"I Would Have To Have Had Rocks In My Head"

Tom Zytaruk, in response to a question of possible doctoring of the Harper tape. If you want to see the interview, you can do so here. Zytaruk oozes sincerity, and stands by the tape. A few quotes:

Zytaruk:

"We talked for a little while. You here a break there, where I say thank-you. I thought the interview was over. Now, I can't remember if I turned the tape recorder on or off at that moment, but Mr. Harper had been stepping away and then spun around, on his heels, as a second thought kind of thing, too clarify something, to add. Now, anybody who's a reporter knows that this happens about ten thousand times a day, you think an interview is over, but you click it back on. But, we're talking about miliseconds...

"What I have on my tape, is the interview in it's entirety. I specifically wanted to ask Mr. Harper about this insurance policy. What I put out included all the ands/or, because I wanted it to be spot on accurate"

Duffy:

"So, you're saying if there were any edits, they weren't done by you"

Zytaruk:

Laughs, "No. I would have to have had rocks in my head, and I think all of Canada would agree"

Well, not all of Canada, but those of us off the Conservative koolaid. It's just nonsensical to think that this man would alter Harper's words, or play games, given the potential consequence. Common sense is all you require to pass judgement on Zytaruk "doctoring". I would add, if the Conservatives truly believed this to be the case, does anyone doubt Zytaruk's ass wouldn't be knee deep in court actions? Hello.

Earlier today, I threw out my own theory that this latest salvo is directly related to the libel case against the Liberals. On the CBC, this was indirectly confirmed as "part of the court action against the Liberals". The fact that the Conservative lawyers felt it necessary to spend large sums of money on expert opinion, to discredit the authenicity of the tape, speaks to a conclusion that this tape serves as the centerpiece of the Liberal libel defence. If the Conservatives can successfully prevent the Liberals from introducing the tape, they will handicap their case tremendously. This move today tells us that for Harper to be victorious, that tape cannot be allowed a clear airing, it must be dubious, or better yet inadmissable.

To resurrect a dead issue speaks VOLUMES about just how damaging this tape is too Harper. What actually happened today, the Conservatives confirmed that if this tape stands as is, it is pure poison. We now have two options, it is no longer a case of the Conservatives fluffing off what Harper said. Either the tape is "doctored" and it means nothing, or it is genuine and by extension, a very serious matter. The Conservatives own actions, the lengths they have gone, tell us all we need to know about the nature of this interview. Forget the Liberals, forget the RCMP, forget everything, the Conservatives are elevating this tape, by showing such determination in trying to discredit it.

Kady O'Malley made an astute observation on today's precedings, the Conservatives "oversold the evidence". Once it all sinks in, all the questions still remain. Taken further, giving the Harper team credit, they must have considered the political risk of re-introduction, another indication that there were concerns beyond short term bad press. Today's thesis, that will take months to fully flower, the Conservatives have concluded that they MUST make this tape disappear, or so thoroughly trash it, it becomes a he said/he said proposition.