Tories remove elements from Dion attack website

CTV Parliamentary Correspondent Graham Richardson reported Friday that the Tory war room confirmed taking a fresh look at the site and making changes.

An option to make your own Dion "inaction figure," a "street-debate" feature, an excuse generator, policy slot machine and an option to create your own Dion ad, have all been removed.

That followed the removal of another controversial feature of the site earlier in the week -- a puffin that flew across the screen, pooping on Dion's shoulder. The controversy was quickly dubbed "Puffingate."

Then on Thursday, Conservative communications director Ryan Sparrow was suspended for comments he made about a grieving father whose son was killed in Afghanistan.

Jim Davis, father of slain soldier Cpl. Paul Davis, old CTV's Canada AM that a pledge by Harper to pull out of Afghanistan by 2011 was "irresponsible."

Sparrow then suggested in an email to CTV News that Davis was a Liberal supporter, inferring his political affiliation could be his motivation for the critical comments.

He was quickly suspended from the campaign, and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said the email was "inappropriate" as it questioned "the motivation of a father of a deceased Canadian soldier."

CTV Parliamentary Correspondent Graham Richardson said Tory strategists have broken a key campaign rule: don't become the story.

"It's the lead editorial in the Globe and Mail, they're in headlines, they're on all the national networks, and that's the last thing you want to be as a strategist, you don't want to be the story," he said.

"It has become the first week story, the surprise. This much vaunted machine is becoming a bit of a story here. So they've adjusted the website, taken down some of the attacks on Stephane Dion and I suspect you're going to see less outrageous or hardline attacks on Stephane Dion since it has backfired."

While the Conservatives would like to stay on-message, attacking Dion's "Green Shift" carbon tax plan and touting their party as the safe choice in economically unstable times, they've had to deal with several other unwanted distractions this week.

Harper had opposed the inclusion of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May in the leaders' debates, but relented after NDP Leader Jack Layton backed down from his opposition.

Then the party's Halifax candidate resigned because of a criminal record.

Harper will be hitting the campaign trail in Halifax then Prince Edward Island Friday. Dion is in British Columbia while Layton will be in Newfoundland.

Comments are now closed for this story

BB in B.C.
said

I just sat through almost 30 minutes of news covering Dion and the Liberal policy announcements. I consider myself to be an average Canadian and I made a special effort to try to understand him. I see a passionate man who is trying very hard but I still missed about every 3rd word he spewed and I came away with my head spinning unsure of exactly what he said. He was tossing millions around spread over several years on different things but all I can remember is there would be some help if I wanted to spend or borrow more money to upgrade my home for energy efficiency. I did all that years ago so I guess his green shaft to raise my energy bills won't be helping me tomorrow. Maybe I'll try reading his version of "The Liberal Red Book" to clarify what I possibly missed.

Frank Buchan (Vauxhall, Alberta by way of Ontario)
said

"Robin the Hood" and others observe how Conservatives constantly attack the left, and in this comment section I finally discovered this is because we are "poorly educated" and thus easy prey for the right-wing tactics, etc. I'm failing to see how calling people like me "poorly educated" is different from an attack ad against Dion...

Based upon my obvious lack of IQ, I'm having trouble differentiating the behaviour of the highly educated liberals from my own clearly challenged behaviour. If my excuse is I'm stupid, what would the excuse of the liberals be who are certain we will all be burning books? And will we be burning them under the supervision of the military police that will choke our streets within minutes of a Conservative win?

Sarcasm aside, lack of judgement abounds today, regardless of political stripe. Tolerance is evidently not a trait liberal-minded thinkers appreciate any more. Imagine if we actually debated issues; where would we end up?

Come on, people; let's raise the level of debate to something useful.

Who's got the Team?? OTTAWA
said

Ahh.. therein lies the problem. Mr. Harper can't control everyone during an election or even during session. There is hardly a Conservative left capable of filling his cabinet. Emerson and Hearn gone, O'Connor demoted out of defence, Bernier demoted.. Will Baird manager the environment?? Who will run the government? Harper, Flaherty, & Mackay? I'm sorry it takes more than that..The liberal have a deep bench of capable people with a smart leader to make it all work. Muzzleling everyone is like plugging holes in a leaky boat with sticks of gum and that's what the conservatives are trying to do until election day. After that they don't seem to care.. where's there plan for the future? They are hanging on for the now.

