When you surround youorself with snakes your likely to get bitten

[coppertop]

I know that there are a large number of books outstanding. Each candidate is compensated by the party for all memberships that were unsold. I know that this issue is something that the Premier isn't happy about. You must remember that candidates are not directly involved in fundraising, and once the election of leader has evolved, neither the leader nor his assistants, his EA, his Chief of Staff, etc. can be involved in any way in any fundraising effort or anything to do with the campaign.
I have no idea whose idea it was to have a $5000 opportunity to meet the Premier to discuss issues, but it was a very stupid idea, as I indicated on another post. During my tenure on the campaign team for Ed, I wasn't involved in anyway with raising funds,with the exception of selling memberships.

I hope that the premier can get on with his job which is running the province, he has put a stop to this nonsense, and he also put a stop to his son being promoted by Chenaiko. In fact, the information on that issue came from the Premier's office, not the media. I worked on the premier's campaign and had no idea that is son was a sheriff, although I knew he worked somewhere in the corrections field. The young man did not want the promotion, nor did his father allow it to happen. I would think that shows some sign of integrity, unless people are just looking for reasons to crucify the man before he gets his chance to govern.

[JD4ME]

Graham Thomson, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Saturday, January 13, 2007


Stelmach's $5,000 meet-the-premier sessions no rookie mistake


A sense of entitlement seems deeply ingrained in Alberta's Tories after 35 years in power

Even so, the fact remains Stelmach approved the $5,000-a-head fundraising events when he first heard about them.

His inner circle even defended the practice right up until Stelmach's emergency news conference on Thursday morning to cancel them.

Some observers have written this off as a rookie mistake by a new premier.


Stelmach is no rookie. He has been in provincial politics for more than a decade.

This was no mistake, either. This is the mindset of a political party that has been in power 35 years, one that thinks nothing of snuggling up with the rich and powerful.

It's a government that has grown comfortable with the trappings of power. When Ralph Klein was premier he used government aircraft as a personal limousine service, and was known to accept trips aboard a Syncrude jet to go fishing with oil company executives.

The sense of entitlement is so deeply ingrained that even government politicians who see themselves as ethical and honest don't flinch when told they'll be sold for $5,000 a fondle behind closed doors at special fundraisers.

Stelmach did the right thing by cancelling the "pre-receptions" but he did not cancel the fundraising receptions altogether.

Several hundred people are expected at the "regular" receptions where less exclusive admittance to the premier and his senior ministers is being sold for $500 a head.

For most of us the honeymoon may indeed be over -- but for those with enough money, it's just getting started.

[JD4ME]

If Ted Mortons a smart man , and he is he's already talking to the Alberta Alliance.

[coppertop]

Oh, give me a break. What in hell good is it going to do Ted Morton to talk to the Alliance ? He is a Cabinet Minister, making at least $60,000 more than he was as an MLA for one thing, the fact that the Alliance has ONE MLA in the legislature is hardly enough to coax Morton to jump ship. Or are you suggesting that he could become the LEADER of the Alliance and win the next election?????

[JD4ME]

Watch and learn then ..........Stelmach won because of the fact he sold himself as "honest Ed"
The first thing he does is reward all his followers with cabinet posts the second thing he , Oberg, Hancock and Norris and does is try to pay off their campaign debt by selling their time to the fortune 500. I said it earlier 1 strike in my books, the thing is Stelmach was on my second ballot because I believed he was smarter than this. I'm just hoping that we didn't all go buy a real lemon from "Honest Ed's used politician lot" on December 2nd.
He'll likley take the full 2 years to try and get things rolling his way but he better remember who elected him and thats the rural areas, and if he doesn't and I'm taking about land use policy and surface rights issues and infrastructure in the areas where the wealth of the province is being created the political face of this province will be much different. Because whether you like it or not Ted Morton isn't in it for the money he's on a mission and if it suits his mission the Alberta Alliance will be where he's callin the shots from. And rural Alberta along with many ridings in Calgary will go with him.

[coppertop]

I guess we wait and see. For one thing, Ed stood in front of the media and shouldered the blame for a decision that fundraisers in four campaigns decided to make. When Ralph threw money at the homeless and cussed at them Graham Thompson ( surprise, surprise) broke the story in the Edmonton Journal. Ralph got in front of the cameras and cried his eyes out, swearing off the demon alcohol etc. Did it hurt him one bit, NO it did not. He was King Ralph to the people of Alberta to the end. His own party side swiped him, but not Albertans.

I have a lot of respect for anyone that will take the blame for something or decision they have made.


Ted Morton, may or may not be on a mission, but I doubt whether or not stabbing the premier in the back is part of his mission. Incidentally, the Land Use Policy Framework is in Ted's Ministry, so it is going to be interesting to see how he deals with it.

[blackjack]

...the media let ralph off the hook...the barbs appear to be just a bit sharper for ed...hard not to disagree with jd4me...ed had better have a good pr man or a hard shell for his back to deflect all the knives being thrown...

[JD4ME]

Shouldered the responsibility?

Better read more of the Edmonton Journal article,

excerpt from todays Edmonton journal story.
"Stelmach did the right thing by killing these unseemly political grope sessions with the well-heeled. But he didn't kill them quietly or painlessly. He strangled them to death in front of the assembled media with tortured logic and mangled syntax.

"I'm not putting any blame on anybody," he began -- and then immediately tried to lay blame on party workers for coming up with the idea of the $5,000-a-head exclusive gatherings: "It's been perhaps a bit of an over-enthusiasm on a few fundraisers, some of our volunteers, in promoting this pre-reception."





Maybe this IS a good thing and maybe Ed will learn from this and maybe he'll learn that there are no small mistakes when you're the premier.
And it's not Ted he needs to watch the dangerous ones are a lot closer to him but maybe thats why they are "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Wanna quit while you're behind yet?

Easier to say yes he screwed up and I hope he learned from it. Than trying to defend something thats undefendable, I'm dead serious about the tories being very vulnerable right now and they better pay heed. Thats what a good leader does, Klein did and learned from his mistakes and the party held power Stelmach will too if he's smart .
Strike one.

[Horse]

Well lets see Ralph had 165 or was it 265 spin Drs on his staff now how many is Ed going to have and what do we pay these people, dont supose you know do you coppertop.

[cowman]

I seriously doubt Morton will go over to the Alliance? I do think he is committed to working within the PC party for some changes though?
Hey anyone can make a mistake...even Ed Stelmach? He's not a God, he's just a man? He fixed it and hopefully learned from it.
I hope the knives aren't out for Mr. Stelmach, because bottom line is this: He is our go to guy! He loses...we all lose! I shudder to think the Liberal party might ever get their hands on the purse strings!...Or horror of horrors...the NDP!
I was just thinking about this the other day. What would happen if Alberta elected an NDP party and Saskatchewan elected the Saskatchewan Party? Would we have to send back all our imported Saskatchewan farmboys, nurses, businessmen? Would there be a stampede at the border as all the oil companies tried to escape? Would Lloydminister be jammed with rigs crossing the border?
Many people on this site have expressed concern with the crazy growth in this province and are calling for a slowdown in the economy? You're dreams of "sustainablity" could become reality...just vote for your local Dipper in the next election!
Why we might even be able to get some good roads like Saskatchewan has now and all our privatized road services could go on strike! LOL