The Second Fair Deal Podcast, Sponsored by Grassroots Enterprise, Can Be Downloaded Here (right-click on the link, save target as…grab the MP3 file).

(If you don’t know what a podcast is, then go here and watch a four minute movie about it).

This is the second Podcast from Grassroots Enterprise that featured the Fair Deal campaign (check out this post to listen to the first podcast and learn more about Fair Deal).

This Podcast features 20 minutes and 57 seconds of spills, chills and intrigue, as one American observer talks to yours truly about recent events on the Fair Deal website. We delve into the targeting of Loyola Hearn and Norm Doyle last week, the Stronach incident, the comparatively boring American political climate, getting yelled at by the LEFT and the RIGHT, Fair Deal strategy as the Accord legislation “plods through the entrails of Parliament", and most importantly, a victorious pronunciation of the word “NewfoundLAND” by the interviewer. This is historic.

Hey, if you listen to this Podcast, then please drop me a line or leave a comment. If you really love this Podcast and would like to subscribe, then be sure to visit Podcast Alley. Vote for the Grassroots Enterprise Podcast feed.

Special thanks to the intrepid media-maven Mike Panetta for his audio expertise.

Off to a long weekend. Current action trickling away, with over 26,000 letters sent to the Liberal MPs and Paul Martin. Next week, keep the pressure on. Take Action here, if you haven’t already.

Earlier this week I threw out a post asking people for their favorite Newfoundland and Labrador Blogs – either based in the province, focused on the province, or written by someone from the province. I thought it would be a good opportunity to highlight some of the NL-based blogwriters out there – regardless of their political leaning (I always have to submit that caveat it seems on this site).

The results are in, so here’s what has come back. I’ve added a few of my own links, and I added the blog name and tagline if it was available, along with the location. Thanks to everyone who contacted me on this little project. I think this would be a good list to maintain, and having met many in the blogging community in Washington D.C., I can say that it’s a positive thing when bloggers connect.

The list is in no particular order. The only connecting factor in the list is that the author either lives in Newfoundland and Labrador or is from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Any bloggers back home who’d like to organize a happy hour at the end of June? I’ll be in town. We could have an inaugural happy hour of the NLBA (NL Blog Army). Leave politics at the door.

Me (Kevin McCann, Fair Deal For Newfoundland and Labrador)
http://www.FairDealForNewfoundland.com
Washington, D.C.

John Gushue . . . Dot Dot Dot
Points east from a St. John’s-based, ellipsis-friendly journalist …
Dot-Dot-Dot is Morse code for the letter S, the content of the transatlantic transmission received at Signal Hill in 1901.
http://johngushue.typepad.com/
St. John’s

The Sir Robert Bond Papers
The Why Incision on Politics and the News Media
http://bondpapers.blogspot.com/
St. John’s

Shootin’ off with Amy
http://www.amymartin.nl/
New York, New York

Greg Locke
Journalism, Photography, News, Analysis
http://blog.greglocke.com/
(and most recently http://blog.canadianjournalist.ca/)
St. John’s

Boswarlos Daily
Barry Stagg’s Toronto Town And Country
http://barrystagg.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Toronto

Daimnation!
Manufacturing consent since 2001
http://www.damianpenny.com/
Corner Brook

Alan Doyle
Occasional Tour Diary (not currently touring)
Great Big Sea, From The Road
http://www.greatbigsea.com/thetour/fromroad.cfm
St. John’s and Everywhere Else

MBA on the Rock
Just a typical MBA looking for a place to vent on a wide variety of topics.
http://rockmba.blogspot.com/
St. John’s

WJM
http://labradore.blogspot.com/

Responsible Government League
Analysis and commentary on Public Policy Issues affecting Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as some global issues.
http://responsiblegovernmentleague.blogspot.com/
Halifax St. John’s, via Buchans

