Friday, October 24, 2003
If only they had gone along
News tonight that the Orchardites (the federal Tory members opposed to merger with the Alliance) will take their fight to the courts to stop conservative unity. This is an unfortunate but unsurprising development.
This news rekindled memories of my time in the federal Tory party, especially the events of the fall 1999 annual meeting, held in Toronto. At that AGM, a critical mass of young Tories tried to shift the party's course, which we thought was heading in the wrong direction under the leadership of Joe Clark. One thing that made us particularly uneasy was Clark's embrace of David Orchard, the man whom he had defeated a few months earlier for the party leadership (Clark, during the leadership race, had even called Orchard a "tourist" in the the party.) We wanted Orchard out. His main goal was to return the Tories to its pre-Mulroney position of opposing trade liberalization with America, so we proposed an amendment to the PC party constitution that would have enshrined support for free trade in the aims and principles of the party. The motion was defeated on the floor of the convention. While the majority of delegates supported free trade, they voted against the amendment (The main excuse I recall hearing was "I support free trade, but party policy has no place in a party's constitution.")
I wonder now if that resolution had in fact passed whether all this Orchard trouble would have been avoided. I guess we'll never know.
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News tonight that the Orchardites (the federal Tory members opposed to merger with the Alliance) will take their fight to the courts to stop conservative unity. This is an unfortunate but unsurprising development.
This news rekindled memories of my time in the federal Tory party, especially the events of the fall 1999 annual meeting, held in Toronto. At that AGM, a critical mass of young Tories tried to shift the party's course, which we thought was heading in the wrong direction under the leadership of Joe Clark. One thing that made us particularly uneasy was Clark's embrace of David Orchard, the man whom he had defeated a few months earlier for the party leadership (Clark, during the leadership race, had even called Orchard a "tourist" in the the party.) We wanted Orchard out. His main goal was to return the Tories to its pre-Mulroney position of opposing trade liberalization with America, so we proposed an amendment to the PC party constitution that would have enshrined support for free trade in the aims and principles of the party. The motion was defeated on the floor of the convention. While the majority of delegates supported free trade, they voted against the amendment (The main excuse I recall hearing was "I support free trade, but party policy has no place in a party's constitution.")
I wonder now if that resolution had in fact passed whether all this Orchard trouble would have been avoided. I guess we'll never know.
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Wednesday, October 22, 2003
State of P.R.
Today I have another piece up on National Review Online, this one about the State Department's spinning on the Iraq situation, otherwise known as the Colin Powell image rehabilitation project. Go here to read it.
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Today I have another piece up on National Review Online, this one about the State Department's spinning on the Iraq situation, otherwise known as the Colin Powell image rehabilitation project. Go here to read it.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Malaysian PM repeats
You know this would be more offensive if it weren't so sad. This guy is obviously so pathetic and in need of help. I have not seen too many public condemnations by groups such as the Arab League, have you? Nice work by Chretien shaking hands with the guy, too.
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You know this would be more offensive if it weren't so sad. This guy is obviously so pathetic and in need of help. I have not seen too many public condemnations by groups such as the Arab League, have you? Nice work by Chretien shaking hands with the guy, too.
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