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NDP Leader Jack Layton dies (leader of the official Opposition, Canada)
The Ottawa Sun ^ | Aug, 22, 2011 | David Akin

Posted on 08/22/2011 9:39:09 AM PDT by fanfan

OTTAWA - Jack Layton, the leader of the official Opposition, died early Monday morning, his family said.

Layton, 61, had been battling cancer for more than a year and, a month ago, announced he was temporarily stepping aside from his job to fight the disease.

Layton's immediate family -- his wife, MP Olivia Chow, and his children, Sarah and Michael -- issued a statement at about 8:30 a.m. Monday morning.

"We deeply regret to inform you that The Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 am today, Monday, Aug. 22. He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones. Details of Mr. Layton's funeral arrangements will be forthcoming."

Earlier this year, Layton led the New Democratic Party to its best electoral showing in the party's history.

Quebec MP Nycole Turmel had temporarily assumed leadership duties when Layton stepped aside last month.

Layton was born July 18, 1950 in Montreal and was raised in Hudson, Que. His father, Robert Layton, was a Progressive Conservative cabinet member and his grandfather, Gilbert Layton, was a Quebec cabinet minister.

Layton studied political science at McGill University before moving to Toronto in 1970 to continue his studies. He obtained his PhD in political science from York University and then became a professor at Ryerson University.

His political career began when he became a city councillor in Toronto in

1982 and served as acting deputy mayor and as a member of the Toronto Port Authority. He opposed the building of the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) and also opposed Toronto's bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

He ran for mayor in 1991, but lost to June Rowlands. He became head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities before moving into federal politics.

Layton took over for Alexa McDonough to become leader of the New Democrats in 2003, and was elected MP for the Toronto-Danforth riding in June 2004.

Since then, Layton has been the face of the party, and led them to new heights of success in the most recent election when the NDP ascended to the ranks of official opposition for the first time.

Layton married his high school sweetheart, Sally Halford, in 1969 when he was 19. They had two children together but the marriage ended in 1983.

He married Olivia Chow in 1988. Shortly after the wedding, Chow joined Layton on Toronto council. She also became an NDP MP in 2006. He became a grandfather in the summer of 2009.

Layton has had a public struggle with cancer since announcing on Feb. 5, 2010, that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

His father had also had prostate cancer 17 years earlier and recovered from it. His wife, Chow, also battled thyroid cancer.

Layton vowed to defeat it.

"Like my dad, I am a fighter and I am going to beat this," Layton told reporters.

But last month, Layton called a press conference in Toronto to announce he was battling a new cancer and would be stepping down temporarily from the NDP leadership to focus on his health.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Canada; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: jacklayton; ndp; obit; rip
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To: NFHale

I don’t know what your original comment said but I would probably take it and amplify it some if I could. My disgust with the degenerate based on abortion, gay marriage, persecution of social conservatives, etc. If God wants to give the guy some mercy I’m not trying to stop Him!


61 posted on 08/22/2011 12:47:27 PM PDT by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture (Could be worst in 40 years))
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To: fanfan
What kind of cancer can be embarrassing?

I have no idea. People talk about colon cancer; Lance Armstrong had testicular cancer.

It is very odd.

62 posted on 08/22/2011 12:48:29 PM PDT by proud American in Canada (To paraphrase Sarah Palin: "I love when the liberals get all wee-wee'd up.")
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To: NFHale
More info on Jack Layton getting found naked by police in a massage parlor that was under investigation for child prostitution.
63 posted on 08/22/2011 12:53:19 PM PDT by icwhatudo ("laws requiring compulsory abortion could be sustained under the constitution"-Obama official)
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To: buccaneer81
You can always pull Ed Broadbent out of mothballs.

LOL! The CBC did today - I'd forgotten he was still around. I must say he's better than what they're left with now in the House, a pack of thugs, communists and separatistes!

I really really really look forward to their leadership convention; I'm sure it will bring out the inner Bolshevik in a lot of Dippers. ;^)

64 posted on 08/22/2011 12:54:21 PM PDT by headsonpikes (Genocide is the highest sacrament of socialism - "Who-whom?")
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To: fanfan

Most Canadians disagreed with his politics, but liked and respected him as a true patriot.

Celebrate his passing if you had no problem with leftists cheering Reagan’s passing.


65 posted on 08/22/2011 12:57:56 PM PDT by 83Vet4Life
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To: fanfan

The man’s views were honestly idiotic and backward but he did pass away after fighting a long battle with cancer,I really think basic dignity means something in a case like that.

Even if he was stoned on painkillers 24/7 that must have been a horrible experience.


66 posted on 08/22/2011 1:16:40 PM PDT by Del Rapier
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To: 83Vet4Life
but liked and respected him as a true patriot.

Is that how you perceived Ted Kennedy?

67 posted on 08/22/2011 1:32:56 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (ECOMCON)
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To: NFHale

People that believe that socialists pose no real threat and that terrorists are merely misunderstood also believe that it is possible to pick up a turd by the “clean” end.


68 posted on 08/22/2011 1:42:30 PM PDT by festusbanjo (This is what happens when you hire a guy to run the country that hadn't run anything but his mouth)
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To: fanfan

Good people die young. My dad beat prostate cancer. When it comes back, the odds are long for any one. One’s last moments on earth should be spent with family and the kids. Layton died well.


69 posted on 08/22/2011 2:34:27 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Para-Ord.45

Unlike you, I think my opponents are also human beings. I detest his politics and still think that in a democracy, people have different visions of how advance the common good. I don’t believe socialism accomplishes it.

I’m not one to say politics has a place in private grief. Prime Minister Harper is a good man. In Canada, one doesn’t play hardball in politics like they do in the States. Civility counts for something there.


