Oh Canada!

In the Presidential campaign here in the US of A, we've been plagued with serial lying, dissembling, demagoguery and assorted other political misdeeds. In Canada, the problem is...a terminally tasteless joke.

After a recent outbreak of listeriosis, a bacterial illness linked to lunchmeats that killed l7 people, the ruling party's agricultural minister was heard to deliver himself of the following observation in a meeting: "this is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts?"

ouch.

The hapless minister then compounded his mistake by asking about a new case of the illness and said, apparently only half jokingly, "Please let it be Wayne Easter," who just happened to be the minister's most fervent critic.

This series of remarks was supposed to go away quietly, something chalked up to a boorish and/or clueless bureaucrat, but it has aroused the indignation of press and public and now threatens Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. I guess the lesson is an old one: watch what you say in politics, someone is listening and ready to tell the world about it...