You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Ralph Kleins brain was on Mike Duffy Live today. I am speaking of Rod Love of course. Now that Rod is no longer Ralph's EA he is in Ottawa doing his usual, working the backrooms of the Conservative party.

In a heated debate with Liberal and NDP strategists about the four days of Conservative screw ups, Love with typical Alberta PC arrogance after being told that Harpers Conservatives shouldn't be smug, replied smugly " You ain't seen nothing yet".

Love, like Klein indeed like Stockwell Day and all the boys from Calgary are smug bastards. They make Trudeau look loveable in comparison. The fact is that Harper has inherited this Calgary disease, though folks outside of the province mistake this for an Alberta smugness, which it isn't of course. It comes from being in power, a virtual dictatorship a one party state for so long that when it comes to Ottawa politics these guys are out of their league.

While Klein has media savvy and a relationship with the press that allows him to appear congenial, when push comes to shove, he too throws hissy fits and the old Calgary arrogance gets the better of him.Eleven Days of Scandal Alberta Style

Same with our new Conservative government in Ottawa. Harper ran away from the traditional photo op press scrum opening day of his first cabinet meeting. Black cars carrying the new cabinet and to their Meech lake retreat sped past the media.

Harper's ministerial rookies attend all-day training session There was one group of people not allowed to ask questions of ministers on Wednesday - the media. The few reporters who covered the meeting were forced to stand alongside the highway leading onto the property while ministerial sedans drove past

Then the media goes to cover the first family moving into the rundown mansion that is the offical residence of the PM and again the Harpers become camera shy.
So they snap pictures of the moving vans and 24 Sussex Drive. They have an easier time interviewing the moving guys than the PM.

Peter McKay has a private conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and there is no media briefing. Harper has a conversation with Jean Charest Premier of Quebec and a deal is made over day care funding, making a special deal with Quebec while stating he will cancel the Liberal deal with the other provinces.

His child-care vision
Scant days into his hard-won mandate, Stephen Harper is apparently succumbing to the insidious temptation to buy peace at any cost to this precarious federation. In a conversation with Quebec Premier Jean Charest this week, the Prime Minister gravely agreed to discuss a possible "transition period" for Quebec that could extend its federal funding for child care beyond the program's new termination date of March 31, 2007. The result was predictable. The other provinces are scrambling to form a united front to demand continued funding for themselves, arguing that all provinces should be treated equally. The drama has become a parable on how not to handle the federation.

Then David Emerson calls two conference call press conferences. One yesterday that was postponed till today. After waiting 25 minutes reporters in Ottawa get told the controversial Minister is stuck in traffic and the conference call is canceled. Mike Duffy Live: David Emerson conference call cancelled The problem was that Emerson was in Ottawa, there was no traffic jam and he was in the same building as the media. Truly this is the gang that couldn't shot straight.

What has the Ottawa wags talking is that Harper has essentially blown it this week. When Greg Weston of the Sun, a Tory symp, gets in a lather over the lack of communications from the Conservatives, well you are in trouble.

The Conservatives arrogantly asumed the Emerson affair would be a one day news story and go away. PM: criticism 'superficial' track Harper defends Emerson's appointment in interview Well that didn't happen. Then their syncophants in the media suggested it would blow over in four days. Well its four days later and beside the stupid press conference call mistake here are todays headlines;

Outrage grows over defection

Controversy dogs Emerson move

Turncoat MP Emerson unbowed by criticism

'I don't really care' about reaction to party switch: Emerson

Yep arrogance and smugness. Welcome to Ottawa, Alberta. The media is about to get a taste of what the media, the public, the voters, the taxpayers of Alberta have faced for 13 years under Love and Klein. Harper brings the same paranoid secretaive governing style as he ran his party with, and as the Calgary gang runs Alberta.

Clearly this week Harper has been PM, chief strategist, chief policy wonk and chief media coordinator. Because we have returned to the old politics of the Alliance and the Alberta Tories. Which may go over in Airdrie and Red Deer but won't fly in Ottawa. The media in Ottawa is political, it has teeth and you don't shut them out like you do the media in Alberta.

So Rod Love better be prepared to wipe that smug look off his mug he is playing with the big boys now, not the backroom boys he is used to. Mr. Harper had better hire some communications people quick, like yesterday, and should reconsider the wisdom of not appointing a deputy PM. He should also drop the cone of silence routine, that may sell in Calgary but it's political suicide in Ottawa.





More Love stories:
The Love Affair is Over
Political Piggies At The Trough
Gomery in Love

More Emerson



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