634...Olden NDP Disses Jack Layton

Reading the letters to the editor in this morning's Vancouver Sun, I came across this piece by old warrior Harry Greenwood from the worker's paradise of West Vancouver.

He is a wee bit cranky it seems. With good cause I may add.

Mr. Greenwood points out that he was at the original convention back in 1961 when the CCF, Canadian Commonwealth Federation, decided to change its name to the New Party under Hazen Argue or perhaps something with a socialist twang. As is wont to happen, during the convention the supporters of Mr. Argue moved to The Greatest Canadian Tommy Douglas and inserted Democratic into the New Party.

Their national vision was clear though, Tommy Douglas' "...proclaimed that when the economy was being debated, we should focus on health care and make sure it never strayed far from the table." Mr. Greenwood remarks that Jack Layton has lost that vision and that to debate a name change is merely an academic exercise. He rightfully says that "...the passion is gone..." I say "...a spent force..."

The passion is gone in the CCF/New Party/NDP. They have, on the national level, become the party of the chattering classes insulated in their West Vancouver, Glebe, Outremont bubbles.

A rose by any other name.

WFDS

228...Do They Get The New York Times In Heaven?

If they do, The Greatest Canadian [at least according the CBC], Tommy Douglas, must be smiling.

First thing that popped out of my copy of the New York Times [only N I N E dollars, plus tax, at Boushey's, Elgin Street, Ottawa---by the way that is more than a cooked chicken---N I N E] was the lead that President Obama's is going to step up his role in pushing for health care reform. He had previously said that he would leave the contentious issue, and why universal health care is contentious is beyond me, to Congress. Instead President Obama will give speeches and conduct town-hall style meetings to push his preferred policies, including government-run insurance coverage. Nice step, four or five or six decades too late but, better late than never.

By the way, N I N E dollars. No comics. Quite the racket, eh?

WFDS