My Letter to the Editor of the Toronto Sun

We have an election coming to a vote next week. There has been smear campaigns by the Tory's on the Lib's and vice versa all along. And it's showing in the polls. The NDP has gone from about 20% of the vote, which is typical, to 34%. WAY ahead of the Liberals and only 5% behind the Conservatives. So guess what happens? This is the cover story in the Toronto Sun today.

www.torontosun.com...

I was appalled by this and had to reply:

The Iraq hit piece on Iggy this week was pretty lame. Your sources weren't well vetted. You had to print a retraction but not an apology. The apology should have happened. Not for the Liberals or Igantieff but for your readers. Today's hit piece on Layton was even worse.

Why was this printed now? Because the NDP are challenging the Tory's in the polls. The spin in that piece would put a high end Maytag to shame. Nothing, including the editorial license that you used, was of any value. Little to none could be supported by fact. Needless to say I was disgusted. Thank you for bringing American style politics to Canada.

I have been a daily reader of your paper since I came here in 1997. Until now a happy reader. I know what this election means for Harper and the Conservative party but backhanded and dishonest reporting of this nature does nothing for conservative Canadians. Do you not wonder why the NDP are gaining against both major parties? It's because of this tripe. We're CANADIANS. What plays below the 49th parallel won't play here.

I have no doubt that you will print this, you won't. It doesn't matter. What I WOULD like is for you to keep note of these concerns. I know they are piling up. Do REAL conservatives a favor. Be a voice for us, not a platform of lies.

Perhaps you should have proof read you're own letter. The spelling and grammar is terrible.

They are probably having a good laugh at it now.

I've stayed away from the election coverage just for this very reason. Any paper I've opened, any online article I have read has leaned towards one party or another.

Even CBC's Fact Check thingy is ridiculously biased towards one party or another depending on what they are "checking".

Let's just be glad FOX wasn't able to start operating in Canada before the election..

Low blow.. But good news in my opinion. The Conservative government seems shocked the whole country doesn't think like Albertans/Americas northern proxy. The big dogs are starting to sweat.

I am making a statement only with my GREEN vote: I always vote for the one they don't want you to hear.

PS why is this not big news in the election rabble.ca...


or this www.defensenews.com...

Seems important to me Hummm

Rather suspect timing, no doubt. I guess it's the right information for the right occasion. Too many Canadians are zombified drones these days, must be the air, food, water? OP what fallout have you seen from this so far?

16 years and this just comes out now? The Cons must be scared.

I was trying to decide this morning whether I would post a thread on this topic because I was very upset about what was done to Jack Layton by the Toronto Sun. I would expand on Pierre Trudeau's statement about the state having no place in the bedrooms of the nation and would rather have it said that the state and the public ought to have no place in the sex lives of the nation.

We have laws on assault and other crimes of violence and we have laws on theft and fraud and practicing various professions without a license. We allow every conceivable method of prostitution, including the simple business of prostitution itself, a very small niche in the large sex driven parts of the nation's economy, like the advertising industry, the broadcasting industry, the fashion industry, etc.

To what was the Sun trying to alert Canadians?

Was the Sun, in resurrecting an incident from 1996 (!!!) alerting Canadians to a violation of the law by Layton? Mr. Layton wasn't charged with violating the law by the police.

Was the Sun trying to alert Canadians to the possibility, a strong one on the face of it, that Mr. Layton wanted to indulge in a little extramarital sexual attention from someone in the business of providing that . . . in 1996? Well, thanks for the alert.

To me this is just dirty politics. Layton has shown that he is dangerous to the Liberals and the Conservatives so the Sun has decided to court, on someone's behalf, the snicker vote.

That's how bad it is. That's how desperate someone is.

Somebody in politics in one of the major parties doesn't have the guts to make their own obvious appeal for the snicker vote, so they have enlisted the Toronto Sun to do their dirty work for them.

"All the news that fits."

This is hardball politics. I hope the unions redouble their efforts to get the vote out for Mr. Layton's party and I hope for the sake of us all that the snicker vote is proven not to be as important as it once was in Canadian politics.

Personally, I am very critical of the NDP and Mr. Layton. But I am just mad enough about what the Sun has done to vote NDP and help nullify at least one snicker voter.

__________________

Who else has connections with the police dept. , city paper ,
and staunchly covers for steven harper ?
The so called 'leak' screams of Ford's and Fantino's involvement, they
have the motive, the means, and the reputation to push their weight
around. Corrupt conflict of interest ! !
. . . but lots of luck in having the T.O. police investigate themselves,
the RCMP need to be brought in to investigate this thoroughly to
rid the corrupt out of office.

Charges need to be laid.
______________

Originally posted by ToneDeaf
Charges need to be laid.

It might happen. The OPP are investigating this incident. That was in today's Sun. Couldn't find it on their website though.

Meanwhile, back in the real world of real people and real issues:

Meanwhile, on a day when the Sun newspaper chain ran a story about Mr. Layton visiting a Toronto massage parlour 16 years ago, Mr. Nanos said the NDP leader’s personal leadership scores significantly improved and surpassed those of Mr. Harper.

Mr. Layton climbed 17 points, to 97, on the Nanos Leadership Index, which measures perceptions of the leaders’ trustworthiness, competence and vision for Canada.

That compared to 88 for Mr. Harper and 39 points for Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

Gap between Tories, NDP narrows to 6 points in 11th-hour polling

-and-

The story relied on apparent excerpts from the former officer’s notebook.