Rj:Product
Pop Culture through a “Newfoundland-filter".
http://www.rjproduct.ca/

Fickle Fish
http://www.ficklefish.net/

MindBin
CS student a MUN
http://mindbin.net/
St. John’s

Duleepa Wijayawardhana (Dups)
Blog, Travels, Photos and More…
http://dups.ca/
Edmonton

THE BIG WHY
Journey with author Michael Winter as he travels Canada reading from his brand new novel, The Big Why.
http://mhardywinter.blogspot.com/

Ranting and Roaring
David Janes, BlogMatrix Founder
http://blog.davidjanes.com/

Matthew Hollett
non*glossy photoblog of a twenty-three-year-old artist living in Montreal, Canada, originally from Newfoundland.
http://www.matthewhollett.com/nonglossy/

Raphael Borja
St. John’s & Clarenville
http://cvillian.blogspot.com/

Web Talk - Newfoundland and Labrador (Myles Higgins)
http://freenewfoundlandlabrador.blogspot.com/

Joan’s Kitchen
Clarenville
http://joanskitchen.blogspot.com/

Any corrections, additions, modifications? Is there an organized NL Blog group in existence already?

I just received a note from Loyola Hearn’s office, pointing me to this release which has been posted since last Friday:

I don’t care what approach is used here. All I care about, and what I’m asking legislators to do in good faith, is to sort out the semantics for themselves. Just make the deal a reality as soon as possible. Please - make it law before the end of the summer session. We do not want the Accord unsettled come fall; we’d be at obvious risk for losing what we have gained with another looming federal election.

Hearn’s full release is available here.

Start contacting the Finance Committee here.

Call or send a fax to your direct Member of Parliament here.

Ask Paul Martin, Ralph Goodale and Liberal MPs to fast track the deal – the best way possible – here.

Our legislators need to know that we expect action on this bill before the party wranglings begin again.

I said repeatedly last week that this campaign was outside of the fray of party politics – that this campaign has as its only goal the enactment of the new Atlantic Accord. One of the ways to achieve this is through direct legislative pressure, wherein citizens attempt to influence the thinking of an elected official through mass action. We’ve seen Members of Parliament acknowledge this kind of pressure, and we’ve seen the Prime Minister of Canada respond to online activity.

This is well and good, but the other – and perhaps more important way to keep the Accord legislation a high priority – is to keep the Accord issue somewhere on the radar of journalists across the country. Tug on the coat of newspaper editors, call an open line show, call the office of your Member of Parliament – all of these kinds of activities can contribute to a low hum of activity that the media will pay attention to. Politicians will be more reluctant to delay passage of this bill if they know that voters are paying attention. They are even more reluctant to delay passage if they know that the media still sees the Accord saga as a story. Keep the pressure on, take action, contact your direct Member of Parliament. Contact the Finance Committee, who will deal with the Accord next.

And guess what? The media pays attention not only to mass-action movements like this one, but the Globe and Mail reports today that blogs are “moving mainstream":

This I just had to share: I can affirm that there is one less rat in Washington D.C. today. I ran over one on my mountain bike on the way home from work. Right in front of the Whitehouse. I’m not kidding.

Last week this campaign asked supporters to contact Loyola Hearn and Norm Doyle (Conservative Party MPs), asking them to keep the Accord deal alive by voting against their party. The reasoning was clear: don’t gamble on another promise. Get the deal now and vote to bring down the government later.

Paul Martin’s Liberal government survived, and since the vote last Thursday, the Conservatives – including Hearn, Doyle and Premier Williams – have asked that the Accord legislation be treated with expedience. Fast track the deal to get it working for the province as soon as possible.

Why target the Liberal MPs and Paul Martin? The Liberal government is still in jeopardy of falling in the coming weeks or months. The Accord deal, four months after it was signed and promised to the people of the province, needs to become a reality by the end of the next parliamentary session. The Liberals, regardless of challenges from other parties, should work with their colleagues across the isle to make this happen. Now it’s their turn to push party politics aside and fast track this deal.

