Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Sweet redemption

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 7:50pm - 9 Comments

Bob Rae’s current Facebook status.

Bob Rae is listening to President Obama “the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose a job” and shouting “Rae Days”!

Tags: Barack Obama, Bob Rae

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http://www.illegalcurve.com AMM

Truly, Bob was a man ahead of his time.
http://prairiewrangler.wordpress.com/ Olaf

Haha, well done Bob. The funny thing is, Obama is going to endorse a number of policies that appear to Canadian progressives as hard-core right wing. I really don’t think many of them realized the rhetorical gift that was GWB. It’s going to be a tough year for progressive talking points, but I trust Aaron will be on his A-game, as always.
Blues Clair

Spending your way out of a recession, Obama and Harper will show Rae how it is truly done.
http://www.canadianrosebud.blogspot.com burlivespipe

Yeah Olaf, I guess no one can live up to the lowering expectations like your dogs Harper and Bush. Feel free to list off those Obama policies that are ‘hard-core right wing’. I’m afraid protectionism doesn’t apply — afterall, Canada has had its own dance with ‘self-interest’ and ‘preserving Canadian jobs’…

http://prairiewrangler.wordpress.com/ Olaf

How is it that anyone who doesn’t swoon at the name “Obama” gets branded a Harper/Bushite?

But regarding your question, how about this: Obama doesn’t support gay marriage, doesn’t want a carbon tax, wants a massive build up of occupation forces in Afghanistan, resolutely supports Israel, wants tax cuts, advocates two tier “Americanized” health care, wants to “find, disrupt, and destroy al Qaeda”, mentions God in his speeches more than Bush, and is effectively a born-again Christian. Should I go on? I hope not, because I’m out of examples.

Obama is to the right of Harper, policy wise, and yet the former is championed by Canadians as a progressive saviour and the latter is a blood thirsty fascist. It makes no sense. Also ridiculous: Canadian conservatives who cheer on Harper unreservedly and yet think Obama is some kind of dangerous, left wing nut bar. If he’s a left-wing nut bar, what does that make Harper?

http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

“How is it that anyone who doesn’t swoon at the name “Obama” gets branded a Harper/Bushite?”

I’ll take that insult. I was told that I was a member of KKK here a few days ago because I wasn’t prostrating myself before the magnificence that is The One.

I find it interesting how right wing America is and how left wing Canada is which leads to the dichotomies that you describe. I find Harper not very conservative at all but many progressive here think he’s evil incarnate just because he’s in Con party. People are looking at labels, not policies, because most progressives don’t really have much of a problem with Con policies so far.

http://www.canadianrosebud.blogspot.com burlivespipe

Yeah Olaf, I guess no one can live up to the lowering expectations like your dogs Harper and Bush. Feel free to list off those Obama policies that are ‘hard-core right wing’. I’m afraid protectionism doesn’t apply — afterall, Canada has had its own dance with ‘self-interest’ and ‘preserving Canadian jobs’…
http://phantomobserver.com PhantomObserver

One major difference: Obama’s speech implied the workers were volunteering. Rae, on the other hand, didn’t trust the workers that much. Obama – bottom up, Rae – top down. Advantage Obama. ‘Nuff said.
archangel

“I find Harper not very conservative at all but many progressive here think he’s evil incarnate just because he’s in Con party.”

You are correct. Harper is not evil — he is merely a nincompoop (I LOVE that word!). Or, if you prefer, an asshat. And you know the CPoC will never gain a majority with that person at the helm. Oh, and I believe in political and cultural relativism when it comes to left and right judgements. Obama is left enough for America. Harper is not right enough for you. He’s plain wrong for me.

And MY relatives agree.