Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Cameramen not apparently entitled to enjoy holiday season with friends, family

by Aaron Wherry on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 12:06am - 36 Comments

The Canadian Press, Sun, Star, CBC and Canwest report from today’s unofficial meeting of the Afghanistan committee. In photos, the Sun documents the exit of a cameraman apparently sent by the Conservative side to observe the proceedings on behalf of those government MPs who couldn’t be there.

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kcm

. "It's not as interesting without the Tories," a colleague grumbled midway through, and I have to say that I don't really disagree. Without them, it's like gingerbread without the cinnamon — just not the same."

Perhaps…i woulda said it is more like trail mix, but without the nuts.

http://intensedebate.com/people/MaggiesFarmboy MaggiesFarmboy

Like Christmas without the crazy in-laws.
http://twitter.com/pato31 @pato31

I've always thought trail mix without the nuts was even better.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

Well, presumably he's a nihilist.

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

Or maybe he's just a spy. See, the Tories decided not to be there in person, so they decided to send a photographer to catch all those conniving "oppositionists" in the midst of all their "connivery".

This would be the point where I'd ordinarily spoiler-tag and add: you're probably more correct than I.

burlivespipe

Maybe that was Jarred just distracting the committee members while Harper's henchmen unplugged the lobby Christmas tree, swiped the tomzoobles and grabbed the last hoo-hash that would feed the trolls in the CON war room…
Ted

Why would they bother? They already assume anything that is the government's belongs to them.
http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

Well, it's important the Laurie Hawn (Mr. Hide behind the troops) is at home wearing his comfy slippers and being with his friends and family at this time – meanwhile, the troops don't get to be home with their friends and family.

turf

Actually Mr.Hawn spent the holidays in Afghanistan with the troops, as he has every year since being elected in 2006. And far from hiding behind the troops, he spent 30 years in uniform.

Anon

Why would they need a cameraman? CPAC was covering it live.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Perhaps they were, but they were probably covering it objectively. That wouldn't do to show the members at home with their families, would it?

I did think it was amusing that the Conservative note-taker didn't leave with his buddy. The members could have read Kady's liveblog, of course, but they'd have had the same problem as above.

common man

This is really getting ridiculous. Here you have a reporter writing a non-story about a meeting that wasn`t really a meeting, about incidents that didn`t really happen 4 years ago thousands of km. from here.

Then to really top it off, you have commenters ( one shows he`s the most intelligent by using the word nihilist ) each giving their own shots and here is what`s really bizarre: the commenters then grade each remark with plus or minus. Personally, I would like about -25 for this contribution so please try hard.
Seriously, I think we all should go spend time with family, friends and loved ones.

Sigh

So why are you here?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Fish_30 Al O'Wishes

The Conservative war room (AstroTurf division) pays great overtime.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Mike514 Mike514

Jack Mitchell's comments sometimes go over my head, but I usually find them thoughtful, even if I disagree with him more often than not.

Compare this to some other commenters, who are either a) bitterly partisan, b) bitterly vindictive and constantly putting down other commenters, or c) both.

As for the plus/minus system, kinda feels like high school, doesn't it? (Who will win the popularity contest?!)

http://intensedebate.com/people/avr avr

Who will win the popularity contest?!

Whoever panders most strongly to the Cool Kids' smug sense of moral outrage on what is clearly The Worst Thing Ever Done By Anyone, Anywhere.

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

I love how guys like you show up, call everyone a stupid a**hole, and then get offended when anyone dares to return in kind.
http://intensedebate.com/people/doug_rogers doug_rogers

Crowd sourcing is a failure.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

Thanks, Mike514! I very much enjoy your comments too.

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

I'm torn between two responses:

1. Aw, someone needs a hug!

2. Be careful what you wish for, lest you shall receive it.
http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

…especially the troops – but they can't. I think Harper's bobbleheads should at least make an effort to work as hard as the troops do.

Nothing ridiculous with caring about the troops, Canada and our country's reputation.

Dakota

How bored are you Wherry? Shouldn't you be out fund raising for the Liberals?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

Merry Christmas Shrek!
Santa Claus

You're just disappointed that i wasn't you operating the camera, Dakota. It must be lonely for you this time of year.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Geiseric Geiseric

♪♪ high school
high school
confidential♪♪

http://intensedebate.com/people/CTM Claudia Lemire

LOL, I just gave you a thumbs up +4, you are getting there :)

BCer in Mtl

I sincerely hope the staffer had the good sense to take a one-day leave of absence from his job to perform this service to PMO.
jarrid

Wow Aaron, with the Christmas break upon us and a few more denizens logging on BC, your readership has actually doubled to a dozen left/lib commenters. Crack open the champagne!

avr has linked to the most recent Nanos poll on the issue which predictably says that Canadians are not quite as taken as our dozen denizens of BC.

Only rabid partisanship keeps this little "scandal" alive. Like all the other little "scandals" like wafergate, pooping-puffin gate, H1N1 not-everyone-was-vaccinated-yesterday-gate, etc.

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Let me guess: "denizen" was in this month's Reader's Digest "Word Power" quiz.

Blues Clair

Finally, after the first few, an encouraging Afghan Detainee poll that rabid conservative partisan's avr/jarrid can link. Surprising enough it's Liberal hack Nik Nanos, hehhe. Only 235 comments on Conye's; Parliment will fight.

kcm

The detainee issue has been a major story in pretty well every major newspaper in the land for weeks now, and yet J thinks it's a non story…goofy as ever!

Blues Clair

Indeed, a non story. Tis just like wafergate, puffingate!

"Who cares what Nanos says, he blew the last election."
- jarrid
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Wow, are we dozen or so lefties powerful!

http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

Nanos is Conservative – that was confirmed by Kady O'Malley a while back when he was constantly being accused of Liberal bias.

jarrid

Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and the Liberals were in power. Would Aaron have written 184 posts on this topic? What do you think. Do pigs fly?

He would be doing a puff piece about Ignatieff''s vaunted skills as a parchisee player or interviewing Iggy on his preferred mulled wine recipe.

http://intensedebate.com/people/SeanStok SeanStok

Your hypothetical charges of things Wherry might have done, in an alternate universe, are certainly proof enough for me.