I’ve ported all the old Talking Points posts over there, if you need them for reference.

Thanks,

–Glen

Think of the mapmakers who continued to insist, aainst astronomical evidence, the world ended where sea serpents swam and cherubs broke wind.  Imagine the nutcase who confronted astronaut Buzz Aldrin over his role in the massive conspiracy to fake the 1969 lunar landing.  Or the solitary Japanese soldiers on Pacific islands, who kept fighting W.W.II into the 8-track-tape era.

In the spirit of these hold-outs, flat-earthers and moon-deniers, Talking Points refuses to accept the growing mass of polling data that presages the NDP forming the official opposition or, in some scenarios, the government.

We just don’t believe.  So thin are résumés of NDP candidates in Quebec, so improvised is the party’s ground game, that they simply cannot get out enough votes to support the current seat projections in Quebec, some exceeding 50.

Similarly, we think pollsters have again underestimated the ballot-box commitment of Conservative voters, as they did in 2008. The base, this time, is older, grumpier, frightened and more determined to vote than opposition supporters.

At the risk of inducing an aneurism in Citizen colleague and prediction debunker Dan Gardner, here’s what Talking Points expects Monday, province by province. Riding-by-riding wild guesses follow the provincial summaries.

Come Tuesday morning, feel free to mock my ineptitude or laud my genius:

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
With wet blanket Danny Williams no longer a factor, the Conservatives will win back one seat from the Liberals, with Fabian Manning recapturing his old riding of Avalon.  But Liberal Siobhan Coady, a strong performer in the House of Commons, will hang on in St. John’s South–Mount Pearl.
CPC 1 (+1), LIB 5 (-1), NDP 1

NOVA SCOTIA
Despite rumors of his demise, expect moderate Conservative Gerald Keddy to hang on to South Shore–St. Margaret’s. But the Orange Crush will claim Liberal Michael Savage and elect New Democrat Robert Chisholm in Dartmouth–Cole Harbour.
CPC 4, LIB 4 (-1), NDP 3 (+1)

NEW BRUNSWICK
Expect the Liberals to drop a pair to the Tories. Mulroney era cabinet minister Bernie Valcourt will skid past Jean Claude D’Amours in Madawaska-Restigouche. Brian Murphy will get pipped by Robert Goguen in Moncton – Riverview – Dieppe.
CPC 8 (+2), LIB 1 (-2), NDP 1

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Former Liberal cabinet minister Wayne Easter will fall to Tory Tim Ogilvie.
CPC 2 (+1), LIBS 2 (-1)

NORTHERN TERRITORIES
Conservative Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq holds Nunavut and Liberal Larry Bagnall retains the Yukon. NDP’s Dennis Bevington clings to Western Arctic.
CPC 1, LIB 1, NDP 1

SASKATCHEWAN
Voters’ comfort with NDP governments has to be a factor here.  In the Greater Moose Jaw area, New Democrat Noah Evanchuk will recapture an old NDP seat, Palliser, from the Conservatives, while Nettie Wiebe takes Saskatoon–Rosetown—Biggar from low-profile Tory Kelly Block. Liberal stalwart Ralph Goodale will barely hold onto Wascana, his party’s only seat in the province.
CPC 11 (-2), LIB 1, NDP 2 (+2)

ALBERTA
Paint it blue, once more. Sure, there was a glimmer of Prague spring in Edmonton in 2008, but a full-court press from the Tory ground machine will help Ryan Hastman recapture Edmonton – Strathcona from the NDP.
CPC 28 (+1)

MANITOBA
The rural-urban divide will preserve the status quo province-wide, except in Winnipeg-North where second time’s a charm for New Dem Rebecca Blaikie, daughter of Bill.
CPC 9, LIB 1 (-1), NDP 4 (+1)