Ray
said

This has me thinking that Layton and the NDP may be a better spent vote. The party has been around awhile now and have never had a pm in office yet. I like the values they represent. I don't think any harm would come from letting the little guy with something to prove in for a change. At least with a vote in that direction I'm sending a message to the big two. Both parties are riddled with histories of scandle and mismanagement. At least with the NDP, they start from a clean slate and I believe will be outstanding because they would have to be to get any future leadership opportunities.

Mike
said

Soemtimes, i feel that the conservatives are very much a communist party back home. even in the poorest countries in the world, you can't find such a low level attacks on other parties. My expectation of Canada is something broader and something more civilized. Just ...pathetic indeed!

David
said

You see this same acidic reactionary response from the Conservatives every time regardless what party or media is questioning them. You see it with Baird, Van Loan, Flaherty, Strahl, Kenney whenever they speak. Why is anyone surprised? That is how they choose to operate.

It is humourous to see the facade commercials of Harper as a caring family person within the same backdrop. Any educated person should see through that...

It does not reflect well for Canadians as a whole. Maybe that is why when traveling abroad we are treated no different from Americans now as this government eminates that same attitude we see in the US.

I worry about the safety of Canadians abroad now.

This election is a choice of what type of Canada you want to see and live in.

MuskyBuck
said

I just love to sit back and watch a political party shoot themselves in the foot.

The insensitivity of the Reformers is an awesome display.

To those of us that know these people at heart, it's justification for our opinions.

I was born and raised in Alberta, I know these Reformers for what they are.

Insensitivity to anyone other than their thinking, actions and way of life is a threat to them.

The xenophobic attitude displayed in every area of the province sickened me as a child growing up and at 18 leaving Alberta was the only thing I wanted in my life.

I'm glad to see it hasn't taken anymore than a couple of years for this group to show their true colors to the rest of Canada, who I know will not stand for it.

Congratulations Harper and crew, you've done more in a matter of weeks, then I could ever have.

Steven C
said

I find it odd that the Conservatives are campaigning as if they are in opposition, by belittling Dion rather than highlighting their performance in power. It is almost as disengenuous as McCain campaigning against Washington.

Robin the Hood
said

lost_in_canadian_stupidity

..but remember that the poorly educated tend to go for right wing parties and the negative election tactics which suits their thinking. Its too bad but They do not really see the issues involved and are easily manipulated by sophisticated marketing. Lets hope they are still the minority which, unfortuantely, does not seem to be the case in the US.
Generally speaking, the Republican/Conservative/Right Wing tactics are quite Orwellian and very similar to the same tactics used by the Nazi Party in Germany in the early 1930s to denigrate their political opponents. mark my words... they'll be books burning in the streets at midnight if Harper gets his majority!

Vancouver Steve
said

Does it really matter which figurehead is in power? These political tactics are disgusting, but is one party really better then the other? In relation to cost of living increases, is the rising cost of gas an outrage or just an inflation that was delayed? I don't think many voters, including myself, have the energy to figure these things out.

Tokyo Ex-Pat
said

I kidd you not...I have never been so embarassed of my country ever in my life.

Do the Conservatives even care to think what the world is thinking of them by putting up those infantile ads? Here in Tokyo, it made the evening news, and boy did Harper get slammed by a few of the Japanese commentators.

Here in Japan where Canadians are viewed as the Creme de la Creme of the North American continent, thanks to Steve and his Con-Buddies, we ain't so shiny no more...

ABC...ya, it may not be the best option...but it sure makes sense.

Kevin in Toronto
said

I'm not fond of the personal attacks on Dion either. I think it is generally accepted that he's not leadership material.

Let Dion continue his 2.5 year old process of self-destruction.

Harper, stick to Liberal policy and past performance. You'll easily have enough to talk about and pick apart until October 14th.

