Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

Categories: Capital Read, Inkless Wells

by Paul Wells on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 2:11pm - 27 Comments

February 19. A Thursday. Jack Layton is hoping President Obama will join him in a coalition, but if he doesn’t, Jack will be very angry.

Tags: Barack Obama

Critical Reasoning

Harper is hoping to build his legacy by pitching a North American greenhouse gas agreement with Obama. If Harper plays his cards right he can get quite a bit of political mileage out of the POTUS visit.

http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

I have been thinking about Harper and North American greenhouse agreement since yesterday’s budget. I think Harper’s between rock and hard place now because I don’t think there are many Cons/cons who are keen for a CO2 agreement and Harper can only kick his base in the goolies for so long before they get tired of it.

Critical Reasoning

Agreed, jwl. It’s too bad there aren’t any “shovel-ready” nuclear power projects, because that would be an excellent long-term national investment, not to mention a very positive step towards emissions reduction.
Lord Bob

As an alumnus of Mr. Harper’s base, I have to wonder where the rest of us will go now that we’ve been, as you so accurately phrased it, kicked in the goolies.

I think that part of the reason Harper is governing as a big-l Liberal is because he knows there’s no Reform Party breathing on the back of his neck waiting to scoop up all us disaffected Tories, and so he has carte blanche to do whatever will allow him to keep power.

Shenping

“Harper can only kick his base in the goolies for so long before they get tired of it.”

They’re former reformers. (Does that make them reformed reformers?) He can do it as long as he wants because they will blame the NDP & Quebec for it.

Stede Bonnet

No doubt the President will be overwhelmed by the glad-handing; besides this is long certainly long forgotten:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/05/america/NA-GEN-Canada-Obama-Trade.php

Stephen

I wonder if Jack will leave drool stains on the POTUS, assuming he is allowed to meet him.

Ti-Guy

You know, the last thing that occurred to me was to make this a partisan issue. I guess that’s because I still remember what country I live in.

Critical Reasoning

Since 85% of Canadians like Obama, I’d say that he is one of the very few things that most of us can agree on. However, certain Canadian pols have been very explicit about their attempts to borrow from Obama’s playbook for their own partisan purposes, hence PW’s joke about Layton.

Ti-Guy

However, certain Canadian pols have been very explicit about their attempts to borrow from Obama’s playbook for their own partisan purposes,

They all have. No force on Earth can prevent pols from talking, much to our chagrin.

Shenping

Ottawa is kind of like Regina. There might be buses, but using service in the same sentence is kind of an oxymoron.

anon

The last two guys turn off the lights:

Layton: “We have a new coalition now on Parliament Hill. It’s a coalition between Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff” Layton told reporters.

Duceppe: “the coalition is dead, it’s finished, it’s over.”
Stephen

Apparently the meeting wont even be in Ottawa. Maybe the PM is going to show off the lovely city of Calgary.

Definitly won’t be in Come By Chance, Dildo or Placentia Bay in Newfoundland.

Maybe it will be in the Yukon and Obama can claim to see Palin’s house from the border.
http://deleted Sandi

(psst…..Jack thinks he’s Canada’s answer to Obama). Don’t tell him otherwise, he’ll be crushed. Problem Jack is Obama is 21st century and your still back in the 70′s days of protest groups and tie dye shirts. Your policies haven’t changed in 40 years. And, Jack, a lot of people have given up kitchen tables for practical kitchen islands.

Critical Reasoning

Jack Layton wants to help ordinary Canadians who sit around kitchen tables. The homeless do not own kitchen tables. Using NDP-style logic, we can deduce the Jack Layton hates the homeless.

Sisyphus

Maybe you should reboot. The Reasoning part doesn’t seem to be working.

http://macleans.ca kc

“jack thinks he’s Canada’s answer to Obama” that is amusing. In fact i can;t wait to see who high 5s Obama first. Jacks got the edge though. The way he personalizes everything. I bet Gilles makes the best impression.