Dirty Gary to Advise Conservatives on Guns

In a less-than-surprising story, Susan Delacourt reported a couple of days ago in the Star that the Conservative government's firearms advisory committee is stacked (or should I say loaded) with gun nuts like 'Dirty' Gary Mauser.

That the guy pictured above is advising our government about anything at all is profoundly disturbing. Then again, who am I to argue with a man shoving the barrel of a gun in my face while grinning maniacally?

Mauser has published several articles chronicling his pro-gun stance, and his picture was once featured on the National Firearms Association website. I could go on at length about his obvious bias, but Tim Lambert has taken the time to do so already at his weblog. It's an excellent post, and well worth the read.

In case you're wondering about the other members of the "fair and balanced" committee:

Mike Ackerman, physician and gun advocate

Tony Bernardo, Canadian Institute of Legislative Action.
Linda Thom, Olympic gold medallist in pistol shooting.
Alain Cossette, Quebec Wildlife Federation.
Greg Farrant, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
Linda Baggaley, firearms expert and dealer from Alberta.
Stephen Torino, Quebec firearms expert and dealer.
Louis D'amour, New Brunswick firearms expert.
Gerry Gamble, Sporting Clubs of Niagara.
Robert Head, former RCMP assistant commissioner.
John Gayder, Niagara police.
Murray Grismer, Saskatoon police

According to the article in the Star, Mauser conceded the committee doesn't always agree on everything. Anyone care to guess how these guys settle their disputes?

Seeing the World Through Bush-Coloured Lenses

Reading the sad news today that 5 Brits were abducted in Baghdad, 10 more U.S. soldiers were killed and 33 Iraqi civilians died in two bombings, I couldn't help but think about what a deplorable nightmare Iraq has become.
May 2007 has been the bloodiest month of the year for Iraqis, and the worst month for American troop deaths since November of 2004. The numbers have been widely reported, and the facts are not in dispute. But as usual, the devil is in the interpretation of said facts. Far be it from me to suggest that the facts surrounding Iraq speak for themselves. For if they are speaking, George W. Bush seems blithely unaware of their message. But then again, facts have never stood in Dubbya's way before, so....why start now?

The Facts:

From a recent CBS/New York Times poll:
72% disapprove of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq
61% feel the US should have stayed out of Iraq
20% feel the troop surge will make things better in Iraq
63% support a timetable for troop withdrawal in 2008

From a recent USAToday/Gallup poll:
61% oppose US troop surge in Iraq
72% feel GWB does not have a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq

Bush's Interpretation:

"I recognize there are a handful there, or some, who just say, `Get out, you know, it's just not worth it. Let's just leave.' I strongly disagree with that attitude. Most Americans do as well."

Bush clearly has a lot invested in this war, both financially and politically. So his defensive attitude isn't entirely surpising. But the way in which he casually dismisses the 63% of Americans who support withdrawal as "a handful" is truly astonishing. Either he is willfully attempting to deceive the public, or he is clinically delusional. The latter option is only partially in jest. If not for delusion, how else does one explain the fact that the US is in the process of building a $592 million dollar new US Embassy in Baghdad? At two thirds the size of Washington's National Mall, it will be the world's largest and most expensive foreign mission. Nevermind the fact that it is being built in the middle of a warzone, and will likely be a target for extremists for years to come.

"What you have is a situation in which they are building an embassy without really thinking about what its functions are," said Edward Peck, a former top U.S. diplomat in Iraq. "What kind of embassy is it when everybody lives inside and it's blast-proof, and people are running around with helmets and crouching behind sandbags?"

And finally, a thought for those who, despite all the facts, still support the Iraq war as part of Bush's fairy-tale "Global War on Terror". Earlier this month, NYU professor and foreign policy analyst Marilyn B Young made this astute observation:

"[I]n Iraq, it's not the terrorists - I mean, terrorists - anyhow, who are they? Terrorism is a tactic. It's not an ideology. It's not a person. It's a tactic that groups use."

When one views the GWOT from this perspective, its futility becomes apparent. Wars are fought against people and nations. But how do you wage a war against a tactic? The war in Iraq was Bush's attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole - to turn an inherently unwinnable war againt "terror" into a much more palatable war against Saddam Hussein. The ongoing kidnappings, bombings, and murders are sad testimony to the shortsightedness of Bush's plans.

Are You Pro-Choice?

If so, you should pity New Jerseyans. The incomparable Ed Helms explains.



Oddly however, residents of the Garden State are currently enjoying some relatively low gas prices, despite their "lack of choice". Go figure.

