This is Going to be Good to Watch

In the National Post today is a small story (sorry for subscribers only) on how the Earnscliffe Strategy Group, a company stocked with Paul Martin backroom operatives, are suing Warren Kinsella for libel. Warren was one of Jean Chretien's backroom operatives. Why?

Because there is bad blood between the Martin and Chretien camps. So last month we had the spectacle of Warren testifying before a House of Commons public accounts committee alleging that Earnscliffe was improperly given polling and research contracts when now Prime Minister Paul Martin was Minister of Finance.

Now comes the stupid part. Earnscliffe's libel suit is based on the allegations Warren made before the committee which were protected by parliamentary privilege. WTF you say? It seems that now Earnscliffe believes that Warren lost his claim to privilege by posting links on his personal blog to the parliamentary transcripts of his testimony.

Now watching Liberal cronies attack each other is good entertainment. But what Earnscliffe is attempting to do is of concern to all who value freedom of expression on the Internet. As much as I do not like Warren Kinsella I support his right to link to anything on his blog.

Earnscliffe is web illiterate which makes them dumb but still dangerous if they win this suit. How dumb? Just check out their website. According to a Whois search it was approved in 2000, last modified in 2004, and renewed this year. And this is the best they can come up with?

Now Earnscliffe's aim can't be to suppress the allegations. Just checked Technorati and got 144 hits on Earnscliffe. And big time journalists like Andrew Coyne have the story on their blog. So I think this is a case of typical Liberal vindictiveness.