It’s been more than 25 days since April Fool’s Day and we’re still learning almost daily about $#!+ Danielle Smith says … and does. 

This is Alberta, where it often feels as if every day is April 1, and by some kind of strange cosmic convergence, it’s Ground Hog Day as well. 

Speaking of cosmic convergence, Alberta’s premier really was born on April 1, 1971.

If that doesn’t send shivers up and down your spine, what will?

Well … how about this? 

On the evening April 11, Ms. Smith, accompanied by Morinville-St. Albert MLA Dale Nally, visited the town of Gibbons (pop. 3,000) 37 kilometres north of Edmonton. 

Morinville-St. Albert UCP MLA Dale Nally (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

Now Gibbons is the sort of place big city media is reluctant to venture out to visit for anything smaller than a huge fire, and that was true even back in the day when news outfits employed more than a couple of reporters and actually had newsrooms for them to work in. 

So apparently the only journalist on hand when Ms. Smith set foot in Gibbons was a fellow from FortSaskOnline, which serves the nearby community of Fort Saskatchewan. 

Ms. Smith, wrote reporter Brandon Zdebiak, “compared politics in Canada with politics in the United States.”

His report continued: “‘I look at the Americans. I look at Ron DeSantis in Florida and Kristi Noem in South Dakota,’ said Smith. ‘They’ve been able to create little bastions of freedom, and we can create a little bastion of freedom in Alberta as well.”

Now this is tantalizing, and worrisome. It’s a pity Mr. Zdebiak wasn’t able to provide us with a few more details about what Alberta’s premier was trying to get at. 

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis (Photo: Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons).

Florida Governor and Donald Trump rival DeSantis is known for his anti-book, anti-abortion, anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-vaccine, pro-gun policies. (In some pictures, Mr. DeSantis resembles Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and thereafter U.S. Senator for the same state until his death at the hands of an assassin in 1935. Mr. DeSantis’s approach to politics seems similar, too, although he clearly lacks Gov. Long’s concern about the fate of the working class.)

South Dakota Governor Noem was born the same year as Ms. Smith and is seemingly cut from the same piece of Republican cloth. Pretty much the same thing can be said of her policy preferences as those of Mr. DeSantis. She adds to this unwholesome mix, though, a belief that the energy industry can do no wrong combined with an effort to muzzle free speech by anyone who says that ain’t so. This attitude would find a sympathetic ear in parts of rural Alberta.)

From this we can get a pretty good idea of what kind of bastion of “freedom” Ms. Smith would like to create in Alberta.

Mr. Zdebiak’s report, which began to surface on social media Wednesday, went on: “Many of the questions brought up by Gibbons’ residents were about the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization, and 15 Minute Cities.”

Who wouldn’t have loved to be a fly on the wall at that meeting? (Does anyone out there have a recording?) 

According to the report, the meeting was well attended – about 500 people, some of whom “travelled from as far as Calgary.” (I’ll bet!)

South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem (Photo: Office of the Governor of South Dakota).

Deprived of any further information, all that can be noted is that Gibbons legally became a town on April 1, 1977.

Meanwhile, in a moment reminiscent of Ms. Smith’s leaked telephone conversation with anti-vaxx street preacher Artur Pawlowski, a photo of the premier with a couple of convoy insurrectionists facing criminal charges appeared on social media yesterday. 

It was posted by one of the two men facing the charges stemming from the February 2022 convoy occupation of Ottawa. “Doing our small part to make sure Alberta is a beacon of Freedom to the rest of Canada,” said James Bauder, one of the leaders of the Ottawa occupation, on his Facebook page. 

The time and place the photo of Premier Smith posing with Mr. Bauder and Ontario-based occupation participant Harold Jonker: Wednesday night at a UCP fund-raiser in Calgary. 

NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir (Photo : David J. Climenhaga).

The UCP candidate: Eric Bouchard, who has been associated with the extremist Take Back Alberta faction that now controls the UCP. 

