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A lot has changed in Alberta over the past century.

Half-tons have replaced horses on our streets; the oil and gas industry has supplantedfarming as the province's economic engine;and Calgary, the province'sCowtown,has grown from a small city of 35,000 to a bustling metropolis of more than a million.

Provincial politics, too, isbarely recognizable.

In June 1917, the Liberal Party of Alberta was celebrating an election victory that would turn out to be its last.

Today, itholds just one seat in the legislature. A hundredyears removed from electoral success, andmore than a decade from any real political relevance, Alberta's Liberals sit idling at a dustyprairie crossroads.

On Sunday, party members choosebetween two candidates willingto jumpinto thedriver's seat anddetermine which direction their party will take.

The question facingDavid Khan and KerryCundal: Should they continue to fight on under the Liberal flagor allow the tattered brand to simply fade away,folding it into something new.

For Khan, it is a simple choice. If he wins the party leadership, he hopes to lead the Liberals down the road to redemption and into the next provincial election.

Premier Arthur Sifton, front left, and his Liberal government in the Alberta legislature circa 1917. (Glenbow Museum)

"I am very optimistic about the next election," he said. "I think the NDP are going to lose a lot of seats and I want them to lose them to us."

Khan believes his Liberals canwin at least five to eight seats in 2019, mainly in Calgary and suburban Edmonton.

The source of that optimism is hissense that with the NDP in power, and the imminent demise of the Progressive Conservative Party,centrist voters in Alberta are looking for a new home.

"We have got a huge opportunity because there is a huge opening in the centre, and much of that NDP vote in the last election was a protest vote," Khan said.

And he believes that under Justin Trudeau,the Liberal brand is now a strength rather than a weakness.

"We elected two federal MPs for the first time since 1967 in Calgary,and two more in Edmonton I think federally and provincially, the Liberal brand is on the rise here in Alberta."

There is a precedent for this kind of comeback.

Oneneed look no further than the B.C. Liberals, who went from having no seatstoOfficial Oppositionto forming governmentin just two elections in the 1990s.

Of course, staying the courseisn't the only way forward.

Liberalleadership candidate Kerry Cundal agrees that many centrist voters in Alberta are up for grabs, but the Calgary lawyer isn't ruling out co-operating with other parties to get them.

David Khan, left, and Kerry Cundal are vying for the leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party after Nolan Crouse, who had been the lone candidate, dropped out two days before the nomination deadline. (Stephanie Wiebe/CBC News; Kerry Cundal/YouTube)

"If we share the same principles and the same vision for Alberta, then we should be working together, not against each other," she said.

Cundaltook part in a"unite the centre" meeting in Red Deer in April and says that she would consider merging with another party or dropping the Liberal name if party members supported it.

"By July orAugust we will be in a position to know how we are going to move forward," she said, "whether it is under the existing label, whether it is under a new labelor whether it is going to be a formal co-operation with another party."

Cundal saysher greatest fear is that Alberta will become a two-party system where voters in the centre are forced to choose between two extreme choices.

"We don't have to look too far south of the border to see what that looks like you just end up in loggerheads, with people butting heads and not getting anything done."

But it may simply be too late for either strategy to work.

Political scientist Keith Brownsey says thatthe provincial NDP have governed"well within spitting distance of centre," making the current government a reasonable option for centrists.

And Brownseyadds that the past decade has not been kind to Alberta's Liberals.

Interim party leader David Swann is the sole Liberal member of Alberta's Legislative Assembly. (Mike Spenrath/CBC News)

"It's a disaster there is no question about that,' he said. "They have fallen apart for all sorts of reasons, everything from lack of organization to poor leadership."

On the surface, that may make a merger with another party or a renamingof the Liberal Partymake sense. But Brownsey says that could be a mistake.

"The Liberals have a brand, they have a loyal core of supporters, they have five to seven per cent of the province you can build on that," he said.

Building on thator building something new, however, will take timeand moneytwothings the party has little of these days.

That meansthat even after a century of wandering Alberta's political wilderness, the province's Liberals may need to march a little further still.

Originally posted here:
After a century of stumbles, Alberta's Liberals march on - CBC.ca

Leftists and progressives are calling for Bill Mahers head following comments he made last night on his HBO series Real Time with Bill Maher. The quick-to-offend group of so-called liberals took issue with his use of the n-word during an interview with Republican Senator Ben Sasse.

