Senior Tory spokesman suspended

[jdobbin]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home

Senior Conservative Party spokesman Ryan Sparrow has been suspended from the campaign after suggesting the father of a slain soldier who criticized Stephen Harper today was a Liberal.

Mr. Sparrow sent an email to CTV News today suggesting that Jim Davis, the soldier's dad, is a supporter of Liberal incumbent Michael Ignatieff.

He has also been ordered to call Mr. Davis and apologize for his comments.

I'm still shaking my head. The politics as war campaign can get downright nasty.

[Ontario Loyalist]

Another flub for the Conservatives and just four days into the campaign...

[M.Dancer]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home

I'm still shaking my head. The politics as war campaign can get downright nasty.

Shame suspension is the worse they could do. Tarred and feathered and ridden out on a rail would be appropriate

[blueblood]

Shame suspension is the worse they could do. Tarred and feathered and ridden out on a rail would be appropriate

Expect Harper to muzzle everyone now, and that's not a bad thing.

[guyser]

Shame suspension is the worse they could do. Tarred and feathered and ridden out on a rail would be appropriate

+1

[jdobbin]

Expect Harper to muzzle everyone now, and that's not a bad thing.

It isn't exactly the first week smooth campaign I expected to see.

The rush to mitigate the Afghanistan issue and eliminate it from the campaign was Harper's decision. He had to expect that some people were going to use the same argument that he made with Dion about deadlines.

However, the Tory response to the criticism was just a bit much.

I know there was already an attempt to curb some of the website stuff the Tories have been doing but it isn't new. The party has been using Dion's image to mock him for some time and now they are using the tactics of fear that they used to accuse the Liberals of in past elections.

[Ontario Loyalist]

Now CTV is reporting that the RCMP is being instructed to keep reporters away from Harper so that he doesn't have to answer questions about this issue...

[M.Dancer]

Now CTV is reporting that the RCMP is being instructed to keep reporters away from Harper so that he doesn't have to answer questions about this issue...

cite...

[blueblood]

It isn't exactly the first week smooth campaign I expected to see.

The rush to mitigate the Afghanistan issue and eliminate it from the campaign was Harper's decision. He had to expect that some people were going to use the same argument that he made with Dion about deadlines.

However, the Tory response to the criticism was just a bit much.

I know there was already an attempt to curb some of the website stuff the Tories have been doing but it isn't new. The party has been using Dion's image to mock him for some time and now they are using the tactics of fear that they used to accuse the Liberals of in past elections.

There is a line to attack ads to follow and Harper knows it, he needs to look at his successful campaign last year and copy it verbatim, duct tape and all. It's better to take flack about keeping the idiots quiet than to waste a day doing damage control.

[DrGreenthumb]

Expect Harper to muzzle everyone now, and that's not a bad thing.

I guess muzzling all his potential MP's wouldn't be seen as a bad thing by you, you know how stupid conservatives sound when they talk about the issues. It's too bad for Canada tho that Harper can get away with hiding what type of people make up his party. If people really knew just how ignorant these potential conservative MP's really are, Harper wouldn't even be able to get a minority government much less have the opportunity to damage Canada with a majority.

[blueblood]

I guess muzzling all his potential MP's wouldn't be seen as a bad thing by you, you know how stupid conservatives sound when they talk about the issues. It's too bad for Canada tho that Harper can get away with hiding what type of people make up his party. If people really knew just how ignorant these potential conservative MP's really are, Harper wouldn't even be able to get a minority government much less have the opportunity to damage Canada with a majority.

Just as stupid as some Liberals and some NDP. Harper got away with hiding them the last time and took some flack for it.

Did the NDP let Svend Robinson and Bev Desjarlais speak on TV all the time???

Look at the polls, 40% of the people can't be wrong. To suggest people are blind like that is why the right wing movement is succeeding in democracies around the world.

[August1991]

It isn't exactly the first week smooth campaign I expected to see.

I agree and it does look amateurish.

From G&M link above:

It's the latest in a series of gaffes involving the Tory campaign.

The party has already had to backtrack three times this week: first after opposing the participation of Green Leader Elizabeth May in the leaders debates; then by editing an ad on its website showing a bird pooping on Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion; and then damping the flames after a Halifax candidate had to resign after it was learned she had a criminal record.

