I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

He hasnt answered what, if any, contribution to his campaign from te pembina institute or its employees. Given their lobbying and advocacy arm, it is a fair question. For the mayor openly attack manning institute candidates and demand to know where people sit, it is a fair question.

Oh, that question, sorry I thought the original question of the City using Pembina as a consultant. The Mayor has been saying all along that he will disclose all his donors the day the writ drops, so we'll find out on the 23rd. I suspect the Mayor has no idea off the top of his head whether they or any of their staff have donated, nor if any staff volunteer for the campaign. Even if they did, they wouldn't be in any position to influence any sort of policy position - I know this because there is a small group involved in developing policy, including myself. It would be as a private citizen in a normal volunteer capacity - putting up signs and the like.

Further to this, the Mayor discloses online (voluntarily) everyone he meets with and lobbies him. Pembina Institute hasn't as best I can see. The Mayor mentioned on twitter he hasn't been lobbied by them, save for Jesse Row speaking at a public hearing of Council, and running into him around town. I think he's been very forthright about these kinds of questions as a candidate and elected official.

[Flash Walken]

It's one thing to be 'put on the defensive', it's another to have your character attacked by a notorious drama farmer.

You could argue that Nenshi should be above responding to a character like Levant, an argument I'd share, but I don't fault him in any significant capacity for getting down to his level and repudiating those sorts of unsubstantiated but character driven remarks.

Ezra is trying to cast a shadow, it's pathetically transparent for what it is. Nenshi to his credit is reacting with some serious humour and relative good nature. "What a loaded question" is one thing, but "Do you still beat your wife" is a specific remark to Ezra, personally. I don't even know if he's married, but it doesn't matter if he is, the comment is likely personal, a reference clearly understood by Levant, and yet still manipulated for dramatic effect.

I think Nenshi is handling this pretty astutely.

If Eric Francis asks you a loaded question, how do you respond? Francis is twice the journalist Levant is. Scratch that, he's 10 times the journalist Levant is.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by dsavillian

While I'll agree that Nenshi should have chose better words, I don't think the outrage is warranted. On a scale of 1 to "our mayor probably smokes crack" - this is probably a 3 or 4.


He should have said "Have you stopped eating dog poo?"

I guess that would defeat the purpose of a reference, if you don't actually use the reference people are familiar with.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Oh, that question, sorry I thought the original question of the City using Pembina as a consultant. The Mayor has been saying all along that he will disclose all his donors the day the writ drops, so we'll find out on the 23rd. I suspect the Mayor has no idea off the top of his head whether they or any of their staff have donated, nor if any staff volunteer for the campaign.

Oh, come on now. Of course he knows. That's why he said to Ezra, "have you stopped beating your wife".

[Magnum PEI]

Nenshi should consult an advisor before each of his tweets. This is the third or fourth time he's got into trouble on twitter.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Nenshi should consult an advisor before each of his tweets. This is the third or fourth time he's got into trouble on twitter.

It'll blow over and no one will care in a week. That's usually what happens.

Chalk it up to a causality of social media.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Nenshi should consult an advisor before each of his tweets. This is the third or fourth time he's got into trouble on twitter.

But that's when the use of twitter by politicians becomes super lame. Everything you read on twitter is him and you get authentic dialogue, not one-way vetted communication. I wouldn't say he's gotten into "trouble" on twitter (not like other politicians have!)

[Ozy_Flame]

To me, the phrase has the same seriousness to it as "who pissed in your cornflakes?", in which there is really no harm to it at all. It is a figure of speech, unfortunately one which many probably haven't heard before or jump to conclusions about what it means.

But regarding the use of attacking catch phrases by politicians, can a dead horse also be your wife?

[jayswin]

I honestly thought the "when did you stop beating your wife" thing was very common knowledge. I'm very surprised that he will likely have to clarify this.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Oh, come on now. Of course he knows. That's why he said to Ezra, "have you stopped beating your wife".

No, he responded that way because ezra asked him the following.

@nenshi you said the 22 Pembina staff you hired were "scientists". Most were spin doctors, 3 were registered lobbyists. Will you correct?

How does Nenshi answer this? Yes I will correct? No, I won't? Either answer means he agrees they were lobbyists and spin doctors but will/won't correct.

@nenshi Pembina lobbyists say they talk policy with you at social gatherings. Will you disclose details of that lobbying? Because they won't

Assumes there is actual lobbying occurring, whether there is or not should probably be the first question.

