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v THE COLUMN I’M GLAD I DIDN’T WRITE Angry amateurs a serious threat | Eric Margolis Zazi confessed after prosecutors threatened to imprison his entire family. This is exactly how the Soviet secret police got people to sign confessions during the 1930s purges. We also learned that CIA interrogators menaced suspects with an electric drill, or threatened to arrest their families. Security is vital, but equally so is upholding the law and democratic values. Two crimes do not make a right. PREVIOUS EDITIONS What a mess… Boomers' poisoned legacy of debt (Gwyn) PREVIOUS EDITIONS Repatriation games (Wark) The contrast with the British handling of a parallel case, that of Binyam Mohammed, is striking. Mohammed ended up at Gitmo in 2004 after being captured in Pakistan. He had been detained for five years before being repatriated, at the British government's request, to Britain, even though, it should be noted, he was not a British citizen. Memo to W. Wark: Mr. Mohammed was not facing prosecution for allegedly killing a US soldier. PREVIOUS EDITIONS A slow day on Front Street Women's hockey Inequality in Sweden and Russia - Globe and MailPREVIOUS EDITIONS History isn't kind to pundits (Gardner) Then as now, most looked at Reagan's first or second year in office and had a feeling about how things would go. Then as now, most trusted that feeling. Sure, they knew how things would shake out. Sure they did. Barack Obama's fate is no more predictable than Ronald Reagan's was. Still think the first-year approval numbers tell the tale? Memo to D Gardner: The Reagan and Clinton examples are precisely what most analysis of Obama’s predicament pointed out; it’s now commonplace and barely worth a mention. PREVIOUS EDITIONS Feud between Mulroney-era ministers reignites (Yaffe) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010 Oops Bad Stephen’s bullying ways | Michael Harris | Ottawa Sun The real purpose is to get the opposition to insist on their vacations. That will give him a good line of attack should prorogation ever become an election issue: The guys who bemoaned a prorogued Parliament wouldn’t give up their holidays.
Fiscal Scare Tactics (KRUGMAN) there’s no reason to panic about budget prospects for the next few years, or even for the next decade. Consider, for example, what the latest budget proposal from the Obama administration says about interest payments on federal debt; according to the projections, a decade from now they’ll have risen to 3.5 percent of G.D.P. How scary is that? It’s about the same as interest costs under the first President Bush. Why, then, all the hysteria? The answer is politics. Here’s why Growth in a time of debt -- maybe (Watson) THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2010 Harper's new, grim consensus (Walkom) the Harper government's essential aim has been simple – to make appointments to the agency's board that will shift its approach to Israel and the Palestinians.,, Writing in the magazine Policy Options, Van Pelt (who heads the evangelical Christian think-tank Cardus) and associate Ray Penning argued that this old, small-l liberal consensus – which both Liberals and Tories ascribed to for years and which emphasizes "an aggressive rights-based polity that identifies with tolerance" – is ending. Memo to T. Walkom: In fact, Mulroney’s Mideast policy was closer to Harper’s than to Chrétien’s or Trudeau’s TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 Peace for sale in Afghanistan? | Greg Weston | Ottawa Sun Until recently, anyone who suggested even talking to the Taliban as a possible step towards peace was branded a terrorist sympathizer by the Conservatives. NDP leader Jack Layton, for instance, has been the target of Conservative derision for years, nicknamed “Taliban Jack” for his ardent position the war would never be won by fighting alone, and would ultimately involve negotiations with the enemy. Memo to Greg: His ardent position has been that the war could be won by talk alone PREVIOUS EDITIONS Hmm. Should not a certain relationship have been disclosed Harper really is dangerous (Neville)
You can read this in the Star: Obama rediscovers his mojo (Gwyn) Or these columns here THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 As if he had nothing to do with this war A civilian surge from Canada (Lang)
Defending free Olympic tickets (McInnes) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2010 U.S. governance just got even more dysfunctional (Simpson) Memo to J. Simpson: I don’t recall similar concerns when the Democrats were making use of the super-majority rule (on judicial nominations), or when judicial activism was going their way (Roe v. Wade) or when judicial activism was working in favour of the Liberals on abortion, same sex marriage etc. A few more lapdogs for the kennel (Martin) Memo to D. Martin: Abolition is not on. So what’s your position? TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2010 Sounds like pretty good news to me! Troubled Obama administration puts Canada on back burner (Yaffe) MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010 Worst political advice of the day Make Senate reform a confidence vote (Fildebrandt) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2009 Mulroney's advice to PM: I cared! There was Barack Obama charging in to save the day. Where were you in Copenhagen when Obama summoned 19 other world leaders for a pivotal meeting to thrash out the framework for a deal? It's one thing to miss the "family photo" at a G8 summit because you're in the bathroom. But to not even rate an invitation to a consultation – while Australia is seated at the table wearing the mantle of middle power? Nothing against those Aussies, but they are a smaller economy and population. So why was their PM, Kevin Rudd, being asked for his advice by Obama while you were cooling your heels? Memo to Regg Cohn: You should read Obama’s reviews!
