Day Five -- Media notes

On Thursday night, TVO’s Fourth Reading – a show devoted primarily to Ontario provincial politics – briefly dealt with the Emerson issue. One of the guests was Senator Hugh Segal. Segal said that he is in favour of legislation that would require floor crossers to seek the approval of their voters, and that he would vote for such legislation, but noted there is no law now.

Segal put the emphasis on Emerson and Fortier’s need to explain themselves, saying “Emerson has to understand that you actually have to explain more, and make a stronger case over time.” He credited Harper for reaching out to Emerson and Fortier, but noted that they cannot assume their job of explanation is over.

This morning on CFRB Newstalk 1010 (Toronto) Bill Carroll again expressed his disgust over Emerson, but said that the people he’s really angry at are the voters, who seem to re-elect floor-crossers. He even called the voters of Newmarket-Aurora “morons” for re-electing Belinda Stronach.

On CKNW Vancouver, Bill Good led off at 9 a.m. (local time) with the Emerson story, interviewing Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughan Palmer and another journalist whose name I didn’t catch.

Said Palmer: “This thing has gone on longer than I thought it would.” He thought it would be a 48-hour issue. “They’ve gotten a rougher ride than I thought they would get.”

The other journalist said all indications are that Harper is going to try and ride it out. He observed that Emerson’s comments have had the underlying theme of “I don’t need this”[job, grief, etc.] Good noted Emerson’s comment about how if he could turn the clock back two years, he might not have run at all. Palmer said he has been amused at the righteous indignation of Liberals in the past week, particularly Ujjal Dosanjh.

Joan's Note: I have been remiss in not mentioning a blog devoted to the Emerson issue, Remove Emerson. It is run by Gary McHale, who is certainly not a Liberal nor thinly-disguised Liberal, but a Conservative expressing his views. I do not agree with everything he writes or links to, but I believe his effort should be acknowledged.