Timmy Hudak media round-up

A few gems missed from his Weekus Horriblus:

  • Toronto Star: “The more reporters pressed him, the more Hudak tensed up and shut down. He countered with feeble recitations of a new Tory website where voters can offer feedback (on a health tax he has already declared off limits). When a leader looks like a deer frozen in the camera lights, it’s time to shift to damage control mode. Hudak’s aides called off the news conference and he retreated to his office in mid-question.”
  • Globe and Mail: “…in the early stages of 2011, the Liberals have showed signs of getting their act together. Part of that has involved finding ways to shift the focus to Mr. Hudak. While the election is largely shaping up as a referendum on Mr. McGuinty, he’ll still need to be judged against an alternative, so the Liberals are trying to define Mr. Hudak before he defines himself.  To that end, they’re setting traps. And in the past few days, he walked straight into one.”
  • Winnipeg Free Press: “When I was in grade school I remember a girl running for the head of the student council with a campaign that included handing out a gummy bear to every kid who got to vote. Not a bad strategy when you’re 11 and your campaign platform can include little more than promising to hold more spirit days and bake sales. Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak isn’t running for elementary school president, but he seems to be trying a similar tactic.”

In today’s Sun: Who speaks for Canada?

Here’s a little Canada quiz. Who said this?

“French will survive if Quebecers cherish it and want to preserve it; it will flourish if Quebec becomes a freer, more dynamic and prosperous society; it will thrive if we make it an attractive language that newcomers want to learn and use. Not by imposing it and by preventing people from making their own decisions in matters that concern their personal lives.”

Did Pierre Trudeau utter those stirring words? Sir John A.? Jean Chretien? None of those men said that. But you can easily picture any one of them doing so.

How about this equally memorable quote: “It’s important that Quebec remain a predominantly French-language society. And ideally, everyone in Quebec should be able to speak French. But we should not try to reach this goal by restricting people’s rights and freedom of choice.” Did John Diefenbaker say that? Stephane Dion?


The Old Man and the Bird

I loved this story – loved it – because it shows the power of great journalism.

Something very simple – an older gentleman in a park, and the kooky goose who loves him – and written with a wonderful style, and a wonderful eye for detail.

When I read stories like this, it makes me want to be a journalist again. (And then I remember that I couldn’t write my way out of a proverbial paper bag.)

Anyway. A wonderful read. Worth your time.


Tweet Wow

@stphnmaher: RT @RobertFife: Ipsos pollster Darrell Bricker writes of Ekos poll: ” We’ve got almost the same. No anomaly.” #cndpoli


Timmy Hudak’s “very bad week”

“Now that he’s quit politics, in his new role as Newstalk1010 commentator, [John Tory] no longer needs to parse his words along political lines.

He has made the point that sometimes tax reforms such as the GST, introduced by former prime minister Brian Mulroney are unpopular, but necessary.

Still, this was a very public face-to-face encounter with his former Liberal adversary. And this has been a very bad week for PC Leader Tim Hudak. who often let his fig leaf drop to reveal his naked ambition when Tory was PC leader.

McGuinty has his game face on.”

But, as my colleague Chris would be the first to point out, a week is a lifetime in politics. We Ontario Liberals take our PC opponents very seriously – they are formidable adversaries (Rocco Rossi notwithstanding).

Still, not a bad week. We intend to work hard to ensure that Hudak has a few more bad weeks.


Former PC leader John Tory backs Dalton McGuinty

…on taxation policy.

And, as Dalton McGuinty points out in the linked Star story, so too do Jim Flaherty, John Baird and Tony Clement – all senior ministers within Stephen Harper’s government.  They said the HST was the way to go, too.  So did other PC giants, like Bob Runciman.

The story is below.  I can’t wait to see how Rocco Rossi is going to fix this little communications problem!  As he always liked to remind us, he could fix anything!

***

Former Progressive Conservative leader John Tory has jolted the upcoming provincial election by hailing Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s “courage” in levying the 13 per cent Harmonized Sales Tax.

“I haven’t won too many friends by saying, for example, that the HST, which many people love to hate, is nonetheless good economic and tax policy if we want to create jobs in the province of Ontario,” Tory said Thursday.

“And you know what, it took some courage to do it,” he said.

Tory — who resigned as PC leader in March 2009, three weeks before the Liberals unveiled the HST — made his comments to an influential audience of 600 people at the Greater Toronto CivicAction Summit Alliance conference.

“I’m not going to stand up and endorse him, but if you listen to my radio program you’ll know I don’t hesitate to commend him and his government when they do things that are right,” the Newstalk 1010 host said as he introduced the premier to the blue-chip crowd.


Punk rock saves lives

Middle son and I listened to this story on CBC radio this morning with delight.

Not only did Leonard Nickelray survive – he survived, he told the media, while he was listening to Pennywise and Rancid!

(Smart middle son observation: “Dad, it sounds like listening to punk rock loud was the reason he almost got killed.”  I told him I wasn’t interested in a contrarian son.)

Anyway, to equip you, too, with supernatural powers, and the ability to withstand collisions with speeding locomotives, here’s Pennywise with (naturally) ‘Knocked Down.’