Our Top Story: OMG Garth Turner Said Something Controversial on his Blog!

I wasn't even going to dignify this with a response, but as a Halton constituent and regular over at The Turner Report I felt that it was incumbent on me to explain something to those of you who may be unfamiliar with Mr. Turner and his blog:

GARTH DOES SHIT LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME!

Really. He does. At least once a week. So much so that when I first read the latest offending post, I didn't even notice or think twice about the "losers" crack.

I realize I'm stating the obvious here, but apparently the point has been lost on our national media in their frenzied efforts to turn this into some sort of Reverend Wright scandal. As usual, they have been so diligent in reading from the prepared script handed to them by the powers that be that they have forgotten to ask any of the important questions. Like, for instance, what could possibly have motivated someone, somewhere, to bring this particular post to their attention at this particular time when, as I said, you can pull intemperate and even offensive quotes from Turner's blog pretty much any day of the week?

Instead, they plod merrily along, reiterating and regurgitating the same identical CP article and replaying the same clips of Turner with Dion and Turner in his biker leathers and calling him the "Maverick MP" because that sounds clever.

This is what the big boys call "journalism".

Impolitical may have hit the nail on the lead by asking why John Baird of all people has been selected to be the PM's point man on this particular non-scandal scandal instead of Petite Pierre or any of the other usual sock puppets.

Look, bright shiny object over there says Baird

Don't be distracted by John Baird's hyperventilation, which seems to have reared its ugly head once again in this Globe report:
"G8 won't set emission targets: Baird." Read that title, that's the big story. Baird, however, would like you to focus on a Garth Turner blog post from the other day and turn your focus toward Stephane Dion as he heads to the G8. Not. Gonna. Work.

(...) Paul Kurugman wrote a great column Friday about Rovian tactics, the politics of elevating obscure sideshows to frenzied levels of concern. All the while, important issues are relegated to the sidelines. Baird's frothing at the mouth today is a prime example of that phenomenon.

If you care, here's Turner explaining exactly what he said and why, as the CTV interviewer makes sure to keep the focus on his bike and leathers.

Not that Turner wasn't happy to oblige by wearing them for the interview. It's all about the show, man.