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Why is this man still talking?

Adam Radwanski, June 6, 2008 at 5:58 PM EST

I'm such a sucker for nostalgia, particularly in my sports broadcasts, that I've been getting a little emotional over the possibility that Bob Cole has called his last Stanley Cup. So as you can imagine, I'm quite distressed by the prospect that next year's Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts might not have the theme music that I grew up on, either. But what's nearly as distressing is that this has given Denis Coderre yet another opportunity to make an ass of himself.

The good news is that Coderre is no longer responsible for articulating - or misrepresenting - the Official Opposition's defence policy. The bad news is that he's now the Liberals' heritage critic, which gives him carte blanche to profer his wisdom on all matters cultural. The early results are predictable.

It may not match his previous foray into hockey-related grandstanding for sheer offensiveness, but Coderre's call for a ministerial intervention to save the HNIC theme is actually even weirder from a policy perspective. Forget, for a moment, that this is obviously just a cheap attempt to get his face plastered all over the evening news, and consider what it is that he's actually asking Josee Verner to do.

At last check, the Liberals were all in a knot over the Conservatives' attempts to impose their cultural views on the film industry via Bill C-10 (a legitimate concern, albeit one that would resonate better if the legislation's roots didn't date back to their own government). Now, the party's heritage critic is calling for the government to trample all over its arm's length relationship with the CBC by somehow imposing its will over specific decisions related to certain programs.

Does Coderre seriously want the Tories to start intervening in the day-to-day decisions of a crown corporation? Probably not. He just likes the sound of his own voice, and is fond of making it heard before he considers the implications of what he's actually saying. But as long as the Liberals are going to let him speak on their behalf, a little adult supervision might come in handy.

  1. Ruth Walker from Edmonton, Canada writes: As they say, politics is show biz for ugly people.

    And TV is every bit as real as the public behavior of politicians. Seriously though, politicians love phoney, low-risk non-issues, e.g. the theme formerly known as HNIC. How can Coderre lose?

    We the public could be making the rules of the political game. If we wanted, we could place a cost on cheap shots and political expediency. Perhaps the reason we don't much seem to care is that we are distracted by their full-breasted girlfriends and all the other subtleties of pubic policy we see everyday in the news.
  2. maggie's farmboy from Canada writes: Adam,

    If I follow your argument, it's; "Hands off the CBC", "Consistent application of principles above all else!", and also "If Coderre supports it, it must be wrong."

    Surely, though, you can see that there are times when exceptions to such rules are justified, as in a cases where Canada stands to lose one of its very few cultural touchstones, no?
  3. steve allan from Welland, Ontario, Canada writes: Is it time for HNIC to have a new theme song? No!

    Is it time for the G&M to have a new editorial board? Yes!
  4. diane marie from calgary, Canada writes: The composer's agent is trying to drum up support for his client. The CBC is throwing down the gauntlet by seeing if a contest might dissuade the public from remaining loyal to the old tune. A HNIC Canadian Idol of sorts. The press is covering the contest. Mr. Coderre likes microphones.
  5. Old Fart from Edmonton, Canada writes: Ruth Walker from Edmonton, Canada writes: "As they say, politics is show biz for ugly people."

    LOL! Thanks for that succinct quote, Ruth. It has much more punch than my usual comment that "All politicians are only interested in one thing ... themselves." Your comment much better covers their entire behaviour and their view of "the public".

    .

  6. robert quinn from Japan writes: According to Maggie's Farmboy, the theme to HNIC is one of Canada's few cultural touchstones. That's so funny. And kind of true. Any wonder the average Chinese can't really come up with a telling description of Canada? Maybe we could incorporate it into the national anthem. "Dah, dun, dah, dun, dah/Oh Canada...."
  7. R. Carriere from Maritimes, Canada writes:

    I'd like to put Blowhard Coderre in the same room with Shane Doan-lock the door, and let them settle their differences.
  8. leo bloom from radisson, sask, canada, Canada writes: Codere is a puffed up buffoon! Remember his trip to Afghanistan in his 'big-boy' explorer clothes? A cross between the Pillsbury Doughboy and GI Joe...Radwanski is right - Codere has been enveloped in the magical mystery tour of the Hill for so long he can't seperate the everyday wheat from the chaff. But fear not - IF this ride ever ends - IF his constituents ever see him for the pissy brat that he really is and vote him out, he'll likely end up with a Senate seat or a public service plum-job and he'll still be able to catch the odd sound byte but maybe then, just maybe, he won't have the political pull to get national exposure, eh? Go away Denis!
  9. Richard Daystrom from Toronto, Canada writes: When did that oinker find time to push himself away from the buffet table to make a pronouncement on the HNIC theme? Stick to things you know even less about - like Shane Doan's purported slurs. Better yet, just keep stuffing yer face.
  10. A Big Black Dog With Two Tails from Leduc County ex St. John's, Canada writes: I am lucky enough to have heard fellows like Danny Gallivan and Curt Gowdy calling games. I've stopped paying serious attention, but Vin Scully probably still provides the same elevated level of discourse. Bob Cole definitely never did and never will.
  11. Blue Magic ...... from Mississauga,, Canada writes: Time for the liberal party network er..CBC, to be sold off.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    R. Carriere from Maritimes, Canada writes:

