PM Steve doesn't take his own advice

That didn't take long...

Sunday
Stephen Harper
"HARPER: I don't see any reason to go personal and nasty against the other leaders. I have good relations with most of the other leaders, and I respect all of them."
CTV News

Wednesday
A vulgar Internet ad forced Stephen Harper to hit the re-set button on his campaign Tuesday, prompting the prime minister into an embarrassing apology that buried his party's first policy announcement.

But the message was overshadowed by the case of the pesky, pooping puffin with a deadly aim and a dislike for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.

The Tories posted an ad on their own website showing an animated airborne puffin dropping a load on Dion's shoulder. The offending image was pulled in the morning after complaints, but was regularly re-run on television news networks as part of the coverage on the controversy.

Adding to Tuesday's misery for the Conservatives was news that Rosamond Luke, the Tory candidate for the riding of Halifax, was quitting the race.

A Conservative party source confirmed late Tuesday that Luke has a criminal record, and the CBC reported she was convicted of uttering threats and received 18 months probation in July 2006.

As well, the CBC said, she was convicted of breaching an undertaking in June 2007 and was fined $50 and given an additional nine months probation.

Her departure exacerbates the difficulties the Conservatives have had finding suitable candidates in Atlantic Canada and prompted political observers to raise questions about the party's preparedness in Nova Scotia.

None of that was yet news at Dion's morning campaign stop in Montreal, where he appeared to be unaware of the puffin video when it came up in a question from the media.

Nonetheless, he pounced.

``This is saying more about them than about us,'' he said, drawing cheers from Liberal partisans. Then he rethought his first reaction.

``I want to clarify my answer ... not about them, about him (Harper). Because I know most Conservative voters last time will disagree with that. . . and they may change their vote.''

The prime minister began the campaign by predicting that the Liberals would target him with nasty personal attacks throughout the 37-day contest.