“You would think that those kind of associations would be something that she might want to avoid on the eve of an election,” Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams told CTV News wonderingly after that incident lit up on social media. “I would’ve expected her to be a bit more careful about associating with the people that represent a far-right fringe.”

That presupposes, of course, that Ms. Smith cares, or doesn’t think this sort of thing will hurt her. 

It’s probably time to stop excusing her for just being sloppy and admit that she really believes this stuff. 

“Once again, Danielle Smith is spending her time meeting with extremists facing serious criminal charges,” said NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir in a statement emailed yesterday to media. “This is not the behaviour of a premier.”

“This is a pattern of behaviour for Smith to meet with people who undermined the rule of law, harmed our economy, and caused tremendous hardship for ordinary people,” Mr. Sabir said. 

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61 Comments

  1. I’ve been told that my city-fied university-educated public-sector-employed multi-cultural attitude needs to understand Alberta’s rural-reality, know where my food comes from and why a gun is a necessary part of one’s culture, how I need to appreciate how difficult it is for white-straight-2-gendered-toilet using country folks.

    F#%¥ that.

    They first sulked like toddlers. Then they threw a fit. Now they’re showing us who they are.

    I’m done. Let’s vote them out, ensure urban ridings are proportionately represented, enact adult social justice and equity laws, and get on with civilized civil society.

    1. This is great!! A real show of the righteous mentality of today’s so called progressive.

      To folks like the author here, one is apparently “extremist”, not in the true sense or definition of the word, but for mere disagreement with mainstream progressive narrative.

      The lack of disrespect for the electorate in Florida or South Dakota, and by my guess soon to be Alberta, is truly unbecoming.

      The people get what they vote for, for better or worse. That’s democracy.

        1. Well done, David! You can point out typos.

          Care to address the point I’ve made about your blatant partisanship and complete disrespect for democracy?

          1. Elmo: In case you missed it, this is a commentary blog that expresses a clear point of view. Since it’s point of view is one ignored by conservative media, which is the only kind of media in Alberta, and that includes the CBC’s news coverage, it has significant readership. That is the market speaking, oddly enough. If you are shocked by that, I suggest you read something more to your taste. It shouldn’t be hard to find. As for complete disrespect for democracy, I believe you are projecting. DJC

      1. Well, let me reassure you Elmo, there is no lack of disrespect for you and your kind over here.
        You and your mob haven’t and wouldn’t stand for any ‘democracy’ of any kind. You and your people (conservatives by any other name) lie and cheat and support whatever means to achieve whatever you think your ends are. Your way results in corruption, in fact your way supports and encourages, even relies on corruption.
        You can never win in any fair and balanced contest.

        The problem with the worst is that it is truly bottomless. Things can always get worse and with your kind, they will.
        The best is, by definition, limited. Limited by human ingenuity, perseverance, imagination and courage. Characteristics entirely missing in your clan.
        Things can, in theory, get better but only by folks pulling together and embracing those characteristics you ‘disrespect’ and eschew.

      2. When someone shows you who they are believe them. Danielle Smith is a conspiracy theorist who doesn’t understand science or even how our country is run. How obtuse do you have to be to believe that a Premier of a Province in Canada has the same powers as a US Governor? Take back Alberta and Smith are a danger to our province and the sooner we kick them both to the curb the better off we will be. Take Back Alberta is made up of far-right Fundamental Christians who want to force THEIR views on all Albertans and they don’t even seem to understand how hypocritical that is as they scream for “freedom”.

      3. The people get what they vote for? No they don’t. In 2016 Hillary Clinton outpaced Donald Trump by almost 2.9 million votes and got 48.2% to 46.1 % of the certified election results. That’s democracy?

