
| |
|
⛪
posted by boo_radley at 8:24 AM on July 27, 2015 [13 favorites]
👔
| |
|
⛪
posted by boo_radley at 8:24 AM on July 27, 2015 [13 favorites]
Now if it had been the Man in the Yellow Hat, that would be news.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:27 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 8:27 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Vice: Journalists Are Banned from Stephen Harper's Events and It’s Stupid Nonsense
posted by frimble at 8:55 AM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by frimble at 8:55 AM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
Fixed.
posted by Fizz at 8:57 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I fully support an initiative to refer to Harper as "Man in Blue Suit" on all references.
posted by Etrigan at 9:01 AM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 9:01 AM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
For a second straight day, firefighting efforts at the Westside Road fire were the backdrop for political photo ops.
Wow, looking at the image accompanying the story, the firefighters were literally the backdrop for a photo op.
Also, if Stephen Harper is being mocked by a Vernon news outlet (infotel.ca seems to be based in Vernon), the tide really must be turning against him.
But on the other hand, BCers in rural ridings are often just as happy to vote Conservative as they are NDP. Two sides of the same populist coin.
posted by Nevin at 9:09 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wow, looking at the image accompanying the story, the firefighters were literally the backdrop for a photo op.
Also, if Stephen Harper is being mocked by a Vernon news outlet (infotel.ca seems to be based in Vernon), the tide really must be turning against him.
But on the other hand, BCers in rural ridings are often just as happy to vote Conservative as they are NDP. Two sides of the same populist coin.
posted by Nevin at 9:09 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
It amazes me that no one has put more pressure on this government with regard to their media ban. I feel like the entire media should band together and refuse to cover any of his bullshit unless they are given proper media access.
Such a disgrace. And I agree with Etrigan:
I fully support an initiative to refer to Harper as "Man in Blue Suit" on all references.
posted by Fizz at 9:22 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Such a disgrace. And I agree with Etrigan:
I fully support an initiative to refer to Harper as "Man in Blue Suit" on all references.
posted by Fizz at 9:22 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Let's hope that this is the worst burn these fires inflict on anyone.
posted by srboisvert at 9:50 AM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 9:50 AM on July 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
They squandered such a great opportunity to follow though on the promise of the headline and photo, and provide no details at all on the particular identity of the man.
posted by CaseyB at 9:54 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by CaseyB at 9:54 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Firefighter looks first at the dog, then at the pony. Sighs.
posted by mule98J at 10:09 AM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by mule98J at 10:09 AM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Fuck this Man in Blue Suit.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:12 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:12 AM on July 27, 2015
Is the little page title icon the eye symbol used in Legend of Zelda? A glyph of Mjollnir? A diagram of the uterus?
posted by FatherDagon at 10:23 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by FatherDagon at 10:23 AM on July 27, 2015
Is the little page title icon the eye symbol used in Legend of Zelda?
It's an empty suit.
posted by grouse at 10:24 AM on July 27, 2015
It's an empty suit.
posted by grouse at 10:24 AM on July 27, 2015
Good discussion over on Canadaland (with Justin Ling, author of that oped linked above) on the barring of journalists from all events and only allowing photogs in to places. Listen to the whole archive of Canadaland also.
posted by infinite intimation at 10:32 AM on July 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by infinite intimation at 10:32 AM on July 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's an empty suit.
That seriously just snapped the image in place for me like one of those Magic Eye pictures.
posted by FatherDagon at 10:48 AM on July 27, 2015
That seriously just snapped the image in place for me like one of those Magic Eye pictures.
posted by FatherDagon at 10:48 AM on July 27, 2015
Some men (in blue suits) just want to watch the world burn...
posted by blue_beetle at 10:53 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by blue_beetle at 10:53 AM on July 27, 2015
Listen to the whole archive of Canadaland also.
With a grain of salt. Unbiased & exhaustively researched journalism is not a always strong suit of Jesse Brown.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:05 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
With a grain of salt. Unbiased & exhaustively researched journalism is not a always strong suit of Jesse Brown.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:05 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
A friend of mine is an EMS attached to a fire brigade. Apparently they are all seething with fury at this--actual firefighters battling an intense major problem were literally forced to stand around for hours waiting for this photo instead of, y'know, doing their jobs.
