PAUL:	Our panel on political culture joins us now ... or part of it 
	anyway.  In the studio with me is Ariel Flint, host of BCN’s Show 
	Trial.

ARIEL:	Hello, Paul.

PAUL: 	And we’re hoping to have on the line from the Liberal 
	Policy Convention in Ottawa, pundit and pollster J. Richard Candow 
	and Professor Carl Johnson, Valdmanis Chair in Political Economy at 
	the University of Newfoundland at St, John’s.  Do we ? ... oh, we have 
	J. Richard?

JR:	(phone in busy convention centre) Paul!  Greetings from 
	the nation’s capital.

PAUL:	Hello J Richard.  Have you seen Carl?

JR:	No I haven’t, what, just a second ... (off) $300!  They 
	better be Ottawa’s finest.  What?  Room 497. (on) No, I haven’t seen 
	Carl.  Oh wait! Damn I’ve still got his press accreditation here in my 
	briefcase.

PAUL:	Oh J. Richard.

JR:	What?  Thanks yeah, it’s fabulous here.  Lots of familiar 
	faces from policy conventions past.  

ARIEL:	Tory conventions?

JR:	Yeah, it’s great.  

ARIEL:	What policy issues are of particular interest to you J. 
	Richard?

PAUL:	This should be good.

JR:	Huh?

ARIEL:	What policy issues are of particular interest to you?

JR:	Many.  Many and varied.  Whatever’s going you know.  
	There was a great pancake breakfast,  Prime Minister Martin spoke.

ARIEL:	Isn’t that Prime Minister Chretien, J. Richard?

JR:	Who?

ARIEL:	You just said Prime Minister Martin.

JR:	I did not!

PAUL:	I think you did J. Richard.

JR:	Well ... what’s the diff?  IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE A 
	LIBERAL!

ARIEL:	Who paid your way Richard, Tobacco for a Better 
	Tomorrow?  The Junior Firearms Assocation?

JR:	Try the BCN sister.

ARIEL:	WHAT!  This can’t be true.

PAUL:	I think it is.

ARIEL:	People here at the BCN are being layed off and  you’re 
	anteing up for J Richard’s self promotional  junket!

PAUL:	I’m told that it’s a completely different line item on the  
	budget and so ...

ARIEL:	That’s sickening.  The BCN can’t afford to send up its only 
	award-winning political reporter, but it pays the way for a Liberal 
	crony and a media-challenged pinhead from the university--

PAUL:	No, no Carl paid for his ticket ... he was going anyway.	 

JR:	SO THERE!  And what about you Paul, I hear you turned 
	down the chance to be Toast Master at Brian Tobin’s din-din’s for the 
	journalists over at Mama Teressa’s.

PAUL:	I have some principles J. Richard.

ARIEL:	This from last year’s Mr. DDT.

PAUL:	It’s an inexpensive pesticide for the developing world.  
	And unlike the Liberal Party of Canada at least you know where the 
	Chemical Industry stands.  I’m no moralist, I just can’t suffer 
	hypocricy. 

JR:	Party pooper.  (off) Chin up Collenette, you’ll be back in 
	soon enough.

ARIEL:	So just which journalists went in for the Tobinator’s 
	vongole hand-job?

JR:	ALL THE GOOD ONES, YOUR FLINTNESS.  Scribblers 
	who aren’t afraid to cheer for the home team!  None of your lefty cry 
	baby types!  

PAUL:	Oh ... what’s that Hollis?

OP:	You have a collect call from ...

CARL:	...  Carl Johnson.

OP:	Press one now if ....

PAUL:	Uh-oh.  Under the new budget policy, we’re not allowed to 
	accept collect ...

ARIEL:	Nickel and dime nancy-boys.  Hollis!  Accept the charges!

PAUL:	Well you’re paying if there’s a problem.  Oh, what is it, 
	Hollis?  What?  Well we are out of time, 

ARIEL:	(thrown away) Ach. I don’t know how much more of this I 
	can take. 

PAUL:	Ariel Flint here in the studio, and from Ottawa, Jrichard 
	Candow and Carl Johnson, if you can hear me, thank’s for this.

ARIEL:	Paul.

JR:	See you.

CARL:	Hello. Paul?