Another crook, has to go where the easy money is.

I wonder, did anybody tape the conversations in which he offered/was requested his services? Do you think he will be called any dirty names? Just curious.

Joking aside this time.

The election is only just over, and the house has not yet been called back, but we have a politician changing parties. Not only that, he immediately gets a cabinet post. I just do not believe that is an accident or coincidence. It stretches our credulity that the party of an MP who accused the Liberals of bribery if he changed parties could be so stupid as to give the impression they may have done the same. Obviously no bribery could have taken place with Emerson, since Harper's party found the possibility with Grewal so offensive, but is this the first example of the quality of Harper's political acumen?

Of more significance is the contempt Emerson himself shows for those who voted for him. I can understand an MP crossing the house after trying to work within the constraints of party discipline and finally deciding the philosophical differences are too great to do so, but this cannot be the case with Emerson. The house has not met. No course of action has been decided by the Liberal caucus up to now, so what can he find so philosophically offensive? No, clearly this is for person advancement and power, and damn the voters. Changing parties this soon after an election and under these circumstances makes a mockery of democracy, and I think Emerson must resign. Of course that would require some minimal ethical standards, and quite obviously he has absolutely none.

Right on ammonra!! ...

I suppose the only way that Emmerson can justify this is that the figures people in his riding were voting for him instead of the party. How egocentric that line of thinking is. No matter what the political party, it is the party which supports the candidate initially. If, as you say, things should change in the long run, I can see a person changing affilition. But this looks like nothing but opportunism.

It is starting already. All politicians in my mind are just that, politicians .....

I like many of Ambrose Bierce's definitions in his Devil's Dictionary

POLITICIAN, n. An eel in the fundamental mud upon which the superstructure of organized society is reared. When he wriggles he mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice. As compared with the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being alive.

Mr. Emerson obviously did not like the idea of spending the next two, six or ten years in opposition.

Layton opened the door of opportunity for the Conservatives and they are going to work very hard to stay in power now that they are finally in control.

That includes syphoning off talented people from the Liberals.

There may be more MP's crossing the floor as we go along.

Sit back and enjoy the show!

Let us first see a few bills being proposed and see how the rhetoric will flow and the voting will go ....

It will then be easier to speculate of who will go which way ... or if anyone will even have any time to go any way before an election needs to be called due to inability to act.....

There is nothing that is fixed about 18 months or so ...... that might the norm, but that was before the Bloc ....

one has to remember the Bloc is a left wing party by policy and are only going to go so far to support the right wing ... especially the ultra right wing part of the conservatives

as opposed to the more conservative part of the concervatives ... LOL

HEY FOLKS: CALL HIM WHAT YOU WANT BUT HE IS A QUALITY GUY AND HE IS FROM THE WEST.WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE HIM.GOOD LUCK DAVID AND WELCOME BACK.

That is true of Emerson but not what I expected of Harper after th Stronach move. Harper will only lose more support by taking on Emerson. A slap in the face to the voters again! Dispicable!

Dont forget that Emerson was Deputy Minister of Finance for the NDP 1984, and 1990 and Deputy Minister to the Premier in 1990, in addition to a number of other Jobs and Positions. Vancr Airport Authority. Chair BC Ferrys etc. I suggest he is no more of a Liberal, than he is an NDP or Conservative. More likely a Political Opportunist. In any event although he got 20,000 votes in his riding last election, there were also 26000 who didnt vote for him. Of the 20,000 that did vote for him I suggest a large number of them were voting for the man and not the party, so they could probably care less, and in fact may be happy to have a Minister in their riding. That is a lot more than we got out of this election so far. At least Vancouver will have some representation in this Government even if they didnt vote for it.

Welcome to the land of opportunity. I welcome someone so experienced, finding a place for himself in cabinet. Very big of PM Harper to open himself up to ridicule in trade for bringing in the best people to be a part of his leadership team. I support them all, inspite of which party flag they fly. They were all elected by someone. So, let's support them and encourage them all to make better decisions in running this country. Percy

Percy: "I support them all, inspite of which party flag they fly. They were all elected by someone."

Your good will crosses over party lines and platforms! Hopefully it doesn't include the Bloc which only wants "out."

"..... Harper to open himself up to ridicule in trade for bringing in the best people to be a part of his leadership team"

Why is Emerson the best???? What has Emerson brought to the Softwood fiasco table? What has he done to bring about movement?

What is his track record in government? Is he just a good "networker" who has a gift for the right BS at the right time?

Where is the proof, or is this just hype?

An interesting article about mr emerson written prior to his crossing the floor ....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20060124/BCKINGSWAY24/TPNational/Canada

a real slap in the face to his overwhelming cecentre and left of centre riding .....

to quote from Waddell

"During the campaign, he stressed NDP policies that have long resonated in the largely working-class community. "Emerson favours corporate tax breaks -- we don't," he said repeatedly. "We favour putting the money into the cities, the environment and education."

He also stressed that his political experience would make him a strong voice in Ottawa, even in opposition, suggesting that Mr. Emerson, as a former CEO and cabinet star, might not be able to adjust to life in the back benches."

liberals - 17,267
NDP - 15,916
Conservatives - 7,037

I would think this guy would be recalled if there was a law which would allow this .....

Owl.
2006 Vancouver/Kingsway
Liberals 20,064
NDP 15,570
Cons 8,699.

Emerson may be a turncoat like Keith Martin, Belinda Stronach, Brinson, Lapierre, etc., however he will be Cabinet Minister for Vancouver/Kingsway and I cant see how that can be all bad. Dont forget W.A.C. Bennett crossed the floor and went on to form the Social Credit Government which opened up this Province. Who knows what might come out of this??

Palopu..

I guess I was never enamoured with emerson to start with as a person ....

here is what I posted elsewhere about him versus Belinda ....

http://opinion250.com/blogs/news/archive/2006/02/07/6843.aspx

The Kingsway Riding is pissed enough about this to also ask for him to resign his seat and run again ..... no hope for tht to happen, but at least they are on the record ....

Corssing the floor is no big deal in my mind ... crossing the floor before the house even sits is another matter ....

Do you know whether that has ever happened?? I do not and have not see any media reporting on that ....

You do not seem to know the makeup of the Kingsway riding .... the voted conservative once in the 50 or so years that they have existed .... the votes show where their political leanings are ... either Liberal or NDP would be able to represent their points of view, not Conservatives ... they were sold a package of goods ......

The media consensus in Ottawa is that the whole thing will be forgotten in a week or two! The politicians who want it to be forgotten will create some other "burning" issue(s) to put on the frontburner!

Diversionary tactics, from Politics 101.

"The media consensus in Ottawa is that the whole thing will be forgotten in a week or two!"

Since they have a lot to do with "forgetting" it, who can think otherwise?

Speaking of Ottawa media ... we do not really get much reporting from the "Ottawa" media here .. it is not as if Ottawa had something similar to the "Washington Post" ...

But here is an article running in today's Ottawa Sun:

http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2006/02/08/1430588-sun.html