    2. Completely agree with you PJ.
      What’s the alternative; let these knuckle draggers make and enforce the rules?
      I don’t think so. These goofs (let’s be honest and call them what they are; conservatives) have no basis on which to make decisions. Other than their emotional reaction to this or that. What they like to call, and exalt, their gut.
      It’s nonsense, literally!
      Todays reaction to an event changes over time, as the ‘decider’ gets more or less sleep, drinks more or less alcohol or who with or where they are hanging out.
      It’s nonsense.

      Unfortunately, while you could vote out this or that nutjob, you cannot vote out the underlying idiocy. These people must be educated, preferably, or wiped out like the pestilence they are.

      1. I am maddened, but please, “wipe them out like peatilence”…no

        Rather I’m calling for the consistent application of the principles of democracy and justice –

        – and for the 80% of us to get off our asses, make our voices heard , and to VOTE out every politicians who is listening to those incorrect painfully selfish 20%

      2. While I am maddened by the immaturity, please, “wipe them out like pestilence”…no no no.

        Rather I’m calling for the consistent application of the principles of democracy and justice –

        – and for the 80% of us to get off our asses, make our voices heard , and to VOTE out every politicians who is listening to those incorrect painfully selfish 20%

  2. Well then, if a person repeatedly associates with a certain class of people, is it not likely they are of similar nature? Or can we expect further St. Peter like denials from Danielle -why it’s all sh… and giggles ain’t it.

  3. You can see why the UCP wants to get rid of the R.C.M.P and the CBC isn’t something that these pretend conservatives and Reformers support keeping. These covoy protesters in Coutts could have had done some real harm if they had weapons. The same thing would have happened in Ottawa. They would be exposed by the R.C.M.P, and further exposed by the CBC. To the south of us, in Montana, they also have a Republican governor, and I’ve heard that people aren’t that happy with them either. These far right leaning people are who the UCP supports, and this will take Alberta backwards.

    1. They HAD WEAPONS. Plate carriers, assault rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition. Because, you know, democracy.

  4. As Michael Harris wrote in his April 26 political opinion piece, after Danielle smith replaced Jason Kenney, “Smith quickly resumed her practice of stepping on every rake on the political lawn.” One more rake in the lawn, as they say.

  5. First article in the Tyee that goes well with the topic…thanks to Jared Wesley–In Alberta, it’s all power to the Premier/ ” how Kenny and Smith have subverted
    separations of power and the rule of law “.
    also
    “Unpacking SHarper’s ,strange endorsement of DS” …..
    which led me to…
    Rick W. / Supply side Jesus
    https ://beliefnet.com/n…

    OMG, Thank you Rick, absolutely prophetic for Danielle and a word of warning about PP….
    true, scary, but also completely hilarious IMHO…..a touch of Monty ??? ..

  6. Bastion of freedom, beacon of freedom — what’s the difference?

    I suppose people can be forgiven for mistaking narcissism for stupidity. The difference is that the latter is a mistake while the former is intention. A pattern of behavior signals intention. She does these things because this is who she is. She’s told us what she will do if she wins, and we’d be wise to believe her. It is her intention to follow in the footsteps of Ron DeSantis and Kristi Noem. Alberta will be a Republican state if Smith wins the next election. Are we motivated enough to vote against this American in waiting yet? Time to put on the mouse ears and buckle up.

    1. Don’t lose any sleep over Alberta turning into a tRumpublican state: even if Albertans were unanimous (there isn’t even a plurality of support) in a referendum (which is constitutionally required) on becoming such a thing (it’s doubtful the USA would allow Alberta to confederate with it, not least because it would encourage secessionist sentiment in parts of the USA extant, but also because, as a NATO partner, the USA is pledged to protect the sovereignty of each member state, including Canada—and it’s moot to even consider an independent Alberta) , there’s much more to seceding than blowing thistle fluff on gusts of Smithbonerisms.

      But I don’t doubt Danielle Smith and the TBAUCP would try, nevertheless, and that of course would constitute pointless tumult that would hurt almost every single Albertan. Even Danielle Smith herself.