    I'd like to put Blowhard Coderre in the same room with Shane Doan-lock the door, and let them settle their differences.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    LOL.
  12. Ziad Fazel from Calgary, Canada writes: Adult supervision, that's perfect. I'm glad the CBC behaved rationally in the face of a greedy agent who expected the "priceless Canadian touchstone" to force CBC to overpay. Let's not forget the 2004 lawsuit still to be settled or heard.

    Let's give Coderre more exposure, and heal the rift with the Canadian national team. Allow him to suit up and join them in a full-contact practice. Perhaps take a turn in goal. That would bring ratings, and provide on-ice music I could hear over, and over, again.
  13. pierre lefebvre from Brossard, Canada writes: Denis Coderre will do anything that draws attention to him. Tonton Macoute Coderre is working hard at getting elected in next general election. He will use his limited Creole, Italian, English and French dialect to get quoted in local papers. He is a political animal that used to run this country under Jean Chretien. People should remember and rid the political class of such renegades.
  14. Vern McPherson from writes: For sure I thought the sometimes shallow, TINKLING bernaski ....what'ziz name .......... RadwANSKI ... WOULD BE TAKING UP POSITIONS ALONG THE RIDGE WITH HIS ARTILLARY T0 DRAW A BEAD ON POOR JACK LAYTON ............ and smother the low ground with skyburst shells over the NDP TROOPS ......... .......... all in retaliation for jack's demonstrable pronouncements on the TV clip TO THE EFFECT the HNIC tune was the "people's tune" ????? JACK BEING A PEOPLE'S PERSON AND ALL ......... Dissappointed again in the emeritus emeritorum MINIMUS ? - I am .... delorier, .......what'ziz name ..... cordierrieria likes the press. All politicos do ....... except the stiff-headed oracle from partz unknown ......... he's the one in the green suit ...... I guess stevie has no passion for hockie .... eh bruski ??? Unless there is a phantom book in the works ....... Who will be the hero of harper's hockie book ?? ( I ask in general - not of you). Perhaps your Ottawais connections can tell us there is a Bill in the works to reinstate funding for the CBC so they can pay off the HNIC tune author ???? Who will be the lip-busted, blood-pouring, overtime goal scoring hero in the oracle's hockie book ??? Will it be Brian Mulroney or RB Bennett -Great stick-handlers in their own right - but one scored while the other passed back ..... both got game and match misconducts ? Da ...data da......... coming your way real soon ........... If I have to listen to another Pepsi or GAP commercial when Sydney from Nova Scotia scores 100 goals next season bernaski, - minus Bob Cole - I'm coming after you with my new musical combo invention......... the bassoon/flout/electricbag pipe/picolo/fiddle and I intend to blast "da datta da" ..... right at you .......... percussion is optional ..... Unless you start supporting hockie, Dennis C, good and honest predictable partiot that he is -- and quit your whining here because your girl is out of town this weekend .............
  15. diane marie from calgary, from calgary, Canada writes: pierre lefebvre:-- Perhaps we can engineer a meeting of Messrs Coderre and Anders (Rob), whereupon they will ride off into the sunset together. Mr. Anders has been fitted with the CPC muzzle. The LPC, apparently, doesn't believe in muzzles. The innate characters are unchanged, it's just that the CPC has more to lose by having a loose cannon such as Rob Anders firing off in all directions.
  16. pierre lefebvre from Brossard, Canada writes: To Diane Marie: I am sure Coderre would see another opportunity to be vocal with Anders. Mind you I would create a format for the silly to express themselves with authority. I would name a joint chair to stir the debate with Justin Trudeau and Ben Mulroney. How silly can they get on CTV?
  17. Michael Manning from Mississauga, Canada writes: Denis Coderre is a living, breathing example of almost everything that is wrong with politics today.

    If he had one shred of interest in the public welfare he would step down and never darken our T.V. screens again.
  18. Robert Cameron from Calgary, Canada writes: Maggie's farmboy writes:

    1) "Hands off the CBC", 2)"Consistent application of principles above all else!", and also 3)"If Coderre supports it, it must be wrong."