Ive got to get to Nebraska more, said Maher.

Youre welcome. Wed love to have you work out in the fields with us, the senator replied.

Work in the fields? Senator, Im a house n****r. Quipped Maher. No, its a joke.

The audience offered a mixture of laughter and applause and a few pained groans and Sasse appeared visibly discomfited by Mahers use of the n-word. No harm appears to have beenintended, and Bill Mahers the last person anyone would call a racistbut that didnt stop media personalities like Black Lives Matter leader Deray McKesson from calling onHBO to drop his show and for Maher to be fired over the offhand remark.

Others on the left dredged up their grievances with Maher, declaring the HBO host to be racist for his views critical of all religions, including Islam. Complaints emerged from New York Times and HuffPo contributor Wahajat Ali, HuffPos Rowaida Abdelaziz, and CNNs Reza Aslan.

The New Republics Sarah Jones remarked that the only thing shocking about it was that Maher hadnt previously used the n-word on air.

Some, like the Womens Marchs Sophie Ellman-Golan said that people who denounced Mahers use of the racial slur were deplorable for not also condemning criticism of Islam.

Some members of the new right, like Jack Posobiec, joined in the chorus of condemnation and urged for Bill Maher to be sacked from HBO.

But conservatives like former congressman Joe Walsh disagreed. In a series of tweets, Walsh defended the comedian for making the politically incorrect joke. Grow a pair, HBO, he wrote.

Maher has since apologized for the remark, following remarks from HBOthat declared his comment inexcusable. In a statement today, Maher wrote:

Friday nights are always my worst night of sleep because Im up reflecting on the things I should or shouldnt have said on my live show. Last night was a particularly long night as I regret the word I used in the banter of a live moment. The word was offensive and I regret saying it and am very sorry.

Its notable that Mahers ABC show, ironically titled Politically Incorrect, was canceled in 2002 after he made the politically incorrect comment that the 9/11 hijackers should not necessarily be described as cowards.

Its a sad day when comedians have to kowtow to humor-impaired politically correct liberals for fear of losing their jobs.

Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at@stillgray on Twitterand onFacebook.

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Liberals Calling for Liberal Bill Maher's Head After HBO Comic Makes N-Word Joke - Heat Street

Ivanka Trumps best trick is her disappearing move. When the White House makes an announcement thats bad for her personal brand, like withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, Ivanka is somehow nowhere to be found. Its a Friday night and shes observing Shabbat, or, like during the first disastrous Affordable Care Act repeal-and-replace attempt, shes out of town with her kids on a spring break vacation. And on Thursday, Ivanka, who had been working behind the scenes to convince President Trump not to put his fingers in his ears and sing la-la-la while the environmental dystopias of our summer reading list build momentum around us, celebrated the holiday Shavuot with her husband and kids as her father tuned up the jazz band to play a jaunty funeral tunefor the planet.

That Donald Trump didnt make Ivanka stand behind him in the Rose Garden with a poised smile on her face while he took a whizz all over her alleged values is perhaps the most compelling evidence that the president is capable of caring for someone other than himself. But if liberals and progressives take one thing away from Ivankas massive failure to influence the presidents understanding of climate change, its that if daddys love and esteem for his favorite child has such hard limits, the rest of us are definitely screwed.

This clumsy overestimation of her own influence after Trump called Kimberly Guilfoyle to get her take on the Paris agreement, he probablyanonymously submitted a photo of a corgi rowing through floodwaters to We Rate Dogs (verdict: h*ckin scary, 0/10 would not pull out) hasnt put a damper on Ivankas champagne popsicle summer just yet, though. Politico reports that while the rest of the world reels from Trumpsstunningly ignorant display of chest-thumping, Ivanka and Jared remain sanguine, all things considered.

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, have taken the defeat in stride, according to two people familiar with their thinking on the issue. Their view of their roles in the White House is that theyre playing the long game, helping the president to be successful. And they dont tally their own influence day by day or bill by bill.

(Someone thinks theyre getting that sea wall around Mar-a-Lago!)

