It's said that you shouldn't mess around with people who buy ink by the barrel.
But by the same token, we who dole out the ink really ought to avoid getting it all over ourselves too.
That's what is happening in Ottawa right now, as the Parliament Hill press corps engages in what can best be described as a playground spat with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
At the core of this epic struggle appears to be who gets to ask the questions that Harper, being a skilled politician, will answer with whatever soundbite he has chosen for the day, whether it has anything to do with the question or not.
What began as a tiff over who gets to pick the straight man has escalated into a charade where reporters are walking out on prime ministerial press conferences and the PM retaliates by invading small-town TV stations and newspaper offices to get his message across (no sign of him here yet, but we're keeping an eye out).
A free and independent press is vital to a healthy democracy. But with all due respect to the Ottawa press corps, Harper's moves are no threat to them nor democracy. The only person they will hurt in the end is Harper, as he makes himself look paranoid and dictatorial.
Unless, of course, the press gallery was to overplay its hand, involve itself in the story and stoop to Harper's level - oops, too late.
By staging a walkout of a Parliament Hill press conference, the press corps does the public the same kind of disservice that they accuse Harper of - they're deliberately getting in the way of letting Canadians find out what their leader is saying. The media should be covering the news from Ottawa, not making it.
Besides, if the press gallery wants to make Harper look bad, all it has to do is play by the new rules and give him enough rope to hang himself with. If the government ends up favouring reporters who serve up softball questions and shutting out those who ask tough questions, it will come out naturally - most likely at the worst possible time for the government. Remember that scandals by themselves rarely hurt leaders; it's the coverup that kills them in the end.By forcing the issue of access for its own sake, the press gallery just sounds like it's whining about the government - a government that is still enjoying a honeymoon with the voters.
As it stands, this is a dangerous game for both the government and the media - both of which suffer from dropping public confidence and increasing cynicism. Both will lose out in the end, and so will Canadians, who still need to hear what our government is up to.
In the end, we need our politicians and our press to co-operate. But if they don't grow up, there are other options; the public will find other people to govern them - and other forms of media to report on them.
Let's not let it come to that.