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Don’t buy the prediction of massive sea-to-sky change on the Lower Mainland. The NDP will pick off Surrey North from Conservative Dona Cadman, but that will be the only gainer.  Tory Ronald Leung will grab the NDP seat of Burnaby-Douglas vacated by Bill Siksay. Lib Ujjal Dosanjh will hold Vancouver South only by dint of Conservative Wai Young’s tragi-comic campaign.  On the Island, the Tories reclaim their rights to Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca after floor-crosser Keith Martin’s retirement.  Green Party leader Liz May strikes out against a cabinet minister for a second time as Conservative Gary Lunn holds Saanich – Gulf Islands.
CPC 23 (+1), LIB 4 (-1), NDP 9

QUEBEC
Was the Orange Crush that began in Quebec a hilarious piece of performance art perpetrated on pollsters? Yep.  The NDP will have see a few breakthroughs – in Gatineau, Francoise Boivin should ride the wave to knock-off Blocquiste Richard Nadeau, and Nycole Turmel will upset Liberal Marcel Proulx. Tom Mulcair will hold Outremont, NDP rookie Tyrone Benskin will steal Jeanne-Le Ber from the Bloc. And the NDP’s Hoang Mai will snatch Brossard–La Prairie from the Liberals. Despite weak poll numbers province-wide, we think the Tories will hold pat by dropping two seats and gaining two others held by the Bloc.
CPC 11, LIB 12 (-2), NDP 5 (+4), BLOC 46 (-2), IND 1

ONTARIO
The outcome of Election 41 was foreshadowed by the pre-writ leak of the Conservatives’ infamous “very ethnic” strategy to target multi-cult ridings, mostly around Toronto. On Monday, the Tories’ highly ironic use of long-form census data will pay off through Brampton and Mississauga.  Among the Liberal casualties in the GTA, expect to see Ruby Dhalla, Paul Szabo, Ken Dryden and Joe Volpe fall to Tories. Mario Silva and Gerard Kennedy will lose their Toronto seats to New Democrats.  Liberal Mark Holland in Ajax – Pickering will number among to survive the massacre.  Leader Michael Ignatieff should be fine in Etobicoke – Lakeshore, for what it’s worth.  Despite the drama in Simcoe-Grey, Conservative Kellie Leitch should dispatch Helena Guergis.  Around the capital, Liberal David Bertschi should edge out Conservative Royal Galiepeau in Ottawa – Orleans.  But expect incumbents to win all other Ontario seats in the National Capital.
CPC 58 (+7), LIB 29 (-8), NDP 19 (+2), IND 0 (-1)

CANADA
Talking Points predicts a narrow Conservative majority government, triggering the immediate resignation of Michael Ignatieff. Despite increasing seat totals, New Democrats will emerge disappointed they will not form the official opposition, as pollsters anticipated. Jack Layton will retire before the next election. The Green Party will also search for a new leader.  Or, I could be completely wrong.
CPC 156 (+11), LIB 60 (-17), NDP 45 (+9), BLOC 46 (-2), INDY 1 (-1)

Riding by riding predictions (* indicates party change)

Though recruiting top talent can be difficult for a leader of the fourth party, in an “official position,” Layton will be able to draw on seasoned political staff from past and present NDP governments across the country.

But in the top job, chief of staff, Layton would likely tap his current top aide, Anne McGrath, an Albertan who has brought a steady hand to the office in the past few years and gives such much needed Western bona fides.

Party strategist Brian Topp, executive director of ACTRA Toronto and Globe and Mail contributor, would likely be invited to serve in some senior capacity, his health allowing (like Layton, Topp is living with prostate cancer). Topp has governing experience as deputy chief of staff to former Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow.

Relations between the NDP and Robin Sears, ex of Bob Rae’s Ontario government, have warmed recently, so he’s a possible choice for a senior position if willing to leave his consulting job with Navigator.  Former MP and past federal secretary Dick Proctor, who is working in the war room, would be asked to emerge from retirement and once more come to the aid of the party.

On the communications side, Layton’s gregarious press spinner Karl Belanger would continue in a similar role, so warm is his relationship with the gargoyles in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.  Kathleen Monk, who moved from the war room to the leaders’ tour mid-way through the campaign, would be a strong bet to take on a senior comms role.

