Today's News: Dark Brandon comes to Ottawa

Dark Brandon came to Canada today. 

It was very funny, really -- you see, our Conservatives watch too much Fox News, so they were all thinking that the Biden they would meet in Ottawa today is the weak and stumbling Joe that Fox News has created. 

But what Canada met was the "Dark Brandon" Joe, the guy who won't put up with any right-wing malarkey, and who can dish it out faster than they can take it. 

He called Poilievre and the Conservatives out on their disrespect for women, and they couldn't do anything but take it. 

Loved POTUS for that. We have an abusive, disrespectful opposition led by Pierre Poilievre who is far too cozy with the alt-right here. His only expertise is as a finger-pointing blameologist who blames PM Trudeau for causing inflation, & a host of other idiocies. #cdnpoli https://t.co/LqCA4Matpw

— Elke Babiuk (@ElkeBabiuk) March 24, 2023

A few days ago, Scrimshaw suggested the way to defeat Poilievre was to use the "he's just not ready" line:

...What matters is not messaging that will make us feel better about our righteousness in the face of evil, but messaging that makes the Conservatives less likely to win the next election, and a lot of the way people on the left talk about Poilievre – and want the Liberals to talk about Poilievre – is unhelpful to that goal....

You know what’s a really good political attack? This person isn’t ready for the gig – it’s what the Liberals had to fight in 2015, and had the Liberals not attacked that weakness with a nearly single-minded focus for the two years of the Trudeau leadership, they would have lost. ...With Poilievre, there’s been no similar resolve – and it shows. Poilievre gets easily rattled, and his judgement is suspect....

I think Scrimshaw is right - Poilievre certainly showed us today that he doesn't know how to act on the international stage:

So Pierre Poilievre was clearly sent an invitation to the official Biden dinner this evening in Ottawa. The PMO confirmed it.

But a man who wants to be 🇨🇦's next PM didn't want to put his differences aside with the President of the 🇺🇸 & instead tried to play partisan politics…

— Andrew Perez (He/Him) (@andrewaperez) March 24, 2023

Poilievre’s team can’t even figure out how to attend a dinner, and they want to run a country. Did someone forget to put a new ink cartridge in his fax machine ;) Farcical. #cdnpoli

— Steve V 🍁 IAMCANADIAN 🍁 (@FarAndWide) March 24, 2023

They were admonished with such good humour and with great charm by @potus, but frankly it was incredibly embarrassing that many of the Conservatives had to be told to get up and applaud the fact that both @potus and @JustinTrudeau had gender parity in their Cabinets. #cdnpoli

— penny collenette (@penottawa) March 24, 2023

So then... he doesn't listen to security briefings. He doesn't read his email. Lord knows he hasn't been in his own riding for months.

What exactly DOES Pierre Poilievre do? pic.twitter.com/ZA8DLks7rT

— Mt Pleasant (@JekyllnnHide) March 24, 2023

Only Pierre Poilievre could fuck up a dinner invitation.

— Raoul Duke's Salt Shaker (@RodKahx) March 24, 2023

The actual news from Biden's visit was that Canada and the US have worked out a better arrangement for people seeking asylum. At least, I hope its going to be better:

Report that Biden and Trudeau have agreed to end the policies that force asylum seekers to cross at dangerous places between border crossings, by allowing a not-yet-disclosed number to apply legally at regular crossings. Devil will be in the details https://t.co/RiRUuOeuLt

— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) March 23, 2023

Of course, if Canada's Supreme Court strikes down the safe third country agreement due to the failures of the US asylum system, then all of this will be moot. But for now, what this is going to do is take away what for many migrants and asylum seekers has been a better option.

— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) March 24, 2023

Elizabeth May's Peace By Chocolate gift to Biden demonstrates just how important it is for Canada to give asylum to as many refugees as we can -- not just for them, but for us, too. What a contribution to Canada these refugees have made:

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!
We are so honoured & proud to witness this historical moment.
On his first visit to Canada, President Biden just received his @Peacebychoco and requested it back after he finished signing a book. Huge Thanks @ElizabethMay and PM @JustinTrudeau 🇨🇦🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OWA12fXiFM

— Tareq Hadhad (@TareqHadhad) March 24, 2023

The Peace By Chocolate story relates so closely to this, too:

Biden says one word can define America, and equally applies to Canada. "Possibility!" The applause is so loud in the room I could not hear the end of the speech.

— Althia Raj (@althiaraj) March 24, 2023

Yesterday's big story, the Han Dong accusations, is already fading as everyone is realizing the Global story was based on a poor Mandarin translation, an suspected ax-grinder in CSIS, and poor journalistic judgement at Global News. As Glen McGregor reported on CTV tonight, even Poilievre adopted a "different tone" today - in the news clip, he said "I'm not going to pass judgement on these allegations because I don't know all the facts" -- from a guy who leaps to conclusions with the enthusiasm of the jack rabbits that bound through our yard and drive our dogs bonkers, this is a tacit admission that the accusations are likely false.