Jane Taber of the Globe and Mail provides a glimpse into how the media regards the "Publication Ban" chapter of the Adscam Inquiry.
Hot: Alberta Tory MP Monte Solberg, a consummate Internet blogger, discovered the U.S. blog site that broke the publication ban. Mr. Solberg found Captain Ed's site and told Stephen Harper's communications director, Geoff Norquay. Mr. Norquay then told reporters, and by Monday, Canadians were clicking on to the site, reading the Jean Brault testimony.
MP Solberg may have played an important role on the Hill to get this story out but by Monday this story was old news to the bloggers. Since I managed to insert myself into this story (somewhat anyway) let me provide the chronology as I see it (if I have any of my facts wrong feel free to correct me).
On Friday night at 8:00 PM I did a blog check. This is part of my regular routine as my wife feeds our daughter and then I take her up to bed. As part of my routine I check to see the latest posts by the Blogging Tories. Whatittakestowin linked to a video on the CTV website referencing the now ubiquitous "explosive testimony" story by the Canadian Press. I immediately posted a link to this video on this blog and onto the Shotgun group blog of the Western Standard magazine.
Once posted there it attracted the attention of Kate McMillan of SmallDeadAnimals; her blog was born to comment on stories like this. Since (as far as I know) she gets more traffic than any other Canadian political blogger the news spread fast. On Saturday night I was informed that testimony had been posted on Captain Ed's blog and I informed NealeNews. By Sunday the blogosphere was all over this story.
Jane Taber is correct that it was on Monday that the bulk of Canadians were searching for this story. Most blogs had their highest traffic ever on Monday and Tuesday.
I don't know how MP Solberg found this story but I assume that the Canadian blogosphere had a lot to do with this. Before I pat us too much on the back and should point out, once again, that the Canadian Press story is what set all of this into motion. Without that story who knows how this would have played out.
Update: I am buzzin' now as an actual Member of Parliament posted a comment on my blog. Thank you MP Monte Solberg, you rock!
...Bloggers are making Canada a better informed, freer and better country!
And Kate McMillan expands on the story over at her blog. Of course she rocks to!