T in BC
said

Here we are trying to teach our children not to bully.
How is what they are doing any different to what children would get in big time trouble for at their school (or home) if caught?
That kind of behaviour is even something that is not tolerated in the workplace.
I guess, like children, they have to be taught that it's wrong.

Dick Varley
said

To Dd.

All Harper did was suggest to Williams that after being in office for a while there was a better way to provide funding to the provinces. If Williams did not like it he could keep the existing plan. How in God's name Williams could consider this unfair I don't know. Williams has used the issue for his own political purposes. It is strange how silent he has become once the future prosperity of Newfoundland has become apparent.

PVT
said

Of course the left wing media in this country only finds fault with the Tories - it's not like the other parties don't make mistakes - it's just that the news media doesn't care to report them. Shameless tactics by the media to slant voter perspective in one particular direction. This probly won't get posted though....

Peter Griffiths Ottawa
said

At the same time the Ocean currents that carry warmth from the tropics to the poles slow because the driving force, hot less dense water in the tropics cold dense water at the poles, is lessened.
The end result is that at some time in the future the Ocean currents will have slowed so much that a new cycle of glaciation will start.
We can voluntarily cut our standard of living trying to slow this global phenomenon - which is about as arrogant as King Canute thinking that he could stop the tide rising - or we can accept the challenges of these changes and tailor our lifestyles to suit.
Global warming is not all negative. In Ottawa we could be thinking of living without snow blowers and snowsuits, Baffin Island could become the potato producer of the continent and the Bay of Fundy could be the next Riveria.

Peter Griffiths Ottawa
said

It seems to be that the Canadian Media are biased in favor of the Liberal party no matter how many gaffs they commit they don’t seen to be reported in a negative light...
How about getting to the real issues for a change? Take for instance the reduction of tax on diesel to help keep food prices down. Dion said "This (cutting taxes) is a nineteenth century policy". Ho hum so there is the not so well hidden current Liberal policy in a nutshell, tax the economy to a halt.
Why doesn’t one of the parties shoot down the "Green Shift" by quietly explaining that we are living in a period of interglaciation, and that the planet upon which we live has gone through many such heating and cooling cycles.
There have been times when there has been no ice at the poles, and times when ice has covered huge areas of the planet.
We are in a warming cycle; the sea is warming and when this happens the waters of the Oceans release more carbon dioxide which accelerates the warming cycle further.
continued....

Jamie, Ottawa
said

First the puffin problem and now the Sparrow problem. . .ladies and gentlemen this party is for the birds!

Don in Ottawa
said

Folks: When are we going to wake up and realize that the fixation on GHGs (versus pollution) and global warming is a crisis that the extreme left has invented. The evidence goes both ways (warming/cooling) and the truth probably is that the earth is ever changing.

This crisis reminds me of Y2K which similarly spawned an industry to solve it. The global warming mantra is so deeply ingrained in our collective psyche that even a level headed politician has to pander to it to have any hope of winning.

Pollution is a problem. Looming shortages of non-renewable resources is a problem. GHGs is an invented problem. Too bad we are spending so much of our energy on the invented problem and not the real ones.

phauser
said

Can we focus this on something other than a website that reporters seem fixated on?

Is it not hard for others to believe that OTHER parties have similar sites? Flash back an election or two and what is being thrown at Dion is NOTHING compared to what Harper took from Chretien and Martin.

Come on, really this is a dead, dumb and lazy story and has nothing to do as to where our country is headed under ANY party.

What about the Environment? Health Care? Social programs? Taxes? War? Crime and Punishment? National Identity?

I guess it all boils down to a two bit web site. GOD HELP US

Gail (Hamilton)
said

Well I can see the usual Glee Club is at it again. I wonder when the banana peels will start to slip up the other parties. The NDP ad in Quebec using the military to frighten Quebecers. Didn't the Liberals do that same old ploy in the last election? I agree that staffers get over anxious for their teams. I think I'll get out my popcorn and beer to watch this gong show. Silliness is a one size fits all parties. PM Harper is still the best choice given the economy and leadership Canada needs to maintain a true north strong and free.

