Trudeau torpedos the party

[valve37]

Should be good for an election attack ad video. 

OTTAWA – Justin Trudeau was gang-tackled Monday for an ill-timed joke about the tense situation in Ukraine.

Conservative and New Democrats questioned the Liberal leader’s credentials and credibility on the world stage for what they said were flippant and distasteful comments and another example of why he’s not ready for prime time.

Jobs Minister Jason Kenney was aghast at Trudeau’s insensitivity.

“It shows he has absolutely no depth on foreign policy... I don’t think he understands the complexities of these issues. I’d be surprised if he could find Kiev on a map,” Kenney told QMI Agency.

The Montreal MP came under blistering scrutiny after equating any Russian intervention in Ukraine on the Olympic host’s poor hockey performance at the Sochi Games.

His unpolished foreign policy views were aired in French during an unscripted interview in Quebec on Sunday hours after his party wrapped up a policy convention in Montreal, where delegates passed resolutions to decriminalize medically assisted suicides and a series of debt-financed national programs.

“For me, the President Yanukovych has become illegitimate and it's very disconcerting, particularly since Russia lost in hockey during the Olympics - Russia will be in a bad mood, we are concerned about Russia implicating itself in the Ukraine,” he said.

He followed up by saying his remarks were an “attempt to bring a little bit of a lighter tone into a situation that is extremely serious.”

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said the comments were inappropriate and offensive from someone with little knowledge of diplomacy.

“Trudeau apparently thinks the situation in Ukraine is something to joke about. We don’t... This is another case of the Liberal leader simply showing bad judgment, saying that foreign policy on an important issue like Ukraine, which is critical to the peace and stability of Europe and to the peace and stability of the world could be determined by one country’s mood after losing a hockey game.”

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said Trudeau’s musings were unacceptable.

“I fail l to see the levity when you have dozens of people shot dead in the street of their own capital. So you don’t make jokes about it.”

Mulcair said Trudeau’s latest faux pas is indicative of a pattern, including his praise for Communists and comments about studying the root causes of terrorism after the Boston Marathon bloodbath.

Trudeau has ducked the media in recent days with the exception of interviews approved by his handlers.

He was a no-show in the Commons on Monday and left MP Marc Garneau to come to his defence.

Garneau said Trudeau has nothing to apologize for, and that his boss is being unfairly attacked and that Trudeau fully understands the Ukrainian situation.

“He didn’t misspeak,” Garneau said. “He didn’t misspeak.”

He said Trudeau’s foes took his words out of context and were “playing cheap, political, partisan politics” out of desperation because of Trudeau’s popularity.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, Vadym Prystaiko, said Trudeau should apologize.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/24/justin-trudeau-under-fire-for-ukraine-joke

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

No one cares valve and he apologized for his ill placed joke. Be more concerned about Harper's many lies that he has never apologized for.

[ilurkthereforiam]

Actually a lot of people care.

His party members were seen on tv saying that he had nothing to apologize for, but he apologized anyways.

Flip flop.

Harper has serious issues, but he is still better than Trudeau.

Both are making Mulcare look very good.

Mulcare is moving his party closer to the center which a fiscal conservative makes him look like he is worth voting for.

I hope Tredeau keeps talking. He'll talk himself out of the PMO.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

The only people who care are Trudeau haters. They'd make a big deal out of Trudeau if wore the wrong socks to match his suit!

When it comes to flip flops Harper has a truck load (actually I think they're classified as lies) and Hudak just let his supporters down with his flip on Right to Work. Trudeau's bad choice for a joke is minor compared to the other two. People are more ticked off about Harper's income splitting and Hudak, well no one I know in real life has any use for him so it doesn't matter what he does.

[owlgebra]

I was so gigantically disappointed that the joke was so weak.  I'm used to Gilbert Gottfried bodies-floating-on-the-water jokes, and Trudeau's joke was so gentle that I could wash delicate clothing in it.  There wasn't even a reference to being drunk on Vodka or anything.  God I was so bored reading that joke.  I forgot it and had to read it again.

[ilurkthereforiam]

I am not a Trudeau hater.

You hate Harper so much that you assume anyone who would vote for him hates Trudeau.

I haven't been conned like you into believing he is the second coming.

Let him talk. He will show that he is a big joke.

He has no respect for anyone, just like his father.

