Shades of totalitarianism...

PM's security detail get crash course in guarding public relations campaign (Sept 17 2008, Greg Weston, The Sun)

As usual with Harper's travelling film clip, nothing is left to chance, especially not a photo-op for the night news. Incredibly, it is the Mounties who help make sure it's all picture perfect.

Charged with ensuring the prime minister's safety, the RCMP security service has instead been forced to become the Conservative party's armed public relations agency for the election campaign.

Last week, the Mounties were used to corral a television crew doing their job. Yesterday morning, it was about a dozen angry autoworkers losing their jobs who threatened Harper's sound bite of the day, and wound up on the wrong end of the Horsemen.

"You're disturbing the peace," the Horseman said to the autoworker, who naturally interpreted the growling notice as a threat of handcuffs.

In all, we counted at least eight feds and as many local cops on the vacant lot and otherwise quiet residential street being used as backdrops for Harper's carefully choreographed pitch to first-time homebuyers.

I've seen this before, having picketed myself at a Harper event and indeed under the veil of "security" RCMP were keeping protesters as far away from the event as possible. It seems the folks in red serge have this down to a fine art during this campaign.

Harper won't come out to real public events because there are plenty of people in the country, polls notwithstanding, that are anxious to give him a piece of their mind. Such outbursts just won't do, not in Harper's fire-walled undemocratic world.

Clearly there are two issues here: first, Harper isn't as strong as he makes himself out to be if his image won't stand up to protesters communicating their message. Secondly and just as importantly, the RCMP should not be providing a political service to anyone, but that is exactly what they are doing.