  7. Hi David – Great column.

    I believe there is a typo – ” a belief that the energy industry can do no wrong combined with an effort to muzzle fee speech by anyone” – fee should be free – or perhaps ‘to muzzle speech by anyone who hasn’t paid the fee’. Either would probably fit with the beliefs that smith holds.

    The TBA(ucp) party must be very confident that a Kudahtah will be successful at election time. I sure hope the NDP are urging their members to apply as workers at all polls as well as volunteer as scrutineers. Perhaps this election they will allow the scrutineers physical access to actually do their jobs. I doubt it, but stranger things have happened.

    Perhaps the NDP could also point out in one of their commercials that while electricity rates (and riders) were increasing for Albertans during the kenney/smith/ucp/tba rule, kenney was welcoming thousands of crypto-miners to set up shop here in AB and many were guaranteed a rate of 3 cents a kilowatt hour for electricity.

  8. It will be interesting to find out if the majority of Albertans that bother to get off their sofas to vote really do crave an anti-book, anti-abortion, anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-vaccine, pro-gun policies government to run their lives. If the UCP win the next election we can at least stop pretending that this province is anything other than what it really is. Smith’s campaign slogan should be, “A Banjo for Every Porch”

    1. A banjo for every porch – priceless, and all of them playing Dueling Banjos at once. This woman can not be our next Premier.

  9. “Will the real Danielle Smith please step forward?” She just did.

    This is the real Danielle Smith, deep in the center of her comfort zone. This is the real Danielle Smith, reactionary at heart, Republican by training and temperament. This is the real Danielle Smith, a victim-wannabe looking for a Cause—any cause. This is the real Danielle Smith, self-declared saviour of the downtrodden and oppressed—anyway, the ones who say, very loudly, that they’re downtrodden and oppressed.

    Any or all of these self-righteous anti-woke warriors are welcome to leave for the United States. I’d recommend they keep going south till they reach salt water. And if they keep right on driving, well then so much the better.

    Go, Danielle, go. And take your FreeDumb Fighters with you.

  10. “Ms. Smith, wrote reporter Brandon Zdebiak, “compared politics in Canada with politics in the United States.” As the fetishization of the political ideal for Ms. Smith one supposes.

    In any case, the normalization of the extreme: That is, the language, ideas, ect. of the far right and the embrace of authoritarianism under the guise of populism. Where it should be noted that, “The paternalist version of populism is special also in having a particularly long time-horizon: instead of focusing exclusively on contemporary dilemmas, it builds structures and enacts policies that are aimed at reproducing the status quo.” Which would be hardly surprising:

    https://energi.media/markham-on-energy/buffalo-declaration-exposes-utter-failure-of-modern-alberta-oil-and-gas-leadership/

    https://pressprogress.ca/alberta-sovereignty-danielle-smith-wealthy-business-elites/

    and the visible public endorsement by ‘mainstream’ politicians has already completely captured both a subset of the population [Many extreme examples of that particular normal curve can be found on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheoFleury14/ ]

    and a subset of the political class itself. A feedback loop and habituation through repetition serves to both reinforce and ‘legitimize’ the main ideas.

    Apparently the US political example example to follow is both a Danielle Smith exemplar and totem:

    “According to Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, his supporters are a staunchly loyal bunch — so loyal, in fact, that the billionaire could get away with some pretty drastic acts and his fanbase wouldn’t bat an eye.”

    “My people are so smart — and you know what else they say about my people? The polls?” Trump asked a crowd at a Sioux Center, Iowa, rally Saturday. “I have the most loyal people — did you ever see that?”

    “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” he said, referring to the major street in New York City that cuts through Manhattan’s large commercial district. “It’s, like, incredible.”

