Ottawa Sun brightens my day

I picked up the Ottawa Sun at my local Loeb yesterday. I read through the stories which were interesting but not really news. I made it to all the way to page 10 without the little hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Then it began.

"And a chicken in every pot", rings the headline on an article by Paul Berton. The article was about political promises. Paul started off by referring to Barrack Obama's election platform as vague; he says that Obama hasn't made many promises. Your right, Paul, he has not made many promises but, guess what, he is not running in the presidential election today, He is running to be the Democratic nominee for the November election. Why on God's green earth would you expect a nominee-in-the-making to be making promises as if it were an election.

Page 11 really got me going. Chrissy Blizzard laments that the auto industry is headed for the ditch. While the industry is being hammered by unions and the high dollar, Chrissy blames it on Dalton McGuinty. He is giving too much money to the big auto guys and getting nothing but lay-offs in return. She quotes the two paragons of wisdom from Queens Park. NDP leader and hotellier Howie Hampton Inn was "in high dungeon yesterday" (what ever does that mean?) as he hammered the government for handing over money to the auto sector and not getting job guarantees in return. Then she quotes the ever-lovable non-MPP John Tory, leader-in-limbo of the Ontario Cons, who wants deals with automakers to be made public. Yea, as if that will ever happen even if the Cons were [shutter] in power!)

So let me straighten out this dog's breakfast for you. Number one, investments made by the government in the auto sector are not limited the "Big Three". Second, investments are not made to stop layoffs in any short term horizon. Three, it can take 2-5 years to bring a new car or class of cars to market from the time of inception. Four, investment being made are to ensure the future of the auto sector in Ontario (I bet you even Federal Minster of Money and Mouth-piece for the I-hate-Ontario crowd, Jim Flaherty would agree with that.) Case in point, the Ontario government invested $58 million in GMs Centre of Excellence at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. GM forked over most the rest of the $120 million to get the centre operational. Ontario Development and Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello was at GM for the announcement of the investment. So what does Chrissy say about the occasion? "... Pupatella gush[ed] about a new Camero [on display]..." It may be time to retire, Chrissy.

As if I hadn't had enough of the Sun, my eyes beheld the photo of Wally Robinson, failed Taxpayer Association head, failed Mayoralty Chief of Staff, failed Federal PC candidate, but a great dad, according to him. Wally argues that the federal government should not be judged by the scandals, err... misunderstandings, that brew around them, They should not be judged by the girlfriends they keep or the gaffes they make or the way they treat the people's money and the press. After all, they are the "Harper Government" and that makes them closer to God than the rest of us. They may tell little fibs from time to time, but hey, they lowered the GST rate (big deal). They may use law suits to silence their critics but, don't fret, they made some tax changes for families. And on and on, ad nauseum, blurts Wally for two whole columns. I could just lose my lunch.

I like the Sun, although I like it more when you didn't have to hunt for the page with the Sunshine Girl.