1. To start, a recommendation: go check nottawa's latest jab at the whole ABC thing. He's got a thought about a missing quote that's worth pondering.
2. Has anyone noticed the morphing messages from the ABC corner? First there was the shifting goal - no longer about the goose egg; now just about "the principle", what with the polls showing that Danny Williams' ABC was producing such a devastating effect on polls not just in this province but across Canada. That just makes it easy to claim victory even when Fabian Manning heads back to Ottawa, even though the goal was always to deliver a goose egg to the Conservatives.
BTW, evidently someone forgot to tell Jerome Kennedy that the goal had changed in time for Kennedy's appearance on Night Line. He was in full flight on a local open line show when he blurted out the goose egg line. yes, we know Jerome. It's hard to stop on a dime and shift directions.
Now it's the My ABC. In response to accusations from the federal Conservatives that Danny Williams and his team are twisting arms and threatening people, the Provincial Conservatives are deploying their troops - Jerome was a lead this week - to insist that Danny had nothing to do with anything, the whole campaign is their campaign. Nice marketing touch but highly unconvincing given that the guy came up with the idea, has been pushing it relentlessly, sent e-mails to make sure everyone in his caucus was on side and has bitchslapped cabinet ministers who dared question the wisdom of ABC publicly.
Nope. No. Nosirreee Bob. No intimidation there.
3. Speaking of Shawn Skinner, word is the minister made to humiliate himself publicly for daring to go off the message track is knocking doors for Siobhan Coady in St. John's South-Mount Pearl. Don't worry Shawn; there's a cabinet shuffle soon.
4. Decisions, decisions. The drums along the highway running through Avalon make it sound like some Liberals are hard pressed in their choices. As much as they want to vote for Liberal Scott Andrews, they'd have more fun sending Fabe back to Ottawa just to rub Danny's nose in it. Recommendation: Don't vote for anyone who calls the province "NewfoundlandLabrador".
5. Meanwhile, in St. John's East, some voters are wondering if they couldn't score a double play on one vote: elect Westcott. That would likely make the Premier's head explode while at the same time setting everything up for Westcott to tackle Harper, as he inevitably would.
6. At least one mayor is now sending out begging letters to Ottawa. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, maybe that or just another guy looking to horn in on somebody else's spotlight.
7. Takes one to know one. Memorial University political science professor Michael Temelini on Craig Westcott's candidacy: ""Is the real Craig Westcott the one who was critical of Stephen Harper, or is it one who seems to be now abandoning all of his critical faculties and toadying up to the prime minister?" What happened to university professors who tried to be analytical in their comments instead of taking sides in a partisan fight?
-srbp-