Harper tries to shut down the press [updated]

In breaking news, the Harper government is trying to block the publication of a story that would prove embarrassing to the already-embattled Minister of Natural Resources, Lisa Raitt, aka "The Chalk River Leak." The junketing Raitt, of course, is no stranger to bully-tactics of this kind.

Stay tuned. This could get ugly. But what about this government isn't?

[H/t James Bowie and Pushed to the left]

UPDATE: Heh. Once again, bloggers are ahead of the curve.

UPPERDATE: The Conservatives cut and run:

Dimitri Soudas, press secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said no government department is involved in the hearing in Nova Scotia on Monday afternoon. Soudas said he had no knowledge of the matter. Steve Outhouse, who has replaced MacDonnell as Raitt's director of communications, also said his office had no knowledge of the matter.

Ryan Sparrow, a spokesman for the Conservative Party of Canada, said the party has no connection to the matter.

In unrelated news, land sales in Florida are on the rise, and a large bridge to New York City is up for auction on e-Bay with no reserve price.

(As an aside, there's something quite charming about a communications director sporting the name "Outhouse," don't you think? High school must have been a torment for the lad.)

UPPESTDATE: Hah! Injunction denied.

EVEN UPPIER: And now, the story you've all been waiting for. Meanwhile, the hard cases at Small Dead Animals think the whole thing is a Lib'rul plot. And Liberal commenter Ted is happy to point out just how devilishly clever it was.

[H/t POGGE and CC]