Canadian MP won't apologize for calling U.S. "coalition of idiots"

Toronto "Red" Star ^

[SB00]

I won't apologize, Parrish says MP referred to U.S. 'coalition of idiots' in speech yesterday

SUE BAILEY CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin didn't ask Carolyn Parrish to retract her latest anti-American slur, and the maverick MP has no plans to back down, she says.

Martin phoned soon after Parrish lobbed her latest verbal grenade but didn't ask her to apologize, she said today.

"I believe in free speech and I am a colourful speaker," she said in an interview. "I occasionally will use terms that other people find bold.

"That's me, and I'm going to stop trying to fit into some cookie-cutter mould that somebody else has tried to design for me."

She made the comments as critics demanded that Martin take action.

Parrish made international headlines last year for publicly muttering: "Damn Americans, I hate the bastards."

The Toronto-area MP landed in hot water again Wednesday for calling missile defence supporters "a coalition of the idiots."

Martin publicly rebuked her, saying "there is no room in this debate for that kind of language."

Then he picked up the phone.

"He talked about options" but did not ask her to say sorry, Parrish said.

"The tone was quite business-like and acceptable," she said of the five-minute call. "He's a very nice man."

Martin's inner circle weighed in today on Parrish's comments.

"I think she should have kept her mouth shut," Immigration Minister Judy Sgro said as she arrived for a cabinet meeting.

Defence Minister Bill Graham said the remark wasn't helpful in a situation that requires "civilized discussion."

And a group that lobbies for individual rights and better government said Martin should do more.

The National Citizens' Coalition called Parrish "an intolerant, anti-American zealot" who should be pressed to apologize.

"So far Martin's response to her brainless remarks has been tepid to say the least," said vice-president Gerry Nicholls.

"It's time the prime minister made it clear to the world that Parrish does not speak for Canadians."

Parrish at first denied Wednesday that she had made the remark, and asked media not to report it.

"I did become concerned that the issue was going to be me and ... the word (`idiots')," she said today. "And I just thought: 'Ugh. Darn. Here we go again.'

"Then I settled down and gave it some serious thought and said: 'No, I'm not going to back down from this.'"

Debate over Canadian participation in the U.S. plan to build a space-based missile shield promises to be hot this fall as the minority Liberal government grapples with a divided House of Commons.

Canadians should be concerned that missile defence could speed the global weapons race and spur rogue countries to design missiles that could breach such a shield, Parrish says.

She has been speaking on the issue with little media interest until now, she said.

"Suddenly, because there's one word in there that people find very exciting, I'm getting tons of coverage. It's a criticism of the media, if I may be so bold."

Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, told the CBC that Parrish is entitled to her opinion.

"Canada is a free country, people can express their opinions how they see fit," Cellucci said in Goose Bay, Nfld.

[saveliberty]

Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!

No checks or funny money accepted.

Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!
Pay us back!

[monkeywrench]

Got this broads email addy?

[chs68]

""I believe in free speech and I am a colourful speaker," she said in an interview. "I occasionally will use terms that other people find bold.

"That's me, and I'm going to stop trying to fit into some cookie-cutter mould that somebody else has tried to design for me." "

" Hey, lady ---

Like you, I believe in free speech.

Like you, I also am a colorful speaker.

Like you, I occasionally will use terms that other people find bold.

That's me, and I'm going to stop trying to fit into some cookie-cutter mold that somebody else has tried to design for me.

So here's what I have to say to you:

You are a witch with a B in your posterior.

I would call you an idiot, but I have no desire to insult idiots.

I fart in your general direction.

I think it is too bad that you choose to voice your feelins of inferiority towards the USA in a manner that reveals your infantile lack of development.

Now go crawl back under the rock you spend most of your time under.

[giznort]

I did a google search on Carolyn Parrish and was able to forward my comments to her on her website.

[MplsSteve]

How 'bout we slap a 50% tariff on all incoming Canadian lumber for about a month?

That'll teach these mouthy Canadians to STFU!

[RolandBurnam]

yes, amazing how much you can spend on social programs when an army is unneeded due to big brother protecting you.

[jimfree]

Canada, technically a nation.

[GunnyHartman]

http://www.carolynparrish.parl.gc.ca/comments.asp?lang=en

This should take you to her web-site where you can e-mail her with any comments. I let her have it!

[reagan_fanatic]

Having Canada as a neighbor is a lot like dealing with the blowhard salesman at your office.

You try to be polite and appear interested in what he has to say, but the truth of the matter is you really just don't give a sh*t and find yourself praying that God will smite him with Laryngitis.

[sgtbono2002]

What do I care what this scumbag says. I use some colorful lanuguge sometime and I wont apologise for calling her a scumbag.As a Matter of fact Canada is full of liberal scumbags. Why should I get mad if they call us a coalition of idiots, Canada was once a proud country now they are mostly liberal scumbags.

[itsamelman]

[william clark]

Canadians should be concerned that missile defence could speed the global weapons race and spur rogue countries to design missiles that could breach such a shield, Parrish says.

Let's see... We should be worried that someone may develop a weapon that can defeat a defensive system that hasn't been created.

Now there's an impressive intellect.

[monkeywrench]

Thanks!!!

[albertabound]

Bullshit! The only country to ever attack us was you.

