Ultimately, Turner may go down as the first “Internet politician” in Canadian history. But he might also go down as the first politician undone by the medium he embraces. - McLeans Magazine

Canadian political blogs are in an uproar after a rumour posted a couple of weeks ago on a conservative blog called What’s Right is Right was picked up today by the Ottawa Press Gallery. The rumour involved Turner running out of money, has led up to talk he is getting read for a spring election, and the Halton Liberal Association being notified he is crossing.
Let’s put it this way, the political blogs are saying a lot of things right now, and people are reacting to traditional media picking this up.

Liberals, conservatives, progressives are piling online to post and chase the rumour that Halton Independent MP Garth Turner is going Liberal. CTV is reporting Turner is holding a joint a press conference at 5 PM Ottawa time.

“I understand negotiations are ongoing now and Liberal party insiders say that they expect that Mr. Turner and Liberal Leader Stephane Dion will make that announcement this afternoon.”

The Press conference call is also up on Turners blog, but there is no mention of joint or Dion.

The Libblogs
The Blogging Tories
Garth Turner - wiki

The blog bursts are occurring at The Blogging Tories and The Lib Blogs.  Turners blog was down earlier today for maintenance - which has fueled speculation he was deleting posts, editing and changing colours. Commenters are busy.

CTV Political Blog was scrambling.
If you want to follow the conversations, type in Garth Turner in the blog search engine Technorati.

I’ll wait until it comes straight from the horses mouth.

Update: 5 PM Press Conference (CBC Newsworld) Halton MP Garth Turner

Stephane Dion welcomes Garth Turner to the Liberal Party by giving Turners credentials (Dion’s english is really rough) “The Liberal Party is the party of the large centre.” Traditional change party remarks.

Turner. “I did not change my positions, I found a freedom as an independent, but there are drawbacks. I cannot use my business experience, I cannot use tax receipts to donors, I came to get some goals accomplished. I owe it to the voters to ask how best to accomplish these goals. The Progressive Conservative Party is gone, as is the Reform Party. Today the Liberal Party is as close to my Tory roots as possible. ”

Gives his reasons he doesn’t like Harper. “Dion knows I’m a pain. He understands my passion for communicating with voters and Dion is allowing me to be my own person.”

How is this consistent with my positions with floor crossing? “I did not leave my party, my party left me.  We are perhaps a few weeks or a few months from an election, I am going to challenge Harper to call by-elections in Mississauga-Streetsville, Vancouver-Kingsway and in Quebec.”

“To my riding. I challenge Harper to call a forth by-election in Halton. It’s up to you.”

Dion: “We’ve had frank discussions about Garth’s outspokeness, he has explained the problems he has had with Harper. I have a collegial staff but we need to go one direction.”

Reporters have veered off into asking Stephane Dion about Prime Minister Stephen Harpers actions today.

It is up to the Halton voters now.

Turners video
Announcement
Stephen Harper today