Poll: Tory surge gone OTTAWA (CP) - A new poll suggests Stephen Harper's post-election surge in popularity has dissipated and dimmed his chances of turning his minority government into a majority. The prime minister's Conservatives lost ground in the country's two crucial battlegrounds, Ontario and Quebec...A politician goes to Ottawa and pays little attention to even his core constituents, and then realizes he needs to win their affection if he wants to win reelection. Therefore, in the months leading up to Election Day, he demands a vote on bills that are favored by his supporters but have no chance of passing. These politicians and their advisers they carefully calculate what needs to be said to placate the supporters, subject them to dramatic emotional appeals that are aimed at manipulation rather than persuasion, and then they move on to do what is necessary to cultivate the continued support of the business and special interest groups who mainly fund their campaigns. The voters are glad the politician is finally taking action on key issues; but knowing the politicians 's motives, they rather should feel used. We all should recoil at the popular notion that it is okay to use people as a means to someone else's end. Such political users they have a main game plan: they pay lip service to a few subjects that animate "values voters" mostly before the election to get reelected. Where Christian conservatives themselves are often no more than a mass of voters to be energized and mobilized fore election purposes mainly. And how many of theses political games does our PM Stephen Harper use now? Which one are they? The programs and these Plans that will not succeed, will not be accepted by majority of others are being proposed anyway? One too many? It is the clear Crooked people firstly who are these poltical users of others.Clearly even the Conservative supporters should require of their politicians more than mere demagoguery over hot-button issues such as "Did you know that Israel is threatened with extinction? It's true! "SEND US YOUR MONEY NOW!" "Generally most people are used but they should not like to be used. We all should use things, not people. It is not okay when a business owner mistreats, underpays and overworks his staff, even if it advances his own financial interests. We all should generally have a low view of people who are "users" of others. Such as the provincial politician who disrespects the poor and needy persons most of his term and then gives them a refund cheque at the end of his term to try to buy them off.All Politicians and the PM Stephen Harper do now stop merely "using" the Christians in Canada in an effort to secure their Politicians. Sooner or later they will find out too that they have been merely used, used like a dirty wash cloth and really not like it.It is never OK to exploit others. Once exposed We all do generally have a low view of people who are mostly "users."
"THE ABUSES OF TELEVANGELISM - Man on a mission to root out false prophets If you haven't visited Bible Belt Blogger, you haven't seen "God's Private Detective" -- a story about a Dallas man who helps expose crooked religious leaders. Faith and Values reporter Frank Lockwood posts items seven days a week at www.spirituality.typepad.com. DALLAS -- For as long as anybody can remember, spiritual con-artists have ripped off the faithful, preying on the sick, the elderly, the lonely and the desperate. They offer miraculous cures. They promise financial windfalls. They live in oceanside mansions and fly in private jets -- and pay their multi-million-dollar mortgages with nickels and dimes sent by devout Social Security recipients. It's the ugly side of evangelical Christianity. But there is at least one organization that is successfully exposing spiritual chicanery -- the Dallas-based Trinity Foundation. Ole Anthony, a prophet with a private detective's license, has successfully exposed the shenanigans of Robert Tilton, W.V. Grant, Benny Hinn and Larry Lea. Foundation members not only expose spiritual fraud, they also run a ministry for the homeless and publish Dumpster raids turn up some of the most damning evidence against preachers. Anthony sifts through the trash of televangelists, their bankers and their attorneys, looking for signs of fraud or of extravagant spending. Trinity Foundation members also go undercover, getting jobs with ministries that are suspect. The sleuthing doesn't earn Anthony many friends in the world of Christian broadcasting. People who have been harmed by shifty spiritual advisers can call 1-800-229-VICTIM. So far, Anthony has opened files on more than 400 preachers nationwide. He also collaborates