Mad as hell & not going to take it any more! You too? Then Act Now!! Donate $10 to support legal challenge!

And the superb irony to seal the commercial with:
Those cheating @#$# media heads got richer from us being required to run this public announcement.
--
My blog is www.abandonedstuff.com

"In the interest of Canadians, the Consortium has determined that it is better to broadcast the debates with the four major party leaders, rather than not at all."

I would prefer "not at all" to the democratic farce rendered by the intimidation of the media by the politburo. I think that would serve Canadians better. Why do they need to here more from these moneyed and entrenched interests?

Jim Johnston,
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex

Opinions expressed are my own.

If intimidation is democracy, then democracy is alive and well in Canada today.

Jim Johnston,
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex

Opinions expressed are my own.

Here is an interesting fact you should mention to the press (from the Wikepedia article on Stephen Harper):

After winning the Canadian Alliance Party leadership, Harper announced his intention to run in 2002 for parliament in a by-election in Calgary Southwest, recently vacated by Preston Manning. Ezra Levant had already been chosen as the riding's Alliance candidate and initially declared that he would not stand aside for Harper; he subsequently reconsidered.[67] The Liberals did not field a candidate, following a parliamentary tradition of allowing opposition leaders to enter the House of Commons unopposed. The Progressive Conservative candidate, Jim Prentice, also chose to withdraw.

Harper is being completely duplicitous here.

(thanks to Rich Tyssen)

I’m so angry I can’t describe it. While I can understand Stephen Harper’s objections - everything from arrogance to misogyny - Jack Layton’s are more selfish but I think female dippers might have something to say to him.

Until Elizabeth is let in to the debate I’d like to see the other leaders get nagged throughout the campaign at every stop - not by media, necessarily, but by…hmm…agitated guests and on-lookers.

I am old enough to remember that years ago, during the first Quebec referendum, the campaign turned completely after a female cabinet minister compared female federalists to a dowdy, compliant housewife character on Quebec TV named Yvette. Before you knew it Yvette rallies were being held all across the province and it was probably the difference between Yes and No!

Maybe we need a movement such as this to open the doors to Elizabeth October 1 and 2!

Michael Bond emailed me tonight with a great suggestion -- all Green supporters -- and in fact every Canadian -- should be asking the candidates in local debates -- particularly the NDP candidates,

"Why is your party, why is your leader, working to block Elizabeth May from participating in the Leaders debate?"

Cheers
Michael Bond
(Formerly Cambridge) Now in Chatham-Kent-Essex

Young Greens want to reclaim the debates for Canada! Contact Steve Paikin, the National Arts Centre, and all of the editors you know!
http://youth.greenparty.ca has talking points for you and email addresses ready to go!
We'll be adding even more soon!

- Amanda Judd

Awesome commentary as usual, Jim, and though it's awful for us, it's still ammunition to use in the election. A move this blatantly undemocratic doesn't look good and is hard to sell to anyone. I'm having a harder and harder time being sympathetic to Harper.

So, speaking of ammunition, is there a French version of the Debate Backgrounder available? I'm planning on putting both languages up at the U of A.

Thanks, and good luck campaigning everyone,
Aden Murphy
Westlock-St. Paul

What has happened to DEMOCRACY and FREEDOM OF SPEECH in our country? It appears both have grossly fallen off track.

Just a reminder of what these terms are supposed to mean to all of us:

Democracy: there are two principles that any definition of democracy include. The first principle is that all members of the society have equal access to power and the second that all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties.

Freedom of speech: is the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation.

What are these *leaders* afraid of? Perhaps the fact that they will be shown up for what they really are and what they stand for? I personally think that a debate including the GPC would force them to consider more seriously what is happening to our environment and come up with some viable solutions. Their actions regarding these upcoming debates have confirmed to me that I can no longer support them in any way.

I cancelled my membership in the Liberal Party and I am giving all I can in financial support to GPC. I pray that thousands more will see the major parties for what they really are and do the same.

Ric Smithers
Sherbrooke QC

The blogespher is buzzing today and was in overdrive last night. An amazing blog: http://www.threeseven.ca/2008/09/elizabeth-may-she-joins-debates-or-i.ht...

Andrew Coyne on the Macleans blog ends with For today, it’s time to raise a little hell: Greens In Now! http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/09/08/democracy-takes-a-beating/

Democratic space pundit Greg Morrow posts a long list of bloggers who are mad as hell about this and aren't going to take it any more. See http://democraticspace.com/blog/2008/09/a-failure-for-canadian-democracy...

I had only just turned the radio on, but I think I heard Harper saying that the NDP would lead the country in the same direction as the Liberals. If this is correct (maybe someone can confirm or deny it) then shouldn't Harper be asking for the NDP be excluded too?

Derek Andrews
Nova Scotia

It might take too much to organize, but wouldn't it be great if every tv station associated with 'the consortium' were picketed? From what I have read, I don't think it would just be green t-shirts either.

Derek Andrews
Nova Scotia

Backlash is beginning -- the Bloc breaks rank. Andrew Coyne writes insightfully about it at http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/09/08/the-bloc-breaks-ranks/

I believe this will go down in history as the worst decision ever by the NDP -- it completely exposing a lack principle and a pure lust for power. Tommy Douglas would not belong to this party today.

But my favourite blog title is Elizabeth May scares 3 out of 4 Political leaders

-----Original Message-----
From: Cynthia Bragg
Sent: September 9, 2008 9:31 AM
To: Jim Harris
Subject: Re: Mad as hell & not going to take it any more? Then Act Now!!