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Now that IS funny! You say you're not a Trudeau hater but then you proceed to call him a ''joke'' and take a shot at his father.

''You hate Harper so much that you assume anyone who would vote for him hates Trudeau.''

Actually no, not assume, just a good memory of comments you made about Justin Trudeau in the past. A memory supported once again just now when you called him a joke.

 ''I haven't been conned like you into believing he is the second coming.''

Speaking of "assumptions"......I have never said I thought JT was the, how did you put it......."second coming". I've said many times I was unsure about him and I wanted to hear his whole platform before deciding how I felt about JT and honestly as minor as his recent comment was I felt for international politics it was poor judgement and hypothetically if he worked for me I'd rake him over the coals for it. But at least Vadym Prystaiko, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada said ......."“He made a mistake. People do mistakes. It’s silly mistakes, not something really grave.” The Russians of course took it more seriously but that's their common outlook and always has been.

But when it comes to Harper, yes you are right, my feelings about him haven't changed since day one and interestingly I see more and more people finally seeing him for what he is. Even out here in the country those who are social conservatives are increasingly speaking out against him. Maybe it's all Harper's lies that people have come to recognize. As soon as Harper is gone the happier I will be. As to who should replace him.......well is Trudeau the one?........I'm still not sure. (I put that in BOLD type so you would remember it).

How's jolly old London doing? I hear taxes are going up, several councillors are not going to run for office again like rats leaving a sinking ship and you may be going to have a new arts centre that only a few individuals will get any real benefit out of, but will have to pay for like it or not.

[ilurkthereforiam]

Harper will get re-elected in spite of all his faults.

Provided he runs.

There are rumours that he will step aside before the next election.

Trudeau will to say stupid things.

He can't help himself.

I would like to see a multi-purpose performing arts center.

As far paying for something that only a handful of people use.

Why do we have all of these sports facilities?

Every time I drive by them.

They are empty.

If I'm going to pay for the empty sports facilities, then others can pay for the multi-use performing arts center.

I would bet that one performing arts center will get more use than the hundreds of empty sports facilities.

[valve37]

Lurk, have you ever tried to rent in prime time an hour of ice in one of our arenas?

[prior-of-verity*shake-hands-with-your-devil]

Harper may get re-elected, but it's as the old saying goes ...."still a long way between a lip and a cup".

However if he wins, I sincerely doubt it will be a majority government.

Will he step aside? I doubt it, his ego is too big. But he's in a whole new ballpark now. Attack JT and he won't get any brownie points for it and most likely it will look like grudge politics. He'll have to stick to the facts, the real ones and JT has to keep his cool. But JT will have to pull some major rabbits out of the hat to get some of Harper's voter base to change their views and that is possible because all he has to do is remind people of all of Harper's lies. If he can do that successfully, plus add in a new future for Canada, then Harper is history. It won't be a landslide but JT will win.

That arts centre........it's the wrong time and especially with an open ended bill that can add to London taxpayers. London has gone through years of bad councils, massive expansion and loss of jobs. The city needs to regroup, take care of the necessities and leave the luxuries until they have.

Can't help you with sports facilities, don't use them and have no interest to have any real knowledge about their finances or how busy they are.

[ilurkthereforiam]

valve if we need more arenas we should build them, just as long as the users pay for them.

[art-in-the-making]

We may want to keep in mind that the joke was made in french for a Quebec audience.

It's a gaffe but I find that the occasional Trudeau gaffe (for a guy whose every word is under the microscope and is 1000x more open and transparent than Harper) has a way of stirring the pot in a good way and the end result isn't all that bad. Kind of shows him to be human and not 100% pure fraud like Harper.

If you compare a slight misfire on a joke for a Quebec audience with how Harper is attacking democracy, science, Canada's international reputation and so forth, you see why Trudeau will pummel Harper just like he did Steve's hand-picked Senator Brazeau  

[valve37]

Yes, like a performing arts centre.

[valve37]

"a joke for a Quebec audience"

Now that's a joke, being laughed all the way to the Ukraine!

[art-in-the-making]

"a joke"

Nigel Wright,

Mike Duffy,

Bruce Carson,

etc etc

not to mention - the 85 richest people in the world have more wealth than the 3 billion poorest people...

[ilurkthereforiam]

My guess is the real reason for the apology for the joke is that it really isn't funny.

Keep talking Justin, keep talking.