06.17.2013 09:34 AM

Beer and popcorn boy is heard from

I was up at the cabin all weekend, attending to more important matters.  So I didn’t hear about Scott Reid’s attack on Jean Chretien in the Ottawa Citizen until I got back.

I won’t link to it.  It’s a piece of shit, and what you’d expect.

Here, however, is just a little of what you need to know about Scott Reid.

  • December 2005: Reid says, on national TV, that poor parents would choose “beer and popcorn” over the well-being of their children.  The statement was considered to be one of the reasons the Liberals lost power shortly afterwards.
  • June 2005: Reid is forced to issue an apology to me, and pay significant damages, for libel.  Reid admitted he was “intemperate” and lacked “civility.”  With the thousands that were paid, we built a deck at the aforementioned cabin, which we still call “The Scott Reid Memorial Structure.”  True story.
  • October 2004: Reid is forced to apologize to the then-Premier of Newfoundland, for threatening him over an offshore accord. “He’ll pay for it,” hissed Reid, who caucus members wanted fired over the incident.

And so on.

There’s plenty more, but you get the picture.  To Jean Chretien, I say: Scott Reid is (unfortunately) living, breathing proof of that old maxim: you’ve been called worse things by way better people.

Beer and popcorn boy isn’t fit to lick the bottom of your shoe.

30 Comments

  1. Arnold Murphy says:

    Warren what is with the Conservatives and Libel? Your a lawyer, you have taken them to task, you know Justin. I agree he did the right thing by trying to shelve this distraction, but it is a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation as a result. I still see lots of bs from their trolls online and the fact that Coyne called any request for investigation into this Libel and Orchestrated Conspiracy to Defame Justin is just amazing with all of the information coming forward on the characters and timing involved. The facts are pretty clear a letter was sent from a board member that threatened public consequences. The author of that letter a person who was awarded a public office by the Conservatives also informed the Conservatives and they also engaged in this UNFAIR comment, which makes them and Brad Wall culpable. The fact that three or more participated in this activity for benefit of their parties is apparent, the fact this was orchestrated is transparent. The RCMP have a duty to investigate criminal activity they are aware of, this is the law. Where are the RCMP on this file, are they just going to stand by and watch a citizen being extorted and defamed?http://yourlaws.ca/criminal-code-canada/302-extortion-libel

    302. Extortion by libel | Criminal Code of Canada
    yourlaws.ca
    publishes or threatens to publish or offers to abstain from publishing or to prevent the publication of a defamatory libel.

    • Eric Weiss says:

      Or you just let it die a natural death instead of going after a Senior Citizens charity and giving your opponents even more ammunition.

      Seniors vote more than any other demographic. You want to be perceived as going after them because they made your leader look bad?

      • Arnold Murphy says:

        The perception of impropriety being worse than the impropriety itself, in this case does not apply. There was no impropriety and to suggest there was is an UNFAIR COMMENT. To further suggest that fighting this Libel should be somehow construed as harmful to the Leader of the Liberal party is in itself and impropriety and is further evidence of an ongoing Defamation. Here Justin was coerced into the lesser of evils, but that does not in fact excuse the behavior or defend the culprits, indeed it is further evidence of malfeasance and should incite the RCMP to investigate. Whether the Leader of the Liberal party or any other party gives into extortion or not, the RCMP have in fact been given ample opportunity and motive to investigate this as a violation of the law, in spite of wanting to shelve the problem, and showing great restraint and decorum in doing so Justin Trudeau has been put in a situation where he has to continue to defend his honor when in fact he has nothing to apologize for.

        (2) Every one commits an offence who, as the result of the refusal of any person to permit money to be extorted or to confer or procure an appointment or office of profit or trust, publishes or threatens to publish a defamatory libel.

    • CB Harder says:

      The ‘actions’ follow the ‘deeds’.Just in is a man who wants to be PM and had better get used to the scrutiny for he will be vetted from now until the day he loses!

  2. Michael S says:

    Wrong Scott Reid. This Scott Reid is a nominal Liberal.

