Happy birthday to you, La Presse

Montreal’s venerable newspaper La Presse is turning 124 today. Like so many broadsheets, it is locked into a struggle with a more popular tabloid, in this case Quebecor’s Journal de Montréal, since 1964.

The newspaper has become of late the favourite forum for many Liberal leaky blabbers, thanks to the relationships the members of La Presse’s parliamentary team have been able to maintain with party organizers in Ottawa in the regions. Joël-Denis Bellavance and Hugo de Grandpré in particular are experts at convincing people that an anonymous rant against the leaders is just what the party needs right now. But of course, these days Liberal insiders seem to be remarkably talkative when put under the slightest journalistic interrogation.

Conservatives introduce new program for culture: the video

I’ve been trying to stay away from the Government’s cuts in cultural programs, but yesterday’s Youtube release of a video by Quebec francophone artists is just too funny to ignore. It might also be an extremely effective way to rally people around the artists’ message. The viewing count is going up quite fast.

For those who haven’t seen it yet…

It’s untranslatable. Back in the 1970s, when Keith Spicer said you’d be missing out if you don’t learn French, this is what he was thinking about.

As a bonus, Patrick Lagacé’s column in this morning’s La Presse.

There’s a big show against the cuts in Montreal next week. Let’s see if it has any impact on the campaign.

SEPTEMBER 22 UPDATE: A version with rather creative English subtitles has been put online. Enjoy.

More Liberal leaky blabbers

Liberal flacks are having blabber leaks again. La Presse’s headline : “Au Québec, c’est un désastre” – un membre influent du PLC (“In Quebec, it’s a disaster” – a LPC heavyweight).

I wouldn’t want to be flacking for an organization where senior advisers go cry on a reporter’s shoulder every time things look bleak.