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Post by inuvik on Nov 29, 2005 13:47:00 GMT -5
Big news here in the Great White North...
The minority federal government fell yesterday on a non-confidence motion. First time ever--previous minority governments have fallen but always on a specific bill, usually the budget. There's been a huge scandal here going on for months, the sponsorship scandal (way too long to get into).
Anyway, this means they will be campaigning from now until the vote (likely date is Jan. 23). Who wants political stuff over Christmas? Not most of us that's for sure. Sort of spoils the holidays.
I think it's neat that history has been made with the non-confidence motion though, and I saw it live on TV too. Makes you feel part of something.
The US is not the only one with political trouble right now!
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Post by mlm828 on Nov 29, 2005 14:18:04 GMT -5
If it's any consolation, you aren't the only one who's going to be subjected to politicking over the holidays. The Congressman who represented the district where I live (he never represented me!) resigned yesterday after getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar big time ($2.4 mil). I always thought he was an idiot. Now it turns out he's a crook, too -- he pleaded guilty to several federal felonies. I do love it, however, when these self-righteous types get caught.  A date for a special election has to be set within 20 days (correction: 14 days). And I was so relieved when the campaigning for the special election in California was finally over earlier this month. I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know the details of the sponsorship scandal in Canada, but I'm going to find out about it now. |
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Post by inuvik on Nov 29, 2005 14:34:45 GMT -5
I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know the details of the sponsorship scandal in Canada, but I'm going to find out about it now. Here is a link to info about the sponsorship scandal from our national public broadcaster, the CBC: www.cbc.ca/news/background/groupaction/ |
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Post by mlm828 on Nov 29, 2005 15:04:42 GMT -5
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Post by shmeep on Nov 29, 2005 15:21:37 GMT -5
I've been following the vote of No Confidence and it is amazing! I love this crap! Ruin the holidays? Never. If I lived in Canada, the scandal would become my favorite show. Not to make light of what's going on in your government. I can't help loving it. I caught quite a bit of the debate leading to the vote on C-SPAN and it was such fun!
Don't worry. I get just as much fun out of the mess my own politicians make of my government.
The thing that struck me was that I'm jealous of Canada for being able to issue a vote of no confidence and oust a regime they deem to be ineffective, even just one year into it. Hmm...the possibilities. If only that could happen here! But there's still next Fitzmas to look forward to.
And Randy "Duke" Cunningham! The parenthetical name should have been a tip-off, but that's quite a story. Congrats on your--er--representation, mlm. I heard that there are seven Republican candidates ready to step up and only one Democrat. Well, as they say on Little House on the Prairie, "that'll split the girls' vote, and all the boys will vote for Elmer." There. I've always wanted to work that quote in somehow.
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Post by inuvik on Nov 29, 2005 16:29:14 GMT -5
The thing that struck me was that I'm jealous of Canada for being able to issue a vote of no confidence and oust a regime they deem to be ineffective, even just one year into it. Hmm...the possibilities. If only that could happen here! Here I'm about to show my ignorance of American politics, so goes both ways: You mean you can't? Literally, or just that it would never happen in practice? Also, what is the 8th amendment? |
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Post by housemouse on Nov 29, 2005 16:57:13 GMT -5
The thing that struck me was that I'm jealous of Canada for being able to issue a vote of no confidence and oust a regime they deem to be ineffective, even just one year into it. Hmm...the possibilities. If only that could happen here! But there's still next Fitzmas to look forward to. And Randy "Duke" Cunningham! The parenthetical name should have been a tip-off, but that's quite a story. Congrats on your--er--representation, mlm. I heard that there are seven Republican candidates ready to step up and only one Democrat. Well, as they say on Little House on the Prairie, "that'll split the girls' vote, and all the boys will vote for Elmer." There. I've always wanted to work that quote in somehow. Karma for you for the Little House joke! Ahhh, wouldn't life be great if we could remove all the jerky politicians at will! Here in California they removed Gray Davis and what did we get? Ahnahld! I was so happy when his special election measures went down in flames! As to Cunningham, I can only hope that the congressman from our area will have the same trouble! There is still hope here in California however in Feinstein and Boxer. My ridiculously conservative uncle says "they are not worth the powder to blow them up." As soon as that was out of his mouth I KNEW I was voting to re-elect them both! |
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Post by mlm828 on Nov 29, 2005 17:01:02 GMT -5
In the U.S., we don't have the equivalent of a vote of no-confidence -- at least, not one that would result in the fall of the government in power and an election. The President is elected for a set term of four years and can only be removed from office during that term through the process of impeachment in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate. A President has never been removed from office this way in 200+ years. The closest we came was with Nixon back in 1974. He was impeached, but he resigned before he could be tried and removed from office. Or maybe it was Andrew Johnson, back in the 1860s; I think he was actually tried in the Senate but avoided being removed from office.