Craig in Calgary
said

"but it's funny how I haven't heard, but one mention on a newscast, about the Liberal candidate in Quebec who said that the Mohawks of Kanesatake should have been exterminated during the 1990 Oka crisis. Also I haven't heard much made about Elizabeth May calling Canadian voters stupid, on an Edmonton radio station."

Right on Ian, where are the stories on this? I had to learn about these on the radio.

I find it odd that the politicos go on and on about trying to get the youth to vote. They say that the parties have to make politics appeal to them and speak to what they know; that is, youtube and facebook etc.

This is a main part of the Obama campaign.

My friends love mashing clips online and posting funny things on facebook. But the minute the Conservatives try to offer this to the youth, they get pounced on.

Hypocrisy

Lart from Above
said

The Conservative message is that the guy with glasses should be beat up. It's a time-honored tactic. Authoritarians will always show their leader in a home setting, with children, a dog if possible; showing who their leader is kind to is a way of hiding all the damage the leader will do to everyone else. People who have studied history have seen this before.

The Tories don't want to talk about policies because they don't have policies, they only have sound bytes. Harper's frantic fact-free fear-mongering about Liberal's environmental program isn't convincing the media, which is why they keep asking if any credible source backs up Harper's sky-is-falling claims about a recession if we dare to save the planet.

The Conservatives have no choice but to go negative; if they try to actually talk about the issues, they'll lose. A statesman is someone who sees all sides of the issue, so they can make the right decision. A good leader doesn't spew hate and control, only a "strong" leader does.

Good policies should make good politics, if the voters are smart enough to see what is in our collective best interest. We'll see if the voters care about the facts.

Michelle
said

To:The game is over for Dion

My point is proven. Instead of countering my statement of fact (the words came out of Manning's mouth, not mine) with an intelligent response, you tell me to give it up and call Dion a loser. A typical grade three response.
Incidently, not once did I mention that I was a Liberal. I am a staunchly nonpartisan voter who has voted thus far for three different parties depending on their platforms and not on the colour of their signs.
I have yet to make up my mind this time around.

FBE
said

I am hoping for status quo in parliament and that alone should generate a leadership review of all the parties because it will mean that they have not delivered. I fear a Tory majority as much as a Liberal minority.

As for the low blows, it is certainly not very professional and as a Canadian, I am embarrassed.

proud conservative
said

Well niagra george, if no other party stoops to using hilarious pictures of harper how on earth did you see them? In a newspaper or on the net just like this right?

Marty in Winnipeg
said

You can be sure that there will be more of these sleezy ads in future. Harper and his neocons have taken a page out of the playbook of the rep party in the US. Prem. Williams is right - you cannot trust this man. He does have a hidden agenda, and God help this country if he get his majority, which he says he does not want. What hypocrisy.

Sask Man
said

I am going to support the Tories in this election (without a doubt), but they don't have my blessings on the way they attack.
This continual attack of Dion is not the way I would approach this election.
Talk about his Green Shift and the harm it would do... but stop this be-littling of the Dion person. Even the goofy pictures of him on the web sites, are tastless.
Instead focus on the strengths and policies of your party... Elevate yourself to power, instead of de-elevating your oppostion. Stephen Harper is the best choice for our leader. Make that your focus.

My advice to the Conservatives is to take the high road from here foward.

Stephen
said

The Conservative party contains within it a very visible, mean-spirited element that is quite distasteful. I suspect it is most evident in the next generation of Conservatives who, quite frankly, possess a frightening right-wing ideology in the tradition of Ayn Rand.

Wise Wajid
said

Typical Harper tactics, and to think that the site even included Taliban jokes. Canadians actually respect and intend to vote for this bully?? Shame, shame!! Better heed the advice of Danny Williams before it's too late for our country.

Victor
said

I have no idea why the Conservatives are wasting valuable mind share on stupid items like these.

Stop fooling around and get back to serious issues. Dion and his band of Merry Melodies are loving it.

More time on stupidity and less on his Green Shaft, is good eats in Ristorante Liberale.

Norm
said

Umm, 'lost_in_canadian_stupidity'...you're stupid, and have no idea what you're talking about.

Niagara George
said

proud conservative
Your reference to the RUN RABBIT RUN picture is a perfect example of the type of party these Conservatives are. Everyone can be caught with an unusual expression, from time to time. There have been some hilarious pictures of Harper, taken over the years.

