Friday, December 07, 2007

On apologies

A short blog entry, I apologize for that. And I haven't had time to write much of late, it's been a busy time at work, and with work related parties by some of the vendors and media relations firms that we work with. So, apologies for that, although it has been fun.

In other apologies news, I think Liberal MP Karen Redman owes me one (and one for James too) for jumping on this dumbass James Moore story the other day, and therefore not allowing me to get on my righteous high horse and savage the NDP for trying to be our self-appointed morality police. Good on the NDP for their apology on that thing though, although really, what a very stupid incident that whole thing was. It's a hard knock life for Jimmy Moore.

It's days like that I'm glad I don't make a living in politics because honestly, having to pretend to be all indignant and care about crap like that would have to eat away at the soul.

And speaking of apologies, nice to see the NDP correcting a long-term wrong, albeit by court order, and apologize for their smearing of a Liberal candidate in the last election:

NDP House leader Libby Davies formally apologized Thursday on behalf of her party for spreading allegations that a Liberal candidate in the last federal election tried to bribe his NDP rival to drop out of the race.

“The New Democratic Party admits we seriously erred in making the allegations public and in putting a young and inexperienced candidate in a position where he felt justified in making those allegations and to repeat them on some 40 occasions to media across Canada,” Ms. Davies told the Commons.

Rather overdue, I think. It would be nice to see Paul Martin apologize as well for joining the mob, bowing to the pressure and punting the guy overboard. Failing that though, as the current leader Stephane Dion could certainly step up to the plate and right a wrong here.

Just one question though. I see the NDP put up Libby Davies to offer the apology for the party. I like Libby. As a student journalist back in the day she always had time for the student media, and I appreciated that. I have to wonder, where was Jack Layton?

Apoligiupdate: I need to withdraw my "good on the NDP" for apologizing over GirlfriendPictureGate, and for that withdrawal I apologize. But it seems the NDP's Irene Mathyssen is turning her apology into a non-apology apology. At least in her hometown paper, not knowing they have the Interweb out there now too.

And so the stupidity continues. I think clearly Moore needs to post these photos of his significant other so we can judge ourselves the appropriateness of the pics for the commons chamber. Failing that, perhaps the NDP could publish a hand of acceptable photo standards. Skirts ok, but hems not higher than the knee, etc.

I'll leave with this quote from the first episode of The West Wing, when President Bartlett takes on some conservative morals types:
John Van Dyke: When our children can go to any street corner in America and buy pornography for five dollars, don't you think that is too high a price to pay for free speech?

President Josiah Bartlet
: No. On the other hand, I think that five dollars is too high a price to pay for pornography.

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7 comments:

RuralSandi said...

I read this morning that Irene Mathyssen is not backing down - she's going to apologize (for not speaking to Moore firt).

She's not backing down on her view that it was inappropriate to be looking at a scantily dressed woman in the House.

In other words, to my mind, this lady is not going to let it go away.

What a nasty flake.

900ft Jesus said...

When Moore got up in the House yesterday whining about how traumatic that false accusation had been and said:
"I hope nobody in this House goes through what I did in the last 24 hours. Let us leave the ugliness behind. Let us serve our constituents and build a better Canada,” I thought of Navdeep Bains and what Moore’s party put that poor man - and his family through a few months back, trying to make the whole lot out to be terrorists.

Moore deserved an apology, and people should not make accusations without solid proof and I hope the CONs remember and apply this as well. They should also apologize to Bains - and I’m sure there are others they unfairly caused to have a worse day than Moore did.

Yes, Mathyssen was out of line and Moore deserved an apology, but the hypocrisy of the CONs is so blatant. I can’t help but believe that Moore actually used his “poor, poor me” spiel to push the tired CPC jingo crap as well - “build a better Canada.”

Jeff said...

Thanks Sandi, I found that story and updated. It is rather crazy, and disappointing.

900ft, I agree they're no doubt milking this, which is sad to see, and they're far from lillywhite as well. But if I was Moore I'd be pretty pissed, this story calling him basically a pervert got picked-up by the international wire services and ran worldwide. I'm no lawyer, but he potentially has a strong libel claim, depending on what was said within the HoC (libel shielded) and outside the HoC.

Anyway, while the Cons aren't lily white, as my mom would say, two wrongs don't make a right.

RuralSandi said...

I think Mathyssen is pushing her luck here. Moore said he's waiting for an apology on Monday and willing to leave it behind us. But, by pushing it, Mathyssen is fair game for a legal suit. What a fool.

She's been saying this stuff outside the House - therefore not protected.

Susan said...

The male female divide on this is pretty significant. I don't know why guys are rushing to feel sorry for poor Moore, as I posted on my blog there were some pretty disrespectful responses from men in the house while Mathyssen was speaking and no one knew then if she was right or wrong. Good for 900 ft jesus for pointing out some real damage done to an entire family.

I wonder what the woman on the screen whoever she is thinks about all this.

Scotian said...

I had the same reaction and thought that 900 ft Jesus did listening to Moore's comment about how he had suffered so over the 24 hrs, especially when it turned out that the essential claim made by the NDPer was correct, unless people think a bikini wearing female is not scantily clad/dressed. The fact it was his girlfriend doesn't change any of that, nor does it excuse his viewing such personal pics on his computer in the HoC including where it could be seen by the public from the visitor's gallery.

That said though I hope this is the end of it, because there are far more serious issues to deal with than this, especially given that the NDP MP really should have spoken first to Moore alerting him to how visible his laptop sceen's contents was to other MPs and the public and if he continued to leave it so visible then she should have made that point of order/privilege she made insted of how she did handle this.

Jason Hickman said...

According to CTV, the pseudo-apology was originally what she was going to do, as per this story.

According, again, to CTV, the party brass basically said "not so fast" and demanded a full apology.