What a load of facile horseshit.

They “hold the powers that be to account.” They spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend a journalistic principle on behalf of all media.” They “cast important light on powerful individuals and institutions.” They valiantly provide “a free press, an educated citizenry and an accountable government.” Canada is “a vibrant society” that has been “built,” well, by them.

No, actually, Canada was built by lots of other people – not editorial writers.  And, to put a fine point on it, what the case was about – WHAT IT REALLY WAS ABOUT – was that the National Post lied about “Shawinigate,” and then relied upon forgeries to buttress that lie, and then went to court to prevent their lie from being exposed.  It’s a bit like what newspaper editorial boards argue, all the time, about the need for government openness and transparency and so on.  Except that they don’t think the principles of openness and transparency should apply to them.

But, really, why am I so exasperated, after so many years?  I mean, after all, these are the people who “built” Canada’s vibrant society.

I should know better.

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Well, the last three are in town.  And I  know someone who plans to suggest to Geldof and Bono that they stop being boring old farts, and come to the show.  So you never know.

So come by! It’ll be massive.  And you never know who you might meet at the bar!  It might be a gazillionaire or a Knight!

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Also, Johnny Rotten, Bob Geldof and Bono are in town! Perhaps they will all drop by!  You wouldn’t want to miss that, would ya?

Poster by Bjorn, Inc.

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Yesterday’s wee post, linking to Don Martin’s Post column, generated quite a bit of commentary about my friend Jean Chrétien.  Some of it was highly, highly critical.

A sampling:

• I ran into Jean at the Stampede some years ago. He was wearing a battered cowboy hat, jeans, and boots. I introduced myself and we chatted briefly. Next year’s Stampede I ran into him on the Stampede grounds again. He shook my hand, looked closely at me, and remembered my first name. Now that’s political style! – Joel Coates
• Chretien, though, was definitely one of the better ones… I shudder to think about where we would have been if he [hadn’t been Prime Minister]. – M. Bellecourt
• I remember they used to call Chretien “yesterday’s man” when he was low in the polls in opposition – now how did that go? Ah, yes – consecutive majorities. – Sandra Gifford
• I think he’s tops. – Derek Lipman
• Agree or disagree with his direction for the country, at least he proved himself an able leader and someone who was willing to find pragmatic and workable solutions, unlike this lot we’re stuck with now. – Gord Gilmour
• In Europe, we loved Trudeau and highly respected Chretien. – Allegra Fortissima
• I heard Jean Chretien speak at the University of Guelph in 1989, when he was out of politics. I was just so impressed by his engagement with the audience, his self-deprecating style, and his natural wit. And yes, damn, it it was inspiring. – Domenico
• Unlike the last couple of PMs we’ve had to endure, Chretien knew how to govern. He had a vision, and while he was not always profoundly illuminating, he knew where he wanted Canada to go, and, more importantly, he more or less got us there without dividing and conquering Canadians. And, when it mattered, he could make the right call. He spared an entire generation of Canadians a tremendous amount of blood and suffering by keeping us out of Iraq, and along with his support of same sex marriage (and enduring direct attacks from the church for doing so), I’ll always hold Chretien in very, very high regard. – Kaplan
• I remember Chretien giving a speech in Prince Rupert, BC cica late 1989 / ‘90. It inspired and convinced me that better days were ahead for both Canada and the Liberal Party. Everyone there understood and felt that Chretien was one of us, that he understood what Canadians were thinking and what they wanted out of a leader. – Francesco Sorbara
• There are other great Liberals, I’m sure. But none have his presence or his innate ability to know what the average Canadian actually wants from government. With apologies to the current leader and to those very committed, genuine folks who support him, there is a gulf the size Canada between where we were with Chretien and where the party is now. – Michael Hale

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…by my former fellow Herald alumnus, Don Martin. Don apparently sat down with the Last Elected Majority Prime Minister on Monday, the same day I saw Da Boss.

Comments are open.  And be very, very careful what you say about my friend Chretien.  I’m not at all afraid to find out where JC-haters live and, if warranted, terminate with extreme prejudice.

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We’re opening for Rebecca, who is terrific and doesn’t actually sound like the Ramones.  We of SFH valiantly try to, however, so you’ll have all Da Brudders bases covered.

Here she is:

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This makes me super depressed.  Shoot me now, someone.

Slowly but surely, Chris Bosh is giving Toronto the kiss-off, and causing a minor Twitterquake in the process.

The Raptors’ all-star forward – at least, that’s his designation until July 1, when the NBA declares open season on players out of contract – changed his location from Toronto to “Everywhere” on his Twitter account, and removed a biography section that noted his status as Raptors captain. Meantime, his website was listed as down for maintenance on Tuesday morning.

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More here!

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…and we have a winner! Charlie Angus, come on down!

Now, it pains me to say this about Charlie, because he is a fellow aging punk rocker who dabbles in politics. He’s a good guy and usually pretty sensible.

But this bizarre attack on the CBC, just to get at Kory, is dopey. It’s foolish. It’s boneheaded, fatheaded, thick, cloddish, doltish, dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, gormless, unthinking, nitwitted, senseless, soft-witted and witless. (I’m on a roll, baby! Someone pay me to go on a TV panel, fast!)

Charlie, baby, people on panels get paid all the time. Hell, I was in Ottawa yesterday, and the smart and savvy NDP guy to the left of me (natch) was paid, just like I was to punditize the peoples. I don’t recall him tearing up the cheque.

Going back more than a decade, in fact, I have been paid to be on political panels on TV. One that paid me, all the time, was on CBC and it was called Counterspin. It’s host was an incredible, brilliant guy named Avi Lewis. He’s the son of a guy named Stephen Lewis. You may have heard of him. Perhaps Avi’s grandfather, too – David. He led your party for a while, there.

If NDP politicians think there’s something to be gained by attacking the public broadcaster for having the temerity to provide balance in its programming, knock yourselves out. Blow your brains out, Team Stupid. It’ll do wonders for the coverage/exposure you get. Just you watch.

In the meantime, make sure you send back all the fees your representatives have been paid to appear on various shows over the years. And don’t forget the interest – it’ll be substantial!

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Unfortunately, the only way to remove a Senator is to force him or her to resign. So, in 1998, Senator Andrew Thompson resigned after Prime Minister Jean Chretien removed him from the Liberal caucus. (Between 1990 and 1997, he’d attended only fourteen Senate meetings.) The “Tequila Senator,” you may recall, faxed his resignation from his villa in Mexico. Good riddance.

Nancy Ruth, the Conservative Senator who has told NGO’s to “shut the fuck up,” is also a disgrace. Her leader, the Conservative Prime Minister, must kick her out of caucus – or, failing that, explain why he won’t.

Ruth, meanwhile, should resign.

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