Sums up the Tories in the tiniest of nutshells, really. Here's hoping Trudeau sees the light and agrees to a coalition with Mulcair. This election is already terrifying and we've still got the better part of three months to go.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:15 AM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Sums up the Tories in the tiniest of nutshells, really. Here's hoping Trudeau sees the light and agrees to a coalition with Mulcair. This election is already terrifying and we've still got the better part of three months to go.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:15 AM on July 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Sums up the Tories in the tiniest of nutshells, really.
For inspiring maximum 'fuckharper' spirit I prefer Mother Canada, which sums things up in a 25-metre-high world-class granite colossus of kitsch.
posted by sfenders at 11:54 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
For inspiring maximum 'fuckharper' spirit I prefer Mother Canada, which sums things up in a 25-metre-high world-class granite colossus of kitsch.
posted by sfenders at 11:54 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Banff is the perfect place for Mother Canada.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:56 AM on July 27, 2015
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:56 AM on July 27, 2015
Here's hoping Trudeau sees the light
Or I hope, whoever is pulling the Liberal strings, sees the light. The Liberals are doing pretty poorly in just about every region except the Maritimes. An upcoming EKOS poll has them in FOURTH place in BC after the Greens and the Greens have been flat for ages.
They need some serious soul searching to figure out the direction they need to go in the next months because what they've been doing has not helped them. Harper has been giving them loads of ammunition (like this firefighter photo op)!
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:08 PM on July 27, 2015
Or I hope, whoever is pulling the Liberal strings, sees the light. The Liberals are doing pretty poorly in just about every region except the Maritimes. An upcoming EKOS poll has them in FOURTH place in BC after the Greens and the Greens have been flat for ages.
They need some serious soul searching to figure out the direction they need to go in the next months because what they've been doing has not helped them. Harper has been giving them loads of ammunition (like this firefighter photo op)!
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:08 PM on July 27, 2015
For me personally, and I was a huge Trudeau fanboy, it was C51. He showed that he's more interested in playing politics and getting his fundament into the PMO than listening to Canadians. That is not an attitude I want to see in the (formerly) putative next leader of my country.
Mulcair stood on his principles and voted against the blatantly unconstitutional law. (And as an aside, I had a friend try to defend Trudeau's vote on the basis that "well it'll get challenged in court eventually" which made me sprain my eyes from rolling them so hard.) Trudeau, if he (or his string-pullers) were a lot smarter, would have realized two things: 1) CANADIANS HATE THIS VOTE AGAINST, and 2) Harper's going to smear you with largely made-up shit anyway, that calculus about taking it off the table as an election issue was stupid as hell.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:31 PM on July 27, 2015
Mulcair stood on his principles and voted against the blatantly unconstitutional law. (And as an aside, I had a friend try to defend Trudeau's vote on the basis that "well it'll get challenged in court eventually" which made me sprain my eyes from rolling them so hard.) Trudeau, if he (or his string-pullers) were a lot smarter, would have realized two things: 1) CANADIANS HATE THIS VOTE AGAINST, and 2) Harper's going to smear you with largely made-up shit anyway, that calculus about taking it off the table as an election issue was stupid as hell.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:31 PM on July 27, 2015
it was C51.
Yes, I fully agree. It was such a wrong-headed move to back C51 and I think how Canadians feel about it is completely illustrated in the polls.
A side effect though of a weakened Liberal party is that Southern Ontario is really going to be a brutal battleground. Tories in the ridings here are really showing a lot more strength then they have any right to be.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:47 PM on July 27, 2015
Yes, I fully agree. It was such a wrong-headed move to back C51 and I think how Canadians feel about it is completely illustrated in the polls.
A side effect though of a weakened Liberal party is that Southern Ontario is really going to be a brutal battleground. Tories in the ridings here are really showing a lot more strength then they have any right to be.
