Association for Reformed Political Action not happy with media attention

The Executive Director of the Association for Reformed Political Action says bloggers and media are playing ‘gotcha’ politics. Why? Mark Penninga is upset there is public quoting and attention to an article on his website about Tim Hudak’s stance on abortion.

This month, a blogger happened to come across an article I wrote two years ago for the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada, a small Christian non-profit and non-partisan organization. That article profiled the leadership contenders for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. I gleaned information from where it was available and focused on a few social issues, including abortion, because they aren’t typically covered by the mainstream media, at least without the usual rhetoric.

It was what the article said about Hudak that sparked the firestorm of media attention last week. In answer to a letter, someone from Hudak’s campaign had informed one of our readers that Hudak was pro-life and had signed a petition about abortion funding. I thought that was worth noting, given our audience. But it sure wasn’t extraordinary. The article contained similar comments about each of the candidates.

Two years later, a blogger happened to do some Googling, came across this article, and thought it was worthy of a post given that Hudak is now running for premier. That in turn was picked up by Liberal spin-doctor Warren Kinsella. That was understandable, given the Internet age and the current election campaign. What is baffling is that a day or two later the story filled headlines in more than a dozen newspapers across Ontario. Hudak had to answer reporters about his views on abortion and Premier Dalton McGuinty was adding his challenges not long after.

Oh. A candidate for the office of Premier of Ontario has to answer questions? Don’t Ontario voters have a right to know where someone running for public office stands? Guess not.

I agree with Dr. Dawg. This is not ‘gotcha politics’. It is called knowing the candidates record. And if Mr. Penninga   is upset he has to defend what he wrote, oh well.

The Canadian Press published the story without even verifying any of the content by contacting ARPA Canada. In fact, through the whole ordeal, only one newspaper (the Toronto Star) bothered to call or email us to verify anything. After all, the facts tend to get in the way of a juicy story. As a result, many of the articles were inaccurate. The media trusted a blogger with a chip on his/her shoulder, who relied on Google, which found an old article on our site, which most of the press didn’t even verify. Is that going to be the basis for our public debate? The media gets away with it because the focus of the article is abortion, a topic deemed too sensitive for politicians to risk their career over.

Penninga is a former Research Assistant for Focus on the Family Canada. He has gotcha, as well as shoot the messenger, blame the media and I’m a victim messages down pat. Association for Reformed Political Action  is clear one of it’s political goals is working on a couple of specific policy goals – one of which is abortion. Penninga did an internship with MP Maurice Vellacott, so he is a master at playing political blame games and rhetoric.

What did Fern Hill of Dammit Janet dig up on the ARPA site about Hudak Penninga wrote that has Penninga so upset? Here you go.

[See note at the top of this article] In an email to an ARPA Contact, a Hudak campaign spokesperson made it clear that he is pro-life and has signed petitions calling for abortion defunding and conscience legislation. The same email mentioned that he strongly agrees with conscience protection for health care workers. Added to this he has recently made it clear that the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal should be scrapped.

No misquote. No need to have media and bloggers call Penninga to source or verify. And since Mr. Penninga can get his voice in The Toronto Star, and Fern was told by a TO Star staffer that she can’t,  here is Fern Hill’s rebuttal. As much as Penninga missteps on this, his whine is not the issue. Hudak’s position on abortion funding is, informed voters are, and Fern’s question stands. Hudak’s response.

via: unrepentant old hippie