Boy Howdy!

Read Travers and then the comments. Many of them bear eloquent witness to this:

Canada has a new Governor General and an old problem. In replacing Michaelle Jean, David Johnston, a lawyer and teacher, inherits a Prime Minister and country in desperate need of a civics lesson.

Question: Do Canadian schools teach civics? I don't think I ever got an explicit course or lesson in it. Merkins sure do. Not that it takes with most of them.

Honorary doc from catholic college for Mahg-wet.

Is it a consolation prize - like Miss Con-geniality or something along those lines? Because poor Mahg-wet may not be getting the Order of Canada any time soon, no matter how much she whines.

As fern hill pointed out here, the GG-in-waiting is not at all popular with The Fetus©™ fetishists. In fact, there was likely some shrieeeking from that camp when his nomination was confirmed by Stevie. After all, David Johnston chaired the panel whose proposals were shredded by the zygote zealots. The feelings may be reciprocal; they may not his favourite folks either.

Recently, Mahg-wet vociferously championed the interests of donor-conceived offspring and proclaimed the harm they suffered was equivalent to the trauma experienced by aboriginal, "home" and native children who were separated from their biological/'natural' families by government interventions.

Dr Dawg has addressed the question of whether Mahg-wet is a "religious zealot in academic drag--opposing gay marriage, euthanasia and abortion, inveighing against stem cell research and adoption, but avoiding specifically religious vocabulary" before. Yesterday he provided observations then posted an email exchange initiated by professor Amir Attaran with Somerville about her recent Op-Ed.

There's nothing much to add to that brilliant exposé except Mahg-wet's McGill bio photograph that I found through links. Goodness gracious. A picture that's worth more than 1000 words especially if they're mutton, lamb, dressed as, etc. etc.

Religious or naught... ? Before and after? Good twin / evil twin? Dr Somerville and Ms Naugahyde?

The New GG: Win, Win

Impolitical seems puzzled by the defensiveness in this statement from the PMO over the choice of the new GG.

There has never been a robust consultation process on the appointment of a Governor General. Past consultations have been ad hoc and perfunctory.

Recognizing the significant role the Governor General fills as the Crown’s representative in Canada, Prime Minister Harper appointed an expert advisory committee to lead an unprecedented national consultation effort.

The advisory committee engaged in extensive consultations across the country, meeting with leading constitutional experts, past and current political leaders, and other distinguished Canadians before providing the Prime Minister with its confidential recommendations.

Is this an attempted deflection of the suggestion that Johnston's appointment is a reward for his friendly framing of the terms of reference for the Oliphant inquiry?

Or, might it be an attempt to distance Emperor Steve from the wrath of the so-cons?

Over at the Freaks, my pal Connie started a thread titled I am a Gestational Carrier, Hear Me Roar!

I was puzzled by that and so googled around. This is what she's referring to, from August last year. A report from a panel set up to study Artificial Reproduction:

The panel, chaired by University of Waterloo president David Johnston, was initiated by the McGuinty government in June 2008 under Minister of Children and Youth Services Deb Matthews.
. . .
Further, according to the panel, AR should not be limited strictly to truly and traditionally married couples, but should be opened to all, whether married, single, or in a same-sex relationship. "Single women need access to donor sperm," they say, "and single men need donor eggs and a gestational carrier".

The fundies are attributing the report to Johnston personally, which gives rise to this reaction to his appointment from LifeShite.

Canada’s new Governor General, whose appointment was officially announced Thursday, has been an advocate for homosexual adoption and the destruction of unborn life through government-funded in vitro fertilization (IVF).

On the one hand, criticism of the appointment for partisanship. On the other, criticism for amorality.

It's all good.

Fire Michaëlle Jean!

Your Majesty, we entreat you. Fire your representative. Michaëlle Jean is allowing Canadian democracy to become a joke.

Can we petition the Queen?

Or, maybe Ms Jean will admit she's not up to the job of resisting bully boys and resign.

What would happen then?

Oh, look.

A governor general may also resign, and two have died in office. In such a circumstance, or if the Governor General leaves the country for longer than one month, the Chief Justice of Canada (or, if that position is vacant or unavailable, the senior Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court) serves as Administrator of the Government and exercises all powers of the Governor General.

Hmm. I'd betcha Madame Justice McLachlin wouldn't get pushed around.

And she has experience as Administrator of the Government.

When Governor General Adrienne Clarkson was hospitalized for a cardiac pacemaker operation on July 8, 2005, Justice McLachlin served as the Administrator of the Government and performed the duties of the Governor General, including giving royal assent to the Civil Marriage Act, effectively legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada. She relinquished that task when the Governor General returned to good health in late July.

