Nigel Hannaford in PMO?

I'm probably going to get jumped all over for writing this, but I'm going to do it anyways:

It's disingenuous to get worked up about Harper bringing in anti-gay Calgary Herald columnist Nigel Hannaford to write his speeches.

After all, he also hired openly-gay Dave Forestell as a policy advisor.

Hannaford is just writing speeches, Forestell is actually advising on policy. If Hannaford is all-of-a-sudden setting government policy, this corner will be the first to call them out on it.

Sure, I'd be happier if Harper's new speechwriter was a progressive. But this is pretty much a wash, imo.

Why can't we shoot straight?

We had a really good week last week highlighting the Reform-Conservatives abuse of handing out cheques for stimulus spending as if it was coming from their own pockets. But let's not spoil it.

The downside of that good week is that some of the leader's policy initiatives got overshadowed. I know that's bound to happen from time-to-time, but the house is back this week. Let's put some of our own policies in the window.

Today was looking like it was going to be one of those days, with the release of our Pink Book on women's issues. Instead, we get this:

Three sombre -looking Liberal staffers stand behind Easter with 8 x 10 photos of Conservative MPs who have, according to Easter, denounced the whole cheque-signing "scandal".

Easter explains how this is must be stopped.

Wouldn't be a bad little stunt if only: in the room right next door the Liberal caucus is launching the Pink Book on women's issues.

Cameras and reporters gathered around Easter.

And although there were other reporters and cameras in the room for the launch, one media event can't outdo the other.

Suddenly, Ignatieff's director of communications, Jill Fairbrother arrives in the scrum and abruptly whisks Easter away.

She didn't look pleased.

And the "stunt" ended awkwardly.

A sign of duelling communications strategies?

Hopefully our message about the Pink Book still gets out. I'd still like to see our Clean Energy policy from last week rehashed somehow since it was lost in all the cheque coverage.

Are we being iffy about tax hikes?

Just before going out for dinner tonight I received this:

OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is gearing up to talk about tax hikes and cost-cutting to slay the country's ballooning deficit. Senior party sources say it's part of a politically risky `adult conversation' he wants to have with Canadians about the painful measures necessary to deal with the debt.

At dinner, a parliamentary friend told me this was deliberate pre-positioning by the OLO. I was thrilled by this sudden – and unexpected – progressive turn from our not-so-progressive leader.

When I returned home from dinner this was waiting for me:

OTTAWA - Michael Ignatieff insisted Wednesday he has no plan to raise taxes, denying a report that he's about to embark on a politically risky ``adult conversation'' with Canadians about the painful measures necessary to eliminate the country's ballooning deficit.

May I politely ask: what the hell is going on and which inmate was running the asylum on Wednesday night? Seriously. Day-by-day we are losing our credibility because of self-inflicted wounds. It’s time to clean house.

Time to shake up the Rosedale Gang?

Although, I am not as anti-Ignatieff as Eugene Foresy. I do have concerns about the advice our leader has been getting lately.

This (below) is only going to get worse.

Infrastructure Funding: Earth to the OLO

To win an election, we need to defeat sitting Tory MPs. A lot of sitting Tory MPs in fact.

So why are we running around the country and making the case that Tories disproportionately deliver for ridings they already hold?

Earth to OLO...

People vote for MPs to bring home the bacon. We may not like this fact. But all politics is local. Always has been.

By pushing this line of attack, we are actively making the case for the re-election of Lee Richardson, Daniel Petit, Mike Allen and every other second rate Tory MP seeking re-election.

Have we really given up on winning Tory MPs and are only interested in holding the reddest of core Liberal ridings?

Have we?