Brains in the House.

Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Ann Coulter, the intellectual leader of the North American reform-conservative-republican movement, has the right to make her views known. In fact it is important for Canadians to be exposed to her obscene, radical and intolerant thinking, which underpins the extreme right.

Given her views are completely out of step with mainstream Canadian values, will the Prime Minister stand here today and, without equivocation, publicly denounce her views while explaining to Canadians the link between his party and Ann Coulter?

It reminds me a great deal of a scene I remember from a Martin Luther movie. Luther was asked to renounce his writings and replied that he could not do so because many of them were uncontroversial works that even the Pope himself had approved. As for the others, he was willing to renounce any that could be proven wrong from the Scriptures.

McGuinty here wants Ann Coulter's views unequivocally denounced. Which ones? Does the Honourable Member really support the 9/11 attacks? Does he believe that black people shouldn't serve in government? Does he believe that having sex with interns is normal behavior? Or that single motherhood is the best option for children? Or that dangerous criminals shouldn't go to jail?

Presumably he only wants the "controversial" bits denounced. And that would be controversial as defined by a liberal. Glad to get that sorted out. It sure is a relief to know that Harper won't have to apologize for the fact that Coulter supports torture. Or it would be if I supported torture. Then again, I don't, so I'm not sure where that leaves me.

To the relief of all McGuinty sorts out the confusion later on my explaining exactly what he wants denounced.

Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, the darling of the reform-conservative-republican movement really outdid herself last night in Calgary. By addressing Canadian diversity, Ann Coulter said that diversity is not an advantage to a country like Canada. “It’s not a strength”, she continued. Then she went on to compare diversity to cancer. From organizing speeches to putting on cocktails, the Conservative Party’s dirty little fingerprints are all over her Canadian tour.
Will the Prime Minister immediately and publicly condemn Ann Coulter’s outrageous and intolerant views?

You know I, unlike a lot of my elders and betters in well never mind, don't like to believe anything unless I've got the original documents. As far as I know the original documents are not available in this case (can we fix that problem, pretty please, Coulter in Canada people?) so I spent exactly five seconds on Google looking up "Ann Coulter diversity is not a strength" and found an article called "At the end of the day, diversity has jumped the shark, horrifically" wherein she makes comparisons between diversity and cancer.

Its worth a read. At least you won't have to rely on a tenth hand clip taken out of context to make up your mind on whether you like Ann Coulter.

And for the record, I don't think that FGM, honour killings, abortion, gay marriage, or university hooligans pulling fire alarms is a "diversity" that "strengthens" us either.

So I agree with Ann Coulter that some diversity doesn't strengthen us.

But even Ann Coulter believes that diversity in some things is good (read the article).

So we all agree, "diversity" as "diversity" does not strengthen us. Some diversity can strengthen us, some diversity can weaken us.

Would you like Stephen Harper to condemn me too David McGuinty?

At least Pierre Poilievre (the inspiration for the title of this post) had a brilliant repartee ready.

Mr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, the member has raised a very important question about an American commentator who has come to this country with some outrageous comments: comments supporting the Iraq war, comments supporting the use of torture, and comments referring to Israel as a war criminal. But enough about the leader of the Liberal Party.

Sit back and savor it, my friends. Sit back and bask in the thrills.

P.S. To Contact David McGuinty. To Contact Pierre Poilievre. You know what you want to say to them.

P.P.S. Many thanks to The Phantom Observor for Hansard quotes.