The Cormac MacSweeney Blog - 660News Calgary

So the other day I was at a Tim Hortons talking to people for my story on the Moose being killed by police after it got too close to the airport.

When the day was done…or at least that part of my shift…I tried starting up the cruiser.

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK

Nothing.

The battery was shot (for the time being) and I couldn’t start the engine. I rolled my eyes and groaned. There’s nothing worse for a reporter who wants to finish his day than being stuck with a vehicle that just doesn’t work. I’m just lucky I was at a Tim Hortons and not in the middle of nowhere.

I only had to ask two people before I had ensured a boost. The first guy parked way too far and wasn’t ready to leave the Tim’s yet. The next one up had absolutely no problem with it. He pulled right up next to me and we gave the cruiser a jolt of electricity.

The problem is I can’t remember his name. I remember he worked for SMART Technologies but that’s it.

So whoever you are…thank you again.

Here’s something to make you say “duh!”

Dave Taylor (a Calgary MLA) has confirmed what was a given since the last election. The former radio host turned politician is going to run to take over for Kevin Taft.

Like the Flames not making the playoffs or a chinook in calgary, it was expected. Taylor is now a contender in the fight to become the next leader of the Alberta Liberal Party.

Since this is the only exciting thing going on in the political world right now I have been building contacts and trying to get the ins and outs of everything.

A couple of sources confirmed to me late Tuesday that he is starting his campaign…and that meant a 660News exclusive for the Morning Show…before Taylor even made the announcement.

None of the newspapers had it and I didn’t hear it on CHQR in the morning. It’s always a proud moment for a journalist to have a good story that no one else has.

But Taylor may not be the only one that is throwing his name into the hat. A couple of current MLA’s and even a couple of former MLA’s are rumoured to be getting into the game.

Finance critic Laurie Blakeman and Environment critic David Swann have long been expected to be leadership competitors…although Swann seems hesitant to try for the top job. Most say Blakeman is a given to be the strong player from Edmonton.

They may be joined by a couple of guys who are coming out of political defeat to become a party leader without a seat in the legislature…which is very difficult to do. Rick Miller and Mo Elsalhy are two former MLA’s from Edmonton who have their eyes on the top job.

The speculation is getting so crazy about this leadership race I’ve even heard that someone is trying to get former Prime Minister Joe Clark to run. I highly doubt that will come to fruition but if it ends up happening you read it here first.

Everybody shed a tear and give your liver a break. The greatest outdoor show on earth has ended for another year.

While we didn’t set another record year for attendance, more than 1.2 million people walked through the gates and I’m sure there aren’t many people out there who hit the grounds and didn’t have a good time.

For me this year’s stampede brought me a couple of firsts. It’s the first year I got to do the Junior Reporter for BMO Kids Day, and it’s the first year I was able to check out the Chuckwagon Races.

The Junior Reporter event was a blast…a long day but a blast none the less. Charlotte and John were the twelve year olds that followed me around the Stampede all day and got to do my job.

We started off at the kid’s stampede breakfast at the Grandstand, then it was off to some interviews from other media stations, then for a bite to eat, and finally a full blown rodeo experience with a behind the scenes tour.

The J.R.’s were great and we all had a blast walking around the grounds interviewing patrons, police and yes even a couple of cowboys.

Next up to discuss…the Chucks. It was my third stampede and only the first time I was able to catch the Rangeland Derby. I must admit something though, and it could upset some of you, I was kind of let down.

Since coming to the city all I’ve heard about is the Chuckwagon races. When I finally got to see them I didn’t think it was a better event than the rodeo at all. Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast and loved being right at the fence watching the mud fly, but it just wan’t all it was cracked up to be.

I guess I let the hype build up my expectations and that’s usually never a good thing. Just to be clear (so I don’t get a zillion angry e-mails) I will go to the Chucks again, and I had a blast this time around. My point is that people made it out to be more than it is and although a good time, I’d choose the rodeo if I could only make it to one event.

