Posted on 06/09/2004 12:31:54 PM PDT by Clive
A Calgarian named Patrick Thompson called me yesterday to tell me he was quitting the Liberal party and was going to start campaigning for a local Conservative candidate.
Thompson, 38, says the liberal (or is that Liberal?) spending he saw in a particular Liberal candidate's Calgary campaign office was so lavish, he was sickened by it.
"I decided to switch because I found the Liberal campaign to be morally bankrupt," said Thompson yesterday.
Ironically, when he told campaign workers his plans, they tried to bribe him with lavish meals, a job and expensive booze.
That's when he told them that such tactics were the very reason he was leaving and changing teams.
"Locally, these Liberals are emulating what was happening federally with the sponsorship scandal. They are spending other peoples' money -- taxpayers' money -- with reckless abandon."
But, Thompson is not the only former Liberal jumping ship because of the rot he sees. Just a few hours after Thompson called, Senator Anne Cools announced she will no longer sit as a Liberal senator and will join the Conservative caucus in the Senate.
Cools pointed to the billions of dollars wasted or stolen in the Liberal sponsorship scandal and the long-arm registry as part of her reason for making the switch.
"I can no longer defend the Liberal record," said Cools, who was appointed to the Senate in January 1984 on the recommendation of then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, making her the first black senator in Canada.
"Like so many Canadians, I had been hopeful that Mr. Martin would initiate a new era, a genesis and renewal in the Liberal government. I had hoped for an affirmation of responsible government, diligent stewardship of public moneys and renewed leadership, accountable to elected members and the public, not its paid advisers," said Cools.
"But we have seen the opposite. We now know that Mr. Martin's promised review of the gun registry was posturing and optics."
Cools said after months of reflection she decided to become a Conservative senator, rather than an independent, primarily because of her personal respect for Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.
She called Harper "Canada's hope for change. He understands that elected members are Parliament's eyes and ears in our communities.
He welcomes members from all cultures and backgrounds, and has a keen intellect and respects debate."
The feeling is apparently mutual.
"Senator Cools has an impressive record of public service to this country," said a pleased Harper yesterday.
"Before being named to the Senate, she established Canada's first women's shelters at a time when speaking publicly about domestic violence was taboo.
"In the Senate, she has elevated the level of debate. In the face of scorn and derision by some, she has persisted in holding the government accountable. She has long earned my respect, and now my support, in joining the Conservative caucus in the Senate."
Senator Cools said, "Mr. Trudeau asked me to promise him that I would continue my work with troubled families. Most Canadian families live paycheque to paycheque, a fact that is often forgotten by Liberal government elites. Misdirected spending and failed management has cast a pall on everything government does, and discourages taxpayers."
The Conservatives' plan to lower taxes for Canada's poor and middle-class will help those very families.
So yes, Cools is a very big catch indeed.
But never underestimate the smaller catches like Thompson.
New converts always have the most zeal and he'll be a passionate door-knocker for the Conservatives.
And things continued to get uglier and uglier for Paul Martin, who was in Sea Island, Ga., where he was attending a G-8 leaders' summit.
Based on CPAC's SES nightly polls, Conservatives continue to hold on to a lead over the incumbent Liberals: Conservatives 35%, Liberals 31%, NDP 16%, BQ 11%, Green 6%.
There are three weeks to go in the campaign and the momentum is all in Harper's camp -- where big and small fish need no hook to be the catch of the day.
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Priceless...
Don't you mean "stinking" ship?
Better late than never. Or, is it just a ruse to infiltrate the conservative party?
They must be using the George Soros playbook.
Pretty bad time to infiltrate. You want to do that while your on top. Not very smart, sending your Black Women senator to the conservatives when your slipping down under the opposition in all the polls. It signals to women and blacks that liberals are not the only choice. Anyone else see a 'Conservative' revolution coming?
Wow! The Libs are sinking fast - no one wants to be seen voting for them.
Perfect!
Ann Cools has made quite the political evolution - from leftist radical at Sir George Williams to Conservative Senator! I certainly respect her.
Ought to post this one to Lonely Planet's discussion boards. "In Canada and need some free booze? Simply find the local liberal party HQ, walk in, and tell them you're preparing to vote conservative. The liquor will be flowing in no time!"
I'm amazed by what's going on in Canada. From what I had heard this is totally unforseen. Great work.
Maybe the Oil For Food thing is about to hit the fan up there.
Don't doze bums up in the Nort' realize that dem daze is gone! Now we ply dem losers with loosies and cartoons of "Newports". Why, I ain't given a panhandler a bottle of "Thunderbird" liquor since Kennedy ran back in '80!
I'd say this why today's Republican party is full of socialist wimps. Too many jumped ship. Ruse or no, they bring their leftyism with 'em.
Gosh! Who could have predicted that?!
Wonderful news. It is so nice to hear about people having courage and acting decently. I hope the Conservatives can save Canada from the crooks and socialists, but I repeat myself...
I have been impressed with her for a long time now; I think she's a classic example of a really smart woman who drifted away from socialism as she matured. I saw this coming when she launched her campaign to overhaul the way the family court system deals with divorced parents- when I learned about that it became obvious that she wouldn't toe the party line.
Duh.
Send him to America, we need all the conservatives we can get.
Regards, Ivan
Sounds like this set of liberals didn't go that extra (but, neccessary) step of making sure they had enough dirt on everyone involved in the party, so that they wouldn't even think of jumping ship.
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