WTF???!?

Euwwwww......

By the way, I'm so digging on the phrase "namby pamby"

I'm having trouble working up indignation over this. Babblers were justly wondering in the earlier thread whether the party leaders had commented. The media has now reported Harper, Ignatieff, and Duceppe wishing Jack a quick recovery. Explain to me what the problem is again...

Unionist I can't speak for LTJ, and I'm clearly not as riled as he is, I'm more grossed out. But my reasons for being a bit kerfluffled are:

1. The hypocrisy

2. My hatred of Harper

Since it's expected of each leader to say something, this is a PR move, but it's no better or worse than any other PR move of this kind.

Hey when did Elizabeth May's comments get released? *ducks

oops. wrong thred.

Politicians offering their best wishes to opponents who contract serious illnesses is business as usual.  The hypocrisy is just more naked in the case of Harper because he's got all the warm humanity of a Nile crocodile.

Ya think Jack is going to seek treatment in the US? *ducks*

He did use a private clinic...once...

You're talking about when he got a hernia repair at Shouldice Clinic.  I have also received a hernia repair at Shouldice, and my surgery was covered by my health card.  You pay extra for your semi-private room, much as you might in a general hospital, and at the same rate.

Yes that was it. He got mad at Harper during the debate when he brought it up. But don't private clinics entice the better doctors to leave the "public" system with better pay and benefits? Isn't that why private health care and public health care can't co-exist side-by-side, because in the end the public system will be left with marginal doctors, and the better ones are busy treating those who can afford them?

I agree; however, Shouldice is a special case.  It was founded in 1945 by Dr. Shouldice, who pioneered a new technique for hernia repair that is used around the world.  When Ontario cracked down on private clinics, Shouldice was grandfathered into the system rather than being closed.  So its services are paid for by OHIP, and everybody pays a semi-private room rate on top of what the drs bill the province.  So for a 4 day stay, I paid $500 (which was covered 100% by the extended health coverage that I have because I'm in a union).  And you can pay $250 per day for a private room in a general hospital.  So calling it a private clinic is right-wing spin, IMO.

I guess it would be a special case, if the profits they generate went to the public health system. Is that the case with Shouldice? If Shouldice keeps the profits then it really would be a private clinic.

If and when you become ill and in need of such services, I'm sure the answer will come to you, ET.

And as for the thread topic...I'm with LTJ in finding this "news" piece a sickening example of the meaning of news for the great unwashed. (But perhaps we can count on more than a few to recognize the sacharine flavour of the scat in the case of Steve?) 

4:06pm yesterday Greens Wish Jack Layton a Speedy Recovery

I believe that the Grrens were first to officially wish Jack well. Thanks for asking.

__________________________________

One struggle, many fronts.

Yet that didn't make it into the 5 item list box of political news on the Sympatico/MSN homepage for some reason. Which is exactly my point: to have an article about his political opponents wishing him well would not have surprised me in the least.

But to see an article that is written to deliberately make Jack Layton's cancer a reason to be sympathetic to Stephen Harper?

That is crossing an ethical boundary, IMO.

And though they make a big deal about having them, standards and ethics don't seem to be an issue at Canadian Press.

Canadian Press long ago gave up even the pretext of anything objective.

I remember hearing Reagan had been shot, walking down Spadina with two fist-pumping IS-ers who thought it was marvellous news. I hated Reagan, wished he'd never been elected, but never hoped he'd die. Now, Stephen Harper is my current hate-fetish. I despise the way he's Americanized politics, I deplore his efforts to feed us to the American leviathan, but I don't doubt the sincerity of his wishes to Jack Layton. I'm sure Harper's animosity to Layton is of the same quality as mine to Reagan. He may see him as a danger to his ideals, but I doubt he would be anything but appalled by the news he had cancer. As to the exact wording of the bulletin he released, that would have been the work of staffers, though Stevie the micro-manager would undoubtedly have read it first.

As to insincerity, spin, etc.: well, yes, but there's also such a thing as plain civility. Difficult as it may be to believe, there are higher values than holding correct opinions. Treating each other well is one. If Harper can still summon a moment's graciousness toward an enemy, he may yet see the political light. (Wouldn't count on it, but we live in hope.) I commend him for his kindness. And I will continue working to drive him off the political stage.

I think, F-P, that LTJs point is the media's ladeling lineage to the bastard (who witholds social assistance whenever possible) when they, the news people, a normally hard-boiled crowd, wise to the attempts at political freebies, doled it out.  It was the work of their employers, of course.  Anyone who has produced copy for a advertising and reader-hungry corp. will understand.  But the Great Unread are not so worldly-wise and cynical, eh?

With "friends" like Harpo Jack and Olivia need no enemies.

It was that part that rubs me the wrong way.  I doubt if they are anything more than cordial acquaintances who would never plan a weekend get away together.  It was that phrase that went to far and turned what should have been a sincere wish for recovery into a blatant attempt to award Harpo political points for being a guy who gets along well with all the other parliamentarians.  Give me a f***ing break.

Aw. I *knew* my vote wasn't wasted. God Bless Elizabeth May (or whoever the fuck is in charge of your ridiculous party)!