Whats instructive here is what the long game actually means for Ivanka and Jared, and it has nothing to with you, me, or anyones children other than their own kin. What part of helping Donald Trump be successful translates into upholding Americas end of an international agreement to reduce carbon emissions? Or for that matter, making sure Americans have access to affordable health care, and women have access to birth control and abortions, and women and minorities receive equal pay for equal work, and LGBT people have civil rights?

Might it now be painfully obvious that the presidents barometer for success has nothing to do with what a person who has no intention of ever voting for him thinks about him, not even for one second?

In the days leading up to and the aftermath of Donald Trumps victorywe heard a lot about the Ivanka Voter the suburban women who found the presidential candidate distasteful but admired his daughter first profiled by Anne Helen Petersen in BuzzFeed.In the sober light of June 2017, it looks more and more like those Ivanka Votersused her as a shield just like her father did, and that Donald was their one true Trump love. Its likely that more Democrats than Republicans held high hopesfor an allegedly smart and classy and compassionate force to set up shop in the White House, like strategist Rebecca Katz, whotold Politico,With Ivanka, we thought at least well always have Paris. But that turned out to be fiction, too.

Im a big fan of Ilana Glazer and I applaud her using her platform to call attention to this issue, but Please tell your dad is not a plan of action to fight climate science denial and harmful isolationism, let alone the nasty mix of ego and petulance that reportedly helped Trump double down on his resolve here. Butwhen it comes to Ivanka wishcasting, Katz and Glazerwere hardly alone out there. Hate to say I told you so to the very well-meaning people I know who clung toan Ivanka the Stealth-Liberal Savior narrative, but two months ago I pointed out the disastrous implications of waiting around for Ivanka and Jaredto inject theirso-called moderating influence into the bottomless breadsticks basket of the apocalypse that is her fathers administration:

. . . liberals and progressives shouldnt make the mistake of mistaking the Democrats for actual Democrats Ivankaisnt in the White House to play Daddy Whisperer on behalf of anyone but herself.Shesthere to shore up herown power, and Jareds, in whatever future form itwill take.

Heres a scary long game for Ivanka and Jared and their designer knock-off vision of Camelot that just could stretchpast the next four years and the four years after that: If Jared could get Pussy-Grabbin Donald elected, what could he do with Poised, Polished, Parental Leave-Passing Ivanka?

Ivanka emergedfrom her Shavuot observance with no remark about theParis agreement, but plenty of empty platitudes about Pride month.

The scathing replies show a near-universal level of personal loathing and frustrationlevied atIvanka that I had yet to see, which means maybe the gloves are finally off when it comes to the First Lady Daughter. Ivanka and Jared will reportedly evaluate every six months whether they willstay in Washington and or return to New York to keep exploiting funding loopholesto build luxury buildings, dragging Section 8 tenants to courtand plundering Cuban culturefor jewelry designsas the president considers rolling back Obamas progress on Cuba-U.S. relations, which no amount of paste bangles and necklaces will be able to stop. Let us hope that Ivanka does what she does best and disappears, this time back to Manhattan.With those two gone,there will be no moresilly false hopes to distract from the three and a half years of work ahead.

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The myth of Ivanka's influence: Liberals built her up as much as Ivanka voters did - Salon

Terrorism has struck the United Kingdom again. Not long after the recent Manchester attack that killed over 20 people, mostly teenager, after an Ariana Grande concert, six people were killed in separate attacks on London Bridge and the nearby Borough Market. The Guardian added that at least 30 people have been taken to hospital, with three suspects being shot and killed by police. A white van was said to have plowed into pedestrians on the bridge, continuing into the Borough Market, where stabbings occurred. As thoughts and prayers are offered for the victims of this attack, Hollywood liberals continue their streak of being just abjectly inappropriate. Actress Bette Midler tweeted, More sorrow and grief at the hands of madmen in London. Men and religion are worthless. Yeah, you can file that under not helping. Seriously? People are dead and you decided to peddle this crap, Betty?

Author Reza Aslan, who ate human brains on his documentary series on CNN in March, went on to call President Trump a piece of s**t. it was in response to the president reaffirming the need to implement the travel moratorium in his executive order thats currently in legal limbo.

This is yet another tragic attack on our ally. Lets hope and pray for swift justice.

UPDATE: Aslan deleted the tweeted and offered an apology.