One way we can express disapproval of a sitting President is in the mid-term elections (2 years into the President's term). It's not unusual for the party that doesn't have the White House to gain seats in the Congress, and sometimes even take control of the Congress, in the mid-term elections, especially if the President is really unpopular.
After reading mouse's post, above, I'll clarify one point. What I've said above refers to the national government. Mouse's post reminded me that some states, like California, do have procedures to "recall" elected officials, but there's no "recall" procedure at the national level, which would enable us to remove the President or Vice-President in the middle of his term.
The 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment," among other things.
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Post by shmeep on Nov 30, 2005 19:12:32 GMT -5
Karma for you for the Little House joke! I get karma for the weirdest things! I set up an entire thread trying to beg karma out of people and I think it only got me two points but...a random Little House quote and karma flows freely. (Thanks, Mouse.) |
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Post by mlm828 on Dec 1, 2005 1:18:31 GMT -5
Congrats on your--er--representation, mlm. Didn't you mean non-representation?  For the record, I never voted for the guy! |
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Post by doobrah on Dec 1, 2005 9:48:21 GMT -5
The city of Portsmouth (where I work) recalled its mayor about 15 years ago. Mayor Holley was a prominent black dentist who had been a councilman and then elected mayor. When an issue came up that he didn't like, he sent anonymous racist hate mail to his fellow black council members. He was caught when the fingerprints and typewriter were traced back to him!!
He was summarily recalled, but he ran for election again several years later, and now he's the mayor again!! Can you say teflon?
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Post by inuvik on Dec 17, 2005 14:24:38 GMT -5
Did anyone in the States catch the English language debate last night? I sure hope it got shown on some channels down there. It was really good! It featured filmed questions from people to which the leaders responded.
The thing that really got me was the tone of the questions. Everyone is very pessimistic and jaded about politics here.
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Post by inuvik on Dec 17, 2005 16:40:28 GMT -5
This is a really useful site--it allows you to agree or disagree on issues, and then tells you which party platforms you agree or disagree with and on which issues. Very useful for voters. also a fun easy way to see which party you'd likely support if you were Canadian! www.votebyissue.org/cbc/ |
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Post by inuvik on Jan 23, 2006 12:19:29 GMT -5
Today's voting day! I can hardly wait. I am such an election junkie. I love voting after work, then going home and being glued to the TV all night as the results come in. It doesn't even matter if the outcome seems known before, it is just the process. The interviews, quickly changing leads, the close races--it's all a blast. Hooray!  |
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Post by shmeep on Jan 23, 2006 12:41:07 GMT -5
Today's voting day! I can hardly wait. I am such an election junkie. I love voting after work, then going home and being glued to the TV all night as the results come in. It doesn't even matter if the outcome seems known before, it is just the process. The interviews, quickly changing leads, the close races--it's all a blast. Hooray! I'm the same way about elections. *sigh* Why can't WE be having an election right about now? Isn't it time yet? 2008 seems so faaaaaaaaaaaaar away! |
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For the record, I never voted for the guy!