70 posted on 08/22/2011 2:38:19 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: littleharbour

It remains to be seen if any one else in the NDP will acquire his prominence and national stature.

The NDP opposition is a historical accident largely because French Canada voted against the Liberals.

And the Conservatives have a stable majority government for the next four years.


71 posted on 08/22/2011 2:40:55 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: proud American in Canada

Canada was given responsible government by Britain in 1848 and that meant a Cabinet responsible to an elected House. The Fathers Of Confederation modeled Canada’s federal government after that of the UK. It means the government is chosen from the House Of Commons and must maintain its confidence to remain in office and they cannot ever be opposed on any matter for any length of time. This means voters get what they want every time there is an election in Canada. Divided government is an impossibility in a parliamentary system of government.


72 posted on 08/22/2011 2:48:22 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: festusbanjo; icwhatudo; Lazamataz; buccaneer81; fanfan; headsonpikes; steve86; Para-Ord.45; ...

I once got into an argument with someone who made the VERY emphatic statement that “socialism and communism are two totally different things!! They are NOT the same!”

I was, to say the least, incredulous at the complete idiocy and lack of education coming from a person who I had thought was much more intelligent.

I suggested some in-depth reading of the enemy’s literature for clarification. To no avail. Some folks would just rather be...ignorant.

RE Layton: Maybe he was privately a great guy. Doesn’t matter. Politically, he was committed to the DEMISE of the personal freedom of the Canadian people and the capitalist system that has done MORE GOOD for human benigs planet-wide than anything else - as his ideological socialist brothers and sisters here in the US and everywhere else across the globe are. That, to me, makes him no better than Hugo Chavez or any other socialist. Doesn’t matter if he had a great smile and a big dog and contributed to the local Ice Cream factory for Homeless Orphans of broken-up Lesbian Marriages.

I got lambasted out here by a few posters for the “hatefulness” of my original comment, which the Admin Mod deleted; I was called a “scumbag” by one, and a “degenerate hate-filled ass” by another, who also compared me to DU’ers. That’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.

What DOES bother me is people out here, on Free Republic, who believe that its OK to censor something just because they find it disagreeable to their delicate sensibilities.

Tho’t that’s what we were fighting against??? Gee...Guess not.

Personally, I find it disagreeable that ANYONE can express sympathy and compasssion at the death of a man who, even as HE knew he was dying, could STILL find the time to sign legislation condemning MORE innocent unborn human beings to death. Legislation totally in keeping with the socialist philosophical underpinning of the NON-sanctity of human life.

Poster icwhatudo, at post 59, brings up the fact that this dead socialist politician was found naked by police in a massage parlor that was under investigation for child prostitution.

And I’m the “degenerate” and “scumbag????” Wow...what a strange, wierd world we live in now.

But hey. That’s the nature of debate, isnt it? Somebody gets ticked off, and has to call names. No problem.

But Names don’t change facts.

That’s what the lefties do. You present facts to them, and they scream “RACIST!!!” “HATEMONGER!!!!” or whatever convenient epithet they decide is appropriate and will make the object of their ignorance cower.

People need to get their priorities straight.

We’re at war with that ideology; more to the point, THEY’RE at war with US, and have been since Marx and Engles crawled out of the slime and wrote their stupid manifesto.

So you are correct - there IS no clean end to a turd. A POS is always going to BE a POS - whether dead or alive - and I’ll not waste tears, nor sympathy, nor compassion on ANYONE espousing that philosophy.

Nor will I PRETEND to for the sake of the delicate sensibilities of a few posters. I say, no so decorously - Get over it. We’re at war. Decide what side you’re on and live with it.

Glad most of us see eye to eye, and thanks for your support.

RE headsonpikes:
I am familiar with Solzhenitsyn. “But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” True, it does. But the last time I checked my own heart, good brother, I wasn’t the one with pen in hand signing legislation that gave the nod of approval of LAW to people aborting human beings.

At the end of the day, he is/was as responsible for those deaths as the man with the suction hose, needle or scalpel in their hand actually doing the deed.

We ALL have our own demons, true. But some people give them free reign, while others of us (thankfully the majority) do not and work to control them.


73 posted on 08/22/2011 3:00:03 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: Lazlo in PA

Thanks, brother Lazlo.


74 posted on 08/22/2011 3:02:09 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: sand88

Thanks, sand88.


75 posted on 08/22/2011 3:03:47 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: goldstategop

Bump


76 posted on 08/22/2011 3:13:48 PM PDT by fanfan (Why did they bury Barry's past?)
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To: NFHale

A “true dat BUMP”!


77 posted on 08/22/2011 3:17:55 PM PDT by SZonian (July 27, 2010. Life begins anew.)
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To: NFHale

Wouldn`t it be hilariously ironic if Jack (off) died because of Govt. run Deathcare misdiagnosed or being on a waiting list allowed his cancer to metasticise beyond the point of no return !

LOL

What a two`fer that would be. Tommy Douglas the racist homophobe eugenicist communist and his govt run monopoly of Deathcare kills the neo-marxist head of the party Douglas created !

LOL


78 posted on 08/22/2011 3:29:38 PM PDT by Para-Ord.45
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To: Para-Ord.45

“...died because of Govt. run Deathcare misdiagnosed or being on a waiting list ...”

Careful!!!!!! You might be called a “scumbag” or a “lowlife degenerate!” - or even get “removed” like I did...

I would TRULY believe in “Cosmic or Ironic Karmic Justice” if that were the case...however, I’ll settle for God making the choice He did...


79 posted on 08/22/2011 3:33:40 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: SZonian

Thank you...


80 posted on 08/22/2011 3:41:04 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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