Any one who listens to The House on CBC, Saturday mornings, knows Kathleen Petty. Personally, I like her. I find her balanced, witty and intelligent.Apparently, she's one of the few journalists that is not considered worthy of any time with Mr. Harper as he does his year-end rounds. How incredibly ridiculous. I imagine that his office is quite aware that she will not lob him the soft balls that we've seen over the past couple of days. Too bad because in spite of what his office claims, the press has given him a free ride since day one. It's about time he was subjected to someone who remembers what journalism is supposed to be.
Speaking of which, overall I've rather enjoyed watching Tonda McCharles filling in for Duffy. She actually calls the MP's out when they begin spewing their message of the day.
Perhaps Harper's office believes that Petty, like the head of CNSC was appointed to her position by the Liberals.
The rest of Don Martin's article is also interesting.
Mr. Harper's Conservatives are less popular today than they were on voting day 2006. After 22 months in power, poll after poll pegs them in a tie with Stéphane Dion's Liberals, if not inexplicably slipping behind.
The Prime Minister's short answer is to dismiss the numbers. "Those polls are being interpreted a certain way, but I'm not sure that's really the case. Not that I would call an election or seek one, but we're doing pretty well."
Um, they are being interpreted how, precisely? Accurately perhaps? We know how dedicated our PM is to that concept so perhaps he fails to see it.
"The reason I took the jab at the Opposition was that they were briefly thinking of blocking the (startup) measure," Mr. Harper says, suddenly sounding terse. "I was making it real clear that if you block this, you're going to wear it because we've got a medical catastrophe coming in this country."
That hardly explains his history of habitual cheap shots, but it doesn't pay to argue when Mr. Harper's in denial, particularly with clock-watching handlers making noises about terminating the interview.
I may not always agree with Martin, but he does know how to write. When Don Martin calls this PM mean, you know you haven't been imagining things.
He's not only mean, but as we've discussed many times before, he freely puts out a lie, without any confrontation by the journalist posing the question.
"The most fascinating thing about the Throne Speech was how the Liberals said in August they were going to bring us down, but never at any point did they say what they expected to see in it," he says.
What utter nonsense. Dion did not say that he'd bring down the government. He said he wanted to see what was in it first and of course he had laid out what he wanted to see.
Accountability seems to elude both the PM and those whom he deigns worthy of his time.
4 comments:
I think CTV should get rid of partisan Duffy - he's more interested in tabloid nonsense - I think he past his due date.
The people filling in did a much better job.
Jane Taber is also a piece of work.
Hey, I thought our PM was a man who could take a punch - he's afraid of difficult questions? That's not leadership.
Martin has been far more fair in his criticism, since he got a taste of Harper's controlling ways, when he outed the Conservative playbook.
sandi, indeed, but they won't. CTV is partisan and tabloid. He's an asset. As is Taber.
Did you hear her whining tonight? Dion is sitting on his hands she cried. As if Harper never did in opposition. Pathetic.
Take a punch? Leadership? What a joke. He's a leader when he controls. There is a long list of those leaders in the world. That he alligns himself with them is quite something.
Still, his supporters march on.
LOL
Steve, I would agree whole heartedly.
Martin calls 'em as he sees 'em. Love him or hate him, you have to respect that.
It's interesting to me that he is one conservative journalist that really hoped for more and saw through what Harper was/is doing and actually has the courage to report it.
You have to admire that.
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