Democrats: Winning, One Loss at a Time

Dubbya has done it again. George W. Bush -a lame duck President, riding out the second of two disastrous terms, presiding over an ill-conceived and unpopular war, enjoying the support of less than 30% of Americans, surrounded by a diminishing number of close friends many of whom are themselves under investigation for various forms of malfeasance - has managed to score a political victory over the Democratic majority in Congress.

After their first bill was vetoed, Congress yesterday reached a new low by approving almost $95 billion dollars in extra funding for the war in Iraq, without any attached withdrawal plan. Democrats then showed off their versatility - that rare combination of spinelessness and shamelessness not seen since the run-up to the war itself. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out an e-mail, bragging about their humiliating capitulation! If you have the stomach for it, you can read it here, courtesy of Daily Kos. “This debate will go on,” vowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Bravo, Nancy, bravo.

The bill establishes a series of goals for the Iraqi government to meet as it strives to build a democratic country able to defend its own borders. Continued U.S. reconstruction aid would be conditioned on progress toward the so-called benchmarks, although Mr. Bush retains the authority to order that the funds be spent regardless of how the Baghdad government performs.

All of this has no doubt been confusing for voters who elected a Democratic Congress on the promise of a "change in direction" and as a direct rebuke of the President's Iraq policy. Perhaps sensing their ownership of shamelessness slipping, House Republicans sent in their leader John Boehner to play the 9/11 card, and to tearfully reiterate the long-ago debunked myth of a link between the terror attacks and Iraq.

John Boehner of Ohio choked back tears as he stirred memories of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to take them on? When are we going to defeat them,” he asked.

But Boehner needn't cry too much. When Congress plays the Shame Game, everyone's a winner.

Moscoe On The Hudson

Responding to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement that New York's cab fleet will be entirely hybrid within 5 years, Toronto councillor Howard Moscoe took the progressive position that Toronto wouldn't be ready for such changes for at least another 10 years. According to Moscoe, the greening of Hogtown's taxi fleet "doesn't fit the economics of the taxi industry in Toronto". He points to the fact that a new Toyota Prius Hybrid costs about $40,000, while a 2 year old gas guzzler can be put on the street for a mere $15,000. Gail Beck Souter, general manager of Beck Taxi, chimes in, bemoaning that in the economically-challenged Toronto cab industry, there are already too many cabs chasing too few customers. How exactly this supply side excess is addressed by continuing to license cheap, fuel-inefficient taxis is anyone's guess. Maybe they'll figure that out in 10 years as well.
By way of contrast, the BC government has taken steps to ensure that taxi fleets in Vancouver and Victoria become more environmentally friendly.

The province has asked the province's Passenger Transportation Board to approve taxi licences for only hybrid or other highly fuel-efficient cars, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said Monday. He also wants the 100 existing applications before the board to only be approved if they're for the greener vehicles.

So, while Vancouver and NYC make the move towards hybrid taxis, Toronto trudges along with its armada of Ford Crown Vics. Dean del Mastro would be proud.

Nauseating Picture of the Day

Needed: 1 "plus-sized" kevlar vest for self-important boob.

Catch Me If You Can

Ever heard of a man named Ciprian Skeid? Well, up until recently, neither had Ciprian Skeid. Or so he claimed. According to a story in the Globe & Mail, the talented Mr. Skeid made his first appearance on the Canadian scene in 1999 when he wandered into a Toronto hospital. He insisted he had been beaten and robbed of all his identification, and worse that he had been left with an unfortunate case of amnesia. The press dubbed him "Mr. Nobody", but he preferred the name Philip Staufen (coincidentally also the name of a medieval German king). Unable to obtain a Canadian passport, B.C. birth certificate, or an extension on a temporary permit allowing him to remain in Canada, Skeid did the only logical thing. He married his lawyer's daughter and moved to Portugal. Over the next few years, his other various incarnations started to come to light: German cook, professional mooch, masseur in a gay bath house, and French male model. Quite the resume! Finally, when confronted by intrepid reporters in possession of his Romanian birth certificate, he admitted his identity and confessed to the fraud. Said Skeid, "I'd rather be a fake nobody than the real me".

Ordinarily, you wouldn't think that a story about a Romanian bunko artist who bears an odd resemblance to Tom Cruise would have political implications. But, leave it to the commenters at the Globe to correct such an assumption:

Didn't the Conservatives promise to put a stop to this sort of thing.

This jerk sounds like he'd make a great member of the Liberal party of Canada. Fraud, stealing, dishonest con-artist and living off of Canadian taxpayers.

Takes a long time to expose these imported liberal votes.

This guy is a wet dream for the NDP and their open door policy (especially Svend?). Where does Taliban Jack stand on this issue now?