What does his future hold?
On Wednesday, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. That means the White House’s 45th occupant, Donald Trump, has only one more day in office. What will happen during his final few hours? Several phone calls of either a personal or political nature seem likely. Brief chats with White House staff…
Things could get far more violent than what we just witnessed if Trump was actually tossed out of office
The United States Capitol was built in 1800 as the political home for members of Congress. It’s a magnificent piece of neoclassical architecture, and a popular destination for historians and tourists. The Capitol has only been attacked on two occasions. The first was during the War of 1812. British forces initiated the burning of Washington…
There's that little matter of actually rolling out the vaccines on a much wider scale in Canada
Sad to see 2020 go? You’re in the minority … of one. Everyone else was quite ecstatic to roll out the welcome mat for 2021. The biggest issue we faced in 2020 was obviously the coronavirus pandemic. More than 85 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 worldwide, leading to nearly 1.85 million deaths as…
A controversial new book maintains that the North may have won the war, but the South won the battle of ideas
This month’s holiday celebration, much like the year in general, is one that the annals of history will always remember. For my last column of 2020, let’s explore some historical analysis that few would ever recall. Who won the American Civil War? The correct response would be: the North, Union, Union Army and/or Army of…
If he can’t figure out that his family’s involvement with the WE Charity was a conflict of interest, then he really does have an ethical blind spot
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been criticized for his seemingly cavalier attitude with respect to parliamentary procedure and taking ethical stands. The running joke has been that either he doesn’t know, doesn’t care or experiences things differently than others. Here’s yet another example and it’s one of the strangest to date. Trudeau, like many of…
Audiences took a while to warm up to a black country musician. He wasn’t promoted in this fashion and photos didn’t accompany his early singles
I didn’t grow up listening to country music. Nevertheless, there were country musicians I always liked. Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, Roy Clark (who was also a bluegrass legend), Kenny Rogers, Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama come to mind. Then there was Charley Pride. He was in a class of his…
Let’s take the high road, skip the blame game, stop the juvenile finger pointing and find some solutions to Canada’s lack of vaccine production
When Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca announced successful drug trials with their respective COVID-19 vaccine candidates, many people were euphoric. It wouldn’t signal the end of the coronavirus pandemic but it would be a positive sign that we’re gradually getting to this stage. Many countries around the world pre-purchased millions of vaccine vials or doses. Some…
U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal team has launched over 40 lawsuits to contest the Nov. 3 election results. With some exceptions, most have either been withdrawn or dismissed. The exceptions include victories in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, a filed case in Michigan’s U.S. District Court and Eastern District. Several other cases remain active. As the…
If our leaders don’t learn any lessons and create better safeguards during a lockdown period, people will keep lashing out
Many governments imposed short-lived lockdowns during the first wave of COVID-19 to help stop the spread of the virus in their countries. As we head deeper into the second wave, that dreaded battle cry has been ringing across the lands once more. Several European nations, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the United…
Politicians are avoiding talking about what to do if some people turn a thumbs down to being forced to vaccinate
Will there be a vaccine for COVID-19? Pharmaceutical companies have been working around the clock to find either a cure or a preventive measure. The medical community has been hopeful in some instances and cautious in others when discussing this possibility. Many people around the world have waited with anticipation for even the smallest glimmer…
Joe Biden may have won the U.S. presidential election but he’s not the president-elect. Too many ballots must still be counted
The results of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3 were much closer than most opinion polls, media reports and political pundits predicted. Several states were (and are) still counting ballots and it appeared early on that either Republican President Donald Trump or Democratic candidate Joe Biden would win by a razor-thin margin. Millions of…
Five U.S. presidents – including Trump in 2016 – have lost the popular vote but won the all-important electoral college
Who’s going to win the United States presidential election today? It’s a mug’s game to make a definitive prediction. Major party presidential candidates often experience short-lived highs and lows. Shifts in the electoral narrative, political controversies and (more rarely) debate performances can move the needle in different directions. Third-party candidates, independents/fence sitters, disgruntled ex-party supporters…
Ottawa’s political scene has been relatively tame as of late. It unexpectedly became a bit rambunctious last week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals attempted to engineer their own defeat in Parliament. This occurred after the Conservatives proposed a motion to create a parliamentary committee to investigate pandemic spending and, one assumes, multiple…
Trudeau needs to explain why a possible 9-11 skeptic is his chosen candidate in Toronto Centre
Two federal by-elections, in Toronto Centre and York Centre, will be held on Oct. 26. These are both safe, urban Toronto seats for the Liberal Party and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It would be surprising if the Liberals lost either one or both of them. Even if they did, their minority government wouldn’t come crashing…
Bringing back wonderful memories of laughing, learning and engaging with TV shows that people have gradually forgotten
