Welcome Daimnation readers. Thanks for the link Damian.
Paul Martin is trying to spin himself out of the Scott Reid mess but that cat's already out of the bad on this one.
The federal Liberals are scrambling to control the damage after a top aide to Paul Martin suggested Canadian parents could blow any extra child-care money they get from Ottawa on beer and popcorn.
Scott Reid, the prime minister's director of communications, made the remark Sunday in a CBC television appearance.
He had been asked about the $1,200-a-year cash allowances that Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is promising to parents of children aged under six.
There's nothing in the Tory plan that would compel families to use the money for its intended aim of child care, Reid noted. He chided Harper for giving people $25 a week "to blow on beer and popcorn."
The comment sparked an immediate reaction from the Tories, who said it proved the Liberals don't think Canadian families know enough to make their own choices about what's best for their children.
Martin, asked about the matter at a campaign stop in Beamsville, Ont., quickly backed away from the suggestion.
"There's no doubt in my mind that parents are going to use (the money) for the benefit of their families," said the prime minister.
"They're going to use that money in a way that I'm sure is responsible. Let there be no doubt about that."