None-the-less I am sad to see the Stampede go and I’ll be waiting for the next 11 months and whatever days until the greatest outdoor show on earth starts up again.

I have been visiting the Stampede a bit and I am now starting to feel a tad burnt out.

I love heading down there and catching the rodeo or throwing some darts at balloons to win a stuffed Tweety … but after heading to the grounds for a few days, with a round of golf in between, and reporting from the Premier’s Stampede Breakfast, I feel like I need to sleep for about a week straight.

I know I am laying down a little early this year but late nights and early mornings can catch up to you very quickly. Maybe I’ll feel a bit different after going to bed at 6 tonight and sleeping for 9 hours.

I’ll be back down at the grounds at least twice and I know I’ll have a lot of fun but I am nervous about what I’m in for after such partying. Tomorrow I will be escorting my lovely girlfriend to the grounds and then on Wednesday I am escorting the BMO Junior Reporters around the grounds for kids day. I know I’ll be fine that day because the two lucky kids see, full of excitement and energy and they’ll keep me going.

After the whole thing I may be suffering from a “Stampede hangover.”

For the moment though I just want to sleep. I think after a good nights rest, all I’ll need is to slam back a Red Bull and enter the gates and I’ll be fine.

I am full of corndogs, beer, and the cowboy spirit. Okay, maybe not now but I will be soon when I make my way to the grounds to take in this years stampede. Like many others I will pig out and act like an idiot … but it’s completely acceptable as long as I wear a cowboy hat.

This will be my third Stampede, but I must admit something I feel guilty about … I have yet to go to the parade. I have been stuck working every year and have never had the chance to see the floats, horses, and clowns. If I did get the chance, I’m sure it would be because I’m working which would probably diminish the fun of it all. At the same time it would probably be the funnest story ever.

Maybe that’s why Kevin Usselman has dibs on the parade story every year.

My favourite thing about the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth is actually the rodeo. The midway and food kiosks are fun and all, but coming from Toronto I grew up with that at the CNE. This is why I can’t wait to see some cowboys bucked off a bull or horse.

I’m going right after work and I hope to see you there.

For the second time in about a week, I have slept in. You may not have noticed any difference at all but it happened and I’m not proud of it.

I generally wake up at 3 a.m. so I can take the dog out, make my lunch, shower, brush my teeth and take off for work around 4 a.m. Technically my shift doesn’t start until 5 a.m. but I usually like to get in a half hour earlier so I am not rushed.

Today I woke up around 20 minutes to 5 and didn’t know how the heck it happened. I have two alarms yet managed to, in a half sleep, turn them both off and continue to sleep. Thanks to my cat clawing at my girlfriend’s face and waking her up, I actually got my story on the air in the nick of time.

I called my editor Radana immediately and asked her what my story was. If I had to head into the station I was going to be late, but if I had to go to a select location, I would be fine to jump in my car and get there as fast as possible.

Thankfully I had to go to a Tim Horton’s for the lawsuit story … its franchisees are suing the company over doughnuts … so I just drove to a Tim’s near my home and talked with coffee addicts.

Everything ended up being fine … just like last week when a similar issue came up … and nobody died. The problem is my whole day gets a little out of whack when I sleep in and I get worried. I lucked out twice but it is evident when I miss a few live hits and tens of thousands can hear. Also if I’m rushed, my reports are lesser quality and the whole station suffers.

Although I’ve dodged the bullet a couple of times, I have to make sure it doesn’t happen again, otherwise I’ll get a talking to from my boss. It’s not a common occurance, just twice or three times in the past couple of years, but it can mean serious problems for the station and I can’t afford to be a problem reporter.

Maybe I should start going to bed at 5 p.m. to make sure I’m up when I’m supposed to be up.

I know this is a little late, but I need to get my opinion in on this one.

I normally don’t give my opinion on news stories but I’m willing to take a “speaking to” from the boss just to stand up for something that I feel passionately about. Also it’s a chance to bash a national competitor.

