Jason Kenney must resign
Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj resigned his post as deputy foriegn affairs critic after he suggested that perhaps Hezbollah should not be on our terrorist list and that maybe it would be a good idea to negotiate with them in order to try to bring about peace in the region. He said all this while in the devastation that was Lebanon. Despite this sentiment being echoed even by Conservatives around the world, he was quickly denounced and attacked, even by memebers of his own party.
No one was more agitated and vocal about this than perennial blowhard CPC MP Jason Kenney. From the CTV article:
"At a news conference Tuesday, Tory MP Jason Kenney, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, blasted Wrzesnewskyj, calling his comments nothing short of a sign of support for terrorist groups."[emphasis mine]
Kenney went further, comparing Hezbollah to the Nazis and implying that those like Wrzesnewskyj and NDP MP Peggy Nash were anti-semitic by extension. He indicated that the Canadian government should not talk to terrorist groups on the terrorist list. Prime Minister Stephen Harper agreed with him.
So if Wrzesnewskyj had to resign because he suggested that perhaps we should talk to Hezbollah, an organization on our terrorist list, then Kenney must not only resign his Parliamentary Secretary position, he should also resign his seat, because of this:
"The Toronto Star reports a photograph of Kenney appears on the website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran; the political arm of an Iranian rebel group, which Ottawa has declared a terrorist organization."[empahsis mine]
This is the picture:
Kenney is not suggesting we talk to this banned terrorist group, he is actually talking to them. He is, in fact, speaking at a rally for them. Unlike Wrzesnewskyj, Kenney is actually a member of the Government and a direct representative of the Prime Minister.
Enough spin and hypocricy. If Wrzesnewskyj had to resign for suggesting it, Kenney must resign for actually doing it.
I wonder if the Jason Cherniak and the Blogging Tories will be all over this? Yeah, I doubt it too.
Next Week: Pierre Poilievre entertains the Tamil Tigers (interesting that all the pictures of that trip with Pierre meeting member of the Tamil Eelam have disappeared from his website...)
(h\t to Buckdog and Catnip)
posted by Mike @ 10:45 AM
23 comments
23 Comments:
Since when do we let terrorists speak on the lawn at Parliament Hill? Did the RCMP know?
This is just beautiful.
The double standard that the tories operate under is mind boggling - here is how they think ('some terrorists are good and some terrorists are bad)' (Right wing is good and Left wing is bad).
Kenney should resign - IMMEDIATELY!!!
leftdog
What is a terrorist ?
In my opinion the Canadian Government sponsores genocide and should be on my list of offenders along with those who support the government's genocidal conduct.
Maybe Kenney should resign but I doubt it and not until Bill Graham and Gilles Duceppe do so first.
blanks,
I'm not sure of which genocide you speak, but in this case the list is the official Government of Canada terorist list. Organizations on that list are barred from raising money in Canada and the Canadian government is barred from discussions with them - this was the very crux of the issues with Wrzesnewskyj.
Not only is Kenney discussing with them, the fact that his picture is on their website means he's probably being used to raise money for them. I realize that is probably without his knowledge, but the fact remains that speaking at the rally wasn't just "nothing short of a sign of support for terrorist groups" but ACTUAL supportive actions and word for a listed terrorist group.
What Kenney did was far worse than Wrzesnewskyj, yet Kenney is, and I suspect will remain, a parliamentary secretary (not merely a shadow cabinet deputy) and MP.
Hypocricy at its highest.
Mike,
Aren't you being a little revisionist in your characterization of Mr. Wrzesnewskyj's actions? From what I read he resigned because:
- He said that he thinks that Hezbollah should be taken off the terror list
- He then backpeddalled like mad (making a liar out of himself in the process) and said he thinks the list rules should be changed
Thus when you say that Mr. Wrzesnewskyj "suggested that perhaps we should talk to Hezbollah" - well, you're really just ignoring the man's very public statements, and only picking the absolute least damning of his words.
(Note: none of this helps Kenney's case - if what you said is correct, he's screwed. I just don't like the revisionist history I read)
The NDP's Peggy Nash had the best line on Kenney in the Toronto Star:
"It really means that Jason Kenney is a hypocrite," New Democrat MP Peggy Nash said in an interview from Cairo.
"He's speaking to an organization that's linked to a terrorist organization according to Canada and the U.S. State Department, and he's done it on the steps of Parliament Hill in the name of the Prime Minister," she added.