The Fair Deal campaign was founded to push for a new Atlantic Accord and for what’s economically beneficial for the province. This campaign has no party affiliation. The Liberals have already been asked to fast track the deal by some of the other major parties. It’s time they heeded that call.

If you haven’t sent your letter yet, click here to do so now.

Indulge me in a bid to increase awareness of Newfoundland and Labrador bloggers – regardless of political leaning or affiliation! Many folks have been visiting this site lately and this a great opportunity to publicize the NL blogging universe.

If you are a Newfoundlander or Labradorian living away or in the province with your own blog, leave a comment with a link.

Let’s throw caution to the wind here. If you have a list of NL blogs that you visit regularly, like mine over there on the right, leave a comment with your list!

The Globe & Mail writes today:

A Quick Note: I’ll be on CBC radio this Friday morning, about 9:10 am, 640 on the dial. May 20th.

Great conversation in the comments section and suggestions of the next approach. Keep ‘em coming.

By the way, this campaign featured again on the CBC NL home page:

Premier Danny Williams sticks to his guns in this article, but I found this quote most interesting:

Let’s see what happens today, and take up the fight from there. Thanks to all who sent a letter. I hope I’ll find common ground again with those who didn’t.

On another note, does anyone else think that the “jilted lover” line is an overplayed mistake by Peter McKay? The line could be completely valid, but this public opera seems a little too public, for both Stronach and MacKay. The press is just loving this: MacKay hadn’t slept in two days and went home to “nurse his heavy heart". The torrid night in Pictou County is just begging for the Jackie Collins treatment or fan fiction.

The Conservative Caucus will vote in favour of the budget, and therefore in favour of the Atlantic Accord that’s on the books. However, the Liberal government still could fall because the Conservatives plan to vote against a second budget bill that caters to the NDP.

If the Liberal government falls, then the Accord as we know it falls with it. This move by the Conservatives gives Hearn and Doyle political cover: they can say that they voted for the Accord – which would be accurate – but still vote with their party to force an election.

For my part, I’m not happy with this result. The purpose of this effort is to secure the Accord now and get it working for us now. That hasn’t happened yet.

On the one hand, the two targets of this campaign have felt our pressure and party policy has shifted. We’ve demonstrated again that mass online action constitutes real political pressure. On the other hand, we are still uncertain of the Accord’s future. Stronach’s move yesterday erodes the Conservative chances of taking down the government, but the Conservative positioning last night still gives them a real chance to force an election. A political turn of events indeed.

What’s next? This is a massive bit of political maneuvering to contend with. We have accomplished much, but maybe not much at all. There isn’t enough time for this campaign to react before tomorrow’s vote, but there are things to be done in the fallout. The core of the Conservative party is bent on having another Canadian election right now. This driving force might be too much to contend with as we continue to ask our elected MPs to put constituents above party ambition.

The CBC story here.

The Telegram Story:

VOCM Open Line is reporting that the Accord is safe: Doyle and Hearn will vote for the budget on Thursday, thereby keeping the Accord agreement alive. More later as I confirm….

UPDATE: It seems that the Conservative Caucus will vote against the NDP amendment to the budget, which means that unless an independent votes to support it the government will still fall. But it seems the Hearn and Doyle are choosing to vote for the budget, and thus for the Accord. Still searching for more information on this…

CONFIRMED: Doyle and Hearn will be voting for the budget with their caucus – just reported by VOCM. More work to be done, and more analysis to be sure, but this is good news.

Globe and Mail coverage (though they were scooped by VOCM).

A online campaign that started with a few dozen now has a personal response from Ralph Goodale, Finance Minister of Canada, and the Honourable Loyola Hearn. Not to mention Premier Williams’ thank you to the Fair Deal community. I mention this now because everyone who took part in this effort, either now or last January, should see this as a small victory. It shows that (1) our elected leaders have read and listened to our concerns and (2) they have considered them enough to respond. Responding was a good move by Mr. Hearn.