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Sad: You Can File This Hollywood Liberal's Tweet Under Not Helping Post-London Attack - Townhall

For a guy who boasts of his Mixed Martial Arts fixation, his firearms training and just general tough-guy bona fides, Sean Hannity hurts his image when whining. But thats the activity he undertook last night in a 10-minute monologue. A well-hyped monologue, at that:

Heres a snippet from that important tract: Theres not a single liberal cable host in American that I know of that has spoken out against the effort to get me fired, said Hannity last night. Not one. For example, theres people like Bill Maher well, they say they stand up for freedom of speech and they have in the past, but why is he, why are others so eerily silent? In this case, nobody came to the defense of me, defending me and my rights here. Theres a massive double standard when it comes to the First Amendment and the left in this country. Lefties, says Hannity, get to say and do pretty much anything they want when it comes to smearing and attacking conservatives, and 99 percent of the time they get away with it. They dont have to face any backlash, no outrage, no uproar, no boycotts trying to silence them.

Then he cited the example of Kathy Griffin, who earlier this week was shown to have posed with a decapitated head of President Trump. Of course, Griffin faced backlash, outrage, uproar and, yes, she was silenced by CNN, which has pulled her from future New Years Eve specials. But Hannity said, Did you hear me call for her firing? No, you did not.

What has Hannity so upset? Media Matters in May posted a list of Hannity advertisers on its website. Though the post didnt call for an advertiser boycott of the cable veteran, its message wasnt larded with subtlety. Sean Hannity is a professional propagandist for President Donald Trump, as well as a bigot, a sexist, and a conspiracy theorist, started the post. The post landed on a raw backdrop, as Hannity for the previous week had been hyping an evidence-free theory about Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee aide who was killed in July 2016. Though police thought that it was a robbery attempt gone awry, Rich was left with his wallet and watch and credit cards and so some people concluded that it was he and not the Russians who had leaked all those DNC emails to WikiLeaks.

On his program and Twitter, Hannity in May gave wind to this school of thought, based on reports from Fox News and Fox5 (D.C.s WTTG) that cited a break in the case. Even though the reports turned out to be bogus, Hannity kept going with the madness. Why? Because a good Seth Rich conspiracy would be good news for Trump. If this is true and Seth Rich gave WikiLeaks the DNC emails which ultimately led to the firing remember Debbie Wasserman Schultz on the eve of the DNC convention? this blows the whole Russia collusion narrative completely out of the water, Hannity said on his program. Also, Twitter:

A great deal of pressure from the media, social media and Richs parents forced Hannity to eventually bag the story for now, as he said on his show. Disgust with his shenanigans, however, had reached such a level that some advertisers bailed, though the snowball effect that dethroned ex-King of Cable News Bill OReilly and his multiple sexual-harassment settlements didnt materialize.

And so heres Hannity, railing about adherence to the First Amendment. Should Hannity care to consult his pocket Constitution, hed come to grips with the Civics 101 reality that this business about advertisers and his show doesnt pertain to the First Amendment, which outlaws only government abridgment of free speech.

If people want to abridge the rancid speech that Hannity spreads across the Fox News airwaves, well, thats their right their First Amendment right. That doesnt mean its a constructive use of that right. Writing in Politico Magazine, Jack Shafer in April railed against boycotts on the grounds that they turn corporations into content arbiters always a bad choice, he argues.

In the particular case of Hannity, however, the push to separate advertisers from his show isnt precisely what he claims. In his phrasing, its about crushing conservative voices. Whats so conservative, though, about far-flung conjecture about the slaying of a promising young man? Whats conservative about ignoring signpost after signpost indicating that this Seth Rich notion is a loser? Whats conservative about making statements without evidence? Its not as if the backlash against Hannity is pegged to his advocacy of lower taxes, a strong military and deregulation. The backlash isnt even linked to his offer to fly Barack Obama to Kenya!

Pressed on his behavior, Hannity told the Huffington Posts Michael Calderone: Nobody tells me what to say on my show. They never have and frankly they never will. Im not that type of person you can say, Go on air and say this. Thats been the beauty of Fox News all these years. They leave me alone.

Everyone needs editors, especially Sean Hannity. Since theyre nowhere to be found at his workplace, he is encountering them in the public realm.

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Sean Hannity whines: Why aren't liberals defending me? - Washington Post (blog)