Watch for Layton to pull in expertise from union economists, possibly Erin Weir with Steelworkers or Jim Stanford of the Canadian Autoworkers.  Kevin Dorse, the “socialist banker,” would probably be asked to return from the Credit Union Central of Canada.

Layton may also draw on the knowledge of his former wife, a public servant in Ontario, for help selecting senior bureaucrats to join his office. Matt de Vlieger, former NDP staff economist now in the federal public service, is one name in circulation.

Other troops in contention for key positions: Matt Hebb, who helped run Premier Darrell Dexter’s campaign in Nova Scotia and currently in charge of the party’s “target team,” identifying winnable ridings; Michael Balagus, chief of staff to Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger; and Elliott Anderson, a war room vet who famously orchestrated the complaint to the RCMP on income trusts and subsequent release that turned the course of the 2005-06 election.

U.S. ambassador to Canada David Jacobson (right) and unidentified man (left).

POTENTIAL EMBARRASSMENT FOR U.S. AMBASSADOR JACOBSON OVER FRANK COMMENTARIES ON CANADIAN POLITICAL SCENE

With but a furlong to go in the election campaign, Wikileaks today released a large number of cables from U.S. embassies and consulates in Canada, many of them commentary on the Canadian political scene written by ambassador David Jacobson.

In the cables, Jacobson comments on the apparent futility of efforts to reinvent the Liberal Party in 2010.  This is truly astounding reading and hugely awkward for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa.

IF YOU FIND SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING, PLEASE SUMMARIZE, QUOTE AND SEND TO ME WITH THE LINK.  I’LL AGGREGATE THE BEST STUFF HERE.

The Canadian content stretches from reports from the Vancouver Winter Olympics back as far as 1985, with a cable from the U.S. embassy in Dublin describing the Air India disaster and wreckage in the Irish Sea.

AS OF THE PRESENT TIME,
1900 HOURS, 23 JUNE, APPROXIMATELY 60 BODIES HAVE BEEN
RECOVERED AND ARE BEING LANDED IN IRELAND AT CORK.  NO
SURVIVORS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED.

But it is the more recent material, from the embassy in Ottawa, that could lead to red faces among U.S. dips. Consider Jacobson’s pessimistic state-of-the-nation summary of the Liberal Party in 2010, titled “Liberals chart renewal in 2010″:

The Liberals' muted response to PM Harper's late December prorogation
of Parliament (ref b) suggests a lack of energy and hands-on
leadership (Michael Ignatieff reportedly remains on vacation in
France), however.   The party's "transformational" process sets
high goals, but a similar 2006 renewal exercise did not meet
expectations.  The  Liberals face a tough road ahead if they hope
to beat the Conservatives in the next federal election - whether in
2010 or 2011.  End summary.

Another, apparently from Deputy Chief of Mission Terry Breese, is titled, “About face: PM Harper stacks the Senate.” It shows a  sophisticated, in cynical, understanding of Canadian politics:

¶8. (SBU) Comment:  Appointing senators is a major about-face for a
PM and a party that long campaigned for an elected upper chamber.
The cost of the eighteen new senators also conflicts with political
messaging about the need for official belt-tightening.  However, PM
Harper will not pay a real political price.  The staunchest
advocates of Senate reform are Conservatives in western Canada, who
will swallow the expedient in order to forestall any opposition
appointments should the Harper government lose any upcoming vote of
confidence.  The tenor of the Prime Minister's comments about a
possible Liberal/New Democratic Party coalition and the timing of
the appointments, however, underscore that the PM may fear that the
present parliament will not last long.
BREESE

In one 2008 dispatch on a potential Canadian election, Jacobson’s predecessor, David Wilkins, summarizes the state of U.S.-Canada relations and our “inferiority complex”:

¶1. (C) Summary. Despite the overwhelming importance of the U.S. to Canada for its economy and security, bilateral relations remain the proverbial 900 pound gorilla that no one wants to talk about in the 2008 Canadian federal election campaigns. This likely reflects an almost inherent inferiority complex of Canadians vis-a-vis their sole neighbor as well as an underlying assumption that the fundamentals of the relationship are strong and unchanging and uncertainty about the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election. End Summary.