On to addressing the response: A vote for the budget won’t guarantee the Atlantic accord but it will move it along considerably. A vote against the budget bill, on the other hand, will guarantee the death of the accord as we know it. If the Accord dies on Thursday, then the show is over, and to beat a cliche´ to death: all bets are off. Neither Mr. Hearn nor anyone else can predict the face of Parliament – and the likelihood of passing new Accord legislation – should the current government fall. Our covenant is with the party in power; we are back to square-one under new leadership. I do not think that such a risk is justifiable for this province, and I believe that anyone who does is putting party fealty before provincial reality.

Hearn’s letter goes on to ask “What is the quickest way now to get the Atlantic Accord?” Predictably, the answer is “Defeat the Liberals.” Well, I’m tired of predictability. Nine times out of ten you can predict the line a politician will take by the colour that they wear. Breaking ranks is a hard thing to do, but when it happens, it’s a refreshing moment of honesty in a world of memorized talking points. It’s a spark of rebellion in a forgone conclusion. It’s what I’m asking Hearn and Doyle to do, as are thousands more. Step off the party bandwagon, look to the people who put you in power, and act first on behalf of their needs.

All that said, I believe that Mr. Hearn and Mr. Doyle are sincere in their belief that they will be doing the right thing by defeating the budget – if they still choose to do so. However, the St. John’s Board of Trade disagrees with them, as does Premier Danny Williams, as do I, as do many other Newfoundlanders and Labradorians living in the province and away. Too often the needs of our resource-rich land have taken a back seat to political maneuvering in Canada’s capital. Norm Doyle and Loyola Hearn shouldn’t let it happen again.

UPDATE II: I’ll be on Globe TV sometime this evening talking about this phase of the campaign. Not sure when, exactly, but I’ll be there.

UPDATE I: Loyola Hearn is responding to the Fair Deal community with a form letter. This is great news as I applaud any politician who takes the extra step to communicate with citizens (whether we agree with the response or not). I’ll have to give my thoughts on the letter later in the day, however. All thoughts on his response are welcome here!

Globe and Mail:

Stronach found herself ” ‘…at a crossroads,’ adding that she has become uncomfortable with the direction that Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has been taking the party". She’ll be called a sellout, a liar, a crook, and a prostitute just for good measure.

Here’s another way to look at it: she looked at her party and could not in good conscience stay with it. So she went with what she thought was best.

While I don’t know what prompted Stronach’s move (and those who will start dragging her through the mud certainly don’t either), Mr. Hearn and Mr. Doyle are at a similar crossroads: go with the party, or go with the province by voting for the budget this week. That said, I’m sure that Mr. Hearn and Mr. Doyle will base their decisions on what they think is best, and in the end, not vote simply for the good of their party. I believe that whatever vote they cast, they will have firm commitment that they are doing the right thing – though I may disagree with them at the end of the day. The Fair Deal community should react either way, and these letters should help Hearn and Doyle make a more informed decision based on the will of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at home (and abroad).

Snippets from a Telegram article:

From today’s National Post:

Globe and Mail:

The most common argument against this action:

Now, Conservative supporters (some of them bloggers) are hurling condemnation. Suddenly I’m branded a Martin supporter, a soulless wretch canoodling with Liberal crooks and gritty pirates.

Side note: hate mail from both the left and the right is equally venomous. Really mad Conservatives tend to use ALL CAPS more than Liberals, while the latter are prone to cursing more than their counterparts. I think there’s an anthropology paper in this somewhere.

Though my allegiance might be muddy for some, it is crystal clear to me: my objective now and always has been to rally support for action in Ottawa that will benefit Newfoundland and Labrador. I am equally dedicated to annoying and harassing both the left and the right in this enterprise. That should be abundantly clear. If I used this platform for partisan purposes I would be just another party mouthpiece, and Newfoundland and Labrador already has too many of those.

The fight over who gets the most red seats and the most blue seats can and should come later. Looking at the Accord through a purely partisan lens is a mistake, particularly with the spectre of the Bloc looming in the background – the only party who has said that they would deny the Accord.