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:47 PM on July 27, 2015
I was disappointed when I learned the outgoing Irwin Cotler, a former Liberal Justice Minister and no intellectual lightweight, had lobbied caucus to vote for C-51. I asked him on Twitter why he had supported C-51 and his answer was "we'll change the bad stuff when we get into office."
posted by Nevin at 1:36 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by Nevin at 1:36 PM on July 27, 2015
And that, more or less, is why I'm not voting Liberal this election for the first time in my voting life.
Sure, have confidence you're going to get in. And what happens to the 'bad stuff' if the Tories get 170 seats? It stays right there. Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:52 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Sure, have confidence you're going to get in. And what happens to the 'bad stuff' if the Tories get 170 seats? It stays right there. Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:52 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Southern Ontario is really going to be a brutal battleground.
I know at least one long-time Conservative supporter from southern Ontario who is planning to vote NDP for the first time ever. Mulcair appears to have learned the trick Jack Layton used to have, of discussing politics and sounding like an intelligent human being at the same time. A surprisingly rare quality in politicians. The realistic possibility of an NDP government should bring out some of the people who want change and usually don't vote, so I expect they'll do slightly better than polls predict.
Personally I can't bring myself to accept as legitimate anyone who wants to abolish the senate, so will probably be throwing my vote away in the general direction of the green party.
posted by sfenders at 1:56 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I know at least one long-time Conservative supporter from southern Ontario who is planning to vote NDP for the first time ever. Mulcair appears to have learned the trick Jack Layton used to have, of discussing politics and sounding like an intelligent human being at the same time. A surprisingly rare quality in politicians. The realistic possibility of an NDP government should bring out some of the people who want change and usually don't vote, so I expect they'll do slightly better than polls predict.
Personally I can't bring myself to accept as legitimate anyone who wants to abolish the senate, so will probably be throwing my vote away in the general direction of the green party.
posted by sfenders at 1:56 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
"we'll change the bad stuff when we get into office."
Ayup. It's been fun watching some of the crazy Lib supporters (my jokes to the contrary, that is not all of them) blaming the NDP for voting with Harper against May's amendments (that, to my reading at least, do literally not figuratively-literally zero) and saying that the Libs deserve support because they're the ones who got their amendments passed.
Wrt to the Senate, I think the correct thing for the NDP to do is if they got power, pass a bill saying that the Senate is abolished pending confirmation of the provinces. They can go back and say "we did what we could", the pressure moves to the provinces, and it's off their backs. That's fair.
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:59 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ayup. It's been fun watching some of the crazy Lib supporters (my jokes to the contrary, that is not all of them) blaming the NDP for voting with Harper against May's amendments (that, to my reading at least, do literally not figuratively-literally zero) and saying that the Libs deserve support because they're the ones who got their amendments passed.
Wrt to the Senate, I think the correct thing for the NDP to do is if they got power, pass a bill saying that the Senate is abolished pending confirmation of the provinces. They can go back and say "we did what we could", the pressure moves to the provinces, and it's off their backs. That's fair.
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:59 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eh, the Senate abolishing is just the kid-asking-for-a-pony trick. After Meech Lake etc no party leader wants to open up the Constitution, which is what it would take to abolish. It'll get walked back to reforming the appointments process (a tongue-in-cheek but actually kinda not terrible idea I've heard is to make the appointments pool recipients of the Order of Canada and the various provincial/territorial orders; appoint by lottery from within there and you're already looking at people who have demonstrated their desire to make the country a better place).
The more realistic idea is to put appointments into the hands of an arms' length commission. Ideally with some sort of citizen nomination piece to it. Please dear God do not make the Senate elected, it's the last thing we need.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:01 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The more realistic idea is to put appointments into the hands of an arms' length commission. Ideally with some sort of citizen nomination piece to it. Please dear God do not make the Senate elected, it's the last thing we need.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:01 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
It is pretty difficult to abolish the senate, and is something the feds can't do alone, so if Mulcair wants to promise it I'm not going to hold it against him. And if somehow it were to happen, it would by necessity have received a pretty big mandate which I wouldn't pin on any one politician or party either.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:55 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:55 PM on July 27, 2015
Yeah, the NDP's "we'll abolish the Senate" is just plain dumb, and is pure pie-in-the-sky Preston Manning-esque populist malarkey.
