CBC onslaught on Harper government begins

As expected, the CBC's reporting on the election has started off according to expectations from this genetically anti-conservative news outlet.

7:00 AM World Report Monday Sept. 8 reports on the start of the partys' campaigns. First the Conservatives are skewered by targeting a local conservative campaign in Brantford where the local candidate has reportedly been "muzzled by Harper", and "cannot talk to the media". Reportedly this is also true of other candidates according to the reporter. The "history" given by the news team is that in 2006, Harper was "sideswiped" by two members who talked about using the notwithstanding clause and (here it comes again) a woman's right to choose on abortion. They just can't help themselves in helping the Liberals trying to ressurect that "scary" image of what Harper might do as a "hard-right social conservative" monster.

We are told they called a news conference at their "so-called war room" (come on - it's a common term in all election campaigns), but few reproters attended, but that's OK since there was little new - in the CBC's opinion.

Then they focused on the broken Harper promise not to tax income trusts, and featured a guy who is running for the Liberals on that issue.

Predictably all of the reports had either a negative tone, or a negative theme for the Conservatives.

On the other hand, Dion has a busy day. Lots of sound bites of him attacking Layton and Harper - straight from his mouth rather than an interpretation spun by CBC staff. No mention of his leadership problems. No mention of well-read blog reports that his campaign will be far from carbon-neutral unless he claims carbon credits, and whether or not those carbon payments will come out of his allowed election expenses. A nice bite of him trying to explain how his scheme would work. No mention that in Saskatoon he reportedly didn't know what a car pool is.

Layton is in Calgary, in Harper's riding where he claims he's running to be Prime Minister - as wildly unrealistic as his economy-destroying policies, but no negative spin from CBC.

So CBC focuses on the Liberal, and NDP leaders with their direct quotes to get out their message, but for the Conservatives they put an obscure (he lost last time) rural candidate under the microscope in an attempt to create controversy, fear and mistrust ... as per the Liberal campaign plan, and ressurect years-old niche issues.

What else is new?

It will be interesting to track the spin the CBC (and others) tack on Harper and the Conservatives during the next 5 weeks, and whether or not the other partys are also similarly attacked. Dion especially needs to be put under the microscope, given the controversy dogging his leadership, and the potentially mammoth effects to our economy should his so-called Green Shift plan ever comes to fruition. Growing carbon taxes on every energy-using segment of our economy, with a very few exceptions, in exchange for a measly 1.5% & 1% income tax cut on the lowest tax brackets and no tax cut at all on the upper bracket sounds to me like a massive tax grab, and given the implications of those carbon taxes to most goods and services in Canada, like a massive finanical loss to almost every Canadian family.

Is this really what Canada needs in a sluggish economy? Are CBC, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, CTV and other activist media outlets willing to ask those hard questions, or are we in for yet another media campaign of anti-Conservative fear-mongering by the Liberals' media allies?