However, no other partty stoops to using those foolish pictures. When you can't argue against the policies, you have to degrade the person and use the 'this is humour' excuse. It is the same excuse the grade 5 bully uses, in the school playground.

Dd
said

Sad that the Conservatives can do nothing but attack the other parties. Just goes to show they have nothing of substance to offer. Any promise they make will be met with skepticism. He gave Williams a promise IN WRITING and still reneged. Harper has no credibility and no integrity and won't see my vote this time. Like they say...fool me once...

Susan: Liberal Media quit complaining
said

The Liberal media is trying to invent a story here.

Why is the Liberal media complaining?

No story here, but the Liberal media will just keep talking about it and say the Conservatives are off mesasage because we the media decided we're talking about the ads.

After reveiwing the Ads I am switching from Liberal to Conservative.

Let's see the Liberal media beat up on the Liberals. There is a lot more dirt there.

Jerry Prager
said

First off Proud Canadian, the easiest thing in the world for a photographer to do is create a geek shot. It's one of the low points in journalism, and one of the low points in politics. Republican/tories have become especially adept at a particularly stupid form of cruelty. They like it because they know it appeals to the lowest common denominator, and then when the victim shows any kind of humanity in their response they lower the bar even further by devaluing genuine emotion. It's a psychosis, and you people have infected the body politic with it.

The_vote_formerly_known_as_Liberal
said

Dion is his own worst enemy. His green shift is an all out attack on the finances of the middle class and I sometimes doubt he even understands that. While light years apart politically, he reminds me of George Bush in terms of how lost and confused he seems to be. This former card carrying, door knocking Liberal is voting for Tory this time out.

Don Pettypiece - Peterborough ON
said

so .. when are we going to have a real honest debate on the Green Shift Plan between Dion and Harper as proposed by Craig Oliver in an interview with Dion very soon after the Green Shift Plan was announced? Facts Vs simply shouting !!!! Dare we hope?

The game is over for Dion
said

For Michelle:

Give it up, your Mr. Dion is toast. Youre wasting your time every day trying to bail a sinking boat!

Dion can give it but he can't take it and that goes for all Liberals.

M Maragh
said

A sign of desperation...

Ian
said

It was refreshing to hear the sentiments of Jim Davis on CFRA this morning. Yes he admitted that he is a Liberal supporter and volunteer, but either he is a slick tactician, or is being genuine. As the father of a fallen soldier he has earned the right to openly question our government's decision regarding Afghanistan.
In his interview he said that he didn't want to see Ryan Sparrow lose his position over this, and accepted the mistake that was made. It's too bad that Stephane Dion can't see it that way. If it was up to Dion, Sparrow would never work again in politics.

Ignatiiff waiting to replace Dion after the loss
said

Too many people treat Dion as some sort of side show joke with his Green Shift.

Ignatiff is loving every minute of it, Liberals need to lose to replace him.

I'll save my Liberal vote for next time.

Give Harper the majority and no more elections for 4 years.

Greg in the Hammer
said

As a Conservative supporter, I find it despicable that the party would resort to these childish tactics. Even I, with a grade 2 education, can understand the Green Shift plan. I'm voting Liberal from now on

(sound familiar all you Conservative bobbleheads?)

Mel from Calgary
said

What people outside Alberta don't know is there is a large element here left over from the Reform party who HATE the Liberals. I mean this in the strongest sense of the word. This explains why all the low blows as they vent, they can't help themselves.

What makes this an election issue is the pattern over the years of behaviour where anyone who they suspect of being Liberal is ignored or denigrated.

I am glad it is backfiring on them as it has poisoned running this country.

The Liberals in power are much better at listening to others.

Michelle
said

Harper once told Preston Manning that he was wasting too much of his time talking to Canadians about the issues because the average Canadian was too stupid to know what was good for them (Manning revealed this in a CTV interview).
I think this campaign clearly indicates that Harper still believes Canadians have a collective grade three intellect and want to see doo doo and funny pictures instead of hearing about the issues.Perhaps Harper was not entirely wrong, that is the truly sad part.