    Let's see...
    1) not a bad principle to follow. As long as hands off also means "no more money, sink or swim CBC"

    2) Consistent application of principles above all else - always a good thing to follow. And no, there should be NO exceptions to this. Otherwise, they aren't principles, are they?

    3) I can't disagree with this statement either.

    So no, I really cannot see that there exceptions that are "justified". Decide what your principles are, and stick to them. Easy to say, hard to do.
  19. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: Speaking of embarrassing, the Conservatives have a bunch of youngsters walking around downtown Ottawa today wearing bright yellow T-Shirts with the latest Dion attack ad imprinted on them. They're out on the sidewalks in force handing out flyers, presumably "informing" us that Dion's carbon tax is bad. I kid you not; they're everywhere. I swear, the Tories have never come to temrs with the fact that they're not in Opposition anymore. Even an Opposition party shouldn't resort to such childish tactics.
  20. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: Codeirre is also fat.
  21. Michele K from Ottawa, Canada writes: Ha - Alistair!

    Besides that, wasn't Coderre also one of those fools (along with Manley) who pushed for (even more) taxpayer support of multi-millionaire hockey team owners? Remember that?

    I'm pretty sure Coderre is down in my book with a permanent black mark because of that one, so that his foolishness continues comes as no real surprise. Same goes for Manley - many early examples of poor judgement did not leave me at all surprised when he allowed himself to be taken advantage of by the Cons re: Afghanistan.

    Coderre's an 'anything for attention' type, whereas Manley's an 'I NEED people to respect my intellect' type.

    Showbiz for ugly people - Ruth definitely nailed it.
  22. Shawn Bull from Canada writes: Vern McPherson: Stay on topic there big fella. Focus, OK.

    I still can't believe that Coderre gets voted in by his constiuents.
  23. Brandon Linton from United States writes: Replace Denis Coderre with a rubix cube as the cube is much prettier
  24. Building an Ark from Eastern Slopes, Canada writes: Instead of insisting a personal security check on Minister's girlfriends, could we check on mental competence, of which Mr. Coderre has none? This is the same MP who marched in a parade surrounded by Hamas supporters and banners,...oops. This is the same MP who in public called on Canada to dump Shane Doan as Captain of the hockey team, only later it was revealed Coderre has his facts wrong...oops. This is the same MP who now rally's the Country on the most pressing issue of the day a hockey theme song, Where's Stompin' Tom Conners when you need him. Coderre is an idiot, but then those who keep him, are in the same company as long as they allow himself to articulate the drivel he does...
  25. Building an Ark from Eastern Slopes, Canada writes: Actually I'm waiting for him to cross the floor, The Conseraties could use a winger with his skills...Ha!!!
  26. Peter Gabriel from Ottawa, Canada writes: How many fumbles can Scott Moore endure at CBC Sports? Incompetence seems to be a prerequisite for executive level employment at CBC...prior to Scott Moore, Nancy Lee lost the Olympics to rival CTV, tried to get rid of hockey host Ron McLean, oops, that cost CBC another $400, 000 per year and a media campaign supporting Ron McLean. Now, under Moore, CBC lost the Briar Curling. Scott Moore is trying to get another jingle for $100,000 and own the rights! Maybe Jarvis Collegiate Jazz ensemble will do it for $100K. Now that the market rate is what CTV paid for the HNIC song, does Moore really expect any deal for a new jingle will be worth what he is proposing? Every Saturday night for the next few decades, someone should fire Scott Moore now as he is dreaming in technicolor. Good job hunting Mr. Moore.
  27. Alistair McLaughlin from Canada writes: Michele K, actually I have a lot of respect for Manley, and I hope he is the next Liberal leader. Coderre though, is a buffoon of the highest order.
  28. maggie's farmboy from Canada writes: Congratulations CTVglobemedia in administering the coup de grace! Along with your growing promotion of the NFL in Toronto at the expense of the CFL, you are doing a fantastic job in disassembling what remains of Canada's sports traditions.

    Good work!
  29. The Last Honest Conservative from Western, Canada writes:
    Thanks Adam,
    Without you, I would never have heard of this fool ..............

    ............ by the way, I prefer Murray Westgate and the Happy Motoring song .
  30. Bert Russell Paradox, BC from Canada writes:
    I'm not surprised Dion has a radical loose cannon like Coderre in his shadowy closet.
  31. Trent River from Ontario, Canada writes:

    Coderre is an excellent asset for the Conservative party of Canada.

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