Quote of the Week
"Fine. But don't ask me the question if you don't want the answer."
-Premier Klein's response to the Peter MacKay suggestion that duct tape be used to keep him quiet.
I love it. In this one simple line, the Premier manages to tone down a verbal disupute with the Federal Conservatives (you can imagine how the federal media would have loved Ralph to take a shot back at MacKay) but he also takes a swipe at the media who love to create their own issues. And to top it off, he does it with humour.
Say what you want about the guy, but there are times where his political brilliance is unmatched.
posted by Anonymous @ Monday, November 28, 2005
3 comments
3 Comments:
Guys,
I support the Premier and the Provincial PC party. So this is not just some rant from a Klein hater.
But please... throw us Fed Tories a bone. We need all the help we can get!!! Couldn't the Premier have just said... nothing? Haven't we learned that the media, those Liberal, left wing, Tory hating (Tories of all stripes) are trying their hardest to bait him into saying even one word that can be drummed up and made into a "controversy" ? I agree with you that what the Premier said was not that bad.... but after 13 years in power, hasn't he learned that the Globe and Mail / CBC etc etc will take anything... anything at all, and make political hay out of it? That they will take every and any opportunity to make sure Harper looks "scary" to the voters of the GTA? I think you should list Peter's whole quote:
"He said he was going to be helpful. This is not helpful,"
And what is the upside of saying this, knowing full well how much the media will love to blow this way out of context and out of proportion? The Premier could give a 1000 word speech about how much he supports Harper, and then he could say the three little words "too right wing". And if anyone says the Premier doesn't full well know, which of the 1003 words the media will focus on, then they are saying that Mr. Klein is an amateur politician. Which he clearly is not.
One last thing. The grating thing for Tories who are more federally involved than provincially involved is this. During the last provincial election, the Premier was loath to discuss health care reform. He would only say that is it coming, and that the details would be worked out later. Which is valid. But then its a little bit disheartening when he insists that the federal campaign should be all about the details of health reform. Do you guys honestly not see how Federal Tories feel exasperated about that, given all the above stuff about Scary Stephen, the GTA and the Globe and Mail?
The bottom line is Ralph knows a Liberal government in Ottawa is the best thing for his government in Alberta.
Whoever his successor is knows this too. As long as there's a resource-stealing, transfer-payment-shafting, ignorant government in Ottawa to rag on, Alberta voters will side with him.
Klein is way to smart to know his remarks don't or won't have an affect on how the media covers a federal campaign. Everything we will hear out of the premier's mouth in the next 56 days will be intentional.
Interesting article in the paper today, a gambling firm confirms that the odds-on favourite to win the federal election is the Liberal party, with fewer seats. I find this interesting because here we have a company who does business on its odds making, and they come to the EXACT SAME CONCLUSION as Premier Klein, and yet we don't see headlines on the fron page of the Globe and Mail saying "Another Prediction for the Liberals!" Nope, we see nothing.
The simple fact is the central Canadian media do not want a Conservative government elected, and they will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
reporterbrock makes a good point, and if you see the Premiers comments yesterday on the federal election, they are brief, in fact, they are non-existent.
And for petes sake Mr. Harper, we're behind you 100% but please stop talking about marriage, lets stick to the Liberals here!
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