Updated re Joan Sutton Straus e-mail and 'married' lesbian headingThe Toronto Star beat the Toronto Sun to its own story - political columnist Sue-Ann Levy is being wooed by the provincial Tories to run in St. Paul's riding.
Interesting story, but today's Sun noted it only briefly in one sentence at the end of Sue-Ann's column, a column that was not about her being wooed.
Was Sue-Ann, or the Sun, caught napping?
Anyway, should Sue-Ann decide to run in the by-election, she won't be the first Toronto Sun columnist or reporter to venture into politics.
The late, great Paul Rimstead ran for mayor of Toronto in the 1970s; Peter Worthington was a federal nominee in Broadview-Greenwood twice in the 1980s; Mark Bonokoski had a run at politics while in Ottawa; Dick Chapman was a municipal candidate.
Joan Sutton Straus, a Day Oner and former Lifestyle editor, tells TSF:
"I, too, was asked to run for the Tories, in the late 70s, to replace Roy McMurtry. There were many reasons why I chose not to do it, but one of them was Peter Worthington's decree that if I did so, I would have to take a leave of absence from the paper without pay."
If memory serves us correctly, the only successful Toronto Sun staffer in an election bid was Garth Turner, the finance writer who was first elected as an MP in 1988 and has been making waves on and off since then.
Meanwhile, the heading for the story at LifeSiteNews.com says Sue-Ann is a 'married' lesbian and we emphasize it is their quotes for married.
Was the story written by a 'married' man or edited by a 'married' woman?
In Canada, married is married.
One presumes that Ms. Levy will forego any perks provided to MPPs and spend not a nickel of her office budget.
ReplyDeleteMy current city councillor was the boyfriend of my next-door neighbour for many years and I'd see him regularly. After being elected (now in his second term), he has put on about 35 pounds, drives a much bigger car, has an assistant with him all the time, and talks only in political-speak, even at private backyard BBQs. Where once he was all about mom-and-pop and saving local parks for kids, he now only toes the company line (ie. a suck-up to the mayor) and has the re-election handshake down pat.
ReplyDeleteHow many times did Garth Turner change party affiliations?
While Sue-Ann means well, and I certainly wish her the best, I suspect she will change her song once she joins the choir. From speaking with many back-benchers over the years, both provincial and federal, I've learned that political office is not about performing your compositions but rather playing the sheet music you're handed.
Wouldn't it be better if politicians were elected based on their performance in a reality TV show: "Canada's Next Top Politician", "Political Idol", or just "Survivor" where the Liberal tribe has to defeat the Conservative and NDP tribes. Just think of the possibilities.
The late Ron Collister, columnist for the Edmonton Sun, also ran for politics, I think for the federal Tories, back in the 1970s. Of course the Edmonton Sun didn't exist yet so perhaps this point is moot.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how Sue-Ann feels about the Conservatives take on same-sex marriage?
ReplyDeleteI remember the Calgary Sun had an op-ed columnist named Stephen Harper but he was let go by the paper. I heard Stephen was going into politics. I wonder whatever happened to him?
ReplyDeleteActually, there is one Sun staffer other than Garth who did successfully run for office - Jim Brown, a Toronto Sun Day Oner who was a Tory MPP from 1995 to 1999. Now here's the interesting bit and maybe someone in the "Sun Family" can provide a background story - in 1999, due to redistribution, Brown and Liberal MPP Gerry Phillips had a head to head battle for Scarborough Agincourt. The Sun, despite it's pro-Mike Harris, pro-Tory leanings, endorsed Phillips in the context against Brown. I've always wondered what the real story is there.
ReplyDeleteOh, and one other failed Sun candidate - the iconoclastic Lubor J. Zink ran as a federal Tory in Parkdale in 1972 and 1974.