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Saturday, September 25, 2004
Press Review
From today's edition of NORMAN'S SPECTATOR (where you'll find the hotlinks).
In the US , John Kerry has sharpened his attacks against George Bush. Laura is sprucing up the White House.
Across the pond, domestic politics vies with the British hostage in Iraq for front-page attention. The French are mourning novelist Françoise Sagan, and detect a shift in the US position in Iraq.
The New York Times’ editorial board says President Bush’s campaign is un-American. Nicholas Kristof is in Pakistan , helping him out. David Brooks unloads on the UN. Frank Rich reviews Philip Roth.
The Washington Post’s editorial board looks at the two candidates’ energy policies. The Los Angeles Times’ editorial board pans Fidel Castro.
At home, the Mounties have admitted to bungling the Arar file. Jack Layton is doing back-flips supporting asymmetry for the province that leads the way in private health care. Paul Martin says he’s opposed to autonomy but would like to see that province sign the Constitution.
The Globe and Mail fronts Arar along with a report that the Chinese are coming and that the Russians are shooting first and asking questions later.
Inside, Christie Blatchford reviews the testimony of mum and dad at the Jakobek trial, and does double duty at the Bernardo proceedings.
Murray Campbell says Bob Rae wants to get Canadians talking about higher education, which he says should be a higher priority than health; perhaps the former Ontario premier could start with the OECD report buried by the media a few weeks back, which shows Canada to be a world-class spender on the tenured.
Rex Murphy, who does double duty on CBC and therefore knows something about media bias, says of the Dan Rather affair, “Perhaps hubris and carelessness marching hand in hand with some mix of unacknowledged partisan zeal is a start to understanding CBS's deep and shameful folly.”
Jeff Simpson says Mario Dumont’s proposals are a pipe-dream and Jean Charest has an overly-ambitious view of asymmetrical federalism; he concludes, “Federalism is somewhat on the defensive in Québec.” I’ll say.
Margaret Wente writes of another Peggy, “Ms. Atwood has built a phenomenally successful literary career on her creepily paranoid view of Western civilization and its prospects.”
Jane Taber says Michael Calcott is hot; you have to wonder what she and others were writing about when the Treasury Board official was writing Groupaction memos that were being ignored.
John Fraser says Holocaust and genocide studies have taken off in Canadian academe, and Ernst Zundel deserves the credit. Speaking of genocide—or, rather, not speaking of it--Heather Mallick hates Republicans and is still “shaken by the resemblance of the coverage of their convention to Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will.”
The editorial board praises Shawn Green, who "listened to his conscience. Sadly, baseball only heard the money talking (by scheduling a game on Yom Kippur).
On the theory that misery loves company, a second editorialist reports that people all around the world are dissatisfied with their health care: “Trying to slake the health-care monster is futile. Setting limits on what it gobbles up is the responsible next step.”
A third editorialist turns his attention to Iran’s drive for nukes: “To prevent such a disaster, the West must set aside the divisions over Iraq and take a firm, unified line against Iran's nuclear cheating.”
The Toronto Star fronts failing schools, a new deal for Toronto and Jim Coyle on the Jakobek trial. The editorial board sees troubled waters in the Great Lakes .
Tim Harper says it’s not easy to ambush George Bush, but I'm sure he'll re-double his efforts. Sonia Verma files from Haiti .
Olivia Ward weighs in on Chechnyan orphans. Miro Cernetig reports that Jean Charest did not bounce after the health deal.
In commentary, Jim Travers understands the sponsorship scandal and what it takes for evil to triumph. If you have time to read only one column today, this is the one.
Leslie Papp writes about politicians’ perks. Ian Urquhart says Premier McGuinty and Mayor Miller are grooving.
The National Post fronts the Jakobek trial and also has the Chinese coming—along with the coming pay raise for MPs and judges.
Inside, editor Kelly McParland explains why she changes some Reuters copy: “The killers at the al-Aqsa Brigades are terrorists, by any definition. If the CBC can't figure that out, it needs a kick up its airwaves.” (Here's my take.)
In commentary, Ralph Klein insists he does too have a plan. Andrew Coyne says the genie is out of the bottle in Québec and concludes,” We are already on the brink of national dissolution. Now yet another federal government is making yet another attempt to finish the job.” (Here's my take before and my take after the rout.)
Robert Fulford says too few Muslims speak out against terrorists. Raymond Heard says Nelson Mandela was never one.
Across the table, Gillian Cosgrove outs four EU ambassadors, “At the "not for attribution" luncheon at the penthouse residence of Como van Hellenberg Hubar, the ambassador of the Netherlands, the Eurocrats lamented Canada's deplorable spending on defence and foreign aid. And yet, that very day, the PM was preaching to the UN about helping the world's poor.” Ouch.
The editorial board, which not too long ago was giddy about Mario Dumont, looks at a couple of bad Québec ideas, including his. Another editorialist comes to the defense of rich kids, and says the Ontario Liberals should not be taunting John Tory. A third says it’s game up for Dan Rather.
The Post has today’s most important correction (though it reads more like a lawyer's apology):
“In Saturday's National Post (Sept. 18, page A4) an article was published about Earnscliffe Strategy Group and Veraxis Research and Communications. This newspaper did not intend to allege in the headline and body of the article any impropriety by the principals of Earnscliffe Strategy Group and Veraxis Research and Communications. This newspaper regrets any damage that may have been caused by the publication of the article to the personal and professional integrity of David Herle, Harry Near, Michael Robinson, Bruce Anderson, Elly Alboim, Earnscliffe Strategy Group and Veraxis Research and Communications.”
Elsewhere in CanWest land, the Calgary Herald fronts big bucks for the city's roads (the editorial board says Ralph Klein must do more yet). In BC, Premier Gordon Campbell is promising to do more to promote tourism. The Times-Colonist editorial board says Paul Martin rolled over and played dead on health.
The Montréal Gazette fronts the unhealthy situation in Haiti and a local health story, along with the 25th anniversary of the demise of its erstwhile competitor, the Montréal Star.
Inside, the Gaz wins the award for today’s best correction. The editorial board urges Tony Blair not to give in to terrorists, and Mario Dumont to grow up.
The Ottawa Citizen fronts the Arar screw-up, along with Richard Foot’s in-depth look at Canada’s military and a re-cycled story about Bill Graham’s plans to fund additional troops.
The editorial board stands up for two-tier medicine, brought to us by the Americans. Another editorialist urges Tony Blair not to give in to terrorists’ demands.
TOP STORY
Mounties escape punishment over Arar
Posted by Norman Spector on September 25, 2004 | Permalink
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