MacKay distances himself from Cadman allegations

[daleo]

ST. JOHN'S — One of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's top cabinet ministers says he doesn't know anything about the allegations behind the Chuck Cadman affair.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay says he has no knowledge of an alleged financial offer to the late Independent MP in exchange for his support just before a crucial vote in Ottawa.

Mr. MacKay, who was in St. John's today to make a funding announcement, says it's unfortunate that the political controversy has arisen.

Cadman's widow and daughter allege two Conservative representatives offered him a $1-million life insurance policy to gain his support in a vote on a May 2005 confidence motion.
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080301.wmckay0301/BNStory/National
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MacKay may be sharpening his back stabbing knife. If this story goes critical, it may be Harper's undoing, and MacKay will be well positioned to pick up the pieces.

[Hand]

1. Or more accurately...

"Peter (Pond Scum) MacKay notices bus in distance, positions self to throw Steve under it."

These two deserve each other--as cellmates. :evilgrin:

[glarius]

2. The Cons are now trying to say that the audio of Harper as much

as admitting that he knew about the offer to Cadman, has been tampered with and edited. The guy who wrote the book about Cadman and has the tape recording, says that is ridiculous and I'm sure if they exam it they will find it is O.K.

[daleo]

3. As long as they keep the original tape, it can be examined by forensic experts

I don't doubt that there are versions of it floating around the internet that have been doctored to give the impression that it has been doctored, for purposes of discrediting it.

So we have three eye witnesses and a taped confession. What will the RCMP do?

[glarius]

4. I've only heard what they played on CBC and CTV and the part where Harper

is actually admitting to knowing about the visit to him is free of any stattic or any kind of breaks or anything suspicious, as far as I could hear. Someone said that two tapes were spliced together, but that doesn't effect the authenticity of the two separate parts.

[daleo]

6. I heard them too, and they seemed ok

Mind you, I played a clip from the CTV newsite, so that was obviously already digitized. I don't think Harper can deny what he said, although Conservatives of all sorts will try to lay down a thick layer of smoke.

Now that the Parliamentary life insurance aspect is being brought out, it all fits together. The tried to bribe him with continued life insurance, extending past his time as an MP. That's what Harper must have meant when he said "only to replace financial considerations he might lose due to an election."

It must be tempting for the Liberals to pull the plug. I am torn at the prospect, because I don't want Harper to be taken off the Mulroney inquiry hook by an election. On the other hand, I don't want Harper in power either.

[tuvor]

5. Why speculate? They should simply ask their boss if it was doctored.

Publicly, of course.

[daleo]

7. Harper would probably use the "I can't remember that conversation" dodge

But it would be easy enough for an expert to lay the claims to rest, once the RCMP begins its investigation.

[ClusterFreak]

8. How many sentences in his fairly recent history...

...have begun with "MacKay distances himself from..."?

...allegations he called Belinda Stronach a 'dog'.

...working for Karl Heinz Schreiber in the 80's.

...the Afghan detainee scandal.


Just off the top of my head.

[Hand]

9. Pond Scum Peter is our very own Chimpy.

Talentless, incompetent son of an influential politician who just might sleaze his way to the top. I'd even vote for Elizabeth May to see the last of him. :evilgrin:

[daleo]

10. And he distanced himself from the truth

When he lied to David Orchard. He seems to be a very shallow person.

[ClusterFreak]

11. Forgot that one...

...that one was a beaut.

;-)

[Hand]

12. Oh, yeah.

He'd do the same to Steve in a Toronto nanosecond ;-) if it would further his interests.

Then there was the whole thing with Belinda Stronach. They were quite the item there for a while until she crossed the aisle; :wtf: kind of a relationship breaks up over political affiliation? (That's a rhetorical question, of course; the answer is "A shallow one.")

ON EDIT: I understand that Alexa McDonough's live-in SO is a Tory--a red Tory, admittedly... just sayin'.

[glarius]

13. Donna Cadman has just made a statement which helps Harper.

I just heard Robert Fife on CTV say that Donna Cadman has just made a statement that she met with Harper in 2005 and asked him about the offer made to her husband. She says she looked into his eyes and saw that he was telling the truth when he said that he knew NOTHING ABOUT IT)! Does this have a familiar ring? (George Bush and Putin.)
Looks like Smarmy Steve is going to wiggle out of this one too.
One wonders why she didn't say this is the first place, when she made it known what her husband had said.