How Ineffective Is Brian Masse

Let's see now how much you have learned about politics and the Windsor Star after reading this BLOGsite for so long.

You know that the Star's approach to its role is:

• "We did things that newspapers can do to bring about change, positive change. I think we got a lot of results this year and this now validates the results we got."

In other words, the end justifies the means. Accordingly, the Star has a mission and will use its position as the leading media outlet in Windsor to accomplish its goal. The fun for you, dear reader, should be to figure out what the Star wants to do and to see how it tries to accomplish it.

Let's use a specific example----you know what it is going to be---and to see how the Star plays the game. This time the game is a bit more difficult because the results so far are secret and we will not know the actual facts for some time.

The issue is the border (surprise, surprise) and the story is from Tuesday's Star

• "Border woes highlighted
  Politicians see need for bridge"

This was the story about the weekend trip to Windsor of more than two dozen members of the Canada-U.S. Inter-parliamentary Group meeting

Of course, our Brian has to be made the hero. But the question is what did Brian accomplish if anything. How many readers believe that Brian accomplished something...how many of you, hands up....Hmmm none of you.

You are getting smarter.....Here's how to figure out that the meeting was a disaster for him and how the Star spins stories:

1. The location---Page 3 and not a huge headline on Page 1. The front page was begging for some big story other than "Fish face identity crisis"
   
2. The headline---why was it about "woes" that everyone knows about and not Brian's success
   
3. The need for a bridge----did you see the word "public" or DRIC used to modify bridge
   
4. Roads have to be modernized---where was the word tunnel? The only roads that need fixing up are on the Windsor side so Eddie and the Senior Levels were made the problem to the border again
   
5. Sub-committee was established---shuffle it off, a true poltiical solution.

However, the big item that was not discussed except at the end of the story, as is usally the case in the Star as you know:

• "The resolutions made this weekend will be carried back to Ottawa and Washington."

What no mention of what the resolutions said? No "leak." No big victory statement. We'll see what they said when they are released publicly but it is no victory for the NDP MP so far.

Oh I forgot one last matter....Did you note what was omitted from the story. Surely you can guess. "Ambassador Bridge." Not one negative word in the story about the Bridge Co. even though there was a bus tour of Sandwich.

Wow, the West end activists and politicos will be unhappy with Brian over that!