quote:

---

Originally posted by kurichina:

What a jerk. Although, unlike Klein, this man was actually forced to resign over it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by kurichina:
Klein was the first conservative PM in Canada?

What history's been rewritten since I left?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by kurichina:
Klein was the first conservative PM in Canada?

What history's been rewritten since I left?

---

None; have another look at Fidel's post:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fidel:
As was the first conservative PM in Canada, I think Ralph Klein is a miserable drunk. The poor in Alberta should be a little more selective about who they socialize with.

---

[ 16 May 2005: Message edited by: Agent 204 ]

quote:

---

So, Klein, like the first Conservative PM (Macdonald), is a miserable drunk.

---

Actually, the vast majority of our founding fathers were drunk. But those drunks founded Canada, and help keep it from becoming annexed by the US (the US REALLY wanted to annex Canada back then). In fact, there are many reports that the founding fathers of Canada we're indeed drunk when designing the BNA act in Charlottetown back in the 1860's.

So you see, if our founding fathers we're not drunk, they would not have had the stupid courage to create the BNA act, and we would all be Americans right now.

[ 16 May 2005: Message edited by: West Coast Greeny ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Contrarian:
Macdonald was a binge drinker, I believe.

---

Now, you show up for work falling-down drunk and throw up in your boss's trash can, and they get all upset-like. Sheesh. {sip} I mean, some people are soooo shensitive...

What? It's not like they don't have their little 3 martininini lunches..nooooo..{sip} I'm an adult...and if I want to have a leeeetle drinky before breakfast then who are they to say any diff..any differenent! Screw them..know-it-all snobs {sip}.

Whaddayoulookinat?

You gots a problem?

Sir John A. once gave an inebriated campaign speech on the back of a train platform. Someone in the crowd shouted out that his political rival, Darcy Magee, was a worthy opponent. The PM, and quite cleverly, said something like,"The mere mention of his name makes me want to vomit." And then Sir John did just that. If I'm not mistaken, ol' Darcy suffered a fatal accident sometime before an election.

[ 16 May 2005: Message edited by: Fidel ]

In the 19th century, many urban adults who drank heavily actually had a longer life expectancy than people who did not.

The final arbiter of Ralph's drinking are the Alberta voters. His drinking has never been hidden or a secret. Ralph could be found at his favorite watering hole, the Cecil Hotel in Calgary. One of those delapidated 1920's structures inhabited by winos and hookers. He was more likely to be sharing a jug with some bar hopping oilfield roughnecks than oil executives.

By the way, I know Gilles Duceppe a bit (I've met Jack Layton and had a long chat with him at an Alternatives retreat, but "knowing" him would be a false claim) from union organising drives. Although he was not what one would call "working-class" (his dad was a prominent actor and director, so more intellectual and prestigious, though in Québec not necessarily very much more prosperous) he did show a willingness to listen to people and their problems. This was mostly in hospital and hotel sectors. Gilles was actually working in an English-language hospital, (think it was the Royal Vic) with a lot of allophone workers.

[ 16 May 2005: Message edited by: lagatta ]

quote:

---

he did show a willingness to listen to people and their problems

---

I think that's what separates some politicians from others. The success of Klein, Duceppe et al. My father grew up the next town over from Rene Leveque. He didn't know Rene but did know a younger brother. Leveque would have a drink with the average guys and get the pulse of what really matters to them. Even Chretien, like him or not, had some of that in him. Whether it's Klein, Leveque or one of these guys the conversation is about the price of beer, who is goig to win the Stanley cup and why does it cost so much to fill up the gas tank. With Leyton or Harper or Martin the conversation among the crowd they keep probably turns to same sex marriage, voting reform or some other topic distant to most working people's every day interest. They 'just don't get it'.

quote:

---

Originally posted by verbatim:
Alberta would become the Newfoundland of the prairies in one term.

---

It's a testament to the power of the Alberta economy, really. I mean, they could have a Fruit Bat as premier, and things would just keep on rollin', while the oil keeps on flowin'. Too bad, with all that cash falling from the sky, they still don't have any compassion for people who can't work on oil rigs.

[ 17 May 2005: Message edited by: verbatim ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by fossilnut:
With Leyton[sic] or Harper or Martin the conversation among the crowd they keep probably turns to same sex marriage, ... some other topic distant to most working people's every day interest.

---