This should be fascinating to watch, because Income Splitting is not very high up there on the Liberal list of priorities (if they have any). Will he still champion the cause?
Stay tuned.
Update: This is interesting. Via Political Staples, a link from a post by Repo Creepo on Jan. 22 - "Recent Rumblings". I had forgotten about the fundraising issues that Garth was having. Now it all starts to make sense.
It's the money, Stupid! So he actually is still interested in the colour green.
* * * *
Stephen Taylor has a good post on this. In fact National Newswatch picked it up, under the top story.
Blogging, thy day has come.
More great stuff at Calgary Grit and Jason Cherniak. You will be shocked.
And straight from the horse's mouth - GARTH TURNER UNEDITED!
Blogging, thy day has come.
More great stuff at Calgary Grit and Jason Cherniak. You will be shocked.
And straight from the horse's mouth - GARTH TURNER UNEDITED!
Wednesday Update: Macleans has a great analysis here. (H/T BBS)
More MSM watching blogger reaction here.
39 comments:
we're finally seeing his true colours.
Yeah, I'm not going to do a sour grapes post here, but I do wonder if the Grits realize what they're getting themselves into? ;)
So what took so long?
indeed.
all the posturing on his blog, all the townhalls, you wonder how he can look the camera "in the eye".
it'll be interesting to see what his cheering squad has to say now.
I can see Dion saying 'Garth Who?'
anon#31
"I am a democrat who believes everyone in the House of Commons, including the cabinet members who make up the government, should be elected. They should sit in Parliament as they were elected. If they decide to change parties, they should go and get re-elected".
Garth Turner
pgp ... but c'mon, Garth is special. if you don't believe me, read his blog for about a minute.
I recall listening to Garth tell Dave Rutherford that he is known as a Conservative and will always have Conservative values, when Dave asked whether or not the rumors were true that Garth might become "green".
If I'm confused as to what he stands for, then imagine how confused he is. Luckily I don't live in his constituency.
anon #83
"I am a democrat who believes everyone in the House of Commons, including the cabinet members who make up the government, should be elected. They should sit in Parliament as they were elected. If they decide to change parties, they should go and get re-elected".
Right... but its Harper who pretty much booted him from the party when he said he would not be allowed to be nominated again...
Stop distorting the issue dude.
Garth, who cried out from the rooftops against switching parties,
Garth who actually polled his constituents (the true populist that he is) as to what he should do, to which they all said, DON'T join the Libs,
joins the Libs?
Good god, that's funny.
Distort the issue? With so much ammunition provided by Garth and his over productive pie hole you can bet there will be plenty more to come. Of course if you regard an over abundance of evidence to be distorting then what's the point of going on? Kind of like Bob Picton's legal defense! "Your honour we object! Subjecting the jury to this amount of highly prejudicial and incriminating evidence is unfair to the jury and is preventing my client from receiving a fair trial!"
I'm saying that Garth looks after Garth and does not give a crap about anything else. He is a consumate master of situational ethics and moral relativism as well as the Grinf**k! pardon a mois!
This is what Garth has done to many folks.
Garth has gone to nest with his kith and kin!
We hear Garth talking a lot, I've seen a lot of his business type TV shows, so he's certainly a known personality.
Has there been any estimate done of how much of his support is "for the candidate" as opposed to "for the party"?
Cherniak,
the reason people were praising Garth, is because he was a "principled, populace", denouncing the very thing he just did today.
That's like the president of MADD going out, getting hammered, hitting a child while driving,
and then the next day saying "well you liked me as the president of MADD yesterday, what's the problem?"
pqp, Garth looks like a man who wants to make a difference.
The conservatives booted him out. As an independent, he would not be able to achieve much.
If he went with the greens, there would be high odds against him getting a seat.
So he did was was logical - join a party where he thought he could make a difference.
pqp, what "over abundance of evidence" are you talking about?
its easy for cons like you to throw around words without any sort of back up.
If I heard correctly (only because it was at the end of his show, and he spoke so fast)....Dave Rutherford said that his guest tomorrow is non other than.....(drum roll please)....Garth Turner.
FYI
anon #83
Didn't Garth state that his constituents told him in the townhalls that he should stay as an independent? As well, didn't they state that he should not go to the Liberals? Let's go beyond switching parties and get to the root of the matter. He's betraying his constituents by going for an opportunity of a possible cabinet appointment if the libs take power.
Biff, With respect to the poll you're talking about - it isn't valid for two reasons:
1. there are 115,000 people in Garths Constituency (http://www.garth.ca/). However, only 65 voted in this pole. I dont think that you can justify 65 people being reflective of his constituency.
2. This "poll" was conducted in October last year. Since then, the political landscape has changed quite a bit. New issues have come to light, and the Liberals have a new Leader. The Poll, in other words, is outdated and out of context.
Biff, With respect to the poll you're talking about - it isn't valid for two reasons:
1. there are 115,000 people in Garths Constituency (http://www.garth.ca/). However, only 65 voted in this pole. I dont think that you can justify 65 people being reflective of his constituency.
