Sincerity Is Hard In Politics
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Apparently, PC Leadership Candidate Ric McIver hasn’t learned that lesson.
After getting caught in a firestorm over ribbon cutting the “March For Jesus” event the same weekend that others were at the Edmonton Mayor’s Pride Brunch, he issues the following rather flaccid retraction:
He says he blames himself for not doing his homework and calls the group’s rhetoric — quote — “ugly, nasty and mean-spirited.”
He says he doesn’t believe in or support the Street Church anymore and his relationship with it is over.
McIver plans to continue his run to become Alberta’s next premier and wants the group to remove his name and photos from its website.
Considering that McIver has appeared at these events for multiple years, it seems just a trifle implausible that he didn’t know what the group represented. In fact, given the known links between McIver and Craig Chandler (Chandler managed McIver’s campaigns for Alderman in the 1990s, although publicly McIver distanced himself from Chandler after getting elected), and Pawlowski (the organizer of this march), it seems more than just a little unlikely that McIver didn’t know what Pawlowski represented and believed.
More to the point, according to the National Post, McIver considers Pawlowski a friend:
Ric McIver is a regular at this city’s March for Jesus: In 2013, he cut the ribbon for the parade. Mr. McIver has said he considers the march’s organizer, well-known local evangelical Artur Pawlowski, a friend.
Let’s be clear here, in the light of the long time connections between McIver and Pawlowski, McIver’s dodges and attempts to minimize the meaning of what attending Pawlowski’s march really means ring hollow.
As Mr. McIver’s association with the church bloomed into apparent scandal on Monday, Mr. McIver tried to walk a fine line. He said he did not support the views of the evangelical group, but he did not condemn it.
“As an Albertan and if chosen Premier, I do and will continue to defend equality rights for all Albertans as defined in the Charter, including sexual orientation. I deplore discrimination against all groups and individuals without exception,” he said in a statement released Monday. However, “I shall continue to attend events celebrating the diversity of Alberta.”
No, McIver, I think you knew full well what you were doing when you attended that parade, and who you are courting for support. Not that I would ever vote for you in the first place, but your mealy-mouthed attempts to dodge taking responsibility for your actions simply tell me that you are another right-wing politico trying to follow Preston Manning’s exhortation to hide what you believe until you get elected and then act on it when in office.
That is the worst kind of political dishonesty I can ever imagine, and it is exactly the kind of dishonesty that makes me wonder how you can sleep at night.
[Update]
From the Street Church Facebook Page:
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Here is an link how you can help:
http://
For such a time as this!
Brothers and sisters in Christ, a friend of ours is running as a candidate for the leadership of the Alberta PC Party. His name is Ric McIver, this man on many occasions has proven to be a man of his word. Throughout the 12 years of Street Church Ministry, he was the only alderman that would stop to talk to the homeless people asking them how they where doing. Ric McIver is also the Calgary’s only politician to ever publicly support and personally come and officially open every year the March for Jesus in Calgary since it’s reinstatement in 2010. Mr. McIver not only supports Christian initiatives, he publicly endorses them. We have witnessed this politician stand up for the issues such as, freedom of speech, the rights of the poor, smaller government and responsible budgeting and spending.
What amazes us the most is that he stood for those values as a Calgary Alderman and later when he was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly he did not change. This shows that this man can hold his convictions despite the pressures of a higher office and his peers.
This is what this province needs, this is what this country needs. Please help us spread the word around. He still needs some signatures for his nomination papers, especially if you live close to the Red Deer area.
This is our chance to support and elect a man that is willing to do what is right, a politician that is not changing his opinion every five minutes. If you are looking for somebody that can fix and heal this province after so many scandals, Ric McIver is that man.
Think about what God can do with a man that is not ashamed of him? Please help us to elect Ric McIver as the new Premier of Alberta.
Esther 4:14
14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Ric McIver Minister of Infrastructure during official opening of the March for Jesus 2014 in Calgary!
Photo: For such a time as this! Brothers and sisters in Christ, a friend of ours is running as a candidate for the leadership of the Alberta PC Party. His name is Ric McIver, this man on many occasions has proven to be a man of his word. Throughout the 12 years of Street Church Ministry, he was the only alderman that would stop to talk to the homeless people asking them how they where doing. Ric McIver is also the Calgary’s only politician to ever publicly support and personally come and officially open every year the March for Jesus in Calgary since it’s reinstatement in 2010. Mr. McIver not only supports Christian initiatives, he publicly endorses them. We have witnessed this politician stand up for the issues such as, freedom of speech, the rights of the poor, smaller government and responsible budgeting and spending. What amazes us the most is that he stood for those values as a Calgary Alderman and later when he was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly he did not change. This shows that this man can hold his convictions despite the pressures of a higher office and his peers. This is what this province needs, this is what this country needs. Please help us spread the word around. He still needs some signatures for his nomination papers, especially if you live close to the Red Deer area. This is our chance to support and elect a man that is willing to do what is right, a politician that is not changing his opinion every five minutes. If you are looking for somebody that can fix and heal this province after so many scandals, Ric McIver is that man. Think about what God can do with a man that is not ashamed of him? Please help us to elect Ric McIver as the new Premier of Alberta. Esther 4:14 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Ric McIver Minister of Infrastructure during official opening of the March for Jesus 2014 in Calgary!
The upshot of this: McIver has been in bed with this group since at least 2010. It took him this long to figure out that he was cavorting with a bunch of raving homophobes? Bull Feathers. He was courting votes, plain and simple.
http://crystalgaze2.blogspot.ca/2014/06/sincerity-is-hard-in-politics.html