Monday, December 17, 2007

A measure of class

I have to grudgingly admit that my partisan bias against Karen Redman has been somewhat mollified by a letter I received today, which was sent in reply to my indignant email when Ms. Redman backed up Irene Mathyssen during Scantygate.

In contrast to Ms. Mathyssen who seemed to have been dragged kicking and screaming into the House of Commons to deliver a formal apology, Karen Redman had the decency to issue an unqualified and heartfelt mea culpa very soon after the original debacle.

In any case, my angry letter has been answered in record time, considering that it was sent by snail-mail:

"Thank you for contacting my office concerning the recent incident in the House of Commons where I made a comment regarding allegations that had been made to my colleague...

I sincerely regret the comments that I made in the House of Commons and I have apologized to James Moore, Member of Parliament for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlan, personally and in the House. I have a good deal of respect for Mr. Moore and I regret the hurt that was caused by my comments..."


We all make mistakes.

It's what we do next that makes the difference.

18 comments:

hunter said...

I used to respect Redman, but lately she is being used by Dion to do the dirty work, and she looks very unhappy doing it, but....she still does it.

I would have more respect for her if she told Dion that she would not go against her principles. It just cheapens her to keep standing in the house and being the attack dog. Leave that to a back bencher like Holland.

I think they are using her because she is the only one who actually has any credibility. Who else in the Liberal party deserves any respect?

Anonymous said...

Good on Karen Redman for her apology and all, but the point that jumped up at me was the NDP. First Mathysson had to be dragged into saying sorry and then Libby had to apologize over the David Oliver debacle. Where was Taliban Jack, as leader he is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his party and their actions. I see he was front and center for accolades given his members by Mcleans mag.

Anonymous said...

Another difference - Redman is truly sorry....Mathyssen maintains she still believes she was right, only apologized because she had to.

Haven't seen much of Mathyssen lately.

We should all settle down in the New Year. They are very nice people who have integrity and want to make a difference in "ALL" parties but the extreme partisanship has really gone out of control.

Remember - each party has a different political view - they are not mass murderers or something.

Without different views we wouldn't have a democracy.

Dave Hodson said...

Good on her for doing the right thing an appologizing, but you can still never completely undo the past events.

She says she regrets the hurt done to Mr. Moore, and that she has a good deal of respect for him. Well, if she really has so much respect for Mr. Moore, why didn't that respect tell her to question her attack on him and seek out some actual facts first.

She may respect Mr. Moore, and she can tell us over and over that she respects Mr. Moore, but her actions show that her partisan drive to attack Conservatives is greater than any respect she has.

OMMAG said...

A measure of Class?

Please ... like a child caught red handed doing what they know very well they should not have done. Without having her transgression thrown in her face she would NEVER have uttered any sort of apology.

How long will it be before Redman spews some other nonsense or makes another accusation based on some other fabrication or fit of hysteria?

Anonymous said...

I wish I was a woman and could get away with sending angry emails to public officials, especially female ones. Google "Brad Love" to see what happens to men who write angry letters to politicians in Canada.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Good on her for doing the right thing an appologizing, but you can still never completely undo the past events.

That's for sure. Moore said afterwards he'll have to live with this on Wikipedia for five years, as well as explaining it to every constituent whose door he knocks at during the next election.

Möbius said...

It's a form letter, though, isn't it?

Does she actually care what a twit she was?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

It's a form letter, though, isn't it?

O.K. Let's put that to the test. Has anyone else written to her about her part in Scantygate? Have you received a reply?

Anonymous said...

You're happy Joanne...the letter did it's job.

maryT said...

Didn't write a letter by snail mail but did send an e-mail. No reply.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Mary T. - I sent an email, but she always replies by snail mail. Odd that, because it's much more expensive and time-consuming.

If you're not a constituent, I'd be surprised if you get a reply.

Anonymous said...

I'm not in her riding, but I sent an e-mail to which I got a reply asking for my mailing address. I hit "delete".

Anonymous said...

Karen Redman is sorry she got caught and looks bad...not a bit sorry for her attempted smear.
My teenage son has a stronger moral compass.

Anonymous said...

You're very easily pacified Joanne.

Let me guess....swing-voter?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Let me guess....swing-voter?

Hardly. The net effect is to reduce my annoyance factor with Karen Redman from a 10/10 to a 9/10 whenever I watch her sly, snarky performances on MDL.

Anonymous said...

" Has anyone else written to her about her part in Scantygate?"

I sent an email and one of her assistants emailed back asking me to outline my "concerns" which I had already outlined in my first email.
I replied and didn't hear back, maybe because I said I wasn't a Redman constituent.

P.S. Ditto to Mathyssen, but no reply from her - this from the party that constantly prefaces its arguments with "Canadians are telling us ..."

Anonymous said...

You're very easily pacified Joanne.

Let me guess....swing-voter?


I see Central Message Control has been here.