'Lefty' Layton Trades Jabs with President (Bush visit to Canada)

[iverglas]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1101855016327&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467&DPL=JvsODSH7Aw0u%2bwoRO%2bYKDSblFxAk%2bwoVO%2bYODSbhFxAg%2bwkRO%2bUPDSXiFxMh%2bwkZO%2bUCDSTmFxIk%2bw8RO%2bMKDSPkFxUj%2bw8UO%2bMNDSPgFxUv%2bw8YO%2bILDSLkFxQh1w%3d%3d&tacodalogin=yes

(The Toronto Star now requires registration, but it's free)

Jack Layton is the leader of the New Democratic Party (our social democrat party) in the Canadian Parliament.

OTTAWA—For six minutes last night, while the top layer of Canada's political class schmoozed with cocktails and canapés, New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton told President George W. Bush why a lot of Canadians don't like the idea of a missile-defence shield over North America.

Bush was not moved.

... As Bush started to slide away, to shake more hands among the three dozen or so high-ranking guests invited to the private reception at last night's gala dinner, he smiled and told Layton: "Every country needs a good lefty. ... We even have some in our country."

Layton spoke to the Star last night after what he described as a direct, amiable but ultimately "disturbing" conversation with Bush, ...

An excerpt from an open letter to President George W. Bush from federal NDP Leader Jack Layton:
http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20041130090134846

Dear President Bush,

Official visits can provide opportunities for greater understanding of common concerns and diversity of thought. It is these exchanges that make such visits potentially beneficial and productive, particularly if elected representatives and citizens hear each other's point of view.

On your first official visit to Canada, it is unfortunate arrangements do not include an address to Parliament, and include only meetings with party leaders who more closely share your views. Sadly, my requests to meet with you were denied.

During Mexican President Vicente Fox's recent visit, he met with leaders of all parties in our minority Parliament. We enjoyed civilized, respectful dialogue. It is unfortunate such a dialogue will not occur now, resulting in you receiving a skewed view of Canada's values and concerns.

I share those concerns, and believe it crucial you be aware of them. Ideally, I hope your administration heeds the world's concerns and rejoins multilateral efforts on common problems. I continue to hope this is possible, but in the event it is not, hope Canada will respectfully disagree with those policies that are at odds with our values, while maintaining the valuable friendship between our countries.

... I was proud to be part of the peace movement that helped convince former Prime Minister Chrétien to keep Canada out of the war on Iraq. More than 100,000 people have since died, and yet despite the correctness of global opposition to the invasion, your administration shows few signs of working with the world on meaningful efforts to make us all safer. ...

Sincerely,

Jack Layton, MP
Leader of the NDP

[KurtNYC]

1. Go Layton Go

[wicket]

2. Amen to that!

:kick:

[democracy eh]

3. he is a dynamo

I swear he must eat nothing but baklava, the energy he has

[Bouncy Ball]

4. Awesome letter...

so that's all ** did? He just said every country needs a good lefty, ha ha ha and moved awy from him?

Nice. But what did I expect from the turd?

Good for Layton.

[iverglas]

8. layton's chat

I heard on Newsworld this morning that Jack plans to release
the details of his chat with George, but I've looked at news
websites and haven't seen any more.

Harper, our resident right-wing party leader, got a private
audience (as leader of the Official Opposition), and has said
he will not disclose the details publicly. (We can only hope
for a candid camera shot of him licking a boot.)

I'll keep an eye out for more dishing. ;)

Meanwhile, for anyone who believed the reports of the 39 people
who turned out to protest against Bush and who hasn't seen the
pics posted elsewhere at DU, this is the candlelight vigil on
Parliament Hill that Jack addressed before his dinner date
(there's a city block between the camera and the steps of the
Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, where the House of
Commons is located, and the lawns were crowded with people):



and this is the march leaving from the noon-hour rally that Jack
had urged NDP members to attend (or part of it -- it extended a
considerable distance out of the frame in both directions);
estimates of 25,000 people seem to be correct, at a minimum,
keeping in mind that Ottawa, even including all of the small
towns in the National Capital region both in Ontario and across
the river in Quebec for some distance, has a population of no more
than 1 million:

[iverglas]

11. and a pic of Layton at the main daytime protest

He's the Col. Mustard looking guy in the middle with the mustache
and orange scarf.

