Stimulus

Bachmann: Canada Did 'No Stimulus' (Oh Really?)

Eric Kleefeld | June 20, 2011, 5:21PM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is now boasting the value of conservative economics, with a tweet noting that Canada's economy has performed much better than the United States in the global recession, and that it had no stimulus spending.

Just think -- a Republican who wants the U.S. to be more like Canada!

One problem: Canada did undertake a major stimulus program.

Bachmann's campaign tweeted earlier on Monday:

Lesson in economic recovery: Consider Canada. No stimulus & unemployment is 20% lower than US. is.gd/jxebtd #tcot #teaparty #canada

It is true that Canada's unemployment in May 2011, the most recent month for which data is available, stood at 7.4%, compared to 9.1% in the United States. But the absolute fact of the matter is that Canada undertook a thorough stimulus program under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party -- one that was relatively smaller than the one here, but given the apples and oranges situation of having different economic needs, it was still a very considerable one. In addition, it should be explained that even this stimulus was undertaken under some very high-profile political circumstances.

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Canada

Oh Canada, We Stand On Guard For Political Upheaval

Eric Kleefeld | May 3, 2011, 12:06PM

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton

Monday's national election in Canada proved to be a decisive, historic turning point in the politics of America's largest trading partner and neighbor to the north. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party won an outright majority of seats for the first time in his five years of governing the country. But perhaps even more importantly, what had been a multi-party system for many decades, spanning the right, middle and left, now appears to be realigning to a simple two-party system of the right versus the left.

The Liberal Party, which governed from both the center and center-left for most of the 20th century and with many significant accomplishments, fell to third place in a national election for the first time in their history, seemingly supplanted by the more social democratic and labor union-affiliated New Democrats (NDP) as the party of opposition to the Tories. And as for the left-wing secessionist Bloc Quebecois, their cause of Quebec separatism has suffered a thorough defeat, with the province's cultural nationalism certainly not going away, but instead now being represented from the left by the unionist NDP.

With all seats now projected by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Conservatives won 39.6% of the vote and 167 seats, a gain of 24 seats to put them above the 155 magic number needed for a majority in Parliament. The NDP rocketed to 30.6% and 102 seats, up from the mere 37 they had at the last election. The Green Party also won a single seat, too. And the big two losers were the Liberals, who took only 18.9% of the vote and 34 seats -- down from the 77 they won last time, which was itself viewed as an awful result for them -- and the Bloc Quebecois, which within Quebec only fell from 38.1% and 49 seats (out of 75) to 23.4% and a mere four seats this time, as the NDP went from just one to 58 seats in the province.

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Canada

Yes, America, There Is A Canada

Eric Kleefeld | April 29, 2011, 9:49AM

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton

The year 2011 is shaping up to be a decisive, politically realigning time...for our country's neighbor to the north and largest trading partner, Canada. In the country's national election this Monday, their multi-party system is being shaken up dramatically by the sudden rise -- and quite possible parliamentary victory -- of their traditional third party, the left-wing New Democrats (NDP).

Direct comparisons between other countries' political parties and the U.S. can often be overly simplistic. The Conservative Party in its modern right-wing form could be compared to the Republicans -- but even that is not a perfect comparison, as for example they resist any attack that they would ever get rid of the country's single-payer universal health care system. After that, it gets very complex.

The Liberal Party, the country's traditionally dominant party and main progressive party, is in some ways similar to the span of much of the Democrats in the U.S., with the exception of its most left-leaning members. As for the NDP, imagine if the kind of U.S. Democrats who constitute the Congressional Progressive Caucus in Washington were in fact their own party -- one with its own history and culture, its own strongholds and places they hope to win -- and with no particular love for the Democrats, and sometimes splitting votes with them. And when it comes to the Bloc Quebecois, a group that presents some key problems, we will see how they defy direct comparisons entirely.

Recent polls show the NDP, aided by the personal popularity of its leader Jack Layton, catapulting into second place, pushing the comparatively more moderate Liberal Party into third. If NDP support continues to rise, it's conceivable that Layton could ultimately become Prime Minister of the country with Liberal support, and as such put the incumbent Conservatives out of power.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party is determined to win the prize that has eluded them -- an actual majority of seats in Parliament. But if the current polls prove accurate, and the NDP broke through into a strong second place, that would place the country in a whole new territory.

But let's take a step back and get a primer in Canadian politics.

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POTUS loves sports

Gibbs Wears Canadian Hockey Jersey To Briefing After Losing Bet (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | March 12, 2010, 3:36PM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appeared at today's press briefing wearing a Canadian hockey jersey, fulfilling his end of a lost wager.

And then, surprise! Halfway through Gibbs pulled off the Canadian jersey, revealing a U.S. hockey jersey underneath.

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