    Scott buried the lede, and the bitter truth that he knows all too well:

    “Chrétien found it difficult to take their concerns seriously and made little effort to conceal his skepticism.”

    Turns out the old man was right. Paul Martin was an unmitigated disaster as Prime Minister, and Scott Reid was an unmitigated disaster at top shelf politics.

  3. Michael S says:

    Oh, and remember Scott’s buddy Mike Klander?

    His website says he can help “manage a crisis”. Now, what kind of crisis did Mike precipitate, hmm? Anyone remember, apart from the future mayor of Toronto?

    Good times, good times.

  4. I started reading the piece in question and then I saw who wrote it. Gobsmacked does not fully convey my reaction. I didn’t bother finishing it.

    Hope you are enjoying the deck.

  5. M-A Anderson says:

    Hear! Hear!

    I’ve been seething since I read that piece of garbage.

    You know, Scott and his buddies did such a bang-up job of managing Paul Martin and the Liberal Party, it’s a wonder leaders around the world are not beating down their doors for advice.

    Any chance we can foist him on Stephen Harper? It would improve the Lib’s chances in 2015…

  6. m5slib says:

    First of all, the column is simply just drivel. Second, this is decade old stuff at this point. He needs to move on as does anyone else fighting old battles.

  7. Will says:

    “Chrétien was right in believing that every one of his MPs owed their position to his political talents.”

    One accurate sentence out of the whole article – that’s still better than Reid’s usual batting average. And in fairness, Chretien did make some mistakes—for example, appointing as his finance minister an overgrown teenager who, on his own, couldn’t have been elected dogcatcher. That’s the only one I can think of.

  8. steve says:

    Anyone who in anyway lead to Stephen Harper gaining power, should be investigated for treason. Meta Data only of course.

  9. frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

    “Stephen Harper is gradually turning into Jean Chrétien”……one can only hope an pray……..

  10. billg says:

    In the Conservative strong hold of the Ottawa Valley we have “Scott Reid” day. Never actually invited him, but, he was a god-send.

    • Cromwell says:

      The NDP has a similar celebration in Hamilton East – Stoney Creek on behalf of all Hamilton New Democrats.

  11. Marc L says:

    Reid’s comments were stupid, but typical of the “nanny state” mentality that many (not all) Liberals defend and promote. Government knows best and people just can’t be trusted with their own money. It’s almost a religion here in Quebec.

    • Kaspar Juul says:

      This is a pretty stupid statement about large groups of people based on your bias and not provable.

  12. Shawn says:

    So his case is Harper is in danger of going down the same path as Chretien… by that does he mean winning three straight majorities while leaving behind a booming economy and balanced budget? Boy what an awful ending for poor Jean! I don’t know how he looks in the mirror every day.

    I also love how he makes it sound like this unrest within the party just sort of manifested itself and wasn’t actually manufactured by a would be conquering hero who would win only win every seat in Canada if that old man would get out of the way. What happened with that anyway?

  13. Kered says:

    Years ago, I seem to recall a WK adage on the topic of Reid. Didn’t it go something like this?:

    “Anything he does, do the opposite, and you’ll be just fine”….

  14. Elizabeth says:

    I read that, and was having a really hard time comprehending it, with other things on my mind at the same time, but wondered what on earth is he talking about? There is no comparison between Chretien and Harper.

    I did not always agree with Chretien and was annoyed with him at times, but there was never any doubt that he loves Canada, is/was a patriot, and took Canada forward rather than backwards. NO comparison whatsoever. It’s like comparing a hippo to a Thoroughbred. Excuse me.

    Only thing I didn’t like was that he didn’t see Harper coming and prepare us for it.

    • Oh my goodness Elizabeth……is there ANYTHING you don`t depend on Harper for?

      Could you not, for yourself, see that Harper was coming and prepare yourself for whatever you thought that might be? Sheesh.

  15. james curran says:

    why? Why? Why do you have to get me started again? I was almost out dude.

  16. Sean says:

    The fact that Scott Reid isn’t homeless, begging for change, demonstrates what is wrong with Canada’s political system.

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