Frank gets his hands dirty in Guelph mudslinging

So much for wanting to run a clean campaign, Mr. Valeriote.

People have tried to take me to task for exposing the dirty politics coming out of the Valeriote campaign in Guelph. But now, they have no more defence, since their "clean" candidate Frank Valeriote himself got his hands dirty today, personally slinging mud at both Gloria Kovach and Stephen Harper... and it's on the front page of the Guelph Mercury, no less.

In today's front page article, Mr. Valeriote said, and I quote, "[Harper] ousted former Conservative candidate Brent Barr, replacing him with Gloria Kovach"

There it is folks... Frank Valeriote just called both Gloria Kovach and Stephen Harper liars. Looks like dirty politics is alive and well in the Guelph Liberal campaign.

He said that despite the fact that Ms. Kovach stated clearly during last week's debate that she had nothing to do with Mr. Barr's removal. That's the position she's made clear since day one, when the Mercury first approched her for comment when Mr. Barr was removed...

"I didn't know that this was occurring, at all," Kovach said. "If that was the decision that was made, or if that decision is made in the best interests of Guelph, in representing Guelph, then I support that. I don't have any knowledge of the background on it." - (Guelph Mercury, Nov. 1, 2007)

Then of course, there's the Prime Minister's statements from last November, as reported by CTV...

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he had nothing to do with decisions by the Conservative party's national council to reject the nominations of two Tory candidates.

Harper says Mark Warner and Brent Barr, both from Ontario, were disqualified by the party's National Council -- and he had nothing to do with it.

"Frankly, I'm not involved in those kind of decisions," Harper said. "The National Council is democratically elected and makes those decisions under the constitution of the party."

So, here's the all important question for Mr. Valeriote...

With these statements already on the public record, there are only two possiblities... either Frank Valeriote is calling Ms. Kovach and Mr. Harper liars, or his is deliberately attempting to mislead voters in Guelph about the issue by trying to blame them for what happened.

So which is it Frank? Or, how about door number three... will you retract your baseless accusations, which have already been addressed in the public record?