Republicans’ silent campaign sweeps up both U.S. houses of Congress

A cyclist rides across the front plaza of the U.S. Capitol early Tuesday morning Nov. 4, 2014 in Washington. Voters will decide the make-up of the new Congress as they head to the poles Tuesday for mid-term elections. Photo: AP Photo/J. David Ake

WASHINGTON — If the 2014 midterm elections serve as a historical marker, it would be the moment when Republicans went silent.

The temptation is to call it the quiet revolution, but that depends on what the Republicans’ new cone of silence means.

With Republicans winning control of the 100-seat Senate and now ruling both houses of Congress, does this silence represent a transformational signal? Are Republicans suddenly about to embrace compromise over confrontation?

In this election, the Party became a cypher, which makes it difficult to predict the next two years as both parties wrap up 2014 only to begin preparations for the 2016 presidential elections.

Taking full control of Congress puts Republicans in the spotlight. Party insiders promise the GOP will perform on issues such as opening export trade for oil and gas and pushing approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

On the foreign policy front, Republicans could defy U.S. President Barack Obama and scupper nuclear talks with Iran by imposing new sanctions on that country. Iran has stated it would then pull out of the talks.

On trade issues Obama might find it easier to deal with Republicans than his own party. They have supported his free trade initiatives with the Europe Union and the Pacific Rim, while many Democrats have been cautious and protective. This opening of trade might be good for Canada where, despite NAFTA, it is stymied by America-first policies.

Yet these issues lie outside the public orbit. How Republicans handle corporate taxation, immigration, budget and the environment will be the real telltale signs of their rebirth. Discounting a possible conciliatory GOP, Obama already has said he will take executive action to deal with immigration reform.

A statue of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan stands inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

What’s clear from this election is that Democrats have been caught off guard. The Republicans’ remarkable transformation from attack dogs to lap dogs left the Democrats flummoxed. Many Democrat candidates attempted to breach the cone of silence. But no matter what charges they levelled, all simply bounced off their GOP Pillsbury Doughboys.

Silence was golden on Obamacare, women’s reproduction rights, the debt, immigration reform, the minimum wage (many want to get rid of it altogether), the growing income gap, the declining middle class, unemployment, climate change and the skyrocketing cost of college education.

Democrats had nothing but the Republican past to hang them on. And voters gave no indication they were interested in the past.

Any echoes of past Republican gaffes vanished. No one claimed, as senate hopeful Todd Akin did in 2012, that “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., waits to cast his ballot in the midterm election at the voting precinct at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo.

The biggest national winner of Tuesday’s senate races, Sen. Mitch McConnell, indicated that if he becomes Senate majority leader he won’t attempt to repeal Obamacare. He also conceded that Kentuckians seem happy with health law.

This earned a rebuke from conservative leader L. Brent Bozell and a refusal by Tea Party-faction leader Senator Ted Cruz to back him as senate leader. But McConnell, a wily, self-deprecating politician, shrugged it all off, another possible sign of things to come. If he brokers deals with Democrats, Obama will have a hard time vetoing them.

The Republicans were also picking up seats in the House of Representatives and in the process strengthened their majority with moderates that could reduce Tea Party strength. This would give House Speaker John Boehner more room for compromise with Obama.

Voters cast their ballots on Election Day in front of a stage. AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Daniel Sangjib Min

The Republicans’ main attack strategy was to label their opponents “pro-Obama,” hoping the U.S. president’s unpopularity would diminish Democratic candidates. Amazingly, the stain of “Obama supporterr” rattled Democrats, causing many to duck and head for cover while issuing cringing denials. In Kentucky, Alison Lundergan Grimes refused even to say whether she had ever voted for Obama, which made her look kind of cowardly.

Obama decided to stay in Tuesday, welcoming no visitors to the White House, huddled alone with his staff, his legacy in the hands of Republicans.

Like most Americans, he must now gaze through the prism of this cone of silence to see what’s coming down the tracks. And of course it’s impossible to see. At least right now.

There is, however, one certainty. The number engraved on the locomotive will be 2016.

wmarsden@postmedia.com

How much is a Remembrance Day poppy worth?

Though it’s long-held tradition for Canadians to adorn their jackets with a bright red poppy pin come November, obtaining a poppy still works on an honour system.