Prorogation A rumour and a bad precedent - Globe and Mail Considering the scarcity of recent precedent, Ms. Jean was right to give Mr. Harper the benefit of the doubt and accept that advice, which was at any rate defensible. There was a severe economic crisis to be responded to, and the suddenly improvised alliance of the three opposition parties seemed an unlikely prospect for a stable new government….a prorogation in early 2010 would not be in their own interests, and would be contrary to the spirit of the Constitution. Memo to Globe editorialist: In fact, last year’s prorogation was a more flagrant violation of the spirit of the Constitution MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009 Pass the Bill (KRUGMAN Dec. 18) A Dangerous Dysfunction (KRUGMAN today) (Management wants me to make it clear that in my last column I wasn’t endorsing inappropriate threats against Mr. Lieberman.)
What's Going On? (KRUGMAN, March 29, 2005) the big step by extremists will be an attempt to eliminate the filibuster, so that the courts can be packed with judges less committed to upholding the law than Mr. Greer. A Dangerous Dysfunction (KRUGMAN today) Back in the mid-1990s two senators — Tom Harkin and, believe it or not, Joe Lieberman — introduced a bill to reform Senate procedures. (Management wants me to make it clear that in my last column I wasn’t endorsing inappropriate threats against Mr. Lieberman.) Sixty votes would still be needed to end a filibuster at the beginning of debate, but if that vote failed, another vote could be held a couple of days later requiring only 57 senators, then another, and eventually a simple majority could end debate. Mr. Harkin says that he’s considering reintroducing that proposal, and he should. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2009 U.S. turbulence buffets Pakistan (MARGOLIS) On my office wall hang photos of yours truly with Pakistan's last four leaders. Two -- Zia ul Haq and Benazir Bhutto -- were murdered. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted in a military coup led by photo number four, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who was deposed by Pakistan's military in a slow-motion coup. Either I'm a jinx, or leading Pakistan is a job with poor career prospects. Now, Washington is finally getting the democracy it has been calling for in Pakistan -- and it's the mother of all backfires. I've not met Pakistan's current president, Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto. PREVIOUS EDITIONS Here’s what happens when a columnist doesn’t know much about an issue: Porter: Why can't Harper be more like Miller? WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2009 We're in the climate doghouse, but we can spend our way out (Reguly) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2009 Travers: Who's boss, the PM or Parliament? a dispute that began with stonewalled reports of Afghan prisoner abuse is set to become the crucible that determines if the Prime Minister or Parliament is now supreme. Memo to Travers: A fine column, with one exception. In Canada, the Constitution, as interpreted by nine judges, is supreme. MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2009 The ol' vanishing deficit trick | Greg Weston | Ottawa Sun First, Flaherty's promise of no tax increases doesn't include Employment Insurance premiums which are likely to go through the roof…. Whatever tall tales the Conservatives are spinning about the current stimulus spending spree, the tallest is that we can pay for it all without higher taxes. Memo to G Weston: So, are you in favour of tax increases or not? SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2009 Oops Will they save the world or save face? (Gorrie) Hopes for an outcome with substance rose after U.S. President Barack Obama announced he'd attend – although, tellingly, he'll show up near the beginning of the conference rather than involve himself in the concluding "high level" segment when the leaders will hammer out whatever deal is possible. some are unhappy the U.S. president will likely skip the final talks. In response, China downgraded its representation from President Hu Jintao to Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009 This may be the plan. Or not. Obama may well have dodged a Taliban bullet (Gwyn) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 --Denmark’s minister in the Star: famous last words Time is up — the deadline is Copenhagen We have no alternative. We must handle climate change and we must do it right now. Copenhagen is the deadline. Time is up. Let's get the job done. PREVIOUS EDITIONS Walkom: Sorry, it does look like Vietnam Memo to Walkom: The distinction is all about strategic interests