Puffin in Montreal
said

Can we get violins to play for Mr. Dion and his team? Mr. Dion feelings have been hurt. He is a very senstive person.

Jack Layton is beating up on Dion today and so is the Block.

Ian Ottawa
said

The only attack ads required against the Liberals is there record of say this, do that. Steven Harper is making some errors like the Afghanistan retreat (which is what it would be) but the Liberals will do much worse. I really don't understand how come people don't see it. Especially with there past performance. I think it is time for a Party that says enough Soft crime laws. Enough corporate greed. Enough immigrants with criminal records. Enough childishness in the House Of "(Lacks) Common S(ense)" The voters that puts the Party in power has to be listened to.

Another Doug Same BC.
said

I'm not necessarily a big fan of really nasty ads.But I have to admit,the puffin ad really cracked me up.I guess it reminded me of the time it happened to a friend of mine.
As to the rest of the whining,I'm sorry.But this former Liberal is going to be switching to Mr.Harper.
The Liberal crowd,along with all it's socialist MP's,it the scariest bunch of totally incompetent social engineers ever to vie for public office.
Dion's green shift,and all it's spending programs really is the "hidden agenda" they've been trying to pin on Conservatives.
While I concede I am not a big fan of Harper's or his style,I refuse to let "Dion and The Abstainers" lead me down the road to blatant socialism.If Liberals wanted to be honest thay would just re-name the party "NDP Lite".
Whine away Mr.Dion.I won't be back voting for you until the socialists go back to the NDP.In these times I would rather be a bit to far right than way out in left field volunteering to let Dion's excuse for raising my taxes and calling it an environmental program.And the thought of him being our PM and trying to negotiate anything with other world leaders scares the heck out of me.If he can't unite his party he can't unite the country.
Really.The nonsense oved "nasty" advertising is a red herring brought to the table by whiny Liberals who want to distract the voters from the real issues.If Dion gest control,once again we go back in a socialist direction,and the those in western Canada go back to the our "colonial" status as peons to central Canada.
Forget the damm ads.Look at policy.Harper wins by a mile.

ian
said

I find it amazing that people think that Harper is involved in every detail of this campaign. If you really understood how politics works, you would know that although he is the leader of the party, contrary to what you think, he does not dictate how everything is done. There are people in charge of the website, there are people hired as media spokespeople. Do you think Harper knows every minute of every hour what is happening? He took the correct steps here and that should be the real story. The media will ride this pony for as long as they can, but it's funny how I haven't heard, but one mention on a newscast, about the Liberal candidate in Quebec who said that the Mohawks of Kanesatake should have been exterminated during the 1990 Oka crisis. Also I haven't heard much made about Elizabeth May calling Canadian voters stupid, on an Edmonton radio station. I haven't heard anything about Elizabeth may and her Ottawa candidate campaigning at a local Mission giving out free vegetables. It's all about the Tories and if you really want to complain about the lack of decorum or democracy in Canadian politics, then lets also look at the media.
It seems like the media didn't get the desired outrage against Harper for saying we are pulling out of Afghanistan in 2011, because apparently that's what the majority of Canadians want. So they now keep reporting that the Communications guy for the tories made the comment about the fallen soldier's father. I have heard it reported at least 10 times since yesterday, so I think we have gotten the message. The Liberals and NDP don't need to take out any advertising, because they get all the free advertising they need in the media.

DB Cooper
said

Never in the history of Canada has a sitting Prime Minister wasted so much time, effort, and government money on personal attacks on the Leader of the Opposition.

It speaks volumes about Harper and I think that we, as Canadians, should listen carefully.

Dion is not Tough enough - Cry me a river Dion
said

Dion and his dream team are a bunch of little Babies.

If Dion is not tough enough to take some humerous ads in stride, he is not fit for office, he is too sensitive.

The ads the Liberals ran in the past on Harper are tough and Harper never cried.

Wade - DION NOT A TEAM PLAYER
said

Dion's ads of him show him as a loner, walking his dog, fishing, hiking in the mountains and reading books.

Those are NOT team sports Dion.