with journalists at Primetime Live, Dateline, 60 Minutes, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the BBC. Because Anthony is now something of a celebrity (he was written up in a lengthy and glowing New Yorker profile), his name strikes fear in the hearts of many. He's now able, sometimes, to help victims recover their money. Preachers would rather refund the donation than have to deal with Anthony. Evangelist Robert Tilton sued the Trinity Foundation, repeatedly, without success. Anthony says he's been offered bribes -- $100,000 a month for his ministry -- if he'll just stay quiet. "Five million dollars cash -- if I'd disappear." But he's not going anywhere, he says. Anthony lives simply. In exchange for his work, he receives $55 per week, plus room and board. He resides in a quiet neighborhood in east Dallas and opens his home to those in need. It's a commitment to hospitality that other Trinity Foundation supporters share. "We take the homeless in, but we take them into our homes -- not into a shelter," he said. A few ended up on the streets after giving their money to TV preachers, Anthony said. Some evangelists have concocted a spiritual pyramid scheme of sorts, promising that God will reward followers a hundred-fold or a thousand-fold for their financial gifts. The tactics are unconscionable, Anthony says. "They say 'Write a hot check. God will fill your checkbook. Take out a loan. God will pay your loan. Pay your tithe and offering before the baby is fed -- as a show of faith.' That's heresy," he said. Ironically, Anthony once worked for a religious television station and was invited to appear on Pat Robertson's 700 Club and Jim Bakker's PTL Club. But he grew disillusioned with what he saw. Now he works to protect the 5 million to 6 million people he says donate to religious broadcasters. The investigator has no savings account, no private health insurance, no retirement plan. "When we started, we had to live with the poor -- that means in all ways," he said. Many Trinity Foundation supporters have taken a vow of poverty. They've formed small house churches and observe traditional Jewish holidays, such as Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacle. They meet for daily Bible studies and dine in the foundation's dining room, a couple of doors down from Trinity Foundation headquarters on Columbia Avenue. Anthony, who was briefly homeless himself in the 1970s, says Christianity is about self-sacrifice, not financial success. Christians should be skeptical of evangelists who claim to be speaking for God -- especially if they want you to write them a check, he said. Quoting an ancient Christian discipleship manual, Anthony says, "If somebody comes to you in the name of God asking for money, shun him. He's a false Apostle." http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/living/religion/15132336.htm
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The religious right, which helped re-elect President Bush in 2004 by rallying opposition to abortion and gay marriage, is now facing a pushback from the religious left. With a faith-based agenda of their own, liberal and progressive clergy from various denominations are lobbying lawmakers, holding rallies and publicizing their positions. They want to end the Iraq war, ease global warming, combat poverty, raise the minimum wage, revamp immigration laws, and prevent "immoral" cuts in federal social programs. "Religion has never been as politicized in recent times as it is right now,"The call of the gospel is to help the poor. The strong ought to help the weak, instead of the strong helping the strong get stronger, which being Conservative seems to be all about but sadly is not. Conservatives mainly help themselves.
.Meanwhile on Jul. 27, 2006 9:43 US blocks UN from condemning Israel By ASSOCIATED PRESS The United States blocked the UN Security Council on Wednesday from issuing a statement that would have condemned Israel's bombing of a UN post on the Lebanon border that killed four military observers overnight Tuesday.Next More lying spins from the Conservatives again..The Conservatives look really bad in the news today too as you can see..
In the poll conducted by The Strategic Counsel for CTV and The Globe and Mail, 45 per cent said they disagreed with Harper's open support for Israel. Thirty-two per cent agreed with the prime minister, while six per cent didn't know or wouldn't answer the question.
When asked who Canada should support, a majority, 77 per cent, said Canada should be neutral. Only 16 per cent said Canada should support Israel and one per cent said Hezbollah. Six per cent didn't know or declined to answer.