By now we all know the Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) theme is no more. Well, its still here just with a different station. CTV has picked up the rights to the song which has been associated with the CBC for decades. CTV owns TSN, so coupled with their new fat contract with the NHL we may be turning to a different station for our hockey fix. TSN now has about 70 games on their broadcast list with a Canadian team in each one…but they are still shut out of Saturday nights.

None the less if CBC is having a hockey broadcast garage sale, we could see Don Cherry making his way to a new network. We all remember the contract issues that have come up over the last few years…and we know CTV has the cash in their pockets to steal another piece of Canadian heritage from the CBC. I wouldn’t blame them if they even tried to steal the name “Hockey Night in Canada”.

One of the many excuses I have heard from officials at our public broadcaster is that they are in charge of our money and need to spend it wisely. I’m sure if they did a survey of Canadians, we would have wanted to keep the theme rather than see it go to another station.

I’m not sure if the head honchos at the CBC had too many pucks fired at their heads but the decision making process there seems out of touch with our views and values. It’s incredibly sad but I’m sure it’s a reality, more people would probably get into a fight with an American if the HNIC theme is disgraced than if the national anthem was mocked. I call it “incredibly sad” because I love this country more than a hockey song…but with hockey and Canada pretty much synonymous, I guess it makes sense.

I truly believe the only way the CBC can save face on this one is to make Stompin Tom Connors’ “Hockey Song” the new theme. Other than that it will be one of the biggest mistakes regarding our heritage in my lifetime…and probably yours.

If you want a good laugh check out what Stephen Colbert had to say about the subject.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kx5a__Osfpw

So on Thursday I did a couple of interviews with some political scientists regarding the state of the opposition in Alberta. It didn’t turn into a story that we aired but I’ll make it into a blog because it’s interesting for political nerds.

Recently a new website popped up called newliberal.ca which is basically an essay about what needs to change with the grits in this province. In a nutshell the “new” liberal movement is a push to overhaul everything in the organization, from the constituency associations up to the executive council, except for the name. It even calls for a change of logo and colours.

So will this work for the official opposition or is this all a lost hope? I guess it all depends on who you talk to. Dr. Faron Ellis with Lethbridge College claims there is no hope for the Liberals even with a “new” in front of the name. He says despite what they do, the political climate in the province is setting them up to forever be losers. People in this province tend to see established opposition parties as inadequate because they can’t win elections.

This isn’t all opinion and speculation either, he has proof to back it up. Just look at the history of Alberta’s elections. In 1921 the Liberals were ousted by the newly formed United Farmers of Alberta, then in 1935 the Social Credit Party (also brand new by election time) practically swept the floor, and finally in 1971 Peter Lougheed’s rookie PC’s took the legislature and have never given it back.

What does this imply? Albertans want new parties, not old and tired oppositions. Ellis says if the PCs are to be thrown from power it will take a well organized new party to come out of the woodwork to do so.

But Duane Bratt with Mount Royal College isn’t as quick to try and pull a Preston Manning in the world of Alberta Politics. He says its not impossible for them to win under the “Liberal” name but it’s obvious the Liberal Party needs to completely overhaul itself to stand a fighting chance. New leader, new organization, new fundraising techniques…the whole shebang.

While that is what this “New Liberal” movement is calling for, Bratt says the written plan on the website has some flaws. First off the writers, a few younger members involved in the Liberal Party, haven’t identified what problems the party had in the last election. What did they exactly mess up during the campaign to screw up a perfect opportunity to advance their seat count? They also don’t talk about leadership…which is an issue that definitely needs to be addressed. Finally they don’t discuss policies. If you want to rebuild you need direction, otherwise you are an aimless party, you need something to stand for.

Bratt believes it’s not impossible but there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Both political scientists agree a merger with the NDP is not a good idea.

So what do you think should be done? Are you a disaffected Tory supporter who can stand the Liberals? Would you like to see a new party arise that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal?

Or are you a diehard Liberal who believes the organization can survive and claim victory if you just fix the problems with the party? Don’t say it can’t be done…Laurence Decore was a serious threat to the PC’s (probably the best leader for the party in the last 50-100 years) but unfortunately for the Liberals, he was the baby thrown out with the bath water when his team won 32 seats in 1993.

