Hmmm... I think that reporter must be a Conservative... I've heard a few of their reporters colouring things to the right recently.

A CBC reporter sideswiped Kent Hehr's doorknocking when they looked at Buffalo (I thought it was most inappropriate for them to air a senior expressing support to Kent, and then air a second piece where the reporter had gone BACK to the senior, and she retracted her support along the lines of 'of course I'm voting Tory, but he was such a nice boy I didn't want to tell him that'. Gee, THANKS! Didn't see you do that to any of the right wing candidates, why back stab Kent?)

Now, back to your issue: Take a look at the comment that the reporter makes in "That split, realistically, gives the Liberals a chance to come up the middle. Given that the NDP received only 600 votes in the last election, it is not likely to be the primary beneficiary here. Therefore I spoke to the two candidates who are likely to split the vote, and the one who might benefit."

"GIVES" the Liberals a chance?!

I see... she thinks that the only way the riding would go left would be a vote split? Oye! Wake up! The political temperature in Calgary has changed - a lot. (Although Chandler would blame that on people who 'don't know that when they move here they have to vote like Albertans'). The incombent Dennis Herard has retired, and the riding is wide open.

Sorry, but the Liberals stand on their own two feet and are deserving of merit. And even if the riding did not have the Chandler Contreversy, there still is a good chance of the riding swinging towards the left.

Certainly if you look at the results from the last election in Egmont it's clear that the Liberals have a chance. And if you realized some of the background of the last election, you would realize just how strong the Liberal support is in the community (albiet in pockets). It would have been nice if Mike Queenan had put any real effort into his campaign - but as it was an absentee campaign, no literature drops and signs that went up ten minutes before election day, it is absolutely amazing that the Liberals did as well as they did. And the tide is certainly changing in Calgary - and in Alberta. I think that our new government is going to be a lot further Left.

I heard the interview - and I had the impression that our friendly neighbourhood reporter was actively trying to promote Chandler. I would love to give it a second listen - but lo and behold, it's not even available online.... (However, if you want to listen to a story about a 10 year old busker, that's high enough priority to merit an internet audio stream.)

As a side note about this morning's story about Donna, the Chinook Health Region board member's attempts to publicize their support of the local Tory - it's also quite supportive of the right. Sure, the individual had his knuckles slapped over running the ad, but it got press all over the province, and Cindy (I don't have to account $11,500 of taxpayers dollars) Ady's father Jack (another former Tory MLA) spoke out about it, but it was all window dressing. sure, he was "surprised" that Donna did something inappropriate, but it's a little late to do anything now. He is "hopeful there is an explanation" and "She can endorse whoever she pleases... [as an individual, but not as a board member]".

Of course, they posted a followup ad to detract the board's support of a political party, but the horse was already out of the barn. (And that second ad only brought more attention to the first promoting the Tories! I guess all of the media attention scrutinizing the case didn't hurt them either... and here they even get mention in your blog. The mind boggles at the amount of free press that the right wing is getting over this.)

Of course Jack didn't even know who paid for the ad, nor could he locate Donna - but agreed that it was inappropriate for any board member to take a public stance as part of the board...

Nice to know it is a simple misunderstanding that needs to be dealt with - and that nothing will be done to censure the board member's actions. Just imagine if she would have come out in favour of the Liberals, Greens or NDP. The board is not going to discipline the board member, it's up to the (Tory) minister in Edmonton.

-Nikitaa