Obama shifts to nation-building in Afghanistan (V Sun) Memo to Manthorpe: It’s the very antithesis of nation-building TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009 Colvin is just doing his job (Attaran, Pardy) The Supreme Court of Canada wrote the final word on the duty of loyalty in 1985: "The loyalty owed is to the Government of Canada, not the political party in power at any one time. A public servant need not vote for the governing party. Nor need he or she publicly espouse its policies. And indeed, in some circumstances a public servant may actively and publicly express opposition to the policies of a government. This would be appropriate if, for example, the Government were engaged in illegal acts
Memo to Attaran, Pardy: That’s precisely what Colvin didn’t do when, in his view, torture was taking place. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009 Two papers in one! Canada's miners abroad (Star editorial yesterday sucks up) Canada's mining, oil and gas firms think of themselves as good offshore citizens. Certainly, they are a rich source of overseas jobs, wages, royalties and social benefits. Barrick Gold Corp., for example, ploughed $8 billion back into host communities in 2008, employing 19,000 people at mines in Canada, the United States and a half-dozen other countries. It built roads, schools, clinics and more. But Canadian firms in Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Congo, India, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea have come under fire since 2000 for violent clashes with anti-mining activists, for allegedly damaging the environment, for uprooting small-scale farmers and for other shortcomings, as the Star's Brett Popplewell has reported. Miner accused of 'aggressive' tactics (Star reports today) Testifying by video hookup at hearings of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, Romina Picolotti singled out Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. as one of the multinationals that used political and economic clout to block government intervention in the firm's mining ventures in Argentina. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009 Senator Colin Kenny sucks and blows Opinion: Setback for 'Canadian approach' I have argued recently that Canada should get on with withdrawing its military mission from Afghanistan now, rather than waiting until 2011, our official exit date. But if we are not going to withdraw now, I am in full agreement with making development a key part of our investment in attempting to stabilize the country. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009 I'm never without my secret weapon when travelling abroad | Pat MacAdam SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009 MacKay shines under heat (MAHER) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009 Stephen Harper and the politics of suspicion Memo to Don Newman: You’ve been living in Ottawa too long. PREVIOUS EDITIONS --A great moment in Canadian journalism Harper becoming deft at Canada-U.S. relations (MACDONALD) overall, Harper's handling of his most important file has been impressive, according to the country's leading authority on Canada-U.S. relations. "I know something about Canada-U.S. relations," says Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister, who also invested heavily in interpersonal relations with American presidents. "And I find that Stephen Harper has been handling the U.S. file masterfully. And results will flow from it." TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 A publicity hound who’s been all over the map and should be ignored Senator finds post-2011 plans for Afghanistan don't make sense (Yaffe) Kenny, who chairs the standing Senate committee on national security and defence, says he has received an enormous volume of mail from the public in support of his views -- expressed in September -- that in Afghanistan "we are hurtling toward a Vietnam ending," and should retreat. Kenny says unless the Harper government is prepared to keep troops in Afghanistan for decades, it should consider "taking a pass on nation-building and instead just worry about al-Qaida." MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009 The fairest of an unfair lot (Soupcoff) PREVIOUS EDITIONS Here's your crown (BAGNALL) --Here’s your answer: What the NY Times is reporting on Canada In Canada, a Royal Yawn for Prince Charles Can Charles, the sometimes self-pitying scion of an exceptionally wealthy family that lives in a country increasingly disconnected from Canada, live up to the description, posted on the royal Web site, of a monarch who “personifies the state and is the personal symbol of allegiance, unity and authority for all Canadians”? The answer may be that he may not have to. His royal status is written into the Canadian Constitution, and amending that is a fractious process that requires the unanimous consent of Parliament and all 10 provinces. Going through that to eliminate or change a monarchy that few people pay attention to may seem far more trouble than it is worth. “We haven’t replaced the queen, and I don’t think we should or really