Another cable describes Canada’s decision to sit-out the war in Iraq and agreement not to criticize U.S action:

¶6. (C) Comment Continued: Following the meeting, Political
Director Jim Wright emphasized that, despite public
statements that the Canadian assets in the Straits of Hormuz
will remain in the region exclusively to support Enduring
Freedom, they will also be available to provide escort
services in the Straits and will otherwise be discreetly
useful to the military effort. The two ships in the Straits
now are being augmented by two more enroute, and there are
patrol and supply aircraft in the  UAE which are also
prepared to "be useful."  This message tracks with others we
have heard.  While for domestic political reasons and out of
a deep-seated Canadian commitment to multilateralism the GOC
has  decided not to join in a U.S. coalition of the willing,
they will refrain from criticism of our actions, express
understanding, and focus their public comments on the real
culprit, Iraq. They are also prepared to be as helpful as
possible in the military margins, an aspect of their role
which we intend to clarify.
Kelly
KELLY

Jacobson reports on a lunch meeting with then-Environment Minister Jim Prentice, who sounds really happy to be there:

From the onset of lunch, Minister Prentice was clearly
making every effort to establish a connection with Ambassador
Jacobson, outlining his respect for the Administration and his
interest in President Obama's "back story", persona, and goals.
The tone was very collegial and Prentice appeared unrushed,
focused, and interested in getting to know the Ambassador on a
personal level, sharing stories about his daughter, life in
Alberta, and his love for the outdoors.  Prentice appeared keen to
forge a personal relationship with Ambassador Jacobson - to the
mutual benefit of both countries.  Note:  Prentice is
widely-considered to be the most respected member of Prime Minister
Harper's inner circle and enjoys Harper's complete trust.  He is
the lead Minister for climate change, as well as the lead on the
Clean Energy Dialogue and Northern Gas pipelines.

One cable in advance of Jacobson’s visit to Winnipeg, he referenced Gary Doer’s new gig in Washington, D.C.:

¶2. Manitoba, occasionally the victim of an inferiority complex as
the neighbor to richer Ontario, enjoyed its time in the spotlight
as the home to the new Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.  The
Ambassador's visit ensured the spotlight shone even more brightly
on Winnipeg as the new Premier took office.

In the same cable, Jacobson says he was interviewed by Mary Agnes Welch, head of the Canadian Association of Journalists and a writer with the Winnipeg Free Press:

The unexceptional and rather flat article, titled “We can work it out,” summarized the U.S. position on key issues and gave an overview of the Ambassador’s Winnipeg visit.

One cable, apropos of what we do not know, gives a detailed biography of NDP MP Megan Leslie:

. (SBU) In terms of her personal characteristics, MP Leslie is
very approachable and, as a recent magazine interviewer noted,
she has a laid back style that conveys the feeling that you are
"chatting with a neighbor on her front porch."

Another in a lighter tone, also from Breese, itemizes a list of Stephen Harper’s Christmas wishes:

--  Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams recants his
Venezuelan/Che Guevara economic theories and gives free
rights to Newfie water to AbitibiBowater in perpetuity,
leading Maude Barlow to emigrate to Zimbabwe;
--  Quebec voters come to their senses, abandon the Bloc
Quebecois, and vote en masse for the Conservatives in the
next election, creating a stable Conservative majority in the
House of Commons;

One refers to the Canadian government holding off on copyright reforms because of public pressure and efforts by University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist:

¶5. (sbu) From December 2007 to mid-February, senior GOC
officials and well-informed private sector contacts assured
the Embassy that legislative calendar concerns were delaying
the copyright bill,s introduction into Parliament.  Our
contacts downplayed the small - but increasingly vocal -
public opposition to copyright reform led by University of
Ottawa law professor Dr. Michael Geist.  On February 25,
however, Industry Minister Prentice (please protect) admitted
to the Ambassador that some Cabinet members and Conservative
Members of Parliament - including MPs who won their ridings
by slim margins - opposed tabling the copyright bill now
because it might be used against them in the next federal
election.  Prentice said the copyright bill had become a
"political" issue.  He also indicated that elevating Canada
to the Special 301 Priority Watch List would make the issue
more difficult and would not be received well.