The puffin thing is a reflection of the stupidity of the Conservative website. I think the May debate thing is a plus for the Conservatives. The most serious gaffe is the NS candidate. She should never have won the nomination in the first place.

As to the staffer sending the email, staffers sometimes do stupid things. I think suspension is the right action under the circumstances. Tarring and feathering the guy would be going a bit too far.

-----

I agree with the father of this soldier. Our troups should stay in Afghanistan as long as necessary to get the job done. As the saying goes, if it's worth doing something then it's worth doing well.

I note Harper's explanation though:

Mr. Harper said he “doesn't accept” the notion Cpl. Davis will have died in vain and said Canada is determined to pull out by 2011 because by that time it will have had soldiers deployed in the deadly province of Kandahar for six years.

“Six years in Kandahar? We were in World War II for six years. We've got to be able to get to the endpoint,” he said.

“If we don't set end dates and we don't have targets the mission will go on forever … [and] we will end up being responsible for the ongoing management of Afghan security.”

IOW, we have to put pressure on the Afghan government to organize its own security. We don't want them to become a welfare case.

[blueblood]

I agree and it does look amateurish.

From G&M link above:

The puffin thing is a reflection of the stupidity of the Conservative website. I think the May debate thing is a plus for the Conservatives. The most serious gaffe is the NS candidate. She should never have won the nomination in the first place.

As to the staffer sending the email, staffers sometimes do stupid things. I think suspension is the right action under the circumstances. Tarring and feathering the guy would be going a bit too far.

-----

I agree with the father of this soldier. Our troups should stay in Afghanistan as long as necessary to get the job done. As the saying goes, if it's worth doing something then it's worth doing well.

I note Harper's explanation though:

IOW, we have to put pressure on the Afghan government to organize its own security. We don't want them to become a welfare case.

Canada will have a place in history of holding the line under great odds, until the Americans arrive with huge numbers and sweep the Taliban away again.

[Ontario Loyalist]

cite...

on TV

[M.Dancer]

on TV

This TV of yours...does it also defrost frozen foods by any chance?

[Ontario Loyalist]

This TV of yours...does it also defrost frozen foods by any chance?

You mean, like yours? No, mine has televised images that when put on certain channels will provide me with news coverage...

[Argus]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/politics/home

I'm still shaking my head. The politics as war campaign can get downright nasty.

Well that's why you guys started it, right?

[Argus]

Shame suspension is the worse they could do. Tarred and feathered and ridden out on a rail would be appropriate

Why? Do you believe that the political affiliation and ideological beliefs of family members play no part in whether they do or don't criticise the government?

[Argus]

I guess muzzling all his potential MP's wouldn't be seen as a bad thing by you, you know how stupid conservatives sound when they talk about the issues.

The only issue you ever talk about is your desire to smoke more pot, and you sound stupid in every post.

[guyser]

Why? Do you believe that the political affiliation and ideological beliefs of family members play no part in whether they do or don't criticise the government?

One should never politicize any death.

[Argus]

One should never politicize any death.

The Liberal Party decided to politicize this war as a way of getting votes. Everything else flows from that.

[Moonbox]

One should never politicize any death.

Agreed. The minister in question should have just kept his stupid mouth shut.

[M.Dancer]

Why? Do you believe that the political affiliation and ideological beliefs of family members play no part in whether they do or don't criticise the government?

Irrelevent. Suggesting that someone whose son have given his life for this country, that his criticism about Harper withdrawing troops from agfhansitan (he is opposed) is politically motivated is not only beneath contempt, it is also probably spurious. What the staffer did by contacting the media to suggest that this man is partisan (without proof) is grounds for the immediate dissmissal. And that is exactly what Harper did.

[M.Dancer]

Agreed. The minister in question should have just kept his stupid mouth shut.

Not a minister, a back room person.

[Moonbox]

The Liberal Party decided to politicize this war as a way of getting votes. Everything else flows from that.

but there weren't any Liberal candidates out there stupid enough to take shots at a grieving father.

This father would have liked the Liberal position just as little as the CPC position, so there was no point in arguing with him.