Warren Kinsella: The Polling Practices of Jean Chretien’s Government
April 12, 2006 · By Peter Rempel
Anyone who ever feels the urge to dismiss Warren Kinsella as a partisan flak should read his response to the new government’s accountability act. Kinsella is interested in this:
“Opinion surveys under Chrétien to be scrutinized
Another section of the act hints that an inquiry might be called into the spending practices of a past Liberal government.
An independent advisor will be appointed for six months to look at public opinion surveying commissioned while former prime minister Jean Chrétien was in charge, before November 2003, “and determine whether further action, such as a judicial inquiry, is required.”
Remember: We’re talking the government of Chretien (Kinsella thumbs up), not Martin (Kinsella thumbs down) here. Warren’s response?:
I suspect that I, and quite a few others, intend to write to this independent advisor and offer whatever assistance and documents he or she requires. And, personally, I think a judicial inquiry is an excellent idea.
Chickens, time to come home to roost.
Which would seem to indicate that Harper is not setting out on a wild goose chase in unleashing such an “independent advisor.”
Herle
Warren is not aiming his arrow at Chrétien’s PMO, but at the polling and contracting practises of the Department of Finance. He has only one target (as the previous commenter mentions): Herle.
I’d be careful about placing the seal of approval on Warren Kinsella’s political motivations.
As Brian Lemon already succinctly points out, there are certain people who would be exposed to an inquiry into past polling practices, most of them just happen to be Kinsella’s political enemies within the Liberal party itself.
Just recently Kinsella lashed out against the wisdom of judicial inquiries, yet here is suggesting one should be unleashed in this instance.
Having said that, I agree that Kinsella doesn’t always toe the party line, and that is very commendable. But I don’t think he’s nearly as enlightened as first suggested in this blogpost. Just my opinion.
I am not a big fan of Warren - the smamry picture on his website today of him, Bill “Blow Job” Clinton & Jean “Klepto” Cretin made me want to gag.
But I would walk over hot coals to help him nail Herle, & his gang of crooks, to the wall, with old rusty nails.
The Earnscliffe cabal should all be in jail.
Go Warren go . . . . & have fun at it.
This will not just apply to the department of finance, although Earnscliffe will likely be hit hard by it. And anyway: What incentive is there to assault Martin and his pack of losers any further?
The battle over legacy will linger, especially with the Gomery appeals set to begin eventually.
Let’s face it, Gomery was Martin’s attempt to:
a) Dump the entire mess on Chretien
b) Prove to everyone that he was the reason the Liberals succeeded through three majorities.
This fued isn’t over by a longshot. And my guess is it won’t be until a certain three term prime minister restablishes a positive legacy in the history books. If he has to give Paul Martin a big dose of his own medicine in the process, so be it.
Rempel, I know you’re not really this naive.
Kinsella IS a partisan hack. It’s just that he hates someone who is going to get nailed by this - and that person ain’t Chretien.
Witness his recent post about McGuinty should you question his partisanship.
Chretien was the evil one. The fixer. The Godfather.
And he kept his hands clean, with levels of buffers like a Corleone.
Martin was good intentioned, but befuddled with real thuggish organizers around him.
To confirm what many of us have already suggested, this is what Warren Kinsella had to say about the matter on his blog today:
The Oracle of Ottawa privately took me to task for having been so enthusiastic about the Tories’ hinted-at judicial inquiry into polling practices of the former government. He was right to do so, given the fact that I had previously railed against them in the Post and elsewhere. So let me amend what I said: I do not like judicial inquiries, but – if there is one that examines, inter alia, the polling practices of Paul Martin and Co. – then I will do what I did with the Gomery Commission: send along every document I possess, and write to offer my assistance. And, I confess, smile.
http://www.warrenkinsella.com/musings.htm
ie) this is political payback. Routine Kinsella.
You’re all right. I’m a fool. my good nature will be my downfall.
This doesn’t mean there will be an inquiry. Thats only one possible outcome. I suspect the goal is to prove beyond a doubt that certain sections of the elections act where contrivened. Specifically those sections where the penalty is a seizure of all assets and deregistration of the party in question.
I’m thinking this should happen just in time for the slow news season July - Sept so the MSM has a train wreck to report on.
Here’s how you should look at Kinsella:
He isn’t just some partisan hack, a la Cherniak. He was quite helpful during the election.
However, he is a liberal (and a fan of litigation). You’ve got the good and the bad. So, that being said, evaluate Warren on an issue by issue basis.
In Today’s Hatfield Vs McCoy News As always, the willingness of certain Liberals to “bury the hatchet” in this, the legacy phase of the Chretien-Martin feud, hinges on the availability of anexposed back. I suspect that I, and quite a few others, intend to write to this independent advisor and offer whatever assistance and documents he or she requires. And, personally, I think a judicial inquiry is an excellent idea.
Warren Kinsella is a PAID consultant for Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario Liberals. He is now a PAID consultant for the leadership campaign of Stephen Dion.
Kinsella’s hatred is of Martin and especially David Herle of Earnscliffe from the blood bath during the coup they undertook to overthrow Chretien.
Also, do not every foget - Kinsella was Dingwall’s right hand man AT Public Works DURING the AdScam years.
I believe that he has some sincere admiratin for Stephen Harper - however Kinsella earns his living from the Liberal party. He will cut Conswrvatives throats (figuratively) if he has to on behalf of his provincial and federal Liberals who are NOT affiliated with Martin’s Board.
I don’t disagree about Earnscliffe, but Kinsella represents all that is wrong with our politics. He is all lowest common denominator attack dog stunt politics that could easily be practised by any realtively intelligent 18 year old. In that way he is much like Jason Kenney, Sheila Copps, Joe Volpe and the disgraceful Pierre Poilievre.
What you Conservatives should know by now, however, is that Mr. Haprer and the Conservatives Chief Communications strategist, Geoff Norquay, IS ALSO WITH EARNSCLIFFE. Just one of an equally large number of Tory lobbyist types doing the same as their predecessors.
Do you not know this??
Sorry - should say he WAS Chief communications strategist during the campaign and before.
He is also a good guy, but so what?
Gevalia Coffee…
[...]Try one pound of our exceptional coffee for only. Including shipping and handling and receive a cup programmable stainless steel coffeemaker as a special gift. Try one pound of our exception[...]…
Coffee Beans…
[...]From wikipedia the free encyclopedia. A cup of coffee. Coffee is a popular beverage prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. It is usually served hot but can also be served cold.[...]…