The Election: Day Thirteen/ Beer and Popcorn

Scott Reid, Martin's director of communications, stepped in dogshit today when, during a panel discussion on CBC News: Sunday, he criticized the Conservative daycare proposal saying:

"Don't give people 25 bucks a week to blow on beer and popcorn."

Reid was attacking a Conservative plan to give families of young children $1,200 a year for child care. The Conservative on the Panel reacted angrily describing the remark as an insult to families, showing that the Liberals don't trust families to make their own choices about what's best for their children

After Liberal spokespersons first defended the remark, they calculated the potential damage and both Reid and Martin apologized.

Martin tried to repair the damage:

"There's no doubt in my mind that parents are going to use (the money) for the benefit of their families. They're going to use that money in a way that I'm sure is responsible. Let there be no doubt about that."