30 December 2005

RCMP trust probe could go anywhere

The Globe's story this morning, that the RCMP trust probe could investigate the Prime Minister's office is the kind of misleading reporting worthy of Berk Bourque that give journalists a bad name.

Truth is that the RCMP probe could go anywhere it needs to go: the offices of the Globe; Jason Kenney's teddy bear; the forensic trading accountant dude everyone is quoting; my grandmother's basement.

There's no reason to single out the PMO. The story is a selective reporting of facts to make the story appear to be something it isn't.

Meanwhile, CBC television's political panel featured a few people not friendly to liberals ever, intoning somberly that everyone Liberal is doomed. Sorry Chantal Hebert and Andrew Coyne, most of your comments, including the bits about ministers stepping aside were based on something other than fact.

A fair assessment would have noted that the closest parallel here is with Michael Wilson. He didn't resign over a budget leak since he was not implicated in it in any way.

By the same token, while everyone including Berkue are pointing at Judy Sgro, remember this: she was pilloried, forced to resign and was later exonerated.

Where are the political and journalistic mea culpas over that one?

Oh yeah.

I forgot.

Admitting publicly to a mistake is a sign of character that is sadly missing from too many people these days.

It's another reason why politics is cheapened and the nation lessened.

Right up there with overzealous political attacks and crap reporting.