David Emerson has back tracked from comments he made referring to Harper as a “hard ass”.

“I probably did say he was a hard-ass. It was meant as a compliment, not a criticism. If I call you a hard-ass I think you’re a pretty solid guy and you’ve got grit. If I call you a soft-ass or a candy-ass then I’m criticizing you,” Emerson said.

And people say David Emerson isn’t a politician? That’s the best darn spin I’ve heard in years.

I think Emerson may be on to something. Just think about how other politicians could have used Emerson’s “it was a compliment” defense to their advantage in the past:

When the Tory war room called Dalton McGuinty a reptillian kitten eater”:
They should have explained things like this: “Reptiles are some of the most evolved, powerful creatures in this world. They say a tortoise never forgets, and the crocodile is a fierce predator.”

When Joe Volpe called the Conservatives Klansmen last year:
“I meant it as a compliment. A clan is a group of individuals united by kinship and descent. I was merely commenting on the bind which draws Tories together and how unified they appear to be as a caucus.”

When Scott Reid said that “Alberta can blow” me during the election:
“Look, would I ask anyone to blow me? It’s obviously a sign that I think very highly of Albertans and the skill set they posses.”