@nenshi almost half of the 22 Pembina staff you hired are PR staff. Why did you call them scientists? Are they campaigning for you?

Assumes they are PR staff and not scientists.

@nenshi will you disclose whether any Pembina staff are working on your election campaign, or have donated to you? Is this a quid pro quo?

question goes to disclosure. Assumes there is a quid pro quo to be had.

So nenshi asked "have to stopped beating your wife".

Assumes he has a wife, and at one point beat her.

[frinkprof]

So, in sum:

- Nenshi (and Bunk here) has answered questions about what the Pembina Institute role has been with The City.

- Nenshi (and Bunk here) has answered whether or not he has met outside of council chambers with members of the Pembina Institute via his usual channel of regularly releasing who he meets with and who lobbies him.

- Nenshi will release (as he had in the previous election, had been planned all along, and all of this above and beyond election rules and regulations and what many other candidates do) his donor list on or around nomination day.

- Everyone here has been informed (if they didn't know already) that the phrase "do you still beat your wife?" is:

A. A very common (and likely the most common among any similar retorts, classic even) response when presented with a loaded question.

B. That it has been used in many public debates and venues whether political, legal, radio, television, etc. by people of all affiliations and stripes for many years

C. That almost anyone in the political, journalism and media spheres are familiar with it and that when it is used, it is often clarified many times over (has has been the case in this thread) many times over so that those not familiar come to understand its meaning and use, unless they're being purposely obtuse of course.

D. That, given A, B and C, is, in almost every case when used in this context, not a serious commentary on the target's spouse or the health of their domestic relationships.

-----------------

In my view, the biggest foul committed here is giving Ezra Levant the time of day.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by Bunk

But that's when the use of twitter by politicians becomes super lame. Everything you read on twitter is him and you get authentic dialogue, not one-way vetted communication. I wouldn't say he's gotten into "trouble" on twitter (not like other politicians have!)

But a lot of his tweets come across as childish and egocentric. It will cost him votes, not that he cares though.
Plus I don't like the idea of the Mayor spending his Sundays trolling the internet. that's what i do.

[SebC]

Dear Ezra:



Having said that, I think it was a poor choice of words from Nenshi, and I'm generally a big fan of the guy. Levant and Nenshi both came out of the exchange looking childish, but only one of them is running for mayor so that's a win for Levant.

Now, can we get back to why Bunk shat his pants?

[Slava]

For anyone interested, Nenshi tuning in Derek Fildebrandt from the CTF on twitter over the past say 1/2 hour was pretty funny! Basically right on point and covers everything I would say.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

No, he responded that way because ezra asked him the following.



How does Nenshi answer this? Yes I will correct? No, I won't? Either answer means he agrees they were lobbyists and spin doctors but will/won't correct.




Assumes there is actual lobbying occurring, whether there is or not should probably be the first question.





Assumes they are PR staff and not scientists.





question goes to disclosure. Assumes there is a quid pro quo to be had.

So nenshi asked "have to stopped beating your wife".

Assumes he has a wife, and at one point beat her.

You've missed the point. I'm saying Nenshi punched back instead of clearing the air because if he did clear the air, he'd look like a hypocrite. Nenshi knows he doesn't have to answer yes/no, he can give details. His response shows he chooses to hide something.

[Knut]

Fotze said it best. There are a lot of people that do not understand the reference.

I am a pretty educated person, but I had never heard the term used like that before. Now that it has been clarified it has changed my perception of when I have heard it used in the past.

While he is not using the literal meaning of the phrase, I think it is borderline offensive when used in a public domain.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

This is the second time in the recent few weeks that Nenshi is showing his intolerant side. First one was his sister's attack on Chris Harper. This is worrisome. This is how personality cults are born.

Why does Nenshi have to answer for his sister?

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Bunk

...
Further to this, the Mayor discloses online (voluntarily) everyone he meets with and lobbies him. ...

Why does he not disclose who Chima meets with?

[CaptainYooh]

Oh, make no mistake. Chima is nobody's pet. He's more of a kingmaker, I think.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Why does he not disclose who Chima meets with?

Started with the Mayor's meetings because a) that's who people are most interested in, and b) we wanted to test the sign-in method, forms, and amount of administrative workload with a more manageable sized list.

Starting next term, all meetings with the Mayor, Council and political staff will be publicly disclosed. This is part of the new Council ethical guidelines the Mayor championed.

http://blog.calgarymayor.ca/2013/04/...city-hall.html