Since it moved to Sirius Satellite Radio I've been a big fan of the Howard Stern Show.
Yes, I know that comment will cause some to roll their eyes and turn up their noses. The show isn't for everyone and what I've found is those who get it, get it, and for those who don't, no explanation will ever be enough.
Anyhow, one of the funniest bits on the show is when staff members take audio books, usually those done by celebrities and politicians, and splice together the words to make outrageous statements. I could never print any of those statements here but I do seem to remember something about Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers that completely blew my mind.
While those types of antics are great on satellite radio, I never, in a million years, would have guessed that the Saskatchewan NDP Party would begin borrowing ideas from the Howard Stern Show.
As you likely heard over the past week or so, the NDP were called out for airing a radio ad attacking the Sask. Party on many things including the rising cost of living in our fair province.
The ad asks: "When working families ask for help with the rising cost of living, what is Brad Wall's response?" and then follows with the premier saying: "I don't really care. We're not going to do it and they're coming back to work."
At face value, that is a pretty shocking comment. However, that was not the premier's quote. The "I don't really care," comment was in response to questions on how he feels about criticism from the Saskatchewan Government Employees Union. The second portion of the clip came from later in the interview but thanks to the miracle of technology the two comments were cut together and used to push the NDP's agenda.
Naturally, the Sask. Party reaction was swift. Within a short time of the ad's first airing, my inbox, and I assume those of other media members in the province, began filling up with e-mails about the fake quote and calls for the NDP to denounce the ad and pull it from the radio.
The NDP also had a fairly rapid reply, although theirs wasn't exactly what most were expecting to hear. Instead of apologizing they actually called the Sask. Party reaction to the ad over the top and childish.
Ladies and gentlemen, that takes some major cojones. Most people, when caught with their hand in the cookie jar, would admit their mistake and take the punishment.
Not the NDP. In fact, since being caught they have also claimed it wasn't that big a deal because the Sask. Party has taken Dwain Lingenfelter's comments out of context in the past. I remember trying to use the "he did it too" defence when I was five and it worked about as well back then as it does now.
The capper came from NDP house leader Kevin Yates who on Friday in the Regina Leader-Post claimed that although the NDP approved the campaign ad, they didn't know about the spliced together quote. That comment is tough to swallow.
This ad is obviously a major part of their campaign. They had this spread-the-wealth message since the day they were defeated in 2007 and this ad furthers that agenda. So, for them to say they were unaware the quote, which is the lynchpin of the entire ad, is fake, doesn't pass the sniff test.
Further to that, it doesn't speak very highly of them as a party if they are unknowingly allowing that to happen. If someone makes a slanderous comment in a letter to the editor in our paper and we print it, the trouble that follows is on us. In that vein, it's not the company who made the commercial for the NDP that is going to take the heat, they will. For them to say they didn't know seems improbable at best.
As our political columnist, Murray Mandryk, has said many times before; Saskatchewan politics is a dirty game. But this latest incident is pretty low. It smacks of desperation, it's dishonest on many levels and when you get down to it, just plain scummy.
As the official opposition, the NDP owe the people of this province better and if they can't do better than this, they are going to get their butts handed to them on a silver platter in the November election.
There are some major issues that need to be dealt with in this province and someone of credibility needed to put the government's feet to the fire. If memory serves, the same day the controversy broke, the NDP issued a media release hammering the government for its slow handling of the situation in Roche Percee.
The release was a solid one and raised a number of really good points. How much attention did this get? Next to none. Instead of raising the concerns of the residents of Roche Percee, they were dealing with criticism about the fake quote.
That is not what we need in this province. We have a government that is immensely popular and in a lot of respects has done a solid job. But they have been far from perfect and the province needs someone to point out when they are wrong and offer good ideas and solutions, not garbage like this.
There are just over three months until the next provincial election, meaning the NDP has some time to repair the damage from this gaffe. If they right the ship they might have a chance to gain a seat or two. If they continue down this same road they might face a wipe out similar to when Grant Devine took power. It will be interesting to see what choice they make.