can,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political scientist at the University of Toronto. “Why do we want to get into that quicksand?” THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009 Why Obama can't afford to switch course (Yakabuski, Oct 30) Tactics govern Obama teams swing to conservative side (Yakabuski today) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 Stop tickling Quebec and win. Or tickle it often and lose (Simpson) A more astute analysis here TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2009 Kicked in the tweets | Greg Weston | Columnists | Comment | Ottawa Sun PREVIOUS EDITIONS How dare he!! (And lest you think I have a conflict of interest) The real problem is the Fiat-ization of Chrysler. Americans have never taken to Fiat styling. Fiat is the unlikeliest candidate to erase Chrysler's abysmal reputation for poor quality. Fiat itself ranks in the bottom quarter of more than 20 brands in J.D. Power's latest customer satisfaction survey in the company's core European market. The word crapshoot comes to mind to describe what Marchionne is embarked on, that's how pie-in-the-sky it is. Except in that game, you play with your own money. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009 Unglamorous, ordinary women find a welcome icon in Camilla (Blatchford) My friend Rosie DiManno of The Toronto Star quoted Andrew Morton, the Diana biographer, saying that while this visit would be a relevant litmus test for the monarchy, he predicted “two 60-year-old Brits wandering around Canada will not set pulses racing.” Here’s someone/thing else Ms Blatchford’s friend quoted yesterday DiManno: As royals tour, a Rottweiler reminder - thestar.com settle down. I'm not the one who famously dubbed Camilla Parker Bowles, as she was then, The Rottweiler, a sic-dog famous for its never-let-go jaw clench.
Bergeron's Muslim faith shouldn't matter to voters (AUBIN) it would be easy for readers to see Bergeron's religion as supporting evidence of his erratic views, the primary evidence for which is his idea that 9/11 was a Bush administration conspiracy. The Gazette's first mention of Bergeron's religion came in a news story the day after the election. This paper reported his first-time allusion to his faith in public: At an election-night rally, he had jokingly scoffed at any possibility his Muslim faith influenced his view of 9/11. I learned about Bergeron's religion three years ago. One of his fellow leftists who dislikes him informed me in the hope I would report it - and thus undermine support for him. I haven't written about it until now, when it is public. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009 Totally unnecessary and unworthy of her DiManno: Max, Buddy, Lady, Lucky - and DuchessTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009 You have to wonder whether he reads his text before filing Temporary workers program is a time bomb - thestar.com (Siddiqui) Lead graf The Stephen Harper Conservatives have adopted one of the worst policies of authoritarian oil-rich Arab states: an exploitative system of indentured labour, a.k.a. the temporary workers program…. Continuing on This is what happened across Europe because of the guest worker program.
eponymously named, my arse: he paid for the naming rights The case for action on climate change (Griffiths) The debate is being instigated by philanthropist Peter Munk. For two years, his eponymously named Munk Debates, which I help organize, have brought world-renowned thinkers to Canada to tackle meaty public policy issues.
--A great moment in Canadian journalism Looking the Prince in the eye (Coutts) I wouldn't say jealousy overcame me, but I momentar i l y wondered why it wasn't me up there. To come so close and not have a chance to meet the man born to one day rule Canada. I felt like a bronze medalist. Mr. McGuinty began leading Charles and Camilla toward the entrance. And I realized, "They would have to pass by me." My hands stopped shaking, my resolve grew strong and I waited. As he approached, his eyes focused on the ground and Mr. McGuinty spoke into his ear. Leaning forward slightly, I smiled. I smiled wide. I smiled to the point it began to feel unnatural, and I eased back slightly. He looked up and his eyes met mine. The moment froze. His salt-and-pepper hair, parted from left to right, was pressed close to his head. The wrinkles that covered his memorable face mixed with laugh lines and...he smiled. For one second, on his first day in Toronto, Prince Charles smiled at me. His straight teeth were parted slightly, his mouth's edges turned subtly upward. He wore two poppies, I remember it clearly. And then it was over. He returned to his conversation, and I returned to being just another journalist chronicling his visit to Canada. He would go on to meet with Canadian business leaders to discuss social responsibility. Much later that evening, he would meet hundreds of Ontario's most influential -- from politicians to artists, and perhaps even a celebrity or two. The task at hand would have his ear again. But for one brief moment, I had hisWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 Actually, this would be more likely to ensure a Conservative majority Liberals and New Democrats together could unseat Harper (Michael Byers) There is only one surefire way to prevent a Harper majority. The Liberals and NDP should agree to not run candidates against each other in the next campaign. Here’s the way to do it SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2009 Seeking a cure is worse than the disease A right royal yawn (Kennedy) It is time to say goodbye to our indisputably British monarch. And it's time to replace that monarch with an indisputably Canadian head of state -- legally, culturally, constitutionally and no longer merely the "de facto" noted recently by Rideau Hall. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2009 --A great moment in Canadian journalism The torch lit an Olympic spark in me (Mason) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2009 Pissing in the wind The time has come to look seriously at a Canadian head of state (Yaffe) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009 Ignatieff to let Tories stew in 'frying pan' (D Martin, last week) Laughter has returned to the floor above Stephen Harper's office on Parliament Hill, where the Liberal leader is gleefully rewriting the party's winter playbook. The man, myth and mission (D Martin today) If the news of his return is any indication, the myth is no longer the man as he launches a mission to salvage his political alma mater from its slide toward oblivion. PREVIOUS EDITIONS It’s okay to lie to voters, as long as it’s for your side Flaherty throws tax strategies to left field (Milke) One feature of partisan politics is the tendency for those elected to play games with expectations, lest they actually do what voters who cast a vote in their direction might expect, this from a fear of critics on the other side. This is not always a negative. For example, should a party with little sympathy for business instead suddenly show more appreciation for entrepreneurs, as the former NDP government in Saskatchewan did on occasion, such changes, though disappointing to core supporters, are welcome when they are good policy.
A mess that rises to the level of an idiocy Spoiled brat separatists dishonour Van doos (Lakritz) Shame on all those who are sitting comfortably at home in Quebec, mouthing vile separatist sentiments, while these soldiers are losing their lives proudly representing what the separatist contingent from their home province dismisses as "another nation." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2009 Missing the most important point Hillier refuses to stay silent (Martin)
Hillier argued for Kabul, instead of Kandahar deployment: memoir (CP) MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2009 What a mess Who is our head of state: Jean or the Queen? (White) PREVIOUS EDITIONS Incomplete interviews (Heartfield) What Ms. Heartfield ‘forgets’ to mention Bob Rae, meet Paul Jamieson (Post) She also was 7cm shorter than her listed height.
Canada to delay flu vaccine rollout - The Globe and Mail (Globe today) The pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in Canada is not as severe as expected nor is it spreading quickly, the country's top public health official has determined as he put the brakes on an early rollout of the vaccine. The hare is likely to win this race - The Globe and Mail (yesterday’s editorial) Canada, the tortoise. The vaccine for H1N1 is, as of this week, being made available in the United States. In Canada, it may be another five weeks before it is ready for use. The tortoise will eventually get there. But that's not much consolation if the influenza pandemic, the first in 41 years, arrives first, and starts killing pregnant women, children and teenagers. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009 Harper hasn't changed his tune (Reid) In Harper's case, however, he has already settled on his political strategy and it does not include any serious courting of the black-tie set. The NAC appearance charmed because his enjoyment of the moment was obviously sincere. But does anyone doubt the sincerity of his words last October when he dismissed the artists who attend "rich galas" as living off of "subsidies" provided by "ordinary working people"? That also seemed to provide a pretty authentic glimpse into Stephen Harper's soul. Memo to Scott Reid: He played a Beatles song. Not Chopin. Not Bill Evans. He’s going after middle-brows—a category that would appear to include most parliamentary reporters. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009 Private space for public figures (Cohen) Memo to A. Cohen: The Americans are also having a robust debate on Afghanistan—a debate we never had (in part, thanks to our media).
