Duchesneau's rapid Mea Culpa

When you make a gaffe in an election campaign, you have to recover quickly.

Ifyou don't, the media and your opponents will eat you alive.

Most of the time the best way to recover is to admit you made a mistake. But a lot of politicians have a hard time doing that.

Not Jacques Duchesneau.

In an interview with radio host Paul Arcand this morning,Duchesneau said if the Coalition Avenir Qubec takes power, he would be naming and overseeing the work of the ministers of transport, public security, municipal affairs, and natural resources, including Hydro Quebec.

That's just not the way it works. Only the premier has the power to appoint cabinet ministers.

Duchesneau made the gaffe around7 a.m.

Franois Legault corrected his star candidate by 10.

And, just after 12:30, Duchesneau told Radio Noon listeners that he had made a mistake and is now aware his every word he says will be closely scrutinized.

That's great damage control and it shows the women and men in the CAQ war room are on top of their game.

Speaking of Duchesneaudid Parti QuebecoisMNAs Bernard Drainville, Nicolas Girard, and Bertrand St-Arnaud really call a news conference today to add a few new elements to a three-year-old story of alleged Liberal influence peddling?

I don't think so.

They PQ knows it can't hold its lead in the polls if it lets Duchesneau and the CAQ be perceived as the only team that can restore integrity to public life.

The newser is designed to remind Quebecers the PQ has been grilling the government on those issues for the last four years.