Jack Layton Wants To Fix Ottawa

As the NDP launches its pre-election advertising blitz, we have the most recent ad opening with the NDP claiming that Ottawa is broken and Jack Layton saying that only his party can fix it. Fine then. Let's start by helping to square this circle. We've got on one hand what seems to be an angry misogynist Pat Martin, and on the other hand what appears to be an angry knee-capping Thomas Mulcair. You can judge people by their words, or if you choose, by their actions. Let's take a look at their words. NDP deputy leader Mulcair scraps with QMI journalist 'Tom, are you trying to kneecap your leader while he's recovering from a bad hip' asks QMI's Brian Lilley Mr. Mulcair wasn't having it. Turning to face Mr. Lilley, who was parked behind the usual roped barrier put there so reporters don't get too close to MPs at the microphones, he responded: "Well Brian, since I have so much respect for you as a journalist, why don't you tell me what you heard me say that would make you say that, and not something that a Conservative spinmeister would say." Then came this testy exchange, as Mr. Mulcair gestured toward Mr. Lilley with his hands pressed together and then pointed his index finger at Mr. Lilley. Mulcair: "You tell me something that you've heard me say that would lead you to say that? You're the journalist who asked me the question. Tim Powers isn't a journalist, he's a Conservative spinner." Lilley: "Fine. If you went to an election now, the polls say that you would lose seats. Would that be an opportunity for you? Are you angling for leadership? He raises an interesting question and that's what I'm putting to you. You would lose seats. Mulcair: "You, you're a journalist, I'm a Member of Parliament. You have the obligation, if you're going to make a statement like that to point to something that I've said that you can ask your question based on. I'm not going to answer a pure hypothetical from you Brian. I have too much respect for you and you should have a little bit more respect for your own function and ours than to ask questions like that. "So tell me something that I've said that allows you to ask that question, Brian Lilley. Lilley: "Well I can ask whatever question I feel like Tom Mulcair." Mulcair: "Tell me something that I've said that leads to that question. Something that I've done or said. You're a pure, you're asking a purely hypothetical question based on something that comes from a Conservative spinmeister." Lilley: "We ask them all the time." Mulcair: "Tell me something I've said." Lilley: "You've said that an election is likely. You've called for an election." Mulcair: "Show me where I've said that." Lilley: "Well I don't have them in..." Another reporter chimed in, "You can't decide which questions we ask." To which Mr. Mulcair, still focused on Mr. Lilley said: "I've never said, I've never called for an election. You just made that up." Now, that's one of the gentleman who is going to fix Ottawa. Here's another one. If these guys are the Jeckyll and Hyde of the NDP, how would you know who is who? Pat Martin in committee lynching of Bev Oda: Pat Martin: "I have a question for Miss Biggs, Miss Biggs through the chair, do you believe Kairos is an anti-semetic organization?" Miss Biggs: "Well Chair, my....I don't think my opinions are ( answer becomes diluted due to interruption from Mr. Martin ) Pat Martin: "Well I'm asking you the question, you don't have the option....This is the thing, perhaps through the chair you could remind the witnesses that in this parlaimentary Westmin(i)ster parlaiment you do not have the right to ramain silent, and the offsetting right is, what you say can't be used against you. You have to answer the question. It's not optional" These guys don't act like they could fix a sandwich, much less Ottawa. Don't take my word for it, see for yourself. You can judge them by their actions. Update: If you've got a really strong stomach, you can get a better glimpse of the unprecedented woman bashing from Sandy at Crux Of The Matter.