It’s one thing to go skinny dipping with a Liberal hopeful or table decorating with a Leafs enforcer, but tonight’s the big one: Rick Mercer visits the Prime Minister.

According to the Mercer site,

Rick has a sleepover at 24 Sussex Drive with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Harper’s kids, Ben and Rachel

The piece is being heavily promoted on CBC, and there was a photo of Harper reading Mercer a bedtime story in the Ottawa Citizen. Quite a coup (though the PM also shot a cameo on Corner Gas a few weeks ago.)

According to Saturday’s Globe, Mercer’s personal highlight happened off camera, when he took the Lord’s name in vain while talking to his field producer. Seven year old Rachel Harper rans through the mansion screaming “Rick Mercer said a bad word!”

By the way, if you look down in the corner of that picture, you’ll notice the photo credit: “Deb Ransom, Prime Minister’s Office.” Last week we reported on a brouhaha over the PMO’s rejection of freelance photographer Dave Chan to take stills at the shoot. According to a source at Mercer, the uproar was “greatly exaggerated.”

Apparently the Mercer team doesn’t usually travel with a photographer. They take snaps with a small digital camera, and these pictures sometimes make the newspapers – but for the Sussex Drive shoot, the team decided to hire a professional. According to the source, the PMO informed them it wasn’t necessary because an official photographer covers the Prime Minister 24/7, and CBC told Chan to “stand down.”

So, there you go. A tempest in a teapot? Make it sleepy time chamomile.

For more photos of the Prime Minister in action, check out Stephen Harper’s photo gallery. You’ll even see the PM reading a story to a pair of kittens. I hope Mercer isn’t jealous!

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