A message worth copying

The management of Progressive Bloggers offers an anti-endorsement against Sarmite Bulte and Bev Oda based on the funding sources of the two heirs to the Heritage Ministry:

Here at Progressive Bloggers, we agree with Professor Geist and the growing chorus of others who are not comfortable with the appearance of American-style lobby-group politics in Canada. In the US, the Republicans, led by Tom Delay and his supporters (most notable among those the recently convicted lobbyist Jack Abramhoff) have shown how this type of influence can lead to corruption and pork-barrel politics and can seriously endanger the political process's integrity. We at Progressive Bloggers want nothing to do with this, and want it kept out of Canada.

Therefore, the staff at Progressive Bloggers are announcing our opposition to Sam Buite's and Bev Oda's attempts to be re-elected, and we ask the voters of those respective ridings to vote for a candidate who is not beholden to the pro-copyright lobbyists, and to oust them.

It seems clear that both Bulte and Oda have an advantage over their rivals based on the added funding from the copyright lobby. But it's the voters who'll get to decide whether or not to allow that advantage to stand. And if they make a strong enough statement that such meddling in our election won't go unpunished, that could do wonders to help prevent similar interference in the future.