2. This "poll" was conducted in October last year. Since then, the political landscape has changed quite a bit. New issues have come to light, and the Liberals have a new Leader. The Poll, in other words, is outdated and out of context.
I have to copy a post I've already made elsewhere on this topic.
With Garth joining the Liberals, I am reminded of something that the late Tommy Douglas said after MP Ross Thatcher (the eventual last ever - so far - Liberal Premier of Saskatchewan) completed his political defection (CCF to Independent to Liberals):
"We had him yesterday. You have him today. Heaven help who has him tomorrow.
Brian, so true. This will be a fun one to watch!
anon - that 65 people was enough for him to say, effectively, 'the riding is behind me'.
so now he's chosen to disregard that result, because it's no longer convenient.
John,
perhaps that part maybe fair enough - but the public eye, i still dont think 65/100,000 is reflective in anyway....
What about the fact that the poll was done early in october -in fact only a few days after he got booted from the conservatives?
What about the fact that new issues have to come light since october - not to mention a new liberal leader?
John, context is key...
Somebody asks where the overabundance of ammunition is!
What basement have you been dwelling in for the past year? Let alone the since 1988???
Garth has always been a classic case of I'll support whatever you like as long as it gets me something!
As long as deluded individuals are willing to buy his crap he'll keep on selling it..perfect fit for the LPC!
Garth is speaking as I write. Well, what can one say....he wasn't treated well, blah blah blah.
What do Belinda/Scott/Garth have in common??? They like the spotlight on themselves. They all said that they were muzzled....yet when they do speak, they don't have much to say. (especially so in Belinda's case). Belinda rarely speaks in the House and when she does, she looks silly.
Dion is going to let Garth speak as much as he wants to. Perhaps Garth sees a chance to be the leader of the Liberals??? Perhaps he sees how terrible Dion is doing.
He just said that now he can get the things done that are necessary for his constituents. Really? By being in an ineffective opposition???
Dion believes in the secrecy of the caucus, but that it was Harper's style that irritated Garth. Well, that's fair I guess. Garth is irritating in his style.
Good riddance Garth. You're someone else's problem now.
anon #83
BTW - keep an eye on Garths blog.....I'm betting he's going to be sanitizing it very soon if he hasn't already started!
Good riddance Garth. You're someone else's problem now.
You're acting like he crossed floors.
Dont forget, the cons kicked him out, and he sat as independent for four months before he moved on to the Liberals.
I know he was kicked out by the Conservatives because he couldn't be a team player. :-)
What I mean by "he's someone else's problem" is that he is now Dion's problem. Yes he was an independent and that suited him, since he really is a maverick and doesn't like to be led.
I think that he will run into the same problems with the Liberals, especially with a weak leader such as Dion. I think he sensed weakness in Dion, but I think he has also underestimated Dion in thinking that he might be able to somehow "run" the show.
anon #83
It's starting to come out that as an Indie, he had no right to sit on committees. Also as an Indie, he couldn't raise enough money because apparently you have to belong to a party in order to give out tax receipts.
Since he is was a red Tory anyway, I guess the move is somewhat logical.
Who was the independent who got that bill passed in the house? David Kilgour? I can't remember, my memory isn't always that good.
So, Garth's excuse that he can't get much done as an independent is false.
However, I don't care that much what he does. I'm tired of the guy.
And....my hockey team just lost too.
anon #83
Joanne, If being a red tory constitutes being logical (e.g. Turner deciding not to stay independent for the reasons you listed) - then you're absolutely right, the liberals are probably the best party to accept folks like that.
In the end, it's all about Garth. I hope Stephane is prepared to share the limelight.
hey they can keep it about Garth as long as someone brings in income splitting :)
Whoa whoa whoa, why is that poll invalid? Has Garth spoken to his constituents since? Remember this was Garth saying that these townhalls are put on so that he knows what they want, if it weren't so, he wouldn't have posted the results and stating that the people are his boss and so forth as the titles of these blog entries. No, these polls are not invalid, that's a ridiculous suggestion. Garth has obviously disobeyed his constituents and gone his own way by stating that if Harper can do it, so should he, but I guess he's never heard of 2 wrongs do not make a right. But let's remember, this is all about power and Garth had none being an independent. If anyone thinks that Garth is being honorable here, they don't know the difference between right and wrong.
Sara - sorry to see he used you as he did. Income splitting was just his tool to get the limelight.
IF halton wanted him Liberal then so be it, he did what is best for them. As for income splitting, I'm still good. It has been hitting National News for a week now. That shows the public what it is and what it can do. That was my job, now its your job to push the government for it.
Joanne, did you not have praise for Garth awhile ago?
A long while ago. I was manipulated along with everyone else. Now I see him for what he is.
Sara, I heard you on CFRA a while ago and I'm pleased that the issue has reached the ears of those in the press.
As to your last comment about Garth, surely you remember when Garth quoted some townhalls whereby his voters told him that he should not go to the Liberals, as a matter of fact, not one person supported moving to the Liberals.
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