Posted on 11/19/2004 7:56:23 AM PST by Clive
PRIME MINISTER Paul Martin finally demonstrated yesterday that he understands the wisdom of his fellow millionaire Donald Trump:
Sometimes you just have to say "You're fired."
Especially when one of your underlings is openly attacking you, embarassing herself and your entire operation.
But make no mistake. Martin's long-overdue ejection of Carolyn Parrish from the Liberal caucus yesterday is not really about her disgraceful dissing of U.S. President George Bush or her childish anti-American antics.
After all, she has been getting away with that stuff for nearly two years now, with little more than a slap on the wrist and a few "she doesn't represent the party" lines from her boss.
What changed? What convinced Martin to act?
Well, the PM himself was pointedly vague: "I cannot, as leader of our party and the government caucus, tolerate behaviour that demeans and disrespects others," he said. "It is unacceptable."
No argument there, but who, exactly, are the "others" he's talking about? Americans? Or people closer to home?
The fact is, Martin's attitude toward Parrish finally hardened less than 24 hours after she ranted to The Canadian Press -- not about the president and his administration, but about the prime minister and his team.
"I have absolutely no loyalty to this team -- none," she said, boasting that Martin's vain efforts to control her only made him look weak. She also said she "wouldn't shed a tear" if Martin were to lose the next election.
Next to that, Parrish's puerile performance in a This Hour Has 22 Minutes skit -- in which she stomped on a Bush doll, at the CBC comedy troupe's urging -- seems almost tame. Disrespectful and demeaning, yes, but more demeaning of her (and by extension, all Canadians) than Bush.
The whole fiasco says much more about Martin and his leadership than it does about his ex-MP. After all, Parrish conveniently delivered loads of Liberal votes last June, when Martin's election campaign was busily demonizing the Conservatives for being too pro-U.S.
But now that she's openly defied him, she's gone.
It's the right decision, of course -- and a risky one, given Martin's already precarious minority. But we can't help being cynical about the timing and reasons behind it.
As for all those Bush-hating Canadians who see Parrish as some kind of free-speech spokeswoman, surely they can do better. Like free advice, Parrish's juvenile "free" outbursts were worthless. The Grits are well rid of her.
And another thing ...
ON THE free speech front, cheers to the news that the unabashedly right-wing Fox News is finally being allowed into Canada. Our only regret is that the ever-entertaining Bush-backers on Fox won't have Parrish as a government MP to kick around anymore.
I can't read this story often enough! ;^)
She will have little opportunity to engage in her antics within the House, but she is still a loose cannon out in street, and with the media egging her on.
too bad her so-called consittuents cant' also fire her.
Who are the "Grits"?
So it wasn't her vile attacks on the US and Bush - it was attacking Martin that did her in.
Wow. It's a better day in Canada than it was yesterday.
I heard that FOX is only going to be available on digital. Can that be received by ordinary dishes?
Don't the liberals have no votes to spare in a vote of no confidence?
If she saved the dress,
take it for DNA tests,
then just sue the guy . . .
I would like to get THAT version of Fox News here in Atlanta. Is it pay per view?
I wish that were true, IMO they have too many liberals on FOX, but that's just me. Isn't it funny that the ONLY balanced cable network is tagged with being "right-wing", have they EVER referred to CNN as unabashedly liberal?
Understandable, in a way. Up until yesterday, she represented the left wing of the party. Martin could say, well, our party is a big tent and includes a spectrum of different opinions and ways of expressing them. But direct and outspoken disloyalty to the party leadership that includes an in-your-face challenge is unforgiveable.
I agree that in a sane civilization she should have been fired long since, but she wasn't because anti-Americanism is one of the foundational planks of the present day Canadian liberal party. Most of them are politer about it, but what Parrish said is regretably what most of them think, to one degree or another.
Its a term meaning "tenacious" or "dedicated." In Canadian usage, its a popular shorthand for the Liberals.
Being a minority Government, they exist at the pleasure of the Opposition. They have to ally themselves with one or two of the opposition parties to get legislation passed. Losing a seat means the Liberals are now twenty short of a House Of Commons majority.
Exactly. Parrish said what a lot of Liberals think about America but don't say aloud in public. The entire idea of Trudeaupia is based on the notion Canada is morally and politically superior to the United States, especially in its adoption of a European-style welfare state and multi-culturalism.
it should be the same Fox - not different like CNN International. Fox thinks the USA is pretty OK, so unlike CNN, it has no need for a seperate channel to bash the US beyond what is palatable for US audiences.
F**k Canuckistan!
That's not nice. It's not our fault the blue-state socialists leak over the border... :-)
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