Doug Finley slams CBC, Graves
April 26, 2010Today I received the following e-mail from Senator Doug Finley, the Tory campaign director. He rightly slams both the CBC and Liberal pollster Frank Graves. Letter copy pasted below:
CBC-Liberal “Culture War”?
Here we go again.
Yes, I am writing to you about the CBC. Canada’s national public broadcaster. A Crown Corporation that receives over one billion dollars per year from taxpayers. A network with a mandate to serve all Canadians.
In recent days we have learned that the CBC’s pollster on party politics, Frank Graves, has been providing both money (at least $10,762.81 since 2001 according to Elections Canada) and strategic advice to the Liberal Party of Canada. His contributions are huge and his advice is incendiary. Graves wants the Ignatieff Liberals to wage a divisive “Culture War” that would pit East against West, young against old, and urban Canada against rural Canada. He even suggests that if people don’t like the Ignatieff Liberal vision of Canada they can move to the United States (an odd statement given Michael Ignatieff’s fondness for America).
Week after week Graves expresses opinions about Canadian politics under the guise of being the CBC’s neutral pollster on party politics. And just until recently viewers have been kept in the dark about his Liberal contributions and his Liberal advice. But the CBC continues to stand by Graves, their “neutral” pollster.
This episode demonstrates – once again – that we Conservatives are up against a powerful array of vested interests. Vested interests who want to go back to the days of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin. Back to higher taxes. Back to a weakened military. Back to political correctness. And they’re willing to support a highly divisive “Culture War” to take us back.
We can’t afford to go back. We can’t afford to let Frank Graves and the Liberal “Culture War” to prevail. Because Canada, after years of drift, is once again moving forward. Our world-leading Economic Action Plan is delivering results. Our military is being re-built. And there’s a new spirit of national pride taking root across the country. These changes did not happen by accident. They are a result of strong Conservative leadership. Never before has the choice in national politics been so clear.
I am asking you to do two things.
First, write to the CBC and tell them it’s unacceptable to present Frank Graves as a neutral pollster on party politics. You can reach the CBC’s ombudsman by email at ombudsman@cbc.ca, or by phone at 1-416-205-2978.
Second, please make a contribution to the Conservative Party of $200 or $100 right now by following this link. Unlike the Liberals, we can’t count on the vested interests. We rely on donations from proud patriotic Canadians like you.
Doug Finley
Campaign Director
The MSM (including the CBC) tarred and feathered a Canadian Alliance-backing pollster in 2000 when he said Atlantic Canadians would not back the Alliance because they lacked a work ethic. Yet they have been strangely silent in covering Graves – especially the CBC. Imagine if a CPC-backing pollster told left-wing Quebeckers they should move to France if they don’t like the Canadian Tory vision/agenda. Imagine.
I believe the CBC should be defunded immediately
They are disgusting in their bias, and make mockery of the original reason and purpose to tie the country together – they rip the country apart now, like no other – Graves is only one example of this
The media have proven itself as public enemy number one to all conservatives no matter where we go.
Making a mountain or a mold hill. Finley getting hysterical over some comment by a talking head on TV. Perhaps he should listen, he might learn something to help his cause. The conservatives are making them selves public enemy number one. Don’t blame the messenger. Their biggest problem is Harper.
Finely and his group of cons should move to Florida. I hear the Senate has a bunch of free condos to house them.
and the Harper-haters will rally to the cause, as Graves and CBC are aware – just do it on your own dime, say I
Anyone with such an outrageous spirit of intolerance for the diversity of Canadian thought is self-outed as the very one who is “autocratic” and decidedly unCanadian: Mr. Graves unequivocally disqualifies himself from any public platform which professes to present bone fide Canadian points of view, of citizens respectful of Canada’s political diversity. Any future CBC broadcast of the prognostications of Mr. Graves should, not only trigger a warning or disclaimer, but renumeration by Canadian taxpayers should certainly be withheld.
This is less than a tempest in a teapot. The CPC is desperately trying to come up with something that sounds like a scandal to hide their serious troubles on the Hill (Illegal Afghan prisoner handoffs + Harper et al. likely being in contempt of Parliament for not handing over documents, Rahim and Helena + Harper playing coy and calling in the RCMP to hide behind, Economic Action Plan cheques with the CPC logo + and not always inviting the local MP if he/she is not CPC, etc.). Clean up government? Make government more accountable? HA! Time is up, and all the Senator Finley propaganda will do nothing to change this fact. BTW, the new spirit of national pride is really a groundswell of revolt against the CPC and its shoddy, mean-spirited governing. Catch the wave!!!