Contempt, Coalitions, Republicans, Tea Parties. It's All So Surreal

If someone abused your children, would you hire them to babysit?

If someone broke into your home would you hire them to guard it?

If someone stole your money, would you ask them to hold your wallet?

Of course not. And yet someone was found guilty of crimes against democracy, literally, and Canadians seem prepared to trust that person with their country.

In the Spec today, Naz Fiorilli says: We’re too soft on contempt of Parliament

Why the talk of prison over contempt of Parliament? Because for a similar offence in the U.S., contempt of Congress, prison is mandatory. The penalty for contempt of Congress is a minimum one month in prison, up to a year; plus up to a $100,000 fine. Many people have been charged with contempt of Congress, including author Arthur Miller, G. Gordon Liddy, and Karl Rove.

Harper isn't going to jail, at least not over this. Instead he is arrogant enough to tell Canadians that he has no intention of respecting Parliament, so we'd better give him a majority.

And if the pollsters and pundits are right, we may be ready to do just that. Like a robber saying, "I'm going to rob this bank so you might as well leave the door to the vault open", so we leave the door open.

Daniel Nathanson of Hamilton, writes: Harper style is akin to Bush legacy

It appears Prime Minister Stephen Harper finds his citing for contempt of Parliament by the Speaker of the House frivolous and meaningless. He finds debates over policy pesky, a drag and an interference with his own plans.

Sometimes he expresses his plans openly, and sometimes keeps them secret, as it suits his whim. He replaces Parliament with media control and a hand-picked Senate. He shows no interest in democracy. His policies are aimed at titillating the banks, large corporations and the rich with tax breaks, ignoring the rest of society. It appears he plans to decimate social services and health care, whose costs will then be downloaded to overburdened municipalities, where ordinary people must pay more for needed services or do without them.

Yet for some reason Canadians want him back.

He doesn't allow his candidates to engage in public debates. We shrug.

He destroys a man's career and reputation causing his premature death. And we shrug.

Haroon Siddiqui says: Republicans would feel right at home

Stephen Harper has Americanized Canada more than any prime minister in memory. Even those who disagreed with Brian Mulroney’s free trade agreement with the U.S. never accused him of Americanizing our politics, or even wanting to. What Harper has done, in fact, is to import some of the worst Republican policies and tactics:

We allow our opinions to be guided by visceral personal attacks on candidates and their families and we shrug.

He abuses our veterans, and we shrug.

What's it going to take? The loss of our democracy? Our healthcare? Our country?

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

On May 2, vote and vote wisely. This may be the most important election in your lifetime.