Western Standard rides again

A while ago, Scott Reid, in yet another thoughtless moment, said "Alberta can blow me." Western Standard's Kevin Steel (a great guy, by the way. When I was working there, he took a lot of time out to help me learn the journalism ropes) quoted the quip in this story:

In the wee hours following the always well-lubricated Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner at Ottawa's Museum of Civilization on Oct. 23, Scott Reid, press secretary for the Prime Minister's Office, announced to Calgary Herald columnist Don Martin, "Alberta can blow me."

But the CanWest scribe Martin took exception to this quoting, saying that he never did confirm such a thing. Then he went on to say that either the thing never happened, or that, if it did, it was off the record. He said the WS was a poor journalistic enterprise, and tried to smear it roundly.

Unfortunately, Martin carelessly left a voicemail for Steel, so that proof was easily available. Oops. Kevin Libin, ed-in-chief of the mag, defends Steel and takes Martin down a couple of rungs in terms of his credibility with this post on the Shotgun. Go follow it, it includes a link to the actual voicemail.

Then get a subscription to the magazine. It rocks.