Six Degrees of Bernie Madoff?

If I just heard CNN correctly, Kevin Bacon was caught up in the Bernie Madoff Ponzie Scheme, how unfortunate for Mr.Bacon and his family, and I truly feel sorry for him, but my god, there has to be a comedian somewhere who can see the foundation for a solid joke here. I just can't remember what film I saw Madoff in.....( Please take note all you fact freaks, I am aware Madoff is not an actor, it's an attempted joke)

I like how the give it a funny sounding name, a Ponzie scheme. I know the story, about the name ponzie, but still, it sounds like some kind of scheme pulled by a muppets character. This is some serious, massive fraud on a scale rarely, if ever seen before. Some of the uber-rich, some of the best business and investment minds, along with many other investors lost a ton of cash. Maddoff reportedly was a regular at many of the most exclusive country clubs, yacht cubs etc., these circles must be spinning now, I'd hate to be a new upstart looking for investors among that crowd now.

Senate reform for Dummies

The recent Senate appointments by our Prime Minister and subsequent debate over how to reform the Upper Chamber, gives me a great chance to add my two cents, if in fact it's worth even that, to the debate. First though, I think everyone needs to be made aware of one simple fact. It should be kept in mind when you listen to all the yelling from both sides. No matter how much we want to reform the Senate, and I know some see abolishing it as the only option, the process to truly reform it is complicated, both constitutionally, and politically. It can't be done away with by a motion in the House, it is embedded deeply within our political system, some argue designed as such, because they wanted to ensure it was always around, as a safe haven for partisan hacks ( not my view, just repeating what I have heard). It would require massive consultation with provinces, compromise among deeply divided groups, and massive concessions from some who may have no logical, reasonable expectation to make such compromises. So with the knowledge of the migraine style headaches associated with, and years of time to accomplish such reform, may I make a simple suggestion.

If we want to ensure that appointments to the Senate are without political influence, then perhaps whenever a seat is vacated, the federal government randomly selects the name of a Canadian from within its massive databanks. I am certain that they have a file on every Canadian who pays taxes, which are inturn used to pay the Senators salary. No influence, no coercion, no paybacks, no rewards, people can't complain about this region vs that region, it's a random draw open to all Canadians who are legally entitled to work and be taxed, in our great Country. You know it may even bring in extra revenue, imagine all those people who don't file tax now, but want a shot at the $130,000/year until age 75 job. Imagine that, a Senate that fairly represents us all, and makes the government money, that's what I call reform.

Harpers not so reformed Senate

I have a friend, loves to cook, and loves to cook one particular dish, a primevera pasta of sorts. Now I love my friend, and I eat his pasta with a smile, and some red wine, but it tastes just awful. The problem is he tries, and tries and tries to get it right, but it's always awful. You want to know why ? Because he always uses the same ingredients. Why do I tell you this story you may ask. I tell it because it is a great analogy for what Stephen Harper did today. He hates the Senate. He has spent a life time criticizing patronage appointments, ridiculing any Prime Minister who appointed partisan hacks, calling for an elected, reformed senate and planning to one day abolish the Upper Chamber. So when elected, many correctly assumed we would see a revolution in the way the senate was dealt with. I mean to spend your life calling for Reform of said institution really paints you into a corner when you hold the power to do things differently. Unfortunately for all those who were hoping and expecting to see reform, what they got was the same bitter taste. Like my friend, Harper seems to not understand the basic flaw in his recipe, and that is if you use the same ingredients, same method and same utensils, you will get the same result. Stephen Harper has appointed 18 of the most Hyper-partisan, Conservative/reform leaning bunch of partisan hacks this country has ever seen. From former Chiefs of Staffs to Conservative Premiers to old buddies of fathers of Cabinet Ministers, this partisan pasta tastes a lot like the same old same old, and very little like the reform we expected. The conundrum I face is who should I really blame. Maybe I am too optimistic, I do it with my friend, every time I go over, I hope this time it will taste better, it never does. Perhaps believing the Senate would be reformed, when it comes from the mouth of the man who gave us such flip flops as Atlantic Accord, Income trusts, deficits, removing equality from status of women mission, promise to veterans of widows broke, ( just ask Peter Stoffer and the Widow from Cape Breton about that) said we weren't in for recession, partisan budget, and oh yes, his already partisan use of the senate ( remember Michael Fortier, campaign worker, appointed to senate then made a cabinet Minister). In the recent weeks we have seen the true political mind of Harper work, and he has failed in both cases. His partisan budget created a crisis unseen before in Canadian politics which almost cost him his job, and his Senate appointments, massive in both size and hypocrisy have shown that the man who has built his image around being in control and the smartest guy at the table is neither right now. Perhaps he needs some time to think about what reform really is. Over Christmas I hope he relaxes and reads a good book, unwinds and re-evaluates his decisions to date, and if he gets hungry, I have some pasta I bet he would love.

