Angry in the Great White North

Just in by email.  Green Party leader Elizabeth May is not in the election debate:

OTTAWA -- Canada's broadcast networks have denied Green party Leader Elizabeth May a chance to debate the other party leaders on television.

In a just-announced decision, network officials said that one or more of the other party leaders would refuse to participate in the debates on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 if May took part.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has said he would welcome the chance to debate May on television.

But Prime Minister Stephen Harper said today letting May into the debate would be in essence allowing a second Liberal candidate to participate.

He said it would be fundamentally unfair to have two candidates who are essentially running on the same platform in the debate.

The prime minister says May will ultimately endorse the Liberals.

May called that suggestion "nonsense'' and accused Harper of being anti-feminist.

Hey, at least she didn't call Stephen Harper a Nazi a fall afoul of Godwin's Law.

I think this is the right decision, but for different reasons than set out by the prime minister.  In any case, I expect this won't be the end of the story, and that Elizabeth May will pursue legal action.  It will fail as well, but she'll enjoy the publicity.