And if the Queen did step in, wouldn't it be lovely to hear the shrieks of 'Butbutbut, Canada is a DEMOCRACY!' from the Reformatories?

Did we mention the persecution complex disorder?

Shrieeekkk!!! Police brutality harassment attention!!!

As JJ described it here, there was a non-event of MASSIVE portentousness that unfolded outside the Governor General's residence last Tuesday morning. The predictable and perfunctory scrutiny - to which all formal and non-formal gatherings of people for the purpose of contacting the GG are subjected - was ominous and threatening, as reported by Lifesite.

MacDonald, said, however, that the event took an odd turning at several points. Proulx, he said, informed the group while receiving the petitions that they did not have permission to take photos. But as they were on a public sidewalk, and what appeared to be a news camera was present, photos were taken. It was later discovered that the news camera was a camera-man sent by the Governor General's office to record the event, although it was unclear for what purpose.

I believe that the non-event was documented and recorded because zygote zealots and abortion-criminalizers have a history of accusing those who are neutral (or not undies-wetting supportive) of exhibiting hostility towards them. Thus, if David MacDonald (sperm donor), Frances Wilkenson (a woman holding up a sign reading 'I regret my abortion'), Faytene Kryskow (self-styled christian charismatic youth leader) or any member of the delegation claimed that the two members of the G-G's office who accepted the petition sneered at them, there would be proof that this in fact was not the case.

Is it an exaggeration to surmise that fetus fetishists are collectively or individually paranoid, hyper-reactive or suffering from persecution complex disorders? Judge for yourself - if you're in possession of a steady stomach or able to scrub down your keyboard/monitor set-up in the aftermath of an chucked-up lunch, go read SoCon Or Bust's impressions of the non-event.

I’m not sure what kind of thuggery the RCMP was engaging in, but I trust David’s account completely. ... And as for the Governor General’s big brother approach with the professional camera, I find that very eerie. ... There was no reason at all for the rough treatment these peaceful pro-lifers received from the RCMP.

"big brother" ... "rough treatment" ... There was nothing unusual about the actions that the GG's communications or security staff took. Photographic recordings, closed-circuit video equipement and verbal questioning have become the standard operating mode. This reported "odd turn" is quite disingenuous since the ideological glue that bonds abortion-criminalizers of all religious and political stripes seemingly justifies the actions of convicted terrorists and murderers.

Emphasis on Peace and Order. Good Government? Not So Much.

Well, one good thing came out of this constitutional totally manufactured crisis -- my kitchen floor got washed. I was so antsy waiting for the GG's verdict that I had to do something.

So, like everyone else with more than one functioning neuron, I think this is a terrible precedent. And I really really really hate it that Stevie 'won'. There is no more disgusting sight than a gloating bully.

But I've chilled a bit. And now I think that this decision is soooo Canadian. I think the GG weighed how loud the shrieeeeking would have been in the various scenarios and I think she went for least shrieeeekiest.

Think about it.

Coalition? Horrible hateful divisive well-financed shrieeeking from the Right.

Immediate election? Mewling and whining and grumbling from Everywhere.

Prorogation? Huffing and puffing and head-shaking from Political Elites and Sandal-Wearing Lefties.

Really. This is how we do things in Canada.

The ignorant, the zealots and the haters will reveal themselves.

Earlier this evening, a Radio-Canada journalist was trying to interview Dimitri Soulas, the PM's media spokesman. Michel Picard, I think it was, became increasingly frustrated with Soulas' evasiveness and his overbearing rote declarations that ran roughshod over the reporter's attempts to get him to actually answer the questions asked.

The speaking points issued by Harper play over and over again in a never-ending audio loop, emerging from those who still march to his beat.

On discussion boards and blogs, such as those associated to Stephen Taylor's Blogging Tories, Harper supporters - the knuckle draggers, the religious ideologues and the lunatics have been free-styling and embellishing the party line.

Over the last four days, they have been savaging members of Parliament and the political parties who were elected by Canadians to serve them and govern their country.

Next they will direct their ignorance, their zealotry and their hate towards Governor General Michaëlle Jean. She is a woman, she is of Haïtian ancestry and she is progressive. She is also the most powerful person in Canada at the moment, invested with the legal and political potential to determine who will be governing our country in the year to come.

Pay attention to what they'll write about her, the lies they'll concoct, the venom they'll spew, the rage they'll direct towards this intelligent, powerful woman who represents the sum of all their irrational and toxic fears.