Nash (Parkdale-High Park) said Harper sent Kenney to condemn the opposition MPs "who took their time to try to be helpful." She said Kenney "went out of his way" to undermine fellow MPs "when if he'd actually looked at what we said, it was similar to what he said at the rally."
"You can't have it both ways," she said. "I'm criticizing his hypocrisy and his oversimplification of complex matters."
Andrew,
He resigned after the firestorm brought about because he said that Hezbollah should be removed from the list. He wanted them removed from the list because he agreed with Peggy Nash - that having them on the list wasn't helpful for negotiations.
The CTV story I link to states this in the very first line.
You are right, backpedalling and trying to lie to cover it up, or explain what he 'really meant' was stupid (and cowardly, but that's just my opinion - he might have been better if he stuck by his guns). I'm sure that made making the descision to resign much easier. But he wasn't ostracized by Carolyn Bennett, Scott Brison and the likes of Jason Cherniak because he lied, but because he dared suggest talking to Hezbollah. Many of the CPC-SDA- general wingnuts on Chernials sie were upset that he dared suggest talking to an organization deemed "terrorist" by Canada and on our list.
Jason Kenney, as you can see, went even further, stating that specificly and saying they were actually supporting the terrorists.
Glad to see you aren't defending Kenney, because I suspect any good Conservative will realize he's indefensible.
Holy crap! I'm in Kenney's riding. I'll be printing off a few zillion copies of that picture to distribute during the next election, that's for sure. Thanks, Mike!
Conservative party hypocrisy: the gift that keeps on giving.
It will be interesting to watch the Cons spin this one. I can hardly wait for Harper to weigh in on it. Too funny!
The bozo's gotta go though; he's either incompetent and suffers a reading disability, or he's a hyprocrite.
We'll see some accountability now, folks :)
o/t Good thinking Catnip! Nail him in his own riding, if he's still running in it come the Fall election ;)
Hey. Turns out Stockwell Day met with the same group
link
Guess he should resign too.
I'm not so sure about this. This picture does not show, so far as I understand, Kenney *with* members of this group -- it's simply a picture that was published on their website. Is there any indication that the individuals flanking Kenney in the photo are members or associated with this group?
Am I missing something?
I'll comment. Just thought I should but up the Eizenga thing for today.
If Jason Kenny is speaking on behalf of a group that is on the Canadian Terrorist list, then he should resign. Period.
It's time the right wing cleans their own house.
kgp
I still don't see the evidence that he was "speaking on behalf" of this group. Are there speaking notes, press clippings, anything to substantiate that he was being their mouthpiece?
optimus - huh - he was talking to a group that has been designated as a terrorist group by CSIS and the US Dept of State!
Just yesterday he was critical of a Lib and NDP MP's who ONLY wondered if we should talk to a terrorist organization. Kenney ACTUALLY DID WHAT HE CRITICISED OTHERS FOR MERELY SUGGESTING @!!!!! Are you lobbying for him? He is an IDIOT. He is Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister - why are we NOT reading about his resignation AT THIS VERY MOMENT!
None of them are commenting.
There is a virtual black hole in the BT blogosphere regarding this. It's almost as if they all got orders from headquarters to shut up or only touch on the approved talking points.
They don't want this issue to get legs. Well too bad, it's walking already.
I'm with Optimus. Where is the PROOF that this was a terrorist rally (held on Parliament Hill...wtf?).
I could post a picture of Kinsella giving a speech on my blog and say he was at a CPC function. That wouldn't make it true.
I thought the big stink was about Hezbollah=Nazis, which when you think about the "annilate Israel" concept that Hezbollah supports, is not that far fetched IMHO. Which is why I, for one, haven't said anything.
However, IF Jason K did knowingly speak at the rally of a terrorist organization, then yes, he should resign. Now.
Question: Who is responsible for proving the allegation? The Star? Or is Kenney responsible to disprove it?
To let you know, his welcome speech to the rally attendees seems to be disappearing from the web.
There is a purge going on, so if you have a link or screenshot of his speech on behalf of Stephen Harper and Canada, save it.
I don't think there is any doubt that Kenney knew who he was dealing with. But Stockwell Day should also go. Just last year he was criticizing the Liberal for listing the MEK as a terrorist organization, is quoted in Hansard as saying he has met with MEK and sent them his best wishes in July.
I've just put up a very detailed analysis at Cerberus: "Jason Kenney, Stockwell Day and ties to PMOI/MEK".
Ted
Cerberus
If we get greedy and have them both resign the Blogging Tories will never speak to the progressive blogosphere again though ;-)
Great column, Mike.
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