Just think of how much political energy the Liberals expended getting a national health accord... that for political reasons Harper has let expire. We need a health accord with enforceable national standards desperately more than we need a reformed Senate.
But will Ottawa ever again get to play its rightful role as enforcer of interprovincial health guidelines? Doubtful, and if they can't even do that then abolishing the Senate would be a hopeless - but popular - task.
posted by Nevin at 3:18 PM on July 27, 2015
Just think of how much political energy the Liberals expended getting a national health accord... that for political reasons Harper has let expire. We need a health accord with enforceable national standards desperately more than we need a reformed Senate.
But will Ottawa ever again get to play its rightful role as enforcer of interprovincial health guidelines? Doubtful, and if they can't even do that then abolishing the Senate would be a hopeless - but popular - task.
posted by Nevin at 3:18 PM on July 27, 2015
That said I will definitely be voting NDP in this election. It's a two-way race in my riding between the Green candidate and the incumbent NDP candidate. The Greens have a crack organization team who are fresh off of getting Victoria's first-ever quasi-Green mayor elected, beating the local NDP municipal machine.
That said, the Green candidate in this riding is very charismatic, but the NDP incumbent has way more depth and breadth of experience. Still, it's interesting that there is such a close race in Victoria for a change.
posted by Nevin at 3:21 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
That said, the Green candidate in this riding is very charismatic, but the NDP incumbent has way more depth and breadth of experience. Still, it's interesting that there is such a close race in Victoria for a change.
posted by Nevin at 3:21 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
A close race in Victoria? Did Hell freeze over?
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:30 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:30 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
A close race between the Greens and the NDP. Totally reasonable. Still awesome!
posted by Lemurrhea at 5:08 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by Lemurrhea at 5:08 PM on July 27, 2015
pass a bill saying that the Senate is abolished pending confirmation of the provinces
Kind of exists now. Even then it won't be a straight-forward issue - it is going to take plenty of wrangling. Also a case can be made that it might be bad for us in the long run to abolish the upper house.
A close race in Victoria? Yep - the image is a bit unwieldy (from here Eric Grenier's excellent threehundredeight blog) but zoom in and look at the Victoria riding: 36.9 for NDP, 30.3 for Greens, Liberals 24.1, Tories 8.2.
posted by Ashwagandha at 5:16 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Kind of exists now. Even then it won't be a straight-forward issue - it is going to take plenty of wrangling. Also a case can be made that it might be bad for us in the long run to abolish the upper house.
A close race in Victoria? Yep - the image is a bit unwieldy (from here Eric Grenier's excellent threehundredeight blog) but zoom in and look at the Victoria riding: 36.9 for NDP, 30.3 for Greens, Liberals 24.1, Tories 8.2.
posted by Ashwagandha at 5:16 PM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
What was extremely annoying that day was that a whole lot of news organizations posted stories about the fire early in the day, than replaced them with stories of the goddamn photo op later in the day, so trying to use google news to find out what was up with the fire at the end of the day was impossible.
posted by lastobelus at 11:12 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by lastobelus at 11:12 PM on July 27, 2015
In other Harper news, Anonymous has hacked CSIS and is threatening to release a bunch of secrets.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:33 AM on July 28, 2015
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:33 AM on July 28, 2015
All I can see with that title is a really sweet pseudo-vic-viper style star fighter. Pew! Pew!
👔
| |
|
⛪
posted by boo_radley
All I can see in this is the second coming.
posted by symbioid at 12:14 PM on July 28, 2015
👔
| |
|
⛪
posted by boo_radley
All I can see in this is the second coming.
posted by symbioid at 12:14 PM on July 28, 2015
« Older MEEF-EYE | Not all opinions are created equal Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Also, I'm apparently the first person to utilize/create the 'fuckharper' tag.
posted by Fizz at 8:06 AM on July 27, 2015 [3 favorites]