One cable backgrounds Laureen Harper, wife of the Conservative leader. Some of the highlights:

¶1. (SBU) Summary: Laureen Harper, wife of Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, plays no formal public role (unlike the U.S. First Lady),
but those close to the family have described her as politically
engaged and as her husband's most valuable political asset.
Extroverted and friendly, she is widely credited for "softening" her
more reserved husband's political image. End summary. 

¶2. (U) Laureen Ann Harper (nee Teskey) was born on June 23, 1963,
the eldest of three children, in Turner Valley, a rural community of
about 1,600 residents southwest of Calgary, Alberta.  Her parents,
who divorced in 1991, ranched and owned an electrical contracting
company. She attended Calgary's Southern Alberta Institute of
Technology to study journalism and photography.  She married New
Zealander Neil Fenton (with whom she backpacked across Africa for
six months) in 1985, but they divorced in 1988. 

A POLITICAL ASSET
------------------ 

¶3. (SBU) Passionate about politics since her teens, Laureen Harper
joined the Reform Party (the forerunner of the Conservative Party of
Canada) in the late 1980s; she met Stephen Harper at a Reform
meeting in Saskatoon in 1991.  They married in December 1993.  Some
of Stephen Harper's earliest political colleagues, including his
first boss and later fellow Reform MP Deborah Grey (who introduced
the couple), have credited Mrs. Harper with "mellowing" her husband,
"balancing his serious side" and helping solidify his image as a
family man.  Described as personable, free-spirited, and with
considerable personal charm, Mrs. Harper is a pro at working a room,
and many observers believe her to be more at ease in front of
cameras and strangers than her husband.  She is also the
self-confessed "mouthy one," with strong opinions on a wide variety
of issues.  However, Mrs. Harper reportedly made a deliberate
decision not to carve out her own public role.

Just as a reminder, here’s Conservative leader Stephen Harper’s response when he got the question on June 4, 2004:

“What I said was that I was offered a joint once and I was too drunk. But the serious answer is that I’m an asthmatic, so I’ve never smoked anything.”

Harper, apparently, has since recovered and is no longer an asthmatic though almost certainly not toking.  He was, however, seen sipping a beer in a TV clip at his home recently. A Molson Canadian, alas.

Meanwhile, with patriarch Marc Emery making little ones out of big ones at the D. Ray James Correctional Facility in Folkston, GA, the Marijuana Party is but a pungent wisp of its former self. Only five candidates running for the “green” party in this election:

Kornelis Klevering    Guelph
Michael Baldasaro    Hamilton-Centre
John Andrew Akpata    Ottawa-Centre
Terry Parker    Parkdale–High Park
Denis A. Carrière    Thunder Bay–Superior-Nord

I’m dusting off an item from my 2005-06 election notebook column. My gift to you guys, Sun Media, just ’cause you’re all such good sports:

Fri Dec 2 2005:  Although the fellow travellers in the NDP would never publicly gripe about extra ink for their leader during an election campaign, there are some quiet murmurs of discontent in party ranks about the photo of Jack Layton that appears on the cover of this week’s Maclean’s. Conspiracy theorists suggest that the magazine chose the photo of Mr. Layton because it best reflects his passing resemblance to another balding, moustachioed hero of the proletariat, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

Mr. Layton appears in the black-and-white photo in a three-quarter profile pose, a motif favoured in propaganda posters and innumerable iconic renderings of the old Bolshevik. His firm jaw line and stern demeanour in the picture further the similarities. NDPers might wonder if Maclean’s editor Ken Whyte, who is believed to steer toward Alberta in his political view, had a right hand in the decision. The candid picture was taken by veteran photographer Peter Bregg, who followed Mr. Layton around for several weeks, according to the Layton campaign.

