The Albatross Takes Wing

AccountabilityIsNotTheirName
EmersonHarperVille

The name of the (non)accountability albatross hanging from the PM's neck briefly took wing yesterday and soared above the House of Commons for all to see:

Disgruntled constituents from embattled MP David Emerson's riding of Vancouver-Kingsway took their recall message to Ottawa today.

They chartered a plane to pull a protest banner over parliament hill, directing Emerson to ‘Call Home’.

They want Emerson to return to his riding and address his constituents' concerns directly, a request that Emerson has, so far, refused.

And where did the money come from to hire that plane? From people like my neighbours and me, at five and ten bucks a pop:

The chartered plane and banner cost more than $1,600. (De-Elect David Emerson Spokesperson and Vancouver Kingsway constituent Manuel) Pereda said he gathered enough donations at a rally on Sunday to cover the cost.

Like I said earlier, my wife and my kids and I were at that rally Sunday. And we saw all kinds of other regular families there too giving their support and their dollars along with the rabble rousers.

And that's what, I'm sure, scares the beejeebuz out of the flack-hacks who are counselling Mr. Emerson to lay low and wait for this to blow over.

Why?

Because this thing is increasingly being driven by plain old regular minivan driving folks who are fast becoming committed to a retail political issue that is mushrooming all over the place.

Which is something that can rarely be 'fixed' by media buys and spin machines.

And as the hip young woman* on top of the monkey bars with a trumpet (who had just finished playing a stirring rendition of 'O Canada' accompanied by bongos) chanted Sunday - that is what 'democracy (the real thing) looks like'.

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*And who captivated our oldest daughter (age 13) because she clearly wanted to emulate her as well as our youngest (age 7) because she just wanted climb up there and blow a horn too.
Thanks to Cathie From Canada who put the bug in my ear on the comment threads about how important it is to keep pushing something like this on the local, 'all politics is retail' level.

Update:Looks like the flack-hacks are feeling the heat because they've changed strategy. Mike Watkins is reporting that Mr. Emerson will be going on CBC Radio One this afternoon to answer 'listener' questions.
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