An officer’s notes belong to the police department and not to the officer, explained Staff Sgt. Mike Ervick, of Toronto police. When a notebook is complete, the police officer is required to turn it in.

OPP inspector Ross would not comment on what criminal offence may have been committed. “Let the investigation run its course,” he said. Ross added that it’s not unusual for a police force to ask another police body to conduct an investigation.

Criminal probe launched into leak about Layton at massage clinic

Whoops. Did the mudslingers step into the poo?

I can't speak much for the Toronto sun as I live in Calgary.
The Calgary sun makes me sick because it is so partisan to the conservatives. It is subtle at times and not blatant. A bad photo of the other parties leaders, a piece on get yer hands off my oil, or if there is a Harper scandal it is not sensationalized.
So kudos for making your stand Intrepid

I have to ask one thing This Layton hit piece doesn't have much meat in it? I wonder if a cleaver NDP reporter is working a bit of reverse psyc?? Don't know just wondering out loud.

When I heard about this I was disgusted.

I don't get what the big deal is. First off, "prostitution is (now) legal" in Canada. Second, Even his wife came out to say that Jack get massages all the time. Just because you are in a rub and tug doesn't mean you are getting one.
He never even got charged during the bust 16 years ago anyways....so why was it even brought up?

I hope the OPP can figure out who leaked this info... trying to smear his name like that....

I am still voting NDP.

Originally posted by MinorityReporter
I have to ask one thing This Layton hit piece doesn't have much meat in it? I wonder if a cleaver NDP reporter is working a bit of reverse psyc?? Don't know just wondering out loud.

I doubt it. It seems like business as usual for the Sun. Like the piece they ran last week on Ignatieff being a major player in the Iraq invasion. They didn't vet their sources, just went with it. Salivating at what they found. Only what they were given was false. If it weren't for their sports coverage, the best I'll admit, I wouldn't read that paper anymore. AND I'm a conservative.

Originally posted by intrepid
We have an election coming to a vote next week. There has been smear campaigns by the Tory's on the Lib's and vice versa all along. And it's showing in the polls. The NDP has gone from about 20% of the vote, which is typical, to 34%. WAY ahead of the Liberals and only 5% behind the Conservatives. So guess what happens? This is the cover story in the Toronto Sun today.

www.torontosun.com...

I was appalled by this and had to reply:

The Iraq hit piece on Iggy this week was pretty lame. Your sources weren't well vetted. You had to print a retraction but not an apology. The apology should have happened. Not for the Liberals or Igantieff but for your readers. Today's hit piece on Layton was even worse.

Why was this printed now? Because the NDP are challenging the Tory's in the polls. The spin in that piece would put a high end Maytag to shame. Nothing, including the editorial license that you used, was of any value. Little to none could be supported by fact. Needless to say I was disgusted. Thank you for bringing American style politics to Canada.

I have been a daily reader of your paper since I came here in 1997. Until now a happy reader. I know what this election means for Harper and the Conservative party but backhanded and dishonest reporting of this nature does nothing for conservative Canadians. Do you not wonder why the NDP are gaining against both major parties? It's because of this tripe. We're CANADIANS. What plays below the 49th parallel won't play here.

I have no doubt that you will print this, you won't. It doesn't matter. What I WOULD like is for you to keep note of these concerns. I know they are piling up. Do REAL conservatives a favor. Be a voice for us, not a platform of lies.

good catch this kinda smear is what those souless jerks who want to sell us out completely would employ...

down with Harper and the Libs proven liars thieves and worst.

FnS for the OP and lets all send a letters about this to all the news folks!

reply to post by intrepid


People who would believe everything the way the Sun presents it is not too bright. Methinks after being in circulation so long most know that there are only a handful of columnists who are worth their salt.

This past week I've received 2 calls a day (really--and I've got 2 today so far) and 3 home visits from campaign workers making sure I come out and vote. Really, tomorrow's election is like being asked to pick which foul odour you wish to smell like.

I'm thinking of amassing an army of monkeys...or beavers, but I think the monkeys will be easier to train.

reply to post by ipsedixit


Really, at the end of the day, I don't care if Jack went for a rub'n'tug. As long is it doesn't involve children or animals I really don't care what they do in their bedrooms.

But the Sun's article was reaching, if that's what goes for investigative journalism, then by association and the old 6 degrees of separation rule, I've been implicit in a murder, selling drugs, defrauding workers comp, theft...may as well throw the whole criminal code at me...

Sickening....and whatever their agenda is/was it's probably done the complete opposite. I was already leaning towards the NDP vote as I really like the MP in our area...but this has sealed the deal. I will be voting for them this year with no reservations.

This just shows how little they have "on" Layton that they have to dig up dirt from 15 years ago...who the hell cares

Michelle

The Sun... great for pin-ups, jokes and tabloid-style hack jobs.

The latest scourge to hit the Canadian airwaves is Sun News which, I'm sure, will be all about 'Fair and Balanced' reporting.

Yay!

I hope these incidents cause such a stir that they literally implode.

And yet no one in the media will touch on the rumor in Ottawa of Harper's wife shacking up at the Chateau Laurier with her female RCMP escort... It's one of those things 'everybody knows' but not a 'peep' in the news out of respect for her 'privacy'. Yeah, right - if this was Olivia Chow or Iggy's Wife it would be splashed on the front page of the Sun in a heartbeat.