"Irish refused bombs sent to Prestwick Bombs destined to be used by Israel are being flown via Scotland only because the Irish government refused to allow them to land on its soil. After the conflict in Lebanon began three weeks ago, Ireland turned down a United States request for planes carrying 600 lb. so-called bunker busters to refuel at Shannon airport in Co Clare. ""If we must abandon peace, human rights, international law and negotiated settlements in international affairs in favour of blind warmongering, then where are we? ..The official argument in the Israeli case is that Hezbollah started it by kidnapping a couple of Israeli soldiers, and logic and justice dictate that it must be hammered into oblivion, no matter what the “collateral damage.” That Hezbollah started it is true if you read only last week's news. If you had read the news of even the previous few months, you'd find that Israel had been on a campaign of assassinating Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, in reaction of course to a previous outrage, which was caused by a prior counter-outrage, and so on, back to the very founding of Israel when two-thirds of the Palestinian population was deported to make way for the new state. Meanwhile, Stephen Harper's Canada has chimed in with disdain for the United Nations, multilateralism, diplomacy and peacekeeping, thus ensuring that our reputation in the world plunges along with that of George W. Bush's U.S. But it's not all grim news. On a cheerier note, the latest poll shows the Tories taking a plunge"
The spin doctors too obviously they do not like the undeniable recent Poll results that show that Stephen Harper and his Conservatives are not Popular with the majority of Canadians so they conduct polls after polls to try to spin, change the undeniable.It does not take more polls or a genius to know that most Canadians and not just most Quebecers they do not support Israel, or that most Canadians do not support Israel's war in Lebanon, or that most Canadians do not support Israel murder of innocent citizens as well or even George Bush for that matter too.
Poll - The fighting in the Middle East started after Hezbollah’s sudden attack on Israeli soil. Given this information, which of the following statements comes closest to your view?
Israel’s response is justified 37%
Israel’s response is not justified 42%
Don’t know 21%
Source: Innovative Research Group / Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute / Ottawa Citizen
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,393 Canadian adults, conducted from Jul. 26 to Jul. 28, 2006. Margin of error is 2 per cent.
Poll- "After Iran, Canadians see Israel as biggest threat to peace, poll finds OTTAWA -- Iran is the biggest threat to world peace, followed by Israel and North Korea, according to a poll released Friday. The online poll, sponsored by the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, a think tank, and conducted by the Innovative Research Group, was answered by 2,393 respondents between Wednesday and Friday. The results are accurate to within two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The poll, released exclusively to the Ottawa Citizen, presented respondents with six options Iran, Israel, North Korea, Hezbollah, Syria and Lebanon. About 26 per cent of respondents said Iran presented the greatest danger while 20 per cent picked Israel, placing the Jewish state ahead of North Korea with 19 per cent. Another 15 per cent said Hezbollah, while only one per cent pointed to either Syria or Lebanon. About 18 per cent said they didn't know. Respondents in every province west of Ontario all put North Korea ahead of Israel. In Quebec, 27 per cent said Israel was the greatest threat, with Iran at 26 per cent. David Bercuson, director of programming at the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, said Israel's placement as the second-greatest threat was influenced by Quebec responses. "I have no doubt that the result was clearly influenced by a large number of people in Quebec who think Israel is the devil incarnate." Respondents were also asked whether Hezbollah's attacks on Israel justified Israel's actions. The pollsters asked the following question: "The fighting in the Middle East started after Hezbollah's sudden attack on Israeli soil, killing eight and capturing two. Given this information, which of the following statements comes closest to your view?" About 42 per cent said Israel's attacks are not justified, while 37 per cent said they were justified. Another 21 per cent didn't know. Meanwhile, about 58 per cent support establishing a NATO peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, 20 per cent oppose it and 12 per cent said they neither supported or opposed it. "
