I suppose my blogging bone is vibrating today.  According to this Vancourvite, the following clip is completely devoid of any lacking of journalistic integrity and is proof positive of Dion’s lack of comprehension of the English Language which is certainly important.  I…disagree.

First things first…this isn’t Stephen harper’s fault any anyone who uses this to talk about how cold and heartless he is is just engaging in political hackery.  Seriously, this is an issue of Dion’s ability to comprehend english and the journalistic integrity of those at CTV.  Now imagine for a second that you are speaking English as a second language.  With all my typos, I can think like some one who types it as a second language…so I’m almost there.  you there yet?  Good.  Now imagine the following question is posed to you.

If you were prime minister now, what would you have done that Mr harper has not done?

Ok…when I was watching the video and before I actually knew what it was about, (I saw this just by kicking around youtube before reading what bloggers were saying) I as a uni-lingual English speaker cocked my head at this question.  Where did the anchor pull this question from?  How can you ask some one what they would have done in the past if they were in a position to do something now in the present?  Shouldn’t a professional journalist know something about simple grammar and not mixing tenses of past and present?  I mean, if you can’t even ask a question right, what are you doing on the talkin’ picture box anyway?

Journalistic integrity was certainly bashed hard on this one.  Dion and the interviewing Conser…err…News dude agreed to start the question and interview segment again.  The interview was pre-recorded so this made sense and it is not unheard of by any means.  By airing this unedited material when the interviewer made no indication that it would be aired, he essentially shoved a red hot poker in the eye of his ethics creature…whatever an ethics creature may be.  It has eyes, I know that much.

So, set up a completely senseless question that doesn’t make sense in English.  Ask it of a French Canadian speaker and then put the confusion that ensues to air.  Smear job anyone?