When you get a poppy, whether from a veteran or simply a box at your local coffee shop, you’re welcome to leave whatever donation you’d like — from a nickel to your life savings. But what is the most appropriate amount to put in?

This is what The Royal Canadian Legion — the organization that runs the Poppy Fund, recommends:

We suggest that you give according to the dictates of your conscience. You might remember that the cost of all the things the Poppy Fund provides is much higher today; therefore, it takes more money to do the same job. When you give to the Poppy Campaign you remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and help Veterans and the dependents of those who have served our country.

Funds raised during the poppy drive go toward supporting veterans and their families, including aid with shelter, food and medical care or funding for community programs.

It’s hard to put a price on the service given by these men and women to Canada, but we asked some Canadians how much they think should be donated when you pick up a poppy. Listen to their answers in the video above.

• Video: How to keep your poppy from falling off

MP Dean Del Mastro announces plan to reopen defence

FILE: Dean Del Mastro talks to the media during lunch break for his trial in Peterborough on July 9, 2014. Photo: Glenn Lowson/Postmedia News

On the day when MPs are expected to start considering whether to eject MP Dean Del Mastro from the House of Commons, he announced that he will attempt to reopen his defence.

On Friday, Del Mastro was convicted of three Elections Act violations, which together carry a sentence of up to three years in prison and $6,000 in fines.

Del Mastro greeted the news defiantly, telling reporters on the courthouse steps that Justice Lisa Cameron had failed to consider evidence his lawyers presented.

In finding Del Mastro guilty, Cameron said that evidence he offered was “incredible,” full of “inconsistencies and improbabilities,” and that Del Mastro “frequently obfuscated.”

Del Mastro’s lawyer, Jeff Ayotte, told reporters Friday that it is difficult to appeal a judge’s findings on credibility.

But Del Mastro indicated he would like to appeal. In a statement Monday afternoon, he announced that he would act more quickly, seeking to introduce new evidence before his Nov. 21 sentencing.

“There is fresh evidence that was not put before the trial judge because it was not disclosed in a timely fashion by Elections Canada,” he said.

Neither he, Ayotte or Elections Canada could be reached for comment on the legal manoeuvre.

In a weekend interview on CBC Radio’s The House, Del Mastro said that he would not agree to vacate his seat in the House of Commons until after he had a chance to appeal his verdict.

The Elections Act says that anyone convicted of an “illegal practice” as defined by the act is “not entitled” to “sit in the House of Commons” for five years “after the date of their being so convicted.”

This puts MPs in the awkward position of having to decide whether to eject Del Mastro from the House, even as he is loudly proclaiming his innocence.

On Friday, when the verdict was freshly announced, NDP House Leader Peter Julian asked the Speaker to indicate how he planned to proceed. The speaker’s office indicated it would ponder the matter.

Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan issued a statement Friday suggesting the government believes the matter should be referred to the procedure and house affairs committee. It is not yet clear whether opposition MPs will agree with that proposal.

A year ago, the Conservative-dominated Senate voted to suspend three disgraced Conservative senators — Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau — in an expense scandal although none of them have been convicted of any crime, over the objections of some senators who argued that the unprecedented suspension was a violation of due process.

Opposition MPs may remind the government of that precedent if it signals that it will let Del Mastro remain in the Commons while he appeals his convictions.

Del Mastro, the former parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, used to frequently answer questions about ethics and electoral law for Harper in the House of Commons.

The prime minister kept him in that job after Postmedia News and the Ottawa Citizen revealed that he was under investigation for the violations for which he was convicted Friday.

He withdrew from the Conservative caucus when he was charged and has since been sitting as a “Conservative independent.”

In contrast to his legal difficulties, Del Mastro had some happy personal news on Sunday morning when his wife Kelly gave birth to the couple’s first child, Charlotte Grace Del Mastro.

“Both of my beautiful girls are doing great,” Del Mastro said on Facebook. “We feel truly fortunate and blessed in every way and thanks everyone that has been sending along their kind words of congratulations.”

smaher@postmedia.com

@stphnmaher

Names and Destiny

It is a regular belief that one’s name determines his/her destiny. This belief has been around for so many years and has been proven true. Once a baby is born, the name given to that child goes a long way in influencing his/her way of life. These days, parents do a lot of research before naming their children because they would not want to contribute to the waywardness of that child. Different cultures has names that influence the destiny of a child that is why parents give their children that has good meaning in their different cultural background. Through finding out the true meaning of your name you can discover your potentials.

