The next "negative" news story for the Conservatives is about to be unleashed.
The Prime Minister has dropped the writ in two by-elections to be held Nov. 27. The Tories are holding their nomination meeting in London Tuesday night and the nominee is expected to be Dianne Haskett, the former mayor.
Haskett, readers may/will recall, became infamous for her refusal a few years ago to proclaim Gay Pride Day in the city and was fined by the Ontario Human Rights tribunal.
But the gay pride issue isn't the only thing that will get the nation's newsrooms in a tizzy: After leaving the mayor's job in 2000, Haskett moved to Washington DC where she's been working ever since as a soldier in the conservative movement as, amongst other things, an advisor to Senator Elizabeth Dole.
So the Tory candidate in the London by-election (assuming she gets the nod) is a socially conservative evangelical Christian who supports the Bush Republicans and who hasn't even lived in London for six years. Only a few degrees different from Michael Ignatieff, yes, but the liberal media is going to have a field day with this. Remember, the great Canadian virtue of "tolerance" applies to everyone but those with conservative views.
Expect a story within days or even hours beginning "In the latest blow to Stephen Harper's efforts to make inroads with mainstream central Canadian voters, the Conservatives are running ..." or something along those lines. First person to identify such a story in comments wins a prize.
Reports are also saying that Liberal party national president Mike Eizenga and new Green Party leader Elizabeth May may throw their hats in the ring, which will make this riding one to watch regardless.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 2:22 PM
