In Ottawa.
All over the Prime Minister’s Office asking outgoing Ministers to list who their friends and enemies were for their incoming replacements.
Why, Canadian Press Journalist Jennifer Ditchburn was beside herself with delight; you could tell by the glint in her eye that she thought she was on to the biggest political scandal in Ottawa since Senator Mike Duffy fudged his expense accounts.
(Never mind that it has just been confirmed that Ontario’s orange ambulance fiasco resulted in avoidable deaths)
As a former Minister’s Chief of Staff, I can tell you that I would have welcomed such a list coming into my new office. Sadly, the vacating Government was Liberal and they did not see fit to leave me with any such valuable intelligence.
So we had to take months trying to sift the wheat from the chaff on our own.
But back to our story, it does not surprise me that The Liberal Media is trying to classify this as Nixonian in scale but that said, I do find it a little rich in that they steer clear of calling it Obamaonian since it is his administration that recently sicked the IRS on their Teaparty enemies.
But sadly too is a fact that this is the state of media in the Western World – it tilts solidly to the left and goes out of its way to play gotcha politics against any Conservative.
That said, if it comes out that the Tory’s had any sinister intent in regard to their lists – such as that which happened south of the border – I would be horrified and would be the first to commend the Ditchburns of Ottawa for their journalistic integrity.
But between you and me – but given their reputation, don’t expect this to happen.
Harper too has made it clear that he has little use for the media as he recently demonstrated by announcing his new cabinet via twitter.
In that, I am reminded of Joseph Heller’s quote in Catch-22 – “just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they aren’t out to get you” since in the case of our Media that would not be an unreasonable assumption to make.
But to return pettiness for pettiness is not the answer either.
If I was advising Harper, I would encourage him to play nicer with them and if they continue to get that glint in their eyes, then let the people decide what best be done.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
