We suspect both of them do it for money, as mercenaries and paid lobbyists. Perhaps also out of love for the *cause* they promote.
Each one brings to advocacy endeavours a wide range of knowledge, skills and experience.
Ericka, however, is able to harness some persuasive arguments that Ezra cannot.
My co-blogger fern hill wrote a blogpost which features a photograph of Clarke with the Minister of Justice for the Harper government and Kurtis Gaucher, that Press Progress published.
When that photograph went viral, Petey MacKay was asked why he donned the shirt, claimed it was a wounded Canadian veteran (Gaucher) who requested it, yadayadayada...
As fern hill pointed out in her screen caps as well as a very revealing one from PatRiotChick, it was all a RUSE engineered by Clarke. And MacKay was duped. DUPED!!!
*Mind you, Ericka appears to be as dim as Ezra, and she has yet to master the obstreperous bullying techniques that he has perfected as a StunTV host.
But as you can see from the photographs above and this one, and that one; she has different tactics at her command. No matter that her gallery of photos on her Facebook account (now locked) looked eerily like those posted by Michele McPherson - Bruce Carson's fiancée - when she was a sex worker advertising "the Girl Friend Experience".
Lobbying is a complicated job which requires that supplicants hired by corporate interests or other organizations, meet politicians to secure their collaboration. Much has been written about the talents female lobbyists must deploy to win the support of powerful men. While official meetings held in public officials' and government buildings must be recorded as well as any campaign or party contributions, quid pro quo may cover a wide range of mutually beneficial favours.
So, let's assume that Ericka Clarke is employed respectably and honourably in the performance of her duties, and that she is NOT a woman who needs rescuing from a dodgy organization that trafficks her talents to members of the Harper Conservative government. Let take as a given, just as Kate Heartfield outlined here, that Clarke is NOT “selling her body” or “selling herself” for the purpose of promoting CNFA and its goals.
No need to involve MP Joy Smith and Cons' prurient concerns and beliefs about the rampant sexual exploitation of women and girls that were spewed during the Justice Committee hearings about C36. Clarke's interactions with CNFA, its membership and the politicians she meets are seemingly professional, consensual and not coercive.
In fact, her status and working conditions are much better than those imposed upon young women hired by PETA to stage a "protest" aka publicity stunt during the Ottawa Ribfest. Those employees are the equivalent of female servers in the employment of Hooters. It is a job requirement that they display their bodies in the uniforms provided by their employer, albeit a less revealing one for restaurant staff.
Sadly though, CNFA does not appear to value Clarke's role as a 'field officer' highly enough to put her name on this very special invitation sent to MacKay and his "fellow" MPs (CPC only?). Perhaps she'll be present as bullet buffer and spirit-fluffer, unless the association didn't appreciate the frenzied media brouhaha she created.
Ericka Clarke and Ezra Levant. We may disagree with the goals and ideology of the organizations that pay their salaries. Both are workers toiling, as many of us choose or are obliged to do, in the bowels of capitalist enterprises. We may mock their words, expose their lies, deconstruct their odious tactics. If they attack those who criticize their Over Lords, we will push back - as hard as we can.
This is a blogpost we published shortly after the Moncton shootings, questioning the premise of the NFA and its lobbying efforts in Canada.
*After reviewing the docs that I screencapt'ed in preparation for this blogpost, I realize that I forgot to insert that one as an example of Ericka's skills. So, there it is.
October update:
Go see what Stephen Lautens found here.
So Ericka Clarke is effectively a lobbyist?! Now someone should check the Harper government Lobby Registry to ensure that her work is recorded there, if Clarke is indeed a professional lobbyist rather than a skilled amateur.
This is a blogpost we published shortly after the Moncton shootings, questioning the premise of the NFA and its lobbying efforts in Canada.
*After reviewing the docs that I screencapt'ed in preparation for this blogpost, I realize that I forgot to insert that one as an example of Ericka's skills. So, there it is.
October update:
Go see what Stephen Lautens found here.
So Ericka Clarke is effectively a lobbyist?! Now someone should check the Harper government Lobby Registry to ensure that her work is recorded there, if Clarke is indeed a professional lobbyist rather than a skilled amateur.
23 comments:
We are DAMMIT JANET!
If you're a Right Wing Nut Job...
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Did someone here piss off Dr D on twitter?
Just love these late adopters.
Comment on a blog "who are you?" ????
Derp.
You are a terrible individual! what you have written here is Libel and I hope Erica Clarke sues you for defamation of character! Just because you disagree with her point of view or the organization she works for doesn't give you right to print such filth! You don't even consider the fact that this woman maybe has a valid point of view or valuable input into the political process, you don't even have the decency to argue anything about the point she is trying to get across. Not you nope she is attractive and you disagree with her You call her a Whore... Shame on you I hope the feminists find this shit and destroy your career.