Socialism is Bad
said

These things have become too much of the story. This is ridiculous. I want to vote on policy, not on sites from either the Libs or the Conservatives. And anyone who thinks that the Conservatives are the only ones to be dirty, better think twice. Liberals have been famous for slander, lies, and evil propaganda. Both are guilty. It's politics! At the end of the day, Harper will be PM. I highly doubt that the people of this country want another tax from the Liberals right now. On CTV yesterday, a man from the Canadian Tax Payers Federation said that Dion will take three dollars and only give 2 back. And to suggest it is revenue neutral is a complete lie! God help this country if we re hit with a carbon tax. It will divide us into three or four pieces. Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the maritimes.

Demasduit
said

Remember what happened to Kim Campbell when she made comments about Jean Chretian's speech impediment? I can only hope for the same result here!

Mike vdB
said

Can that one tripped hurdle cost someone the race? We will have to wait and see. At least Mr. Harper was decisive in dealing with it and not letting it drag on past week one which is what any leader should be expected to do in cases like this. Can we expect the issues for the rest of the campaign please?

Melanie The ads are quite and humerous
said

The fact that the Puffin doesn't drop on Dion anymore is the only change.

The little man you can click on in the corner is very interesting.

Dion self destructed, the platform he stole from the Greens was wacky, the greens knew they would never have to implement it.

I like the ads they are funny.

The Libs needed to lighten up.

Stay on course people !
said

Maybe now the media can focus their attention on policy messages instead of irrelevant juvenile distractions.

Voters want to know what policies the different leaders are proposing and whether or not they are workable for all Canadians in this economic climate.

The medias focus away from policy is as distracting as those antics from the different parties.

Craig from NS
said

I've always been conservatively minded, but the more crap I see from the Reform Party ... er ... Canadian Alliance ... ah ... Conservative Party of Canada the more embarrassed I get. Dion may be weak kneed, but if Canadians give him a minority government, maybe the Conservatives will smarten up and get rid of Harper and hopefully find someone better to run the party ... as long it isn't Peter McKay.

Boo Hoo
said

The Liberals are making a mountain out of a mole hill. They have nothing else to sell the public so they are trying the "victim" and sympathy approach. Yeah, that's what I am looking for, a government elected because we feel sorry for them.

Janice in Van - Time to Dump Dion
said

Dion speaking his ideas is the biggest attack ad on the Liberals.

As a Liberal I will vote to give Harper 48 months, so we can dump Dion and team, and rebuild the party from the ground up.

mike
said

The problem is, they have gone out of their way to hire younger people with some so called sharp wit to attack the Liberals, and maybe even appeal to the younger crowd that seems to be all about sarcasm and wit these days. The idea seems reasonable enough, however, with the younger crowd can often come inexperience or poor judgement and that's what were seeing here.

As a Conservative supporter, this is aggravating. I know we have a strong campaign, and I of course support Harper, and I wish for god's sake that some of their staffers would stop getting in the way of it.

ABC Forever!!
said

The despairate efforts to save a sinking ship.

Harper has shot himself, not in the foot, but in the head..

Doug BC
said

It is tough for Harper as he can't control everyone during a campaign. Plus he is trying to appear less like a bully and more measured in his responses. It is a tough act. Let's hope he can carry it out for another few weeks.

Buba
said

They're starting to learn that Canadians don't go for low blows.

531111
said

This well oiled machine needs a little more lube if it's going to run smooth, but it's what happens when they keep such tight controls on everyone. There will be more gaffes to come for sure, but can Harper afford any more gaffes? He has the Cadman tape due out on the 20th I believe and the Coulliard book out 2 weeks before the election. This will surely start getting interesting as in the last election.Harper had the annoucement of the day and in this election, it's the gaffe of the day. Seem's like the War Room is aimed at Harper for now

proud conservative
said

I am sorry but every time I see this picture of Dion I think-RUN RABBIT RUN. He looks so afraid.

rene in nepean
said

Such dirty tactics, shame. How about using the campaign to tell Canadians what you plan to do for the country instead of belittling the other candidates.

lost_in_canadian_stupidity
said

Is this the best Canadian politics can offer? Too bad the education level is so low in this country.

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