Most of us have been busy during COVID-19 with work and family. Fortunately, I recently found some spare time to revisit a few TV shows of my youth. The inspiration came from three social media posts crafted by Ed Conroy. He’s a cultural historian who founded Retrontario in 2006 to “celebrate the neglected corners of…
His short battle with COVID-19 could lead to either added sympathy or further frustration
On Oct. 1, the news broke that U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, had tested positive for COVID-19. This was only three days after the first presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden had been conducted. (If that’s what you want to call what happened in front of a televised audience of reportedly…
Presidential debates rarely sway voters, but Biden-Trump will make for an entertaining, if vicious, spectacle
The first U.S. presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be held this evening. Two more debates are scheduled on Oct. 15 and 22. Here are some thoughts on what can we expect to happen tonight: Presidential debates, like any leaders’ debates, lack spontaneity and leave almost nothing to chance. Scripts are created…
Politicians like the late prime minister are sources of inspiration for public service, intelligent discourse and common decency
John Turner, Canada’s 17th prime minister, passed away on Sept. 19 at the age of 91. A lawyer by trade, he had a serious relationship with Princess Margaret and was an Olympic-calibre athlete in track and field. He served as a Liberal MP from 1962 to 1976 in two ridings, St. Lawrence-St. George and Ottawa-Carleton,…
There’s a good chance the global shift from skepticism to possibility about extraterrestrial life is about to extend even further
Is there life on other planets? That question has intrigued man for generations. Most people used to scoff at the suggestion of the existence of UFOs and tales of little green men from Mars (or worse). Societal attitudes have shifted due to our increased fascination with Roswell/UFO sightings, Phoenix Lights, Lubbock Lights, and depictions of…
President Donald Trump has been a strong supporter of the U.S. military since taking office. Yet there’s now some suggestion his public positions about the brave men and women in uniform are strikingly different than his private views. This controversy arose from The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg’s piece about the president’s planned visit to France’s Aisne-Marne…
Since the brutal killing of George Floyd in May, left-wing radicals have been vandalizing and destroying historical buildings, landmarks and statues around the world. U.S. presidents (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses S. Grant), and Confederate soldiers and leaders (Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Charles Linn and J.E.B. Stuart) were targeted. Statues of…
O'Toole crafted a message that resonated with his audience. MacKay didn’t
The federal Conservatives have a new leader. Erin O’Toole is the right choice. A former Veteran Affairs minister, O’Toole defeated another former Tory cabinet minister, Peter MacKay, on the third ballot by 57.02 per cent to 42.98 per cent. It was an impressive win by O’Toole. The hard-working members of his team – including campaign…
The fine art of cooking and barbecuing has served as a distraction during COVID-19, and witnessed a surge of interest
When COVID-19 finally reaches a conclusion, it will be remembered for many things. It was a global pandemic that turned into a collective experience. Concepts such as the free market and capitalism struggled at times for survival, whereas left-wing theories like socialism and Marxism briefly captured the imagination of the young and disenchanted. Online shopping…
There’s no historical precedent for removing a governor general and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hands are tied
In the midst of the WE Charity scandal, the news cycle is now dealing with what I like to call the “ME Charity case.” This refers to the growing controversy surrounding Julie Payette, the 29th governor general of Canada since Confederation. I, and a few other columnists and political commentators, thought she was a questionable…
And hiring a director of ethics won't do much to curb his natural tendencies
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will soon visit Canada’s ethics commissioner for the third time in five years. His ethical standards and lack of a moral code have been in question as the result of two previous controversies – visiting the Aga Khan’s private island and the SNC-Lavalin boondoggle. This new political controversy could be the…
“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” the mischievous Puck tells Oberon, king of the fairies, in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s one of the Bard’s most popular lines and can still be frequently used in modern society. Far too frequently, in fact. Here’s a prime example in the Great White North. A house…
He’s become the Rodney Dangerfield of Canadian politics: no respect at all
Picture this imaginary scene. In a dark corner of dank Rideau Cottage sits Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He’s resting comfortably in an old armchair, thinking about his future – and what he might wear to his next costume party, one assumes. His political honeymoon ended what seems like several lifetimes ago. His role as a…
It really comes down to your comfort level, belief system and what you want to do until instructed otherwise
Toronto Mayor John Tory announced on June 30 that face masks would become mandatory inside enclosed public spaces in the city. This would include grocery stores, shops, malls and on public transit. Children under the age of two and people with medical conditions that make it difficult to wear a mask would be the only…
His plan is the most intelligent, detailed and realistic approach to beating the Liberals in the next federal election
The Conservative Party of Canada will choose a new leader next month. It’s been a difficult leadership campaign. A slew of potential candidates, including Rona Ambrose, Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre, declined to run. Meanwhile, COVID-19 temporarily suspended campaigning and fundraising – and led to the cancellation of the June 27 party convention. Delegates will…
You’ll forgive me if we take a slight detour from politics this week. An important event in sports just occurred that requires some personal attention. On June 25, Liverpool Football Club broke a 30-year drought and clinched the English Premier League title. Yes, this winless streak pales in comparison to the Chicago Cubs (108-year drought)…