Poll - "Only 32% back PM on Mideast OTTAWA — Stephen Harper's decision to support Israel in the current Middle East crisis appears out of step with the majority of Canadians, according to a new poll. The survey finds that a majority of Canadians want their government to be neutral on the conflict and that Mr. Harper has tilted away from the traditional Canadian position. Moreover, they believe that the Conservative government is taking its cues from U.S. President George W. Bush. The Globe and Mail/CTV poll also shows that Canadians are paying close attention to the conflict, and that Quebeckers are particularly concerned about the shift. “What you're struck by is how unpopular the position he has taken is, especially in the province of Quebec,” said Allan Gregg, chairman of the Strategic Counsel, the firm that conducted the poll. According to the poll, 45 per cent of voters disagree with Mr. Harper's support of Israel's actions, while 32 per cent support it, and 23 per cent don't know or neither agree nor disagree. In Quebec, 61 per cent are against the Harper position, with only 17 per cent behind it. The poll also found that 77 per cent of Canadians surveyed say Canada should be neutral in the current conflict, with 16 per cent voicing support for Israel and just 1 per cent backing Hezbollah. Fifty-one per cent say the position represents a move away from previous Canadian governments' views. Mr. Gregg said the results may be a political warning for Mr. Harper “But when you start digging in to the substantive policy positions he has taken, especially on foreign policy positions, you see how incendiary they can become if that debate began to roil above the summertime consciousness ... The position Canadians want us to take is decidedly neutral.” On a related question, 53 per cent say they believe Mr. Harper has backed Israel because the position is in line with that of Mr. Bush. Another 19 per cent say the government's stand has been taken out of principle, while 10 per cent say they think Mr. Harper has domestic political concerns on his mind. In Quebec, 72 per cent of respondents say they believe the Canadian government is aping Mr. Bush. A poll earlier this month also found flagging support for Canada's mission in Afghanistan, with 56 per cent opposing the mission, up 15 percentage points from March. On the political horse race, the poll finds that the Tories are hovering around 38 per cent of the electorate, up two points from the January election. The Liberals are supported by 29 per cent, down one point, while the New Democrats have dropped three points to 15 per cent. In Quebec, the Conservatives have lost two percentage points from the 25 per cent they earned on election day, while the Liberals have held steady at 21 per cent and the BQ is up one point to 43 per cent. “We would have a déjà vu election if it was held last weekend,” ..the Middle East could become a voting issue for some Canadians if Mr. Harper finds himself too far away from Canadian values. "Reality: Stephen Harper's position on Israel is already a voting issue for most Canadians for Mr. Stephen Harper and his Conservative party do already finds themselves now even too far away from the majority of Canadians and their values."From softwood to the Mideast: coming apart at the beams LAWRENCE MARTIN They were determined on the Afghanistan mission to flex military muscle, show those Liberal twinks a thing or two about how tough we are. Now they are realizing, as their support numbers drop, that it may be mission impossible. On the Middle East war, the Prime Minister, reading his fawning decisive-guy press clippings, wasn't about to issue any middling statements. No, it was all bold talk there, too -- but of the type Canadians do not appreciate. On the Kyoto accord, he took a major decision early in his stewardship to scrap it. But had he dithered on that one, at least until he came up with a decent alternative, he could have saved himself much of the heat he is taking. He is a cocky, resolute leader, proud of how much he knows. But with that much hubris in your tank, it can be dangerous. The lumber deal was inked to show that the new government could do business with the United States. To rub it in, Mr. Harper even brought in a Liberal, the renowned floor-leaper David Emerson, to help cut the deal. Though a billion dollars was ceded to the U.S. side in the transaction, it wasn't as deficient a pact as some critics made it sound. But the government, a Conservative government no less, was arrogant enough to storm ahead without the approval of the industry. "We should be very clear this agreement will go to Parliament," Mr. Emerson said in mid-July. "We do not intend to hand out a veto of that kind [to the Canadian lumber industry]." Flip-forward to his statement this week to get an idea why certain Tories might be hoping the floor-crosser recrosses. "If