NDP proves it's the party of prudes

CBC Manitoba, in collaboration with the NDP, tried a drive-by smear of the Conservatives Wednesday but wound up only proving that the New Democrats are the party of prudes.

CBC "reporter" Sean Kavanaugh engaged in the worst form of "gotcha" journalism on a day when the Conservatives made real news at the release of their economic platform. They announced they've abandoned two decades of balanced budget prudence to adopt the NDP program of running deficits for years in a province that already has the second-lowest unemployment rate in the country. The NDP plans four years of huge deficits; the Conservatives have doubled that, promising eight years.

The CBC "scoop"? The Conservatives played a catchy dance-inducing No. 1 hit song at a pre-election rally earlier in the week.

Yep. That's it. That's what counts as "journalism" at the taxpayer-funded CBC.

They hyped the story by declaring the Conservatives were "being rapped" for the song "that contains suggestive lyrics."

The song is Party Rock Anthem by the group LMFAO. It was No. 1 on the Billboard charts for six weeks this summer, getting knocked out of top spot by Katy Perry's hit Last Friday Night.

Sample lyrics:

Party rock is in the house tonight Everybody just have a good time And we gonna make you lose your mind Everybody just have a good time

In the club party rock, lookin' for your girl? She on my jock Nonstop when we in the spot, booty movin' weight like she on the block Where the drank? I gots to know, tight jeans, tattoo 'cause I'm rock 'n' roll Half black, half white, domino, game the money, op-a-doe

The NDP were left gasping for air and fanning their inflamed faces.

And what about all that rapping of the Conservatives. Well, it seems, the only rapping came from NDP sourpuss Nancy Allan. Yes, that Nancy Allan whose husband works in the newsroom of CBC Manitoba.

Hmmm. Guess where the story "tip" came from.

In a scene straight out of Footloose, the joyless Nancy Allan said the Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves for dancing to the devil's beat.

Kavanaugh then had to flesh the story out with man-in-the-street interviews that consisted of him telling people about the song, playing them the LMFAO video, explaining the origin of the name of the band, showing them the lyrics on his laptop and pointing out the lyrics he wanted them to condemn. Whew. So much for spontaneity.

And for the credibility of the CBC.