Jim: You expressed my sentiments exactly. I'm on a disability pension but I want to be one of the first to pay my $10. This whole thing stinks! I feel as if I am living in China with the people on top deciding what I can think, do and, say. This is an absolute outrage. Thanks for getting this action going.

I literally could not sleep last night. I think it was for this same reason. If "the powers that be" can censor speech like this, what's next? What if I, or worse one of my loved ones, were to disappear into the night never to be heard of again for expressing my opinions?

In my tossing and turning, after waking up in a cold sweat, I mused over whether it would be effective if I dressed up like a chicken, wore a banner that effectively says "Harper and Layton are cowards" and walked around Toronto. What if we did this in all major cities? Would the media cover this?

Am I crazy for starting to think about these kind of actions? Would Joe Average Canadian care about our plight? Or would I be just another bell ringer like others in Dundas Square?

(I am in no way trying to say that the atrocities that I hear about in China should be compared to this, it just feels to me like it's "going in that direction".)

----------
Views expressed are my own.

If the arrangement between the Liberal/Green leaders is a debate deal-breaker, then offer to cancel the arrangement. I am sure that there are many Greens in St-Laurent Cartierville who think Dion is a bad MP and I am sure there are just as many Liberals in Central Nova who have misgivings about the GPC. Those local GPC and LPC EDAs would probably welcome the chance to fight. Making such an offer costs nothing and will expose the shallow nature of the Conservative position if they refuse.

Leo Williams
Nepean-Carleton

From Greg Morrow's DemocraticSPAOCE.com Update: Andrew Coyne reports that the Bloc Québécois has broken ranks — they are denying that they told the media consortium that they would not attend the debates if the Greens were included. As Coyne notes, you would have a debate that included Dion, Duceppe, and May already. If Jack Layton relented, the only guy standing in the way of the Greens inclusion is Stephen Harper. It’s highly unlikely he would skip the debate if all the other leaders were participating. So it comes down to Jack Layton. What do you say Jack, are you willing to stand on principle and let the Greens speak?

http://democraticspace.com/blog/2008/09/a-failure-for-canadian-democracy...

Dear Mr. Jason MacDonald:

I write as one of the dozens of bloggers who has publicly condemned the media Consortium for its anti-democratic decision to exclude the Green Party from the televised leaders debates this October. We think it was cowardly of Jack Layton and Stephen Harper to insist upon excluding Elizabeth May, and it's also inexplicable in a democratic country for media heads to not tell the parties threatening a boycott that they were welcome to stay away while the Greens any other interested parties debate. The media is to serve the interests of democracy, not those of Stephen Harper, or Jack Layton personally. I'm sure you appreciate the absurdity of asking Miss May's OPPONENTS if she should be included or not?

I expect the Green's challenge to the CRTC and likely the courts may have to change your mind. I would hope that Jack Layton comes to his senses first, and asks the Consortium to reconsider his brash refusal to debate May. When/if that happens, I hope you have the decency as a Canadian to accept the wishes of more than 3 in 4 Canadians who want to hear Miss May in the debates.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
John Klein

P.S. A growing list of the bloggers, many among the top 25 most read political blogs in the country, are found here:
http://www.abandonedstuff.com/2008/09/08/yellowpartie/
Right now your Consortium, and those involved in it, are set to go down in history as meddling in an election you're supposed to simply report, not shape.

Sept 10 from the Vancouver Sun:

Earlier in the day Layton stood his ground as he found himself bombarded in an online attack over his refusal to support Green Leader Elizabeth May's participation in the upcoming televised leaders' debates.

Layton's political page on the social networking website Facebook has received a barrage of criticism from online users since the announcement was made Monday afternoon that May wouldn't be allowed to participate.

"It couldn't be more evident that Layton chooses power over principle when he works with the Bloc and Conservative party to get Elizabeth May off the debates," wrote Steve Oliveira, a Facebook user registered in Toronto. "What is he afraid of?"

From http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=3391c803-282b-4d1a...

Today in the Toronto Star Chantal Hébert writes a powerful column calling out the networks for having lost their backbone. This is exactly what I thought when I heard their decision.

Here's the good news it's not over yet. http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/496450

Former Prime Minister Joe Clark in a landmark opinion piece in today's Globe and Mail calls for Elizabeth May's inclusion in the televised leaders debates.

Canada's 16th Prime Minister in no uncertain terms points out that our electoral system is broken and needs changing.

Clark doesn't pull any punches. He calls Harper, Layton and Duceppe's actions blackmail -- and writes "if these thee men want to boycott a genuine debate let them do so openly."

Note: The Bloc very shortly after the consortium released it's decision stated that it had never said it would not participate in a debate if the Greens were included -- so that leaves only Harper and Layton engaging in blackmail.

Elizabeth notes in her blog Piece of Cake today: "The bulk of the voters I spoke to today, whether it was out main-street canvassing or sitting in the New Glasgow office, were horrified that I have been excluded from the debates. We received phone calls from across the country to let us know that long-time Conservatives and NDPers were switching their votes to the Green Party out of disgust for the blatant partisan bullying displayed by" Stephen Harper and Jack Layton.

You can read Joe Clark's full column at
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080910.COCLARK10/TPSt...

But this is such a defining moment -- the former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister endorsing the Green Pary's inclusion in the debates -- I'd suggest getting a copy of the Globe today at cutting this out.

I can never get enough of hearing her speak. Her message of hope, co-operation and continued positivity remind me of why I so feverishly support the Green Party.

Click on yesterday's date.

http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/podcast.html

I continue to be proud of my leader, I wonder if supporters in the other parties can still say that.

----------
Views expressed are my own.