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Comedian, right-wing commentator in campaign Twitter spat

SNL alleged ripoff of 22 Minutes sketch has 'lawyers talking,' Mark Critch believes

It was maybe the most Canadian Twitter war ever, replete with references to CBC subsidies, mutual declarations of respect and apologies, if somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Comedian Mark Critch and right-wing commentator Ezra Levant are embroiled in a social media spat over the This Hour has 22 Minutes star’s political commentary.

It began with Critch’s reference to Stephen Harper’s former parliamentary secretary, Paul Calandra, as a “slippery tool” for his comments on the Mike Duffy trial.

Calandra responded by blocking the comedian on Twitter — not the first time the Markham Conservative has blocked people on social media.

Critch then pledged to his 55,800 Twitter followers to donate $1 to Planned Parenthood Newfoundland and Labrador, up to $1,500, for each person who tweeted “Paul Calandra u are a tool.”

That’s when Levant, the former Sun TV personality and now helmsman of TheRebel.media, weighed in.

“CBC comedian joins the election campaign. His partisan war-chest filled by taxpayers,” he tweeted to his 35,300 followers.

It seemed friendly fire for a while. Then it wasn’t.

Levant suggests Critch is campaigning and, as an on-air employee, should step down from his position at CBC to do so. Critch insists he is not an employee but on contract for the public broadcaster, and in any event is not campaigning or on-air right now.

“Wait? You don’t understand what ‘running’ is? Ok. Ezra, when a man and a party love each other very much…,” the 22 Minutes funny man responded.

“Have you broached your campaign with CBC mgmt? Your Code of Conduct has all sorts of requirements to get senior mgmt approval,” Levant insists.

“Ok. If I ever get a job at CBC I’ll ask them if I can think Paul Calandra is a tool. Are they hiring?” Critch fires back.

But this is Canada, not the race for Republican presidential candidate, and Levant — who is perhaps not known best for his circumspection — eases toward ending the Twitter altercation.

“I like Mark, he’s often funny, and he is unusually kind to me. But he’s being partisan, which is against CBC rules,” he tweets.

He goes on to take leave of the set-to in the most Canadian of ways.

“I’ve enjoyed our partisan sparring,” he tweets.

Critch replies: “Me too, buddy. You’re quick and a damn hard worker. I wish you weren’t evil so we could go to the circus together.”

The cordial clash was posted by political pundit Ian Capstick, managing partner of MediaStyle, on his blog.

“It was an incredible exchange for a few reasons. The personalities involved each have a loyal following at the ready to amplify and engage in the exchange of insults, corrections and quips. As well, the sheer number of tweets back-and-forth is funny in and of itself,” Capstick tells Yahoo Canada News.

It was also so very Canadian, he says.

“Both Levant and Critch are begrudging nice-ish to one another in the most incredibly Canadian way. I was half expecting Rick Mercer to step in and mediate a conclusion. “