A few years ago, Geraldo Rivera got into a lot of hot water when, deliberately or not, he revealed the details of some sensitive troop movements in Iraq just after the invasion started. This prompted a memorable sketch by Jay Leno where Rivera "reported" on some other top secret information, including the secret hiding place of Anne Frank.
So what was Helena Guergis thinking when she all but announced on Saturday where Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and his deputy, Michael Ignatieff, were headed next on their tour of Afghanistan? I just don't buy her story that she's out of the loop from the inner circle and was just "guessing." She is, after all, a member of the Cabinet. And given we're in the middle of a war, it is a War Cabinet.
The only reasonable explanation is that the Conservatives, or at least some of them, have a death wish for anyone who reasonably disagrees with them. Perhaps Guergis was hoping for something bad to happen to two of her enemies so she could engage in a bit of Schadenfraude.
That's the American Way. It's not the Canadian Way. Especially in a minority Parliament, the Opposition has the right, indeed the duty, to make sure our men and women in uniform are getting the best support they can -- technically, logistically, and morally. To ensure the troops on the ground know that Canadians stand with them even if they disagree with them, as well as to be enabled to gather contemporary information so the Loyal Opposition can present a credible alternative; whether that's demobilizing or reassigning the troops to another part of Afghanistan.
There's a bumper sticker going around these days here in Canada: "If you don't stand by our troops, feel free to stand in front of them." It's meant at opponents of the war, from propoents who don't understand that those who disagree still do stand by them. Maybe, just maybe, it's advise that Guergis might consider. Because her actions against a fellow Member of Parliament, a member of the Privy Council no less (albeit a presently inactive one), are tantamount to treason.
Personally, I'd rather see her resign, though.
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3 comments:
Not only is it incredibly stupid from a security point of view … it is as politically inept as Harper calling Dion a Taliban sympathizer - and from the same putrid well.
Pure George Bush
Lets hope some of the biased-left-wing-media can stop worshiping Harper for a few minutes to harp on this one. ;-)
By the way … last year Peter Mansbridge beat up on Dion pretty badly for not having been to Afghanistan. As if a photo opp was a meaningful way to asses a war situation.
And it was a good photo opp too - Iggy & Dion looked good together on the road and this should bury Iggy’s vote for the extension in Kandahar. (at least as a wedge issue to divide Liberals … err active Liberals - watch out for that despicable Manley fellow.)
...out of the loop? How can she be, when she's instructed by Harper as to what to say.....
Did anyone actually see what Helena said? Her quote was aired on CBC and she was demanding Dion apologize to our troops on the ground because the idiot had submitted all of his personal conclusions and those of the Liberal party to the independenet afghan panel (headed by Liberal John Manley) 3 days before he left for Afghanistan. Look at the Liberal website - with Dion gloating about all of his conclusions on the mission before he went on his so-called "fact-finding mission". What a joke!
As far as I am concerned - what he did is totally insulting to our army and those fighting in afghanistan. Guergis is right - Dion should apologize and do so loudly.
As for Dion's safety... please... give me a break. If anyone actually took the time to look at the timelines of this story - Dion was on the ground for hours already before Guergis went public. Its hard to call Dion's safety into question when he was live on TV at Noon and wasn't on TV until that night... She did not go out and comment until Dion was already blasting his crap oipinions on TV live from Afghanistan. Perhaps Dion should spend some more time talking about invading pakistan... that will make him look less crazy then his stupid accusations against guergis.
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