Give me a lump of Coal-alition for Xmas





Hi Hi Hi Ho Ho Ho......how are things going? Have you done all your Xmas shopping? I have not even started.......GeeeeZ. I have a gauntlet of December birthdays to get through before Xmas. Just sent 2 cards off today with gift cards (from Timmies.....dont tell, k?) and Valerie Sweet Pea has a birthday on Saturday (and neighbours threw a party 4 her last weekend) so, house rules prevent me from any Xmas preparation until after birthday girl is celebrated fully. Furthermore, Kevys fiance is flying from Boston and Forbes and Susan are driving in from Sudbury for the weekend.








Speaking of house rules, have you seen the crazy drama in Canuck parliament??? I saw a hasty interview with GG Jean from Europe and she was hardpressed to fill in the sound bite. Canadian politics have finaly outlegged US politicians for spinning fervour and misspoken rhetoric. Its very very difficult to keep your finger on the string of developments that lead to a coalition option for parliamentary governance. Every spin doctor in Ottawa is being contracted to play on tainted messages steering electorate opinion through the major media outlets rather than honest hardhitting journalism.







It takes me back to a time when Canadian citizens were relying on American blogs to get the straight goods on a court oredered gag to determine the facts on a govenment scandal kept from Canadian ears and eyes. One thing about American grassroots debate, they dont pull any punches when searching out the dirty truth. The issues are all relative, but facts are tangeble until the spin doctors get looped in.



I checked a US blog, bookmarked when Gomery hearings were gagged over Chretien/Adscam and Mulroney/Airbus scandal, after gorging to nauseum of all the missspeeches on Canadian media bureaus (CTV and CBC) in Ottawa in an attempt to get a wider scope (I call it the full Monty). In a nutshell, Canadians would all be better served if journalism stuck to reporting the facts and keep the spin doctors and theatrics on a short leash. Spin doctors kept Bush in power for 8 years and now he backtracks and publicly regrets his "poor intelligence". Why didnt media emphasize that principle before he was elected a second term. Lord knows journalists coulda echoed the Dixie Chicks skepticism at least. Lets not go there. Just the facts, maam, just the facts.






Conservatives have started the publicity machinery that all their corporate and elite coffers can buy and parliament (and coalitions) has no choice but to follow. We will see social networking and misinformation like never before. Agencies and services will be working overtime to get news bureaus transmitting sound bites and video clips catering to self serving manuevering and manipulative pandering. By days end Facebook and MySpace are sure to be activated by right wing spin doctors (that's where a message can muster some huge network numbers to create an impression of opinion inspite of the focus group, or lack of). Leave the intellectual dishonesty to the politicians. I wonder if the coalition can improve pensions (or at least protect them) and EI for Xmas.



Its going to be one 'ell of a Christmas.

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