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 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

'So taken out of context'

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, June 12, 2009 3:05pm - 13 Comments

Lisa Raitt sits for her first interview since the unpleasantness. Meanwhile, Doug Bell attempts to parse her earlier apology.

Look carefully at the choice of words and syntax: “Personally communicate,” “regret for wording I used in a private discussion,” “my intent was certainly not to show any disrespect,” “it’s clear that these remarks have been interpreted in that way.” These words are to plain speaking as Kryptonite is to Superman. How about: “I apologize for my offensive remarks”?

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  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Geiseric Geiseric

    I thought she did very well. It's a pity the PMO made her wait so long before doing it.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/ottawasteph ottawasteph

      I thought she skipped the pre-QP meeting, whose agenda included apology instructions for Raitt and Baird. That could explain the PMO staff overseeing her hastily-called news conference the next day.

  • Bill Simpson

    Maybe because her remarks weren't offensive except for trained outrage-ologists. How is saying that a political issue is "sexy" offensive? Who was she offensive too or about?

    And please don't bring in the widows and orphans and cancer victims. They were no part of the conversation.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Geiseric Geiseric

    What I want to know is what she thought throwing money at it was going to solve. The hottest file in the cabinet and she didn't feel the knife on her hamstrings?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/ottawasteph ottawasteph

      The conversation in question took place during Throne Speech & Budget week. It was all about throwing money at problems, many of which could be framed as targets for a good dose of deficit spending slash job creation opportunities.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

    How about this:

    "I apologize for my inappropriate use of the adjective "sexy" to characterize the media appeal of the Chalk River issue, back in January, while I was in a car, having a private conversation with my aide, while unknown to me a tape recorder in my aide's purse was recording our chat. This tape recorder was subsequently left behind by my forgetful aide in a bathroom, and somehow obtained by a reporter. The muffled recording of my five-month old private comment was eventually distorted by the media and opposition with the express purpose of generating synthetic outrage. For the whole unlikely chain of events, I humbly and sincerely apologize."

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/WesternInterest WesternInterest

    'bout as good as any kind of apology you can get out of a conservative politician.

    How 'bout , "I apologize for my inappropriate use of the adjective "sexy" to characterize the media appeal of the Chalk River issue back in January. While I was in a car having a private conversation with my former aide, a tape recorder in my aide's purse was recording our chat. This tape recorder was subsequently left behind and found by a reporter. After waiting for weeks for someone to claim the recorder, the muffled recording of my comment was eventually discolosed by the reporter and it generated outrage. For the whole chain of events, I humbly and sincerely offer my aide as a scapegoat. It's all her fault after all, I've had cancer touch my family twice and therefore would never have acted so crassly by myself. She made me say it."

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

    Hope she had a moment to spare a thought for her homies ……

    http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1126932.h…

  • scf

    Here's another suggestion:

    "Despite having lost a father and brother to cancer, my own family having been ravaged by cancer more than almost all others in this country, I apologize for the word 'sexy' uttered by myself in a private conversation. I apologize to Aaron Wherry for being a Conservative party member, and I apologize to Liberals across the country for having won my seat"

  • Sam

    Or:

    "The dark lord was not pleased with this happening. He hopes that the use of tapes is quickly forgotten, as he has plenty prepared for use to discredit the leader of the Opposition. While I wanted to speak about the matter, I was unable to do so because I had not yet had an audience with the dark lord. Only a fool would speak on the matter before consulting with the dark lord."

  • Herb

    Wonder how many man/person hours it took to craft the words and syntax to void them of any meaning.

    Comparing her meltdown in the "apology" with her previous performance in QP, I must admit that Harper kicks some ass!

  • john g

    Little known fact…Lisa Raitt wrote David Letterman's apology.

  • avens

    Just have to say this – Harpers statement that the oppostion was playing *cheap politics* the day before the so called apology was the most offensive about this whole mess.
    When someone faints while you are giving a speech, you give the fainter a drink of water, not take a drink, turn away and resume your speech.
    Iggy might be going to raise taxes, but Harper just does not like people. period.

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