Ongoing election scores ....

From our own close scrutiny of the sayings, bleatings, piglatin, announcements, proclamations, whining, rhetoric and name calling from the political hopefuls now treading across a cold Canada, we offer our very own careful assessment and scores, as usual, completely fair and objective - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Not.

Paul Martin: Liberal Party of Canada
- Dec 1 - for pretending there WAS no sponsorship scandal = -1
- Dec 2 - for doing it with a straight face = +1
- Dec 4 - for wearing a black leather sports jacket to soften his image = +0 (didn't work)
- Dec 6 - for being known as Mr. Dithers and giving us all fun for his bumbling = +1
- Dec 8 - for banning handguns in Canada = +2
- Dec 8 - for thinking the bad guys will turn them in = - 3
- Dec 9 - for meeting with Bill Clinton and properly speaking out about the Kyoto Treaty and chastising the Americans for not signing on = +1
- Dec 9 - for that Liberal TV ad where supposedly 'real' people back the Liberals but they are actually Liberal party workers = -1
- Dec 10 - for saying that Harper's Day-Care dollars only buy popcorn and beer for those getting them. No one eats popcorn with beer = -1
- Dec 13 - for not backing down after criticism by the meddling US Ambassador about Martin's softwood lumber comments = +2
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Dec 29 - for providing a shining example to Ralph Goodale in not stepping down amid potential scandal when you're in charge of the money too = -1
- Dec 29 - for just being associated with Mike Klander, executive vice-president of the federal Liberal party's Ontario wing who posted on his blog rude remarks about Layton's wife = -2
- Jan 4 - for being afraid (or ashamed) to mention former leader Jean Chretien during the campaign = -1
- Jan 9 - for his (somewhat) heated exchange with Duceppe during the debate about Canadian unity = +1
- Jan 11 - for the hack-attack ads against the Canadian military = -2
- Jan 15 - for implying that Harper has missing money in his budget as if HE was the crook who stole from taxpayers = -1
- Jan 16 - for setting up the reporters' questions in Vancouver and refusing to take all but one local question = -3
- Jan 16 - for the woman controlling those questions to refuse to identify herself = -1
- Jan 16 - for even coming to Vancouver to campaign and treating us like outsiders = -2
Martin Total = Minus 12

Stephen Harper: Conservative Party of Canada
- Dec 1 - Reducing the GST to 5% where it can count for everyone instead of lowering income tax which only helps rich people more = +1
- Dec 2 - Mandatory sentences for drug traffickers= +2, (but making it only two years which is 'soft' time -1) so it equals +1
- Dec 6 - for being endorsed by a major right wing American newspaper as the potential best friend of George Bush = -2
- Dec 6 - for thinking that's cool = minus 1 more
- Dec 8 - for Harper not getting his eyeline correct and obviously reading off a prompter in his TV ad = -1
- Dec 9 - for not being Peter McKay = -2
- Dec 12 for the $500 tax credit for kids in sport = +1
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Dec 19 - for promising Quebec a voice on the world stage = -2
- Jan 4 - for being afraid (or ashamed) to mention former leader Brian Mulroney during the campaign = -1
- Jan 9 - for the 'programmed' smile during the debate = -1
- Jan 11 - for even hinting that he would join the American Star Wars system = -1
- Jan 17 - for using this phrase in his speech - ... "for Quebeckers AND Canadians" ... are we already separated? = -2
- Jan 18 - for hedging and evading on abortion and same sex marriage issues = -2
Harper Total = minus 13

Jack Layton:: New Democratic Party
- Dec 1 - for pretending he's a player when he's not = -1
- Dec 2 - for doing it convincingly = +1
- Dec 3 - for saying Canada should consider taxing energy exports (oil and gas) to the United States if Washington doesn't lift its tariffs on softwood lumber imports = +2
- Dec 5 - Will not allow public health care dollars to go into private facilities = +1
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Jan 4 - for being UNafraid to mention former leader Ed Broadbent during the campaign = +1
- Jan 9 - for too much 'send-us-to-parliament' and not enough 'why' during the last debate = -1
Layton Total = Plus 2

Jim Harris:: Green Party of Canada
Dec 5 - for the others trying to exclude a party which has candidates in ALL ridings in Canada = +2
Dec 6 - for calling on the Canada Pension Plan to sell off Wal-Mart shares = +1
- Dec 15 - for NOT participating in the canned "debate" = +1
- Jan 9 - for being honest about NAFTA and admitting that it is actually costing Canadians more because of America's unilateral actions = +1
Harris Total = Plus 5

Gilles Duceppe: Parti Québécois
- Dec 1 - for denying there will be a separation referendum = -1
- Dec 2 - for suggesting Quebec have their own international hockey team as an election platform = -1
- Dec 5 - for having NO candidates outside of Quebec = -2
- Dec 12 - for criticizing Martin for speaking out against the Americans = -1
- Dec 12 - for sucking up to the US because once he takes Quebec out of Canada he knows he'll never sell us anything again = -1
- Dec 15 - for participating in the canned "debate" = -1
- Jan 4 - for being afraid (or ashamed) to mention former leader of the Bloc Québécois, [same thing as PQ] Jacques Parizeau = -1
- Jan 9 - for his answer during the debate to moderator Paikin about this question: "If Canada is divisible now, will Quebec be divisible if they attain nationhood?" The answer was NO! (the aboriginals may have something to say about that) = -3
Duceppe Total = minus 11

Ron Gray: Christian Heritage Party of Canada
- Jan 7 - for having Joe Pal running in Vancouver, who gave us a lovely talking to about morality which ended with the invitation to join a new, vile Canada. If it was a misspeak for VITAL = +1, if it was a Freudian slip = -1
- Jan 9 - for having the easiest to negotiate web site = +1
Gray total = plus 1

Blair Longley: Marijuana Party of Canada
- Jan 7 - for having Heathcliff Dionysus Campbell running in Vancouver Center, who said, "Insanity is voting for the same people over and over again and expecting change." = +3
- Jan - for not being available for 10 days because he "stepped out for a smoke" = -2
Longley Total = plus 1

Stay tuned, at least here in BC we can look forward to Spring arriving on February 1st as usual.