Musicworld on Vibe TV did a great 5-part series, "Screwed in Huston" that explores the whole genre pretty thoroughly and in a highly-entertaining fashion. http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=716057343

I don't think he's running scared as much as he has no autonomy to speak publicly. Prime Minister Stephen Harper only allows one or two of his ministers (e.g., the Kyoto Accord-hating Environment Minister, John Baird) to go on the record and ad-lib anything with the press. The rest are given scripts from the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) and kept on a very, very short leash. If I had a nickle for every time the CBC runs a story on the Federal government that ends with "Repeated requests for an interview with the Minister were denied", I'd be rich.