Non-partisanship, Toronto Star variety! TheStar.com | Opinion | Time to debate our election debates (Regg Cohn) The challenge for Canadians is to safeguard our enviable track record without letting anyone derail the debates in future. And the priority is to find a new institution to take responsibility for the debates. That means replacing the discredited network consortium with a new consortium that is properly networked: a group of universities and think-tanks that brings together, for example, Axworthy's democracy centre at Queen's with the newly merged Historica-Dominion Institute. PREVIOUS EDITIONS West needs to strike a grand bargain with Iran (Siddiqui) amid all the anti-Iran propaganda (which our media are dutifully repeating, as they did on Iraq), let's remember the following: The National Intelligence Estimate, a consensus of all U.S. spy agencies, is holding fast to its 2007 view that Iran abandoned its nuclear weapons program in 2003. Israel doesn't buy that. Britain and Germany think Iran resumed its program in 2004. But the most neutral source, the IAEA, said as late as Tuesday that there is "no credible evidence" that Iran is making nuclear weapons, period. --What the NY Times is reporting Report Says Iran Has Data to Make a Nuclear Bomb Senior staff members of the United Nations nuclear agency have concluded in a confidential analysis that Iran has acquired “sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable” atom bomb. The report by experts in the International Atomic Energy Agency stresses in its introduction that its conclusions are tentative and subject to further confirmation of the evidence, which it says came from intelligence agencies and its own investigations. But the report’s conclusions, described by senior European officials, go well beyond the public positions taken by several governments, including the United States. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2009 TheStar.com | Insight | A sigh of relief on Iran - for now (Walkom) Indeed, that announcement, carefully staged to dominate the last day of an international meeting on the economy, was eerily reminiscent of the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq War – right down to the glee of Fox News, which announced that Iran had been caught in "a gotcha moment." What Mr. Walkom appears to have missed France's Approach to Iran Toughens Under Sarkozy The tough new French approach marks a clear change from the days of Presidents Jacques Chirac and George W. Bush, when France was often a reluctant U.S. ally compared with Britain and Germany. In contrast, Sarkozy in recent weeks has used a sharper tone than have British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- and President Obama -- in denouncing Iran's nuclear program and advocating sanctions to force Tehran to allow inspectors in. And this France Plays Unaccustomed Role: Diplomatic Hawk And this Sarkozy Snubs Obama on Nuclear Threat Stance On Sept. 24, Obama ostentatiously presided over the Security Council. With 14 heads of state (or government) at the table, with an American president at the chair for the first time ever, with every news camera in the world trained on the meeting, it would garner unprecedented worldwide attention. Unknown to the world, Obama had in his pocket explosive revelations about an illegal uranium enrichment facility that the Iranians had been hiding near Qom. The French and the British were urging him to use this most dramatic of settings to stun the world with the revelation and to call for immediate action. Obama refused. Not only did he say nothing about it, but, reports the Wall Street Journal (citing Le Monde), Sarkozy was forced to scrap the Qom section of his speech. Obama held the news until a day later -- in Pittsburgh. I've got nothing against Pittsburgh (site of the G-20 summit), but a stacked-with-world-leaders Security Council chamber it is not. Why forgo the opportunity? Because Obama wanted the Security Council meeting to be about his own dream of a nuclear-free world. The president, reports the New York Times citing "White House officials," did not want to "dilute" his disarmament resolution "by diverting to Iran." FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009 1 Sanctions against going nuclear - The Globe and Mail When Iran and six major powers meet on Thursday in Geneva to discuss Iran's nuclear program, those six powers must make clear that sanctions with real teeth are in the offing, after Iran's furtive behaviour in its disclosure under pressure of a nuclear facility inside a mountain near Qom. Op-Ed Columnist - The U.S.-Iranian Triangle (COHEN) Ray Takeyh, who worked on Iran with Dennis Ross at the State Department before losing his job last month and returning to the Council on Foreign Relations, told me that “sanctions are the feel-good option.” 2 TheStar.com | Opinion | Riding spat reveals deep fractures (Hébert) Here’s a better column, including the name that doesn’t cross Ms. Hébert’s lips: The Liberal follies (MACDONALD) Cauchon's career path began in his native La Malbaie, where he worked as a butler on the household staff of Paul Desmarais. This is how he would have met Desmarais's son André and his wife France, whose father, Jean Chrétien, became Liberal leader in 1990, after years of constantly undermining the leadership of John Turner. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2009 Sucking and blowing Who speaks for Ontario? Not our MPs, evidently (Persichilli) I don't like the regionalization of national politics – the way it is in the United States – but the presence of the Bloc Québécois in our federal Parliament is driving our political system in that direction. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2009 Stéphane Dion deserves better (Gaz editorial, Sept. 25) André Pratte : La «coderrisation» du PLC-Québec (editorial, Sept 23) Le Devoir reported yesteray that M. Coderre hoped to freeze out several incumbents, notably Stéphane Dion. Be that as it may, M. Dion has at last received a letter from Mr. Ignatieff confirming his candidacy. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2009 TheStar.com | Opinion | Why Ignatieff should start imitating Trudeau (Hepburn) Memo to Bob: he’s no Pierre Trudeau. Not even close. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 Liberals hurt themselves fighting over Quebec ridings (MacDONALD) One of the incumbents on Coderre's hit list is none other than Stéphane Dion, a former leader of the party. André Pratte, in today’s La Presse M. Dion a finalement reçu une lettre du chef confirmant sa candidature.
