nasty and brutish

I have respected Mr. Flanagan's commentary from the moment I started reading his words. Although our spots on the spectrum are no doubt left and right of each other, he is one of only a few political commentators that adds truth and eloquence to the nasty, brutish sport that is political communications.

minerals

I have to express my respect and appreciation when a news source has the minerals to express an alternative, truthful view.

sorry folks, no election

That's the official position of Canning's Guess. You heard it here first!

vulgar, eloquent, and accurate

Here is the best description I have read on the AIG fiasco. Top shelf.

second tier political attacks building steam

Top-shelf analysis here by Stephen Taylor on some of the day's developing political spin. I do, however, get a kick out of Mr. Taylor's suggestion that the Liberals are the "first to go neg" and that the Conservatives have held off on such "dark world" political tactics. There may be a little bias in his comments but I guess that's all a part of the game.

"Grit Girl" and "her" videos are pretty impressive. Here's the latest production:

early 2009 and bourque already locks down victory

I have to give it to him. Pierre Bourque's Newswatch really makes me laugh sometimes with his headlines.

Today's headline takes the cake so far this year:

Lib Wonks set to gather for Iggy's Wonkless Wonkfest.

Well done. I think the more you use the word "wonk" and its many variants in a headline the funnier it becomes. Ha!

obama and microcredit

Okay, full disclosure, I’m not an economist by trade, but I have this gut feeling that giving a bunch of money to big banks may not necessarily be the best economic stimulus. Banks are, by definition, an intermediary. You have to get up pretty early my friend. Here’s an alternative view point:

Microcredit stimulus

The Ottawa Citizen

February 9, 2009

By Martin Canning

Last summer in Burlington, Vermont, I was walking down Church Street and I noticed two folks standing behind a fold-up table. They had a big glass jug and it was filled with cash. The only other materials visible were a small pile of Obama 2008 stickers, a sign-up list, and two pens. We talked; I donated $5, received my sticker; and moved on. I learned such simple efforts generated $350 million in under three months.

With recent news of now 100 million of the world's poorest reached by microcredit, I began to think how this milestone relates to successful fundraising. The transactions are basic but work.

Microcredit, like Barack Obama's campaign, brings together millions of people through shared responsibility and action, and delivers results. Over 95 per cent of loans are repaid. Compare that to the recent bailouts and bankruptcies that we've all seen on the front page, every other day.

If governments want to stimulate the global economy with solid investments, policy makers should take a page out of the Obama campaign and apply the lessons by building the capacity of microfinance in countries where it matters most. Now that's shovel-ready, economic stimulus.

bourque takes chill pill

Today, Pierre Bourque has removed all that is Kinsella from his website. CPC communications strategists must have used their special calculators and figured that it was a loosing equation. Well done CPC strategists. Mr. Kinsella's calculator, however, produced different output. Mental note: never make fun of Mr. Bourque's art.