Why Mutual Respect Has To Come With Internal Division.

Tempers are riding high in the wake of the Hereditary Chiefs saying No to oil and gas development on their traditional lands.

The conflit not only pits different communities against each other but FNs themselves are widely divided themselves. All you have to do is watch the news to see different FN members verbally tussling with each other.

My advice to FNs is to always concentrate the mind first on common positions in vital areas of concern to the large and varied Commonwealth of FNs. Secondly, yes, by all means be authentic and vocal but remember that without mutual respect and restraint among FN members, that each and every other FN begins to have a losing political hand versus Ottawa, the provinces and territories.

Try to find as much common ground as is humanly possible and focus on the fact that both sides only want what's best for their own and other FNs.

Historical redress is not only overdue on a wide host of issues but it's imperative that its trajectory finally takes off without FN internal divisions creating bumps in the road. By doing that, one inevitably plays into the hands of governmental opposition.

Nothing is more important than the big picture and the urgent agenda that accompanies it. Keep that in mind as the debate rages with passion internally.

Tough Guy Politicians.

It's so easy for politicians to act tough and brave from the comfort of their living room. Political bluster is the highest form of representative cowardice.

Just listen to those big men telling all of us what to do. Talk is cheap and phoney boys. How about getting in on the action and parking your sanctimonious behinds on site -- that is, if you've actually got any real guts.

Government members can be part of the solution, you know, by negotiating a new economic framework and true partnership between governments, project proponents and First Nations. Oh yeah, I forgot, that's precisely what Trudeau doesn't want to do. Silly me.

Opposition MPs can also exercise a constructive role aimed at forcing this government to do what is long overdue: treat FNs like first-class human beings worthy of respect and consideration equal to what white people are used to receiving. Oops, I momentarily went off on an honorable tangent without realizing how opposition parties are always the toughest of tough guys. They simply can't resist their own hanging balls. So easy to BS your way in front of the public, isn't it now?

The further the distance between politician and protester, the more bellicose and threatening the rhetoric.

In short, the highly predictable actions of typically hypocritical politicians.

Empty Vessels...

Two words, that mean everything in politics. If you come at it with a moderate perspective and keen sense of what it takes to rally the country, that's exactly what you'll do.

Now, if you're foolish enough to come at it as an empty vessel -- that your advisors pour into --then sure, you can win government but not for long.

A case in point: Trudeau, who won on hype and largely ran his government on fumes. There's no real Trudeau there, just a montage created by flailing advisors.

Think back to Mulroney, the guy that won two majorities, or Chrétien who won three. That's how you game it out in politics.

You don't do what Harper did, propelled into office only by Sponsorship, who then became his own worst political enemy, ultimately culminating in Harper being kicked out on his ass, after the way he handled the belated majority.

Harper had a choice: meet Canadians in the middle of the road or go gonzo-right. Guess which way he went?

And therein lies the political lesson for MacKay: it's all about rallying the nation and eventually winning an election.

MacKay, if he wins the CPC leadership can be all about moderation and consensus -- or he can be just another Harper.

The former gets to take down Trudeau. The latter gets to lose, badly. 

Personal Political Irony!

Who would have thought I'd end up unexpectedly supporting one Pete in Canada and another in the States. But there you have it.

Trump Is On A Sacred Mission To Destroy Trump.

Too funny, watching Trump in action. This guy is not content with Democrats going after him, he's got to do all he possibly can to personally sink his own ship.

His firing of Sondland and Vinman is only the latest petty manifestation of a guy totally out of control. Trump rivals Nixon when it comes to being acutely in need of psychotherapy. Simply unreal.

And the great news is, he's got plenty of time between now and November to prove that he's become totally unfit for his office. Believe me, he's up to that task and is about to prove it in spades.

A clever politician, like Clinton, correctly recognized impeachment for what it was: a political rebuke and act worthy of both contrition and apology. Not Donald J. Trump. Again, a riot.

Trump prefers the raw, destructive energy of going full-on unplugged and out of control. So, be it. The guy actually thinks there are no limits on presidential power or conduct. Trump is all for carte blanche and that's his modus operandi going forward. Well, have at it, Mr. President, because the best is yet to come -- for Democrats.

Somewhere, God is smiling, looking on.

 

Baird.

Don't expect Baird to get in because he won't. His unexpected departure from Harper's cabinet likely precludes that. Enough said.

When Yes Means No And No Means Yes...

A case in point: IMPEACHMENT.

If you're looking for a real good reason to loathe politicians this is it. It was absolutely disgusting watching almost all Republicans saying B today while ranting and raving A during the Clinton impeachment. Most Democrats were exactly the same.

What that really means folks is politicians of that order have positively no respect or regard for their constituents, and beyond. They believe that the public are either idiots, foolishly gullible or both. That's the real deal when it comes to politicians.

In this country, our politicians are no better. You won't see most of them looking in the mirror and justifying to themselves what they intend to do politically -- before they go out there and do it. And when they do it, they often know from the get-go that it's self-serving, wrong, unethical, unprincipled or worse.

The good news is that all of the above affects elections sometimes sooner, but more often later. However, a final reckoning does ultimately occur and it's basically inevitable.

We saw it in the last federal election, where both the Liberals and Conservatives paid a not insignificant price for their actions: Trudeau got checked and Scheer blocked.

Meanwhile, in the Republic below, the same is on the menu for Trump and Republicans and Democrats in Congress. How could it possibly be otherwise?

You don't see heroes emerge out of the mist too often amidst this chaos and double-dealing but when they rise to the occasion, with names like Wilson-Raybould, Philpott, Romney or Amash, they're more than worthy of our respect and even gushing admiration.

For the above, Yes actually means Yes and No has no other possible connotation than No. Don't hold your breath waiting for main-line politicians to go that way because they sure as Hell won't. That's the sad political reality when it comes to politicians.

God Bless Romney!

I haven't changed: thought Clinton should have been convicted and today feel the exact same way about Trump.

May God Truly Bless Mitt Romney. What integrity. Ditto for Justin Amash. History will treat both of them kindly.

MacKay On CTV.

MacKay had absolutely the right response when his comm handlers moved in and abruptly ended the interview.

Peter needs to read them the Riot Act and his campaign team must make sure that these underlings never, ever, do anything like this again. And if they can't, or won't, get it, then MacKay needs to do some upcoming firings.

An Iowa Earthquake!?

In a word: Buttigieg. Been feeling it for quite a while now that Pete is major breakout material. His numbers look good going into Iowa on Monday night.

The guy has somewhat of a Kennedy quality rolled up with a 2020 Clinton twist. In his case, he won't need a saxophone.

When Obama took off and won the election, that was seen as both revolutionary and extraordinary.  Buttigieg very much has that same quality to him.

He's the epitome of passing the torch to a new generation of Americans -- as Kennedy certainly was.

No kidding. Iowa could be unbelievable and might just take all our breath away.

The gut is screaming Stay Tuned! We'll find out soon enough if it's right.