In politics, whiners are never winners. A male-order Parliament (Gervais) For most women to succeed in this type of arena, they are expected to conform and participate in processes that have been designed to control rather than facilitate. Just look at the language used. In party nomination processes you are expected to prove that you are "competitive" and can "play the game" through winning a nomination "battle." In the nomination race I participated in 2004 I was asked if I could get people appointments to secure support, I was expected to pay for membership fees for "communities" interested in supporting me, but "not familiar with our system," and was told by the party that it did not need to institute certain, optional, "fairness" aspects of the rules, because they would not favour the front-runner, which I of course was perceived not to be. No one, however, asked me to participate in a debate of ideas -- not one -- with the four other candidates. Entry would not be gained through winning over like minds, but by learning the secret handshake. It's not a terribly democratic process, and an objectionable one to most people. But you've got to be able to live with yourself in the end. In my case, I withdrew. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 Safety for civilians - The Globe and Mail the United Nations conference proposed for this year by Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown may well be the best context in which the perplexing policy questions that Gen. McChrystal's report discusses could find some answers. Simpson nails it: What did NATO expect in Afghanistan, anyway? (Simpson) Still more troops, and a different political and military strategy, will be required to avert “failure.” If so, it will be for the United States alone to increase troops and implement a new strategy. Canada will end its military effort in 2011. Italians are already clamouring for their mission to end, after losing six soldiers. Germany certainly isn't going to up its ante. The Dutch, Danes and British have been doing a lot of fighting, along with the Canadians and Americans. They certainly won't be doing more. Nor will the Australians, who valiantly agreed to come to Afghanistan despite not being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Americans alone must implement Gen. McChrystal's strategy, the outcome of a hard-nosed analysis of the challenge of winning in Afghanistan. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 The healing begins (MACDONALD) Here’s another take SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 'He got more subsidy than me' (Watson) There are at least as many clunkers among books as there are among cars, but if a book is good, there will be a market for it. People will pay good money, their own money, to buy it. Why instead should all citizens be asked to finance it, not in proportion to their affection for it, but in proportion to their income or property holdings or purchases of goods and services? Memo to Bill Watson: Because the entire country benefits when Canadians tell stories to one another. And, with our small population and the penetration of US media, the market is unlikely to do the job insofar as fiction, film and television are concerned. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 Why read Gwyn? TheStar.com | Opinion | U.S. reforms remain far out of reach When you can read Krugman Op-Ed Columnist - Baucus and the Threshold - NYTimes.com And Krauthammer Charles Krauthammer - Obama, Too Subtle to Lie, Misleads on Health Reform - washingtonpost.com THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 Yuan-a-bet that doofus of a PM has a greater yen for ren (minbi)? TheStar.com | Canada | If PM played China card, Uncle Sam might listen Harper, after sorely testing party patience with ideological reversals, isn't keen to be seen backing away from his commitment not to barter Canadian values for the almighty yen. PREVIOUS EDITIONS If Mr. Harper wishes to maintain an iota of personal credibility with a President facing some difficult decisions, he’ll safely ignore advice to him that amounts to sucking and blowing in the European way on Afghanistan. Make this summit about Afghanistan - The Globe and Mail MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 Canada will do anything for attention (Yaffe) Is this really the length Canadians must go to in order to get the notice of American decision-makers? The answer seems to be yes. Explosions axed from Washington war games - The Globe and Mail PREVIOUS EDITIONS In Tehran, theocracy has morphed into thugocracy (Simpson) Suppose the Conservatives won the next Canadian election with a margin of victory far higher than anyone had thought possible. Suppose the opposition parties complained loudly about screw-ups and electoral manipulation, such that the prime minister announced an investigation of the results, with the investigation carried out by the Conservative Party national executive. The analogy is imperfect, to be sure, but something broadly similar is happening in Iran. Memo to J. Simpson: You must be kidding--right?
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