Call it what you want... but we like our Canada just the way it is... good and LIBERAL!

Find the full Globe and Mail Story here.

In summary, this is head of the right wing nutjob group that penned that email in the last days of the campaign urging U.S. conservatives to unplug their telephones and decline interviews so they didn't scare Canadians about a Harper victory.

I dug a little deeper and ran a few Google searches for this guy and came up with the full text of his article on the "Accuracy in Media" website, which seems like a "Media Matters" clone for right wing nutjobs. Reading closely, it's pretty clear he does not understand Canadian politics and it even sounds like some of the Conservative Party's politicos don't understand how our system of government works either...

From Weyrich's article:

Some party operatives already are looking ahead to the Canadian elections in four years. Incumbents in Parliament have a tremendous advantage, my source said, and they could realize that advantage in four years. If they accomplish constructive goals they will be capable of building support.

OK so the first two sentences are not entirely true... it is highly likely that we will see another federal election in two years time and yes incumbents have an advantage, but because our system has 3 or 4 viable parties vying for seats, a slight change in voting intentions in a riding in favour of a challenger and the seat is won/lost. I don't buy that. Maybe in fortresses Alberta and Toronto but not so elsewhere and not enough to have the CPC count on all the seats they won this time around next time.

The third sentence is the most factual one in the whole article, if Harper's Conservatives accomplish constructive goals (not SSM reversal or Abortion debate) we could be in for another CPC government after the next election.

Back to the original article, there's plenty of inflamatory language in this guy's other stuff but the tidbits from the G&M article are likely enough for most of us:

A prominent U.S. right-wing commentator has welcomed the election victory of Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, expressing hope that the prime-minister-designate will work to eradicate the "cultural Marxism" he says infests the neighbour to the north.

"Cultural Marxism" that's a new one.... But wait! There's more:

In an on-line commentary published on his website, Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation, said that he hopes Mr. Harper will use the next four years to replace Liberal-named judges who back same-sex marriage and abortion with appointees who are more to his liking.

"As has been the case in the United States, cultural Marxism largely has been foisted upon Canada by the courts," Mr. Weyrich wrote, drawing a parallel with the right-wing analysis of what ails America. "If judges who respect the Constitution were to be appointed, they would confirm that such rights are not to be found in that document. Sound familiar?"

Here's my favourite:

"The people of Canada have become so liberal and hedonistic that the public ethic in the country immediately could not be reversed. But with leadership, it may well be possible to change the public ethic."

So, we as a nation are culturally unethical!?!? Very nice. You definitely took a page out of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People didn't you?

Here's the linkage to Harper's Conservatives:

Last week, Mr. Weyrich declined to confirm that he wrote the e-mail and said he did not know Gerard Chipeur, the Calgary lawyer and Harper supporter who had asked Mr. Weyrich to get the no-interview message across to other U.S. conservatives.

But in this week's commentary, Mr. Weyrich recounted the story with some gloating. He explained how Mr. Chipeur had contacted him "out of concern for what the left-wing Canadian media could do to obtain from some unsuspecting United States conservative an off-the-charts quote which could be hung around Prime Minister-elect Stephen Harper's neck."

So Mr. Weyrich's ethical code goes something like this deny, evade and even lie until you get your way....

Makes me wonder whether this is one of the right wing groups Harper thinks is a "light and an inspiration to conservatives in Canada," hmm? What say you Mr. Harper?

Let's watch where this Gerard Chipeur character ends up.

My biggest concern with all of this is that some on Harper's side will seek to strengthen their cause by creating and enflaming a culture war in Canada not unlike the red vs. blue that is going on down here in the U.S.. I sure hope not.

Wedge issues are effective, and I know Martin tried to get his own wedge in their this time, so the Liberal's are not innocent in this regard.

So why do U.S. conservatives fear a liberal Canada so much? Could it be that they are worried that liberalism just might actually work? Might it be that they fear Canadian success catching on in the U.S.? Are we a bigger danger to their continuing culture wars, vote-rigging, culture of corruption and corporate raping-of-the-people ala Enron?

Probably!

A.L.