With Toronto ground zero this weekend for a Mixed Martial Arts event (MMA 129, if you’re still counting), Canada’s first MMA magazine is set to launch right this month.

According to Masthead, MMA Guide is published by one Harry Rosen — the mens clothier, perhaps?

Among the first advertisers:  Step into the octagon, Conservative Party of Canada — maybe.

A version of this ad is circulating online. It has a photo of a pair of MMA gloves hanging against a brick wall backdrop, under the slogan, “Never hang up your dream.” It also pumps the $500 fitness tax credit the Conservatives have promised to deliver, c. 2014-15.

It looks legitimate but its authenticity has yet to be determined. It is also unclear whether the ad, if authentic, was appearing in the magazine or on the affiliated website,

If real, targetting MMA Maniacs marks a significant departure from the Hockey Dads demographic that the Tories so aggressively court.

Ryan Sparrow, a Conservative spokesman, said he knew nothing of the ad. All the party’s advertising appears on its website and, besides, the Conservatives don’t really buy print advertising, he said.

Party spokesman Ryan Sparrow confirmed the ad is authentic.

Patrick Muttart

The already surreal public spat between QMI boss Pierre Karl Peladeau and former PMO wunderkind Patrick Muttart took another strange twist Wednesday night, as Muttart’s PR firm responded to PKP’s essay accusing him (Muttart) of pushing a fake Michael Ignatieff photo.

But first, the backstory…

Readers of the Sun papers woke up to an essay Wednesday by Pierre Karl Peladeau, president Sun Media Corporation, denouncing a former aide to Stephen Harper for campaign dirty tricks at his company’s expense.

Peladeau accused Patrick Muttart, once Harper’s deputy chief of staff, of trying to peddle the Sun a bogus photo of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff dressed in combat gear.

The picture shows a group of soldiers in front of a military helicopter, holding automatic rifles, purportedly in Kuwait prior to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. One of them, supposedly, was Michael Ignatieff, who was then an academic at Harvard.

Pierre Karl Peladeau

Peladeau says Muttart passed the picture onto the Sun’s Kory Teneycke, who is also ex of Harper’s PMO.  Only when Teneycke pressed for a higher-resolution copy of the photo did it become clear that Ignatieff wasn’t actually in the photo, Peladeau wrote.

“[I]t is the ultimate source of this material that is profoundly troubling to me, my colleagues and, I think, should be of concern to all Canadians,” Peladeau wrote.

The Tories claimed that it had warned the Sun it had tried but couldn’t verify the identity of the subject of the photo.  The campaign also denied that Muttart was working in the party’s war room.

“He has however done some paid consulting work for the campaign. Patrick has no further role in the campaign,” the party said in a prepared statement.

UPDATE: On Wednesday night, Muttart’s PR firm, Mercury, issued a press release in response to Sun TV. It’s worth reading in full, but here are some of the salient bits:

Initially, Patrick Muttart provided Sun Media with multi-point verbal overviews concerning Michael Ignatieff and the War in Iraq. Later, he provided additional material at Sun Media’s request. Sun Media used much of the information he provided. At no point did Muttart tell Sun Media that he had positively identified Ignatieff in the photo in question. And at no time did Muttart mislead, or intend to mislead Sun Media, in his provision of information to them.

The most disappointing assertion in Mr. Peladeau’s column is his “belief” that Muttart sought to “damage the integrity and credibility of Sun Media and, more pointedly, that of our new television operation, Sun News.”

This assertion is false and downright bizarre.

Here’s the part that knocked me off my chair. In the same release, Muttart’s firm claims to have been actively involved in the creative development of Sun TV”

For the record, Mercury was hired by Quebecor to assist Sun News with its pre-license branding and positioning. Muttart worked with a creative agency to develop the network’s original logo (a modified version is currently in use). And he was the original source for the network’s “hard news” and “straight talk” framing language. Even after Mercury’s engagement with Sun News came to an end, Muttart was asked for and provided pro bono feedback on the network’s graphics and on-air promotional spots. Muttart was so committed to the success of Sun News he proactively reached out to a number of current, former and prospective clients about advertising on Sun News and facilitated a number of introductions. Again, he did this pro bono as a supporter of Sun News.