Now that CONservatives are busily cutting healthcare spending including mental healthcare spending, aren't you all glad that private sector agents like DJ! are doing their bit to draw the venom from festering mental sores some commenters here suffer?
You're welcome.
Did I miss where you actually tried to support any of the very serious accusations of prostitution that you levied? Or did you really just launch into libelous attack on a lobbyist accusing her of prostitution for no reason at all? Wow, after realizing how much you hate men, I have to admit I'm surprised to find out you hate women even more.
How very strange you are, *Anonymous*. You are the one who introduced the terms "whore" and prostitution in connection with Ms Clarke.
We merely pointed out in a very civil way that DJ! is supportive of sex workers and regardless of her political and ideological position, we state that Ms Clarke has agency. She is able to discern which situations might be harmful to her; she chooses how to lobby and which of her ample assets she will deploy in that regard.
She clearly does not want or need to be rescued from the work she does so gleefully.
I don't see any libelous attacks here. The entry merely purports that Clarke is in the employ of the NFA as a lobbyist, and, as her publicly displayed photos suggest, possesses a range of skills and assets to achieve her organisations goals. That doesn't mean sex.
Great post! Mackay just never seems to think twice when given the chance to support veterans affairs. Sadly, the goals of the NFA aren't intrinsically supportive of veterans needs. Getting him to wear this shirt in the wake of the Moncton shootings was tasteless at best, and a huge faux pas that I hope brought nothing but negative attention to the organisation.
Think twice, Mackay. You're the justice minister for god sakes.
Typical of the left for attacking a women for her views, Ericka has more honor then any liberal of NDP politician or even green for that matter. She has done more for women then any other femini nazi's who push their convoluted views that make zero factual sense in reality. Too Bad that even after Moncton that the MSM when on such a anti gun tear that made anyone with half a brain flip out and call for bans that will never work or bringing back the LGR which never worked in the first place and does nothing for crime reduction or solving crimes and never prevented a damn thing. All it ever did was waste taxpayer money and create paper criminals.
I am in the process of convincing her the potential legal avenues she should take against you. I hope you are forced to forfeit a significant amount of your wealth as punishment for this vile article and slanderous vitriol.
But "Anonymous", where is this attack that you keep screeching about?
Read the last paragraph, where I point out that Ericka and Ezra work as lobbyists.
I have the right to be critical of their tactics, as well as opposed to the harm and destruction their respective organizations would unleash upon Canada.
Why are you so enraged?
"Anonymous" is actually a 12 yr old in a basement somewhere.
We are Anonymous
Expect us to live in our mom's basement and threaten you.
Of course, the tactic of beginning a statement with "typical liberal" and then just saying some random ideological crap is very clever and original.
Canuck Firebrand, you seem ignorant of one basic principle in advertising in selling products.
It's the sizzle, not the steak. Which means that the presence of Ericka Clarke at events with politicians like MacKay adds the 'sizzle' that the NFA lobbying efforts need to get noticed.
As for Ezra Levant, given his client base, it would be more appropriate to see him as the 'lubricant' (abrasive though he seems) in his ceaseless shilling for Big Oil corporations.
You used CC in your screen shot.
Isn't he the degenerate who told Wanda Watkins,the mother of a slain Canadian soldier in Afghanistan to "go and f#ck your grief"?
Anon at 11:41: And your point?
Right wing nut jobs hate free speech it seems.
Seems to me if you are so pure anonymous you would put your name on your posts. the post I read made it very clear that they were not personally attacking either Ericka and Ezra (unlike you who besmirched the poster)
Ah. Looks like we've attracted those "Anonymous" flying monkeys dispatched by Cons & gunnutz. Tip-off is the reference to a vintage CC post.
Instead of maligning this particular umm... person, why don't all y'all discuss somethign that matters? Why don't you tell us how it feels to have each and every single argument advanced by Wendy Cukier (a lobbyist on your side) and the Barbra Schlifer Clinic systematically rejected by an Ontario court? Isn't it your side that always claims to have all the facts, and all the evidence... Funny how when the evidence is presented to an impartial arbiter, the evidence supports the right on this... Read it if you have the courage.
http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2014/2014onsc5140/2014onsc5140.html
Ericka Clarke is a spokesperson for the NFA which is an organization made up of members. Individual members - and there are over 100,000 of us. Just like the NRA, it IS a lobby group - not just for firearms companies but for people - citzens of Canada who also vote. Claiming that the NFA's only interests are profits and industry is false - the funding and member base is mostly individuals, not businesses. I suggest that you look into it before publishing slanderous posts that make the NFA look like a corrupt power- and money-hungry entity. I support them because they stand for my rights, and so do the other 100K or so members.
Anon. of 19 Dec: You're a little late to this party. I'd suggest you look up the legal definition of "slander" before you use it to threaten people.
I'm going to hold off publishing further comments if there are any until the author of this post is available to respond to them.
The intellectual calibre of NFA members, as exemplified by yet another bellicose anonymous troll, is abysmally low and their functional literacy negligible.
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