Christmas truce?

I wasa glad to see the concilliatory, and open minded answers given by MP's Brison and McCallum. To say they are taking the Finance Ministers word on the budget and promised information sharing, shows they are ready to get beyond politics, and extend more than an olive branch, lets call it a sturdy piece of lumber, to the Conservatives. Take into account the over the top partisan gamesmanship Harper used in his first economic statement, coupled with his only recent acceptance of deficits and reccession, something he called opposition members fear mongers for bringing up, and you can see where I am going. Harper has done little if anything to give these MP's reason to believe anything he says ( oh did I forget to mention atlantic accord, income trusts, Widows of veterens aid as other Harper flip flops). Yet, they go in front of the cameras, and tell the country they are ready and willing to work together, and said they were promised more information, in a timely manner. We take him at his word, is what they basically say. I liked the sound of that, and then it happened, some governement spokesman said the liberals shouldn't get too excited, and that the first statement was realistic at the time, not misleading etc., wow, couldn't they have just said, yeah it was a great meeting, no no, they had to be partisan, puff out their chests, and continue to admit that there was anything wrong with the first statement. And there I was, hoping for a Christmas truce, but we may end up with a January slugfest....to steal a line from a great Christmas movie, if politics in Canada could talk, i am sure it would say, Wait, my mouths bleeding? How about that, Bert, my mouths bleeding!

Did he even have a plan beyond the election.

I wonder if PM Stevie let his economic and policy advisors off during the election and allowed his camapign staff to chart his future course, cause ever since, this is a person who has little direction, and dithers from one blunder to another. During the election, Stevie was furious that the other parties said we would be in deficit. He called them fear mongers, said it wasn't going to happen and he was incredulous in his anger towards any journalist or citizen who dared suggest it might happen. If you read today's globe and mail, or if you were unlucky enough to have seen Steve " I'll play that tape anyway" Murphy lob easy questions in an almost giddy way at him ( is it possible steve has a crush on stevie), you will know what I mean. Harper is now calling for a deficit, his new budget will have deficit spending ( something he said mere days ago wouldn't happen), and he says we are heading for some of the most uncertain times in our countries history. So, in the last few days we have learned this, 1- Harper, an economist he claims, was the only leader of a national party( and for that part one of the only Canadians) who didn't see this coming, only a month or so ago. He said no recession, no deficit. 2- While Canadians loses their jobs by the thousands, Harper and his conservative party decided to call an early vacation for themselves, isn't there work to be done? 3- Harper doesn't understand the constitution. He said, on national TV, that the coalition had no right to govern in our system, even a first year poli sci student could tell you he was wrong. Which begs the question, when you look at how blatantly wrong he was; an economist way off on the economy, a leader of a Parliament unaware of basic parliamentary procedures, was he really just wrong about all these major issues ( clearly rebuking his peoples belief that he is the smartest guy in the room always) or did he say what he had to, just to get elected, facts aside?

Harpers Senate shenanigans, and hope lost

I will give Prime Minister Harper this, he sure has decided that come hell or high water, he will do as he pleases, and that takes, well, we know what it takes, and it's not integrity. Here is a man who has spent his life screaming out for senate reform, and an end to patronage appointments. Yet he, more than most before him, has used the plush promise of partisan presents to reward his most loyal, and by loyal, I mean staunchly conservative supporters. The former leader of the now defunct Canadian Alliance and now PM, was pressuring Paul Martin to push then PM Chretien to put his "elected" Alberta buddy Bert Brown to the senate. He said that for Martin to be taken more serioulsy out west, he would need to push for reform of the senate.

I could go on and on, the well known raison d'être of many reform, then alliance now conservative members has been to reform the senate, and Stevie Harper was their loudest cheerleader, now he is going to give 18 of his conservative colleagues the biggest Christmas gift many of them may ever get. Thank heavens for the smell of Christmas cookies or the stink from Harpers massive flip flop would ruin the season.

Let's see how he has done on senate reform since being elected PM. Fortier, un-elected senior conservative figure, close to Harper, put in Senate, than Cabinet, never answers questions on the floor of the house, fantastic accountability.

Very little if any legislative agenda focus of reform, lots of talk, no action.

Now the 18 Senate elves, line up, take their post, and smile all the way to the bank. And as for Stephen Harper, it's not like he has to face tough questions about it in the House, remember he shut down Parliament. Our economy is tanking, we now have word the mortgage crisis will affect us in a big way, plants are closing, jobs being lost, but Stevie needs time off, and lets remember, all that patronage stuff can be tiring.....bah humbug