he may be a dog online, but he’s… a human.
There’s a lot of brouhaha in the blogosphere and in the Green politicosphere about this video:
A left-wing blogger named Leftdog re-posted it on his blog called Buckdog and got a legal threat from John Bennett, the director of communications to Elizabeth May.
I’d like to say leave Leftdog alone because I produced that video. You can check it out on my YouTube account here.
According to thetyee.ca, John Bennett told them “It’s an attempt by the Conservatives through a front website to attack the credibility of Elizabeth May… They took what she said, cut it up, then put it back together.”
Unfortunately for Bennett, truth is a defense and the May quote unedited and unspliced. I even provided further context to what she said in my original blog posting.
You can listen to the original show (which was TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin) here:
The Debate: The Long Goodbye to GDP
The quote is at 38:32 – 39:01.
You can read some original leftwing disgust to May’s comments at this rabble thread. The comments were posted just after the taping.
Stephen Taylor is a scientist, political analyst and a blogger. Taylor writes here regularly and is the founder of bloggingtories.ca. Taylor has contributed to Macleans, CTV, talk radio and has been a featured speaker on new media at numerous events including the Western Standard Cruise and the Forum for Public Policy. In December 2008, Taylor organized Rally for Canada, a series of rallies held coast-to-coast to protest the proposed coalition government.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Earlier today there was about 400 views on the video, now their are thousands. Looks like the Greens have shot themselves in the foot threatening bloggers, especially left leaning ones that might even support Mays strange ramblings. We can all take comfort in the fact that May will never, ever be prime minister or a member of parliament. Canadian politics is a blood sport so having skin as thin as May's doesn't bode well for this one issue party. The greens are a joke and it will be fun to watch her get trampled during the debates.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I don't know…after listening to it a few times it does sound like she says “they think Canadians are stupid”.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
how can I post this on my blog as well? I heard it and I (having 20 yrs as audio editor) know that it is not spliced. But I'm a novice at blogging.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Thanks Stephen!
September 11th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Click on the youtube video to go to the youtube site, look for the embed code on the right and copy-paste it in your blog post
September 11th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Woof woof, brother
September 11th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Here give this gift to Harper:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/opinion/25pra...
It will totally discredit Dion's Green Shift.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Good job, Stephen!
'Seems it's going to be difficult for the Greens to sue leftdog for slander.
Eliza May's tactics leave a whole lot to be desired. In her world, what's good for the gander isn't good for the goose.
Tsk, tsk. Your hypocrisy's showing, Ms. May. Why don't you just hike it up, and fawgettaboutit.
September 11th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Woof woof…..
September 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
What I don't get is that someone who claimed that the tv networks were censoring her pulls some libel chill on a blog for posting audio of what she said.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Her quote says, “and I think Canadians are stupid”, it's as clear as day on the TVO audio.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I'm not getting any heat either.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I commend for admitting that you are the author of the video. Indeed, dog must be left alone. Linking to a site that is in the public domain is not actionable. If the Greens want to sue anyone, they should sue YouTube or TVO, but no one else.
This reminds me of a failed Liberal candidate, with a long criminal record, who tried to intimidate bloggers last year too who had linked to a Globe and Mail article about him (!!!!). Sorry, but linking to the Globe and Mail site or YouTube is not grounds for a defamation lawsuit. Any judge would throw out such a frivolous lawsuit and stick the moronic plaintiff with the bill for court costs.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
“stimpyloveseggs”??? lol
Just finished listening to “The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksman”…someone needs to pick that up as a campaing song.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Very, very interesting.
The more people know about the Greens and Liberal$, the better.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Mr Taylor, perhaps you should sue the Green Party for Slander and Libel?
September 11th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I don't know…after listening to it a few times it does sound like she says “they think Canadians are stupid”.
Cool blue it doesn't matter what she said she is trying to shut down free speech to me thats the issue,
Someone who doesn't like free speech, doesn't like democracy, I take issue with that.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
She does say they but she then says she agrees with that assesment.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Welcome to the big leagues, Lizzy. Suck it up, there's no crying in baseball, etc.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I definitely agree that you should deliver a notice to Mr. Bennett telling him to issue an apology to you for slander and libel. If he is going to accuse you of falsifying a recording to damage another person's reputation, knowing that you didn't, he deserves to get his tail handed to him.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I actually think she said “and THEY think Canadians are stupid”, but she slurred her words so that it wasn't clear.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
For all the folks saying she said “they” before “think all Canadians are stupid” should have your hearing checked. I hear her saying “and I think all Canadians are stupid”, followed by “I fundamentally agree with that”.
Pretty sure she is saying she thinks Canadians (at least the ones who don't agree with her) are stupid. Anyone else saying otherwise is likely spinning damage control for her.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
As the MSM said about the Cadman tape many, many times.. when they implied Harper knew of a bribe: “It doesn't matter if the tape was edited, it still has Harper's voice on it, saying what he did.”
September 11th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Bravo Stephen! The green party can kiss my gasoline loving, free speach speakin', Alberta living backside. These leftwing/communist idiots are the greatest threat to our beloved Canada since the last ice age. Elizabeth May has shown her true colors which is to take our money and move us into sod huts, and you had better not say anything or she will sue your ass…Keep up the good work.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:00 am
I have a high end Dell Laptop with a high quality set of speakers and May said I, no we. I double checked it on the TVO audio file of the panel discussion. Either way, May shot herself in the foot going after a blogger over it. Pretty desperate in my book.
September 12th, 2008 at 6:02 am
She clear says “they think Canadians are stupid”, but, the issue is she says that she agrees with THEIR assessment. “and I fundamentally agree with that”.
September 12th, 2008 at 9:20 am
TVO says the clip is NOT doctored and they will not be seeking legal recourse but Ms May said “They” not “I”. As to what assertion Ms. May fundamentally agrees with -that appears open for debate – Steve Paikin is going to ask her about it tonight.
http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/
September 12th, 2008 at 9:36 am
So Ms. May made the mistake of putting the words “Canadians are stupid” and “I fundamentally agree with that assertion” in the same sentence. A partisan blogger takes that statement and makes a YouTube video with pretty pictures highlighting what she has already said on public record. The Greens don't like it. That is politics. No big deal.
But the real story is the reaction of the Green Party now – falsely claiming the audio was doctored and threatening legal action against bloggers who post the video????? What the hell??? What happened to the principles of democracy and free speech that the Greens were talking about earlier in the week. I will be interested to see if this is picked up in the MSM.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Say folks,
She starts off by referring to politicians and then, aren't the actual words — “…..think Canadians are stupid.” And then she eagerly states -her- agreement with that assessment.
regards,
September 12th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
TVO did the same about a week ago. There was 5 guests on the show to talk about the U.S. election, but primarily Sarah Palin. 3 of the guests were in studio, the other 2 were in Washington, via satellite. The 3 in studio were all women – former Liberal MPP Marie Boutrianni, Globe's Margaret Wente, and a Toronto Star columnist, whose name now I cannot remember. Of the 5 of them, 4 attacked Palin and clearly identified themselves on the left, with only one of the guests defending her. 4 on 1. That's fair.
Steve Paikin has lost all credibility. He should not be allowed to “moderate” anymore election debates. He used to be seen as a pretty fair guy. Not in my books anymore.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
She said “I”…no doubt about it!!!
December 17th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Yes it looks like she meant something different with that
December 17th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Yes it looks like she meant something different with that