[albertabound]

Stockwell Day, MP
Official Opposition Critic
Foreign Affairs
News Release


Day challenges Martin: Live up to campaign commitments on Canada-US relations, and discipline Parrish

Conservative critic says Canada’s international reputation tarnished by outburst


For Immediate Release
August 26, 2004

Ottawa, ON - “Canada’s international reputation continues to be diminished on the diplomatic stage because of Paul Martin’s inability to deal with the anti-American extremists in his caucus,” said Stockwell Day, Foreign Affairs Critic for the Official Opposition. “In the face of yet another infantile outburst by MP Carolyn Parrish, Martin has done no better than his predecessor in terms of political discipline in this area.”

Day maintained, “Paul Martin’s inability or lack of judgment in dealing swiftly and decisively with the destructive behaviour of his own MPs has real consequences. Trade issues, such as the border closure to Canadian beef, are hurting millions of Canadians. The damage is increased by the abusive, intolerant and inexcusable behaviour of Liberal MPs.”

Day pointed out Martin’s commitment to improving Canada-US relations, and referred to his commitment to conduct the relationship “on a far more sophisticated basis than it has been to date.” (National Post, May 1, 2003)

“Mr. Martin made a promise to improve Canada-US relations,” said Day. “This is his first big test. Unless Paul Martin can show Canadians and our friends in the US that he is serious about ending these attitudes in the Liberal Party, which are embodied by the repeated outbursts of members like Carolyn Parrish, he sends a message that he shares those attitudes himself.”

[drtom]

What a bunch of crock.

Firstly, Soviet strategy was based on substitute wars and salami tactics. Canada neither bordered the USSR, nor do they have a communist neighbour that could stand in.

Secondly, they are separated by the largest ocean on the planet, their coastline north of Vancouver is non-conducive to troop movements, and the whole operation would be a logistical nightmare. Let alone that the required troop movements would show up on the screen months before an actual attack.

Finally, being the second-largest country in the world poses some major problems to any aggressor. The only country that has ever attacked Canada was the US and we have tried it more than once.

This "we are defending Canada" is such old regurgitated BS.

[albertabound]

Please get your facts correct before posting. This poll suggests that 59% supported the U.S decision to act unilaterally at that time. 40% were in favor of sending troops.We have enough anti-Canadian/Anti-American hysteria on these threads,lets not add to it, it only makes the wogs happy.

Canadians polarized on support for war: poll
Last Updated Mon, 09 Dec 2002 13:13:44
OTTAWA - Canadians are split on whether to support a war in Iraq. A new poll suggests that 41 per cent of Canadians would be against joining an attack.

Poll results (pdf file)
"We couldn't find an issue that could possibly be any more polarized than this particular issue," said Frank Graves of Ekos Research.

In a poll commissioned by the CBC, Toronto Star and La Presse, Ekos spoke with 1,205 Canadians across the country on Dec. 2-4.

The pollsters found that support for military action in Iraq among those polled was 40 per cent.


FEATURE: Canadians go to Baghdad as 'human shields'

Not only are Canadians as a whole divided on the issue, they are also divided by region.
The pollsters found "quite striking differences across different the regions," Graves said.

SUPPORT FOR WAR BY REGION

Quebec 23%
B.C. 34%
Prairies 41%
Atlantic 44%
Ontario 48%
Alberta 57%
National 40%


Support for war is lowest in Quebec, where 23 per cent of those polled would support an attack.

Albertans, the poll suggests, would be much more willing to go to war, with 57 per cent showing support.

"This is bound to be an issue which is going to generate a lot of controversy, probably more heat than light, and one that's going to be very difficult for the government to find a centre path," said Graves.

Ekos pollsters also asked what Canadians think of this country's relationship with the United States.

Of those polled, 65 per cent said the White House has no business telling Canada how much money to spend on defence.

And just over half, 52 per cent, said they thought relations between the countries have deteriorated in the past year.

Who's the greatest threat?

Saddam 56%
Bush 38%


Asked whether U.S. President George Bush or Iraq's Saddam Hussein posed the greatest threat to world security and peace, 56 per cent voted for Saddam.

"Although it's somewhat comforting to know that Canadians think Saddam Hussein is a greater threat," said Graves, "there were sizeable minorities, almost 40 per cent of Canadians, who thought George W. Bush was a more dangerous threat to world security."

The survey's national results are considered accurate within 2.8 percentage points 19 times out of 20.



Written by CBC News Online staff

[albertabound]

Here is another poll for your information, can I drop in at your place for a beer now? (I am not a froggo by the way)

Canada and the Iraq War: Two Solitudes Emerge
Nationally, Equal Numbers Support (48%) and Oppose (48%) the U.S. Led Military Action Against Iraq
However, A Majority (54%)of English Canada Now Support War While Just 29% In Quebec Do
Half (51%) of Canadians Support Offering Help to Coalition -- Six in Ten (58%) in English Canada Support Move Compared to 28% in Quebec
April 6, 2003

[NorthOf45]

Yup, that'll teach us. Go for Canadian businesses, which provide you with more than you know. After all, we all know that the libs have full support from Canadian businesses now, don't we? That was sarcasm BTW. I suppose you never considered the fact that shutting out Canadian suppliers would result in increased costs for lumber-based projects in the US, did you? No, but you got to hear (or see) yourself talk.

[M007]

Canada would have been a big sitting Canadian Goose to USSR if the Good old US of A was not here to carry the defense for Canada.

I used to like Canada ,Gordon Lightfoot was my favorite singer, but now Canada is an embarrassment. They even want to make the Bible hate speech.