Bell: Brian Jean not denying story. It's a non-denial denial.

Brian Jean, centre, speaks at a UCP leadership debate with Jason Kenney, left, and Doug Schweitzer in Fort McMurray on Oct. 12. Vincent McDermott / Postmedia

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Let’s make this real easy for everybody.

Especially for those of you who apparently don’t know the difference between a real denial and a phony-baloney non-denial denial.

To the untrained eye, they kind of look the same but they are very different.

The story is simple.

Joe Magliocca, a Calgary city councillor, gets a phone call from former Wildrose leader Brian Jean Monday night.

During the phone call, Magliocca says Jean tells him two big things.

First, Jean will lead the Freedom Conservatives, a party with Derek Fildebrandt currently at the helm.

And Jean wants Magliocca to run in the provincial election under the banner of a Jean-led Freedom Conservative party.

A phone call and these two main points. That’s the story.

Reading a catalogue of comments Thursday, I must have missed something because some folks thought Jean somehow denied Magliocca’s account.

Did Jean deny he told Magliocca he would become leader of the Freedom Conservatives?

No, he did not.

Did Jean deny he asked Magliocca to run for a Freedom Conservative party led by him?

No, he did not.

Did Jean deny he made a phone call to Magliocca that Monday night?

Of course not, he made that phone call.

Magliocca also said Jean told him he’d be making an announcement Friday.

Now if somebody made up a story about me, I know what I would do if it wasn’t true. I’d make it real clear it was B.S. I would be telling the world.

What do we get from Jean? Does he return my calls?

No, he does not.

Does he hold a press conference or put out a news release?

Not to my knowledge.

He puts out a tweet. Yes, a short tweet.

“Wow. I too have heard crazy rumours about something coming Friday but none of it involves me.”

So he’s not doing anything Friday. Good.

Tell me, dear readers, how this denies Magliocca’s main points?

Did Jean tell the councillor he was planning on leading the Freedom Conservatives?

Yes or No.

And, as for Freedom Conservative leader Derek Fildebrandt, he says nothing to me and little to others. This is the party Jean is alleged to be taking over.

What Fildebrandt does say is he’s let bygones be bygones with Jean.

The whole shebang is a non-denial denial and Jean was brought back down to Earth in a hell of a hurry.

Stephen Harper got it when he took to Twitter after the story came to light.

“Conservatives win when we are united. Personal ambition and fighting old battles must take a back seat to the best interests of our province.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe took to Facebook.

“Prior to the formation of the Saskatchewan Party, our province was an example of what dividing the free-enterprise movement will do: electing NDP governments, over and over again.

“United we win, divided we lose.”

United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney answered questions.

Kenney spoke of the need for unity to defeat the Notley NDP.

“We can’t be distracted by people who want to play political games and by people who want to once again divide the free-enterprise side of Alberta politics.

“There is no support for going back into a vote split.”

Kenney added he had no reason not to believe Magliocca. The UCP leader spoke with Magliocca after Jean’s Monday night phone call.

Magliocca also contacted your scribbler that night.

And beyond the big names, many individuals throughout the day got in touch.

One person summed up the sentiment of those hearing of the Jean phone call.

“I instantly got an upset stomach and literally almost puked in my mouth.”

Hope you’re not eating breakfast.

As for Magliocca, why does he think Jean has not come out with a full-force denial?

“He knows it’s the truth. Why would I ruin my reputation, Rick?”

Good question.

Magliocca likes Jean but thinks the Wildrose leader didn’t think through the consequences of what he said on the phone.

“When you get Stephen Harper involved, when you get the premier of Saskatchewan involved, when you get the premier of Ontario involved … Man, that’s a lot of power right there,” says Magliocca.

The premier of Ontario? Magliocca says Premier Doug Ford sent him a quick text stating conservatives have got to be united.

The councillor thinks Jean might switch gears and bow out of any plans to join the fray.

“I think he has to change his mind,” says Magliocca.

“He would be a lame duck out there.”

And a lonely duck, too.