  11. Wasn’t Harper who always found it smart to praise what Republicans were about in the U.S. Nothing has changed, now Smith finds it smart to bash Trudeau’s plans to try to take handguns and assault rifles out of the hands of criminals and attacks the CBC for daring to point out her stupidity with her support of criminals and right-wing extremists.

    1. California’s economy is bigger than most countries. It doesn’t mean anything in terms of “whole identity politics” People don’t vote with their wallets, that’s as ridiculous as saying the governor has the ability to turn off or on such economic activity at will.

      Just say what you mean, you hate gay and trans folks, you want to ban books, Ron is your guy specifically because he is so repugnant. His main donor just killed himself because he was grooming teenagers, maybe you implicitly support that behaviour as well? Maybe you like the fact he ran the CIA torture program at Guantanamo? Hummus enemas ? Tell us who you really are. Move to Florida, we won’t miss you.

      1. Should be “woke identity politics” I dunno why it spell corrected that. I don’t really care though. Desantis a monster.

    2. Some people move to Florida, then they move away again because of the heat and bad weather, or because the cost of living in’t as low as it used to be, or various other reasons. 320,000 immigrants isn’t so much for a population of 22 million.
      I would avoid Florida because of hurricanes, sea level rise, heat and its horrible politicians. I would avoid California because of fires, heat, water shortages and earthquakes.
      https://www.businessinsider.com/why-move-to-florida-regret-fastest-growing-state-2022-12

  12. Not that what was posted is any surprise to us that follow this blog or watch the news for that matter, but by going back to my younger years, my mom always said “show me who your friends are and can tell who you are”. Somehow this really applies to Dingy Smith.

  13. It is interesting to note than the Ron DiSantis campaign is in trouble with support going to Trump. He wanted to be seen as “Trump without the chaos, but is Trump without the charisma.” Here, it appears that Danielle Smith feels she can think, say, and do, anything, and get away with it, and not hinder her campaign and still get votes. Is it appearing to be arrogance or unwiseness?

  14. Bouchard’s ream members canvassed our home.

    What was interesting….they never once mentioned UCP or Danielle Smith. Nor did the piece of literature they handed to me.

    The only reference made was that ‘he was running to replace Jason Kenney.

  15. Reporter Zdebiak quotes Premier Smith. “I look at Ron DeSantis in Florida and Kristi Noem in South Dakota. They’ve been able to create little bastions of freedom, and we can create little bastions of freedom in Alberta as well.”
    Is she referring to this April 3 item in miamiherald.com? “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a gun bill that allows carrying guns without a permit. The law allows only concealed guns and does not allow a person to openly carry a gun in public.”
    This little bastion of freedom could allow you to sashay down the Red Mile with a loaded heater in your pocket. Just keep it in your pants.

  16. Doubt Ms Smith will mention the infamous “Kansas Experiment” of 2012. Eliminate most biz taxes and cut all personal taxes = a surefire formula for jobs and prosperity. Nope. State was almost bankrupt when policy rescinded in 2017.

  17. The symbiotic relationship Danielle Smith has with Freedom Trucker/Convoy people is natural for all of them. Smith wants their votes, and the Freedom Truckers want revenge against anyone who believes in science, anyone named Trudeau and Tucker Carlson’s arch nemesis, the liberal US philanthropist, George Soros. I imagine Smith and the Freedom Truckers are supported by Take Back Alberta, who are, in turn, financially funded by assorted billionaires.

    What do the billionaires get for all their cash donations? Low or no oversight into their questionable business practices, deregulation of provincial regulations, low corporate taxes and corporate subsidies financed by all Albertans.

    Charles Koch (Koch Industries) and Dick and Liz Uihlein (Uline Packing/Office Supplies) are ultraconservative billionaire political donors in the US. The business interests of these donors are privately held (ie no published financials, income statements, SEC reporting, etc.). They are very generous donors to people like Donald Trump. I wonder how much money they’ve given to the numerous conservative political parties/entities in Alberta?

    I laughed at Jaundiced Eye’s UCP slogan “A Banjo for every porch”.

