Conservative Scandal of the Week

Our editorial board here at JAWL has decided that we are starting to sound a little bit too liberal with so many rants about the Steve and his party. So we have instituted this new feature in an effort to sound less partisan.

Introducing

The Neocon Scandal of the week.

Although there were a few good offerings from Steve this week the inaugural winner is the neocon reaction to the raid on the Conservative headquarters by the RCMP.

A closer look at the 'in and out' scheme

The Conservatives are under investigation for an "in and out" scheme, under which the party allegedly funnelled money through the local election campaigns of individual Tory candidates so they could spend more on their national campaign.

In the 2005-06 election campaign, the Conservatives' national headquarters transferred money to 67 local candidates - who immediately transferred it back as "payment" for campaign advertising.

Of course the neocons claim that this was all legal and that the various local candidates and local ridings were supplying funds to advertise nationally. Apparently, however some did not know about the transfers and candidates in the 308 ridings across the country were not allowed to spend additional sums on their local campaigns, and many would not be able to spend their limit. Basically Steve circumvented the elections act and the limits placed on advertising in the last election.

But the best part is how the neocons are fighting the move by their own appointed head of Elections Canada, claiming everything from media bias to the work of a Liberal mole. Here's their responses over the past few days. They even have their lobbyists into the act.

• Tories allege Elections Canada bias
  
• Elections Canada leaked news of RCMP raid, Tories say from the Post
  
• Former lobbyist deems raids an act of revenge
  

So much for that honesty thing that Steve went on about before the election. Typical US styled neocon bullshit: Say one thing, do the opposite.

Here's the runners up for the week:

1. A flavour of pork from the Globe highlighting Steve's finance minister's involvement in pork barreling.
   
2. Time for Karzai to replace Kandahar governor: the Globe covering Foreign Affairs Minister Bernier gaffe in Afghanistan (covered in a previous post)
   
3. Government trying to stop hearings into detainee abuse allegations from the CBC outlining how the Neocons on both sides of the border have a problem torture and culpability.
   
4. Tories to sell immigration changes with ad blitz The Globe outlines the forthcoming propaganda from the Neocons to maintain support from the various ethnic communities as they try to reduce the number of permanent immigrants.
   
5. Senator caught saying Verner hates Bill C-10 Globe story exposes some of the neocon infighting against the Religious Rights influence on their party.
   
6. Latest Canadian Forces ads omit Afghan mission Globe outlines some necon advertising techniques to support our troops
   
7. Medical marijuana users more than $500K in arrears CTV reports on the beginning of the necons War on Drugs.