(Twenty years as a full-time journalist is a tough habit to break, but generally justFRED has kept clear of news or politics. So see this as a personal opinion, not an official statement from justFRED)

The recent semi-accurate attack by The Daily Gleaner on provincial Attorney General T.J. Burke along with a few other recent pieces have me shaking my head in wonder - and not of the 'Oh, ain't that cool' variety.

Burke, as you know, was a bad boy once as a teen. He got into a fight outside a bar, was arrested, charged, pleaded guilty, convicted and fined $250. He was later pardoned, went on to become a lawyer, was elected to the Legislature and now sits as the province's chief legal officer.

Last Saturday, a bottom-feeding Gleaner reporter - I just can't use the word 'journalist' in this context because it has strong ethical connotations to me - dredged up the 17-year-old affair and, according to Burke, managed to get at least some of the facts wrong. But I'll bet this nasty piece of work made the circulation department happy, a rare event these days.

And they've kept the story alive, running a piece on the front page on Wednesday under the headline 'Burke changed life around after conviction at 18'...

So was the motive simply to sell papers? Or is something else at work here?

On the same page, above the fold, is a headline: UP FRONT| VIRGINIA GUN LAWS 'VERY LIBERAL'

The same line is repeated in the story beneath the headline, but without the cloak of all-caps: The gun laws are 'very Liberal' in Virginia...

Very Liberal with a capital L? As in the political party to which Mr. Burke belongs? Shouldn't that be 'very liberal' as in not strict?

Now I'll grant you that TDG is reknowned for sloppy writing, fracturated grammar and horrible spelling (Headline of the main editorial, Friday 13, 2007: Stronach's change of heart wreaks (sic) of personal ambition). That should be 'reeks', lads. Look it up. And don't rely solely on your spell chucker.

But the paper also has a history of egregious attacks on politicians, political parties and anybody else it takes a dislike to, reputations be damned.

But I can't accuse it of reaching a new low. That would be ridiculous, and half a century too late.

All I can say to T.J. Burke is: Welcome to the club.

The good news is that most people will tell you: Don't worry about it. It's only the Gleaner.

But it's not you I've been thinking about. It's your family. Something I doubt ever crossed their intrepid reporter's mind.

Cheers,
George