    One of my parents is from the former confederate US south and I spent my summers there as a kid. Never saw anyone playin’ a banjo, saw plenty of rattlesnakes on the porch hidin’ from the heat, tho.

  18. Smith keeps saying that the NDP dredging up past statements from her and implying that they have something to do with her plans for after the election is “scaremongering.” But any suggestion that this lifelong Ayn Rand manipulative pseudo-libertarian has become another person is dashed by her saying so recently that she wants to follow the policies of two governors who couldn’t get the votes of more than 20 percent of Albertans. Obviously, in an election, candidates try to soften their image somewhat. Even Hitler did that. Past statements and statements of the kind where she praises De Santis to an audience she thinks is OK with him but expects the rest of us not to know about tell us who the real Danielle Smith is. She’s a “wackadoodle”, as one past UCP supporter put it to me at a Sherwood Park door. And in my view, she is a fascist.

  19. I am still waiting for the 2023 lake of fire moment … are we close? Will it be the millions for a new arena in Calgary? I thought those on the right where fiscally responsible with tax payers money. I guess they in the UCP are just proving my take that they are for corporate socialism, but god forbid the lower 75% get any help. We need more trickle up! Don’t we?

    1. Smith has promised no tax increases for four years. Calgary voters should ask what she’s gonna cut to free up $330 million? And why free up any cash for billionaires who can afford to build the “arena complex” without ANY tax money?

      1. Mike: Count on it, they’re not counting royalties as taxes, which, of course, they are not. If resource prices fall, of course, we’ll just have to shut down public welfare. DJC

  20. Are free to say gay in bastion of freedom Florida? Also I’m not sure that they are chanting freedom, the more I scrutinize it, it sounds like we dumb.

    1. DS: Others complained of the same problem yesterday. I don’t know what caused it, but it now seems to have resolved itself. DJC

  21. So…

    How does a pro-choice, atheist non-church goer like Danielle Smith become the darling of the alt-right/religious-tards?

    Easy. Once the UCP is elected — whatever government that’s won — they intend to kick her to the curb and install one of their own as premier.

    Who could that be? Premier Drew Barnes was going on and one last year about wanting to create a block or rural ridings (Bloc Rural) to represent and legislate on the behalf of rural interests…and those interests alone. Maybe…maybe?

    Good times and lots of popcorn.

  22. What is gorm? Whatever it is, Danielle Smith has less of it that any other politician I can think of. She even makes George Santos look like a genius.

    Still, she’s not so gormless as to forget whose support got her to where is and upon which she depends absolutely. But here’s the thing (gall!—I used to hate it when BC premier Christy Clark used to say that with a twist of Edith Prickly —and here I am saying it myself—Ngh!…): Smith seems to think that the sincerity with which she holds her particularist views will recommend her to enough voters to win the upcoming election (in just 31 days). Certainly if sincerity were the metric, she’d might have a pretty good chance of winning because virtually everybody sincerely believes how sincerely she holds those views.

    But virtually nobody believes she’s got enough—uh—gorm to be playing adherents of the Take-Back-Alberta faction just to get elected and then leave them with the kind of sandwich-wrapped-in-a-road-map that says, gosh!—who knew the Constitution made secession so darn hard?—like how she commiserated with Coutts-Blockade defendant Artur Pawlowski about how unfortunate the rule of law is—like, ‘who knew, Artur? Who knew?’

    The plain fact is—whether she’s sincere about Freedumbery or not—she is compelled by that faction to do its bidding: whether she’s sincere or not, it doesn’t matter to them.

    The difference between her and them is, when it comes to politics, they don’t care and she doesn’t know.

    Clearly, if sincerity is the issue, then Alberta voters should rather be asking what each party leader is sincere about, as well as how sincere they are about it. And that would be another measure of gormlessness: Danielle Smith rationalizing that she and Rachel Notley are equally sincere about what they believe in—which could be quite true: it’s just that Smith probably thinks that all she needs, therefore, is one single vote more to win.