So, Muttart, or his firm, are hired to brand and position the new Sun News Network. Then, sometime later, we presume, Muttart is hired on contract — possibly through Mercury, though that’s not clear — to work for the Conservative campaign. It is in this capacity that he passes on the photograph and other information about Ignatieff’s alleged Iraq war planning to Kory Teneycke.

The entire thing is beginning to look like a Max Escher print. And it appears to weaken Peladeau’s claim of independence from the CPC campaign, when the same consultant who crafted his new network’s branding is also doing similar work the Conservatives and passing his work product back to Sun TV.

BONUS POINTS:  What Peladeau did not address in his essay was that his papers and new TV channel continued to report that Ignatieff was on the “front lines” of planning the Iraq invasion, nevertheless.

The evidence?  Ignatieff had in 2002 attended conferences at Harvard on limiting civilian casualties.

The U.S. military participated in these conferences, as the Sun noted, but so too did numerous humanitarian non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. That exculpatory detail was omitted from the Sun report.

The Peladeau editorial did, however, shine a light on the cozy relationship between campaign war rooms and journalists who, always looking for a story during an election, can be a receptive audience for nuggets dug up by party researchers.

One other interesting fact to emerge from the entire imbroglio was that Muttart, once considered a strategic genius in PMO, was being paid as consultant.  Muttart is on the masthead of Chicago branch of Mercury Public Affairs (per above).

Opposition parties have long suspected that the Tories use U.S.-based and (likely) Republican Party-affiliated political consultants to develop campaign strategy. But determining which consultants are on the payroll is difficult. Filings with Elections Canada list total amounts for “professional services” and do not detail who was paid from the campaign accounts or how much.

The data do show the Tories spent considerable more on these professional services than other parties in the 2008 election campaign: $1.8 million to the Liberals’ 350,000 and the NDP’s $53,000.

An award-winning journalist and novelist, Harris says he was told his column was dropped to make room for other voices.

He suspects, however, that a column he wrote on the eve of the election, titled  “Harper no longer on high moral ground,” might have lubricated his exit.

“After writing in that space for nine years, I drew the conclusion. I was simply told by the editor in chief I was being dropped to accommodate new writers.  Sun TV started up a few days later.”

Over to you, Rick Gibbons, Ottawa Sun publisher:

Hi Glen
No, absolutely not! I’m not even sure I know to which column  you are referring. And I’m surprised and disappointed Michael would say that. That was never conveyed to him and he certainly never conveyed such an impression to me.

We ran Michael’s columns for many years and never had issue with his content.  We had an excellent relationship. The decision to end his column (fired is an entirely inappropriate use of the term here, I believe) was difficult but necessary due to other factors, which were explained to Michael at the time. These include the arrival of a number of new columnists of late, including Ezra Levant, John Robson, Brian Lilley, David Akin, Anthony Furey, etc. As I know you can appreciate, it became increasingly difficult to find space for all of these new columns in a two-age daily Op-Ed section.

We didn’t want to bounce Michael’s column around and frankly, based on an earlier conversation I had with him, neither did he. He stated very clearly he wanted to be anchored in a specific spot on a specific day or not run at all. A second issue was the allocation of limited local Op-Ed resources to ensuring we have local voices dealing with local issues in our paper. Michael’s traditional frame of reference has always been national – which is fine, but in the local context, we now have more national content in our Op-Ed pages than ever before and it was crowding out local opinions. I hope we will soon introduce more local content in our Op-Ed pages as a result.

I know we conveyed to Michael our hope that our relationship could resume at another time when circumstances allowed. I still hope that’s the case.

He also adds….

[T]he decision was not taken quickly or lightly. We discussed this internally for a couple of months as we tried to come to grips with the arrival of new writers and the competition for space.