The first priority of Newfoundland and Labrador’s representatives in Ottawa should be to the wellbeing of their province – not to the health of their political party.

4700 letters in the past 24 hours. Keep them coming.

Recent snippets from emails and comments:

Let me repeat the aim of this campaign: get a fair deal for Newfoundland and Labrador – regardless of political preference. Our best opportunity for making the new Accord a reality is passage of this budget. If this budget fails, all we have are the promises of a politician running for office, and the prospect of a stronger Bloc to contend with.

With all due respect for those who choose to serve in public office: I’d rather floss my teeth with a wounded rattlesnake than put blind faith in yet another election promise.

The current minority government can be taken down at any time. Newfoundland and Labrador MPs understand this, our Premier understands this, and that is why it is important now to get the deal that’s on the books. Whatever the outcome of Thursday’s vote, we must stay vigilant and keep the Accord front and centre.

I’ll be talking about this stage of the campaign Monday morning, CBC Radio, 640 on the dial in St. John’s, the 8:00 am hour.

7458 letters to Norm Doyle and Loyola Hearn at 10:03 pm Sunday night – about 32 hours.

On a different note: if you haven’t checked out Rob Antle’s investigative reporting on the seal hunt, you should. Go to The Telegram and scroll down to the bottom. Stories in the left column.

While the majority of feedback for this part of the campaign has been positive (see the number on your right) here are some snippets from emails and comments, written with absolute conviction:

Picture this: there’s a used car salesman standing in front of you with a signed contract for a deal that you want. Let’s say it’s a shiny new Honda for $10,000. A good deal, I would say.

Are you going to turn down a $10,000 Honda for what the used car salesman down the street might offer you? Give me a break. There is no certainty beyond this budget vote.

There is a clear choice for two Newfoundland and Labrador MPs. If the government falls this week, then you can bet our focus will stay on the deal, and you can bet that the next governing party will be expected to live up to their promises. But I’m not willing to let the cards fall where they may. This campaign is about one thing and one thing only: the deal. Blind conviction for any elected politician is a treacherous endeavour. All promises can’t be kept; passing the budget is the best chance Newfoundland and Labrador has to get the Atlantic Accord working for us now.

One other thing: during the letter-to-Martin period of this campaign, I got hundreds of emails from lefties telling me that I’m ruining Canada. Lots of praise from the Conservatives. During this letter-to-Doyle-and-Hearn period, I’m starting to get emails from people on the right telling me I’m ruining Canada, and lots of praise from the Liberals. By this logic, if I based my decisions on the advice of either party, I’d never leave my house.

Keep the letters coming – we just cracked 2400.

From the Globe and Mail yesterday:

Option 1: Vote with their Party
Vote against the Liberal budget that contains the new Atlantic Accord, defeating the Accord legislation by bringing down the government.

Option 2: Vote with their Province
Vote for the Liberal budget that contains the new Atlantic Accord, thereby keeping the Liberals in power a little longer, but saving the new Atlantic Accord deal.

Let me weigh these options for about half a nanosecond before delivering my position.

They must choose to act in the best interests of their province. They must choose Option 2.

Here’s why: the minority Liberal government will fall and there will be an election. This is a certainty. Voting down the budget with the Atlantic Accord goes against all the hard work over the past year. Premier Danny Williams’ efforts to get Martin to honour his promise; the thousands of letters and faxes sent by the Fair Deal community; the lobbying efforts undertaken by Hearn and Doyle themselves to get a new deal. If the Liberal budget is defeated, then the deal is in danger. They must choose to vote for their province today; side with their party another time.

Some will say that Conservative leader Stephen Harper has made a commitment to honour the deal should he win power. To this I reply: “A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush". We can’t take that chance. Our deal is front of us now, and we must get it. Our Members of Parliament, specifically Norm Doyle and Loyola Hearn, need to do the right thing. Stand with their party later. Stand with Newfoundland and Labrador now.

If you haven’t sent a letter to MPs Doyle and Hearn, click here.