Elizabeth May thinks Candians are Stupid. Bob Rae thinks we're Astrotruf

During the last election, we had the spectacle of wannabe Senator Elizabeth May being caught on tape voicing her opinion on the intellectual capacity of the average Canadian who wasn't about to buy into her enviro-hysteria. Like all good Liberals these days, she consistently denied making the statement until confronted by tape of the exchange. Naturally, she then sanctimoniously blamed everyone else for misinterpreting her words, or was it that she was answering some remark or question that somehow miraculously escaped being taped....whatever it was, it was likely somehow Stephen Harper's fault.

Now we have Bob Rae, man of the people and putative Liberal leadership candidate calling Canadians "Astroturf" on the December 3rd afternoon edition of Mike Duffy Live. That's right, Astroturf. When questionned by the Duffster regarding the volume of calls, letters, e-mails and faxes arriving at MPs' offices, he admitted that they were ignoring a large number of them because he considered them to be "Astroturf" - fake grassroots outrage - in his opinion. His defence of his attitude hinged on his contention that the Conservative party sent their supporters talking points and letter templates to unleash on an unsuspecting public to attempt to create a false impression of widespread outrage. You know, something like this, perhaps...

Monday’s events are of unequalled historical significance – Parliament has chosen to place its confidence in a cooperative government, and will vote non-confidence in the current one. As you know, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and the Liberal Caucus have reached across the aisle and come to an agreement to form a cooperative government with the NDP, which will enjoy the support of the Bloc. This move is a direct response to the Conservative Government’s inaction on the economy.

The Conservatives, of course, don’t like to see democracy working against them. In the coming days they will launch an unparalleled barrage of lies and fear-mongering tactics to sway public opinion. It is no secret they have more money than we do – and make no mistake, they will attempt to buy their way out of this situation.

The Liberal Party needs you now, more than ever before. In order to fight the Conservative spin machine, we need you to take action. Below you will find tools to help you fight back. These tools include:

1. Talking points: These talking points are intended to help you answer questions from local media or from your friends, family and neighbours. Feel free to share or tailor these lines as you see fit – they are the best guide to our messaging. In addition to spreading the word to your peers, we encourage you to call local radio or television call-in shows. We also suggest you to call your Member of Parliament and / or the Prime Minister directly and voice your opinion.
   - Forming an Alternative Government
   - Alternative government will put economy first
   
   
2. Model letters: We urge you to send these letters to your contacts as well as to your local media under your own signature. This will ensure that our message reaches every Canadian in every region of the country. In the coming days, model Op-Eds will also be made available.
   
   
3. Canvass cards: These cards will help you spread the message in your community. We encourage you to print these cards and distribute them as you see fit.
   
   
4. Third Party Quotes: These quotes have been assembled from a variety of sources to highlight support for the coalition. You can use these quotes as a “cheat sheet” when discussing with friends, family and neighbours.
   
   
5. Letter to the Governor General: We know the Conservatives will be appealing directly to the Governor General to influence her important decision. In light of this, we need to have our voice heard as well. We encourage you to copy or print the attached material and ask the Governor General to support the will of Parliament.

The actions we are asking you to take are simple. They do not require a great deal of time or effort. However, the result of your actions will mean a better way forward for Canada. As I write this, the Conservatives are fighting tooth and nail for their tenuous grip on power. They are proving once again that they will stop at nothing to destroy their opponents. It’s time to fight back.

Sincerely,

Doug Ferguson
President, Liberal Party of Canada

Authorized by the Federal Liberal Agency of Canada, registered agent for the Liberal Party of Canada

Use a cheat sheet while for talking to your family and friends?!? Pre-formatted letters to Her Excellency?!? Model letters?!? Hipocrasy thy name is LIBERAL.

Look Bob, you arrogant ass-hat, when I am voicing my opinion through phone calls to my local MP, local newspapers, Her Excellency, Her Majesty, and the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada, I do so in my own words. Astroturf is something that you step on and walk all over with no regard to any potential damage you might be doing to the surfaces underneath. The Canadian public, particularly those who are standing up and voicing an opinion that is contrary to yours, are not Astrotruf, to be trod on in your greeding grasping of a cabinet seat and potential Prime Ministership.