To the right of him is Ed Broadbent, a former leader of the NDP
who returned to politics in last spring's election and is now
the MP for Ottawa Centre -- and received endorsements from
prominent "Red Tory" Conservatives disgusted with the new
"Conservative Party".

To the left of him is Alexa McDonough, the party leader Jack
succeeded.

[genieroze]

12. 39 people my butt. eom

[u4ic]

17. Harper

was positively animated (well, as animated as he can get lol) at the press conference after his meeting with shrub.

I'd hate to see the state of his pants after that meeting. :evilgrin:

[Minstrel Boy]

5. "Every country needs a good lefty"

What a condescending, baby-killing, chimply-smirking, apocalypse-precipitating, cocaine-jaw grinding asshole.

Olivia Chow - Layton's wife, and a Toronto City Councillor - addressed a candlelight vigil outside the US consulate last night. Great as always to hear her, but I wish she'd been at the dinner, and said the same to Bush. He'd have smirked his last.

[calimary]

7. Took the words (especially "condescending") straight out of my mouth.

Probably wants the "good lefties" in this country set up in some sort of drive-through park, on display, for the knuckledraggers to oggle after they've paid their admission and bought their souvenirs. Reminds me of an adorably cute quote from the late GRATE Justin Dart - a big-ass industrialist and behind-the-scenes political manipulator who was a member of Reagan's "kitchen cabinet." A lot of the Reagan/James Watt attitudes on the environment reflected Justin Dart's position - about saving aside a whopping 100 acres of trees - "for the kids."

Better watch those left jabs, georgie-poo. You and your pals are getting very well conditioned not only to be unable to understand them but to spot them. And eventually, one of them is gonna nail ya. Just hope I live to see it.

[genieroze]

13. ROTFL

"Probably wants the "good lefties" in this country set up in some sort of drive-through park, on display, for the knuckledraggers to oggle after they've paid their admission and bought their souvenirs."

:headbang:

[grumpy old fart]

6. Chimp is just a cowardly bully, plain and simple.

explains most everything he does. Dissenting voices just scare him to death.

[DFWJock]

9. Layton

hates America, let the bombing begin.

[daleo]

10. I hope Jack mentioned the war criminal thing

I mean the fact that most Canadians think the Iraq invasion and occupation is illegal, and that Bush is a war criminal. Although most would be too polite to phrase their opinions that bluntly.

[Ganja Ninja]

14. There is just no comparison between the chimp and Clinton.

He is soooooo f-ing stupid. What an embarrassing imbecile. It's almost too much to bear. :cry:

[CHIMO]

15. Reconciliation

How to create conflicts. A private half hour meeting with the far right when they managed to obtain about 30% of the vote.

At dinner, a wider picture of Canada's political, business and cultural elite was on display for the U.S. president. All were basking in what is supposed to be the new glow of friendship in the Martin-Bush realm, though there were the odd, bracing breezes, such as the one Layton experienced at the reception.

Former prime minister Jean Chrétien, who didn't enjoy particularly friendly relations with Bush or Martin in his final year in office, was among the luminaries in the crowd of about 700 guests. Bush slid right past Chrétien as he entered the hall, pausing to shake hands with someone else at the table, but not the former prime minister.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1101855016327&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467&DPL=JvsODSH7Aw0u%2bwoRO%2bYKDSblFxAk%2bwoVO%2bYODSbhFxAg%2bwkRO%2bUPDSXiFxMh%2bwkZO%2bUCDSTmFxIk%2bw8RO%2bMKDSPkFxUj%2bw8UO%2bMNDSPgFxUv%2bw8YO%2bILDSLkFxQh1w%3d%3d&tacodalogin=yes

Great show for the home crowd but I guess that he forgot that the rest of the world was watching to see if the new regime would be an indication of multilateralism or more of the same.

Seems like maybe he wants to convince the home audience that he won the election and is the prez.

[quiet.american]

16. Man, Bush hates our freedom

Kudos to Layton for speaking up.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

18. How about an "NDP/Bloc Quebec" alliance

:kick:

Go Jack Go!!!

[VaYallaDawg]

19. What an embarrassment to our country.

Looks like US foreign policy is boiling down to the three words the RW love to use with respect to the Democrats. "Get over it."