 

Although Destiny is a name on its own, it means one’s fate or fortune. It is mostly given to female children but the male version of this name could be Destin, Dustin or Dustan. In most African countries, when a baby is born they are given a name in their dialect and another name in English mainly for public use. Due to the fact that one name is in their dialect it will be difficult for anyone with evil intentions to know the meaning so it is a form of protection.

In Roman countries, names are weighed equally with one’s destiny. It is only those with victorious names that were chosen to be leaders in the Roman Empire. In Europe, Runic systems are used to understand the meaning and personality attached to a name. Each Runic symbol has a special meaning and in order to understand the meaning of your name, you will convert the name to a set of runic symbol and then the personality and attributes of your name will be understood.

 

Scientists has carried out a research and discovered that children with horrible names experience bad luck, they lack self-confidence, come out with low grades and are usually faced with emotional problems. Giving your children unusual and successful names will make them successful in life.

Biblically, names carry spiritual meanings. Even the book of proverbs 22 verse 1 says that a good name is greater than all the wealth one can acquire. Make sure you choose a name not for its literal meaning but for its spiritual meaning because a child’s name goes a long way to impact his/her life.

Before choosing a name for your child, make sure you make your research to find out the meaning of the name so that you will not end up being the cause of your child’s downfall.

Terminally ill Oregon woman who became death with dignity advocate takes her lethal drugs

Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old terminally ill woman, has taken lethal medication prescribed by a doctor and died. Photo: AP Photo/Maynard Family, File

PORTLAND, Ore. — A young woman who moved to Oregon to take advantage of the state’s assisted-suicide law took lethal drugs prescribed by a doctor and has died, a spokesman said Sunday.

Brittany Maynard, 29, was diagnosed with brain cancer on New Year’s Day and was later given six months to live. She and her husband, Dan Diaz, moved from California because that state does not allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with lethal drugs prescribed by a doctor.

Maynard became a nationally recognized advocate for the group Compassion & Choices, which seeks to expand aid-in-dying laws beyond a handful of states.

Sean Crowley, a spokesman for Compassion & Choices, said in a statement late Sunday that Maynard died Saturday “as she intended — peacefully in her bedroom, in the arms of her loved ones.”

Brittany Maynard and her husband Dan Diaz pose at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. (AP Photo/TheBrittanyFund.org, File)

Crowley said Maynard “suffered increasingly frequent and longer seizures, severe head and neck pain, and stroke-like symptoms. As symptoms grew more severe she chose to abbreviate the dying process by taking the aid-in-dying medication she had received months ago.”

Maynard’s story, accompanied by photos from her pre-illness wedding day, got attention across the globe while igniting a debate about doctor-assisted suicide.

She told reporters she planned to take her life Saturday, less than three weeks before her 30th birthday, but later said she was feeling well enough to possibly postpone. She said she wasn’t suicidal but wanted to die on her own terms, and she reserved the right to move the death date forward or push it back.

She said her husband and other relatives accepted her choice.

Brittany Maynard, left, hugs her mother Debbie Ziegler next to a helicopter at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. (AP Photo/TheBrittanyFund.org, File)

“I think in the beginning my family members wanted a miracle; they wanted a cure for my cancer.” she told The Associated Press in early October. “I wanted a cure for my cancer. I still want a cure for my cancer. One does not exist, at least that I’m aware of.

“When we all sat down and looked at the facts, there isn’t a single person that loves me that wishes me more pain and more suffering.”

Oregon was the first U.S. state to make it legal for a doctor to prescribe a life-ending drug to a terminally ill patient of sound mind who makes the request. The patient must swallow the drug without help; it is illegal for a doctor to administer it.

More than 750 people in Oregon used the law to die as of Dec. 31, 2013. The median age of the deceased is 71. Only six were younger than 35, like Maynard.

The state does not track how many terminally ill people move to Oregon to die. A patient must prove to a doctor that they are living in Oregon. Some examples of documentation include a rental agreement, a voter registration card or a driver’s license.

Oregon voters approved the Death with Dignity Act in 1994, then reaffirmed it — 60 per cent to 40 per cent — in 1997.