On standard communications

The Cons' content-free media strategy seemed to work relatively well for as long as the press was willing to put up with nonexistent answers. But now, the Cons' stonewalling has led to a rightful response pointing out the Cons' lack of substance - and even CanWest's news coverage gets into the act in its report on future military spending:

The release of the (Cons' anticipated defence strategy paper), crafted by the military to meet the Conservative's defence vision, is at least a year late. Officials with Mr. O'Connor's office stated last year the strategy would be ready in the summer of 2006. They then changed that to the fall and then later said the strategy would come out by the end of 2006.

In an e-mail sent Thursday, Mr. O'Connor's office stated: "When we are ready to announce more on this, we will do so."

That same mailed sentence is the standard communication line from Mr. O'Connor's office used to answer questions on a variety of issues, ranging from the defence strategy to when a compensation package might be ready for Canadian veterans exposed to nuclear fallout during the Cold War.

Now, the Cons would presumably be unhappy enough to have their delays pointed out publicly by the media chain which is normally most friendly to the party.

But with the Cons' attempts to deflect the press becoming an object of ridicule in and of themselves, Harper and company face a choice of either allowing their "brand" to become synonymous with blanket refusals to say anything meaningful, or loosening the reins and risking the virtual certainty that the Cons' none-too-bright public faces will embarrass the party. And the opposition has to be looking forward to seeing either of those scenarios play out.