    And there is wonderingliness, too. Oh, yes, plenty of that.

  23. There is no doubt the photo of Danielle Smith with Bauder & Jonker is a political liability. Graham Thompson also mentioned it during his weekly spot on Radioactive yesterday. I do wonder if Ms. Smith considered not posing for the photo, but decided to go along with it, rather than raise a fuss during the event.

    This leads me to further wonder how the two gentlemen managed to find themselves at the fund raiser in the first place, and if they were specifically invited by the riding candidate, Eric Bouchard. A puff piece about Bouchard in the Western Standard says he didn’t even join the UCP until 2022, and that he is/was a restaurant owner. Bouchard complained bitterly about mandates as well, making me speculate he is a one issue candidate.

    1. Bob: Mr. Bauder is associated with Take Back Alberta, so he is a more than one-issue candidate. I imagine he subscribes to the whole anti-“woke” program, censorship, bullying and all. It is entirely understandable that Ms. Smith would show up at such an event and it strains credulity that she didn’t know who he is. DJC

  24. Wasn’t yesterday the deadline Danielle Smith had imposed upon the CBC to retract its reports of her attempts to subvert the prosecutor’s office or face action under the Defamation Act? I’ve heard of no action on her behalf, not of the CBC’s.

    1. Lars: That is correct. Yesterday was the deadline. I was of two minds about trumpeting that yesterday, though, because we likely won’t know how the CBC has responded for a few days at least. That is to say, in the unlikely event the CBC responds. Presumably the date was chosen because it was the last business day before the election call. If the CBC surrendered, they could say, “See, we were right.” If it doesn’t, they can say, “So sorry, it’s ‘before the courts,’ we really can’t comment.” DJC

      1. Well, I just had two comments on the subject swiftly canned on the CBC website, which suggests a certain sensitivity on their part.
        But I can see how Smith might work this into a Catch-22.

      2. Rob anderson/Twitter…..
        (replying to Joe Ceci questioning the deadline )

        ” Your comprehension of the law is sorely lacking Joe . Yesterday was the deadline for the CBC to retract. Good grief. ”

        make of that what you will…and speaking of Rob/Twitter-April 19th

        “Holy hell …that’s unbelievable. $4 million raised in just Q1?!
        [ Breaking News ]
        ———————–
        UCP Raises
        Record breaking
        $4 Million in
        Q1 2023
        [ —–‐–‐————- ]

        and yet @ Wednesday’s ‘public fundraiser ‘ , tickets $150 , Danielle tweeted, thanks for coming. Please consider donating $20 tonight so we can buy more lawn signs, flyers, coffees , and everything else we need to win . Donate now………

        So my question, along with others on her site, is where did the money go ? and when/ if the public will have a transparent accounting….just asking ???

        IMHO ,Dani & Skippy are taking a direct page from d’rump as far as ‘not knowing ‘ people they are being photographed with aka,:convoy club, diaglon, etc. and it’s just sheer coincidence that they all seem to have, how shall we say- dubious-backgrounds .But then ,”it’s because everybody likes me “…
        so they say…….
        uh huh, sure, we believe you——NOT !

        1. I think Rob Anderson might be correct for once; it was the deadline for CBC tio apologize, but since they apparently did not I guess Smith could start a lawsuit whenever she wants now, if she is foolish enough to try it.

  25. Excellent article in today’s (April 29) Globe. Our Danielle attended David Parker’s wedding this past March. That’s more than a simple alignment of political views.

  26. Typo alert: Governor Noem is described as Governor of South Dakota in paragraph 10 & her photo caption, but of North Dakota in para. 13. Looking her up on the Wiki, SoDak is correct.

    1. Thanks, Jerry, like any sane person I just can’t believe there are two Dakotas. It’s been fixed. DJC

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