Support staff are going on strike at all public schools in Calgary. This isn’t exactly new, we heard about this on Friday when strike notice was served.

But tomorrow is the big day. Staff will be picketing at select schools and the Calgary Board Education headquarters on Macleod Trail. This is going to be a big hassle for teachers and students without the help of teachers assistants, lunchroom supervisors, etc.

In fact two schools have already announced they’ll be closed because of this. Christine Meikle & Emily Follensbee schools are schools that heavily deal with special needs children, so without the support staff they can’t operate.

I’m going to steer clear of my opinion on the matter … and rightfully so, I’m a journalist. Either way the children will be effected by this job action and so will the good men and women that teach them. Nobody wins and I’m sure we all wish for a quick end to a strike that can last until the new school year begins.

Tune into 660News tomorrow to hear what parents have to say about all of this, how those on the picket lines feel and what we’ve heard from the Calgary Board of Education … if anything at all.

A wonderful run … um actually a walk:

So on Sunday I took part in the Great Strides Walk with my girlfriend. All the cash goes to fight Cystic Fibrosis and of course find a cure.

It was amazing. There were hundreds (around 200) of people there and the Calgary Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raised close to $130,000 buckaroos. We kicked Edmonton’s aaaaaa … butt!

The only snag was that it was raining.

Melissa (my girlfriend who suffers from CF) and I wanted to do a couple of rounds on the one-kilometre path but rain and CF just don’t mix well. So the walk pretty much ended after the first go around the path. Either way it was a bunch of fun and it was good to see so many people helping fight against CF.

Melissa and I ended up raising over $4000.

It was a tremendous experience for both of us. I have never taken part in a walk/run and it feels good to do it for someone you love, not to mention with someone you love.

Where in the world is Kevin Taft??:

So, like the political loser that I am, I have been watching the Legislature when I get home from work. It hasn’t been tough to notice the absence of the Leader of the Official Opposition.

Liberal Kevin Taft hasn’t been sitting in Edmonton with his fellow MLAs, who are still battling it out on the floor against the PCs. So where did Taft go? At first I thought there may be some personal issues, or he was kidnapped, or possibly he just took a vacation. Well it seems the latter is correct.

According to an article in the Edmonton Journal, Taft is in Greece. No he didn’t quit the Liberal Party to become an actor in musical theatre, he is taking a trip to the country in Europe.

It seems odd that he would duck out in the middle of the session. As Graham Thomson ponders, is he thinking about his future as the leader of the Liberals? Apparently he is set to announce his career plan in June and that could mean a leadership race in Alberta. While Taft has been lounging on a beach (we can only assume he’s relaxing) the PC’s haven’t been doing too bad with a number of well supported initiatives.

As the article explains, the only rumoured MLA interested in the spot is Dave Taylor. He has laughed at those suggestions…specifically on Breakfast Television and made reference to my report a couple of months back. But let’s not forget David Swann. The good doctor has been talking funny and sending out peculiar e-mails recently about change in the opposition and a rejuvination. Could he also be eyeing the Liberal prize? Like Taylor, he denies it…but he’s missing the chuckle.

So would an ousting of the current leader and a race for a new one be a good thing for the Liberals. I think so, it makes perfect sense (and don’t take this as a shot to Kevin Taft…I am saying nothing about his ability to run the party). The Liberals desperately need to rejuvinate support for their party (as Dr. Swann says) and if you claim you’re new with the same line up…you’re setting yourself up to be knocked down, unless you have a brilliant strategy..which of course would have been useful before the election. An actual leadership race would keep the party in the news and renew interest (even if only a little). People will want to know who the new leader is going to be and after that they may want to know what the new direction will be for the party. People may keep paying attention and support can grow. Heck, Taft was able to do it in 2004 to get a reasonable seat count, why not ______ in 2012?

Whatever, I’m not a political strategist or a political scientist so I could be way off the mark. But at least it makes sense to me. What do you think?