we do not have sufficient buy-in from industry, there really isn't an agreement to bring before Parliament," Mr. Emerson opined. Without industry support, "you're dead before arrival." The deal isn't comatose yet. But to get industry support, it looks there will have to be changes, and the Bush administration is unlikely to agree to changes. On the Middle East file, Mr. Harper has also displayed a disabling surfeit of certitude. With only a bit of circumspection, he could have avoided his problems while still coming out strongly in favour of Israel. Having made the injudicious "measured response" remark at the outset, all he had to do was back-peddle a notch in the ensuing days to suggest perhaps some restraint was in order if "measured" was to apply. He didn't. He and Peter MacKay are rookies on the foreign affairs file. Sometimes, you manage flying by the seat of your pants and, in the early months, they did so. But the Canadian tradition, which is not one of neutrality but rather multilateral moderation, is not one to be toyed with by newcomers on the playing fields. The rookies crossed the line. They put themselves too firmly on the side of the Bush-Cheney confrontationalists, whose impact for many years running has been polarization. Polls now show Mr. Harper is paying the price. Smart Canadian governments don't do ideology. Only a month ago, the Conservative government was on a roll. It had a refreshingly competent and purposeful air about it. Today, it is in some trouble. It is in trouble on the two major issues of the time -- the environment, and war and peace. It is in trouble because of its proximity to the Bush administration. It is in trouble in much-needed Quebec. It is not looking good on a third big issue, health care, because, again, an early overcommitment -- this one on hospital waiting times -- was made that it has not been able to heed. Most of the damage, ironically, comes as a result of Mr. Harper's perceived strength as a purposeful man of action. He should know that, in the art of governance, there are times when procrastination pays. lawrencemartin9@yahoo.ca "
Like I have honestly said already.. The PM Stephen Harper is now spending so much time and energy worrying about getting a majority government, in the process he is his own worst enemy, he not only seems to put his foot into his mouth too often when he speaks, but his own bad acts, bad policies also do turn of many many Canadians... Harper is clearly merely spinning his wheels and getting no where. His Conservative party better start looking for a better leader too..
----- Original Message -----Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 11:45 AMSubject: RE: The problem I still rightfully have with most TV evangelists, they are mostly still hirelings, prostitutes,And how are you coming along with dealing with issues like lying lawyers, who next tend to also become bad Canadian judges.. yes the people like the bad divorce lawyers, even the Christian hating lawyers like Ghitter, and even the professing evangelical Christians who lie, perjure themselves, prostitute et themselves before the Queens s courts, slander innocent persons unprosecuted and unhindered wrongfully too, .. but also their useless regulating law societies too as I have even detailed to you and all of the federal cabinet many times too.The call of the gospel is to help the poor. The strong ought to help the weak, instead of the strong helping the strong get stronger, which being Conservative seems to be all about but sadly is not. Conservatives mainly help themselves.And what are you all really now doing about the Alberta rednecks who promote open hatred on the net against other Canadians who do not agree with them as I have detailed to you too.Do tell us all..----- Original Message -----To: <re-FINEMail@fin.gc.ca>>Subject: Re: Spam/Pourriel: The problem I still rightfully have with most TV evangelists, they are mostly still hirelings, prostitutes,and how many crooked pastors did you actually prosecute so far this year alone.. don't tell me none.. my own personal experiences in the Evangelical Ministry the last 35 years was that over half of them are crooked, even falsely commit tax evasions, commit adultery, and counsel divorce. RSVP----- Original Message -----From: <re-FINEMail@fin.gc.ca>Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 7:47 AMSubject: RE: Spam/Pourriel: "If somebody comes to you in the name of God asking for money, shun him. He's a false Apostle."On behalf of the Honourable James M. Flaherty, we acknowledge receipt of your electronic correspondence. Please be assured that Minister Flaherty appreciates receiving your views.
Au nom de l'honorable James M. Flaherty, nous accusons réception de votre courrier électronique. Soyez assuré(e) que Monsieur Flaherty apprécie vos commentaires.