Crocodile tears in the blogosphere

From today's Toronto Star:

Finally, there was the mess over his mother-in-law. Was she ill? Or wasn't she? Two weeks ago, the Star sought the views of the 11 leadership hopefuls on the Mideast, asking what they would have done differently than Harper and what, as PM, they would do now.

All commented. Only Ignatieff was unavailable.

When asked why, an Ignatieff spokesperson couldn't answer and said someone would call back later with a reason. Later that day, campaign director Ian Davey telephoned to say Ignatieff's mother-in-law was ill in Hungary.

"He's overseas — there's an illness in the family," said Davey, adding he wouldn't contact Ignatieff about a phone interview. Later, a high-placed source said Ignatieff was definitely on vacation.

Last week, however, back in Toronto, Ignatieff told the Star his mother-in-law was, in fact, not ill.

"There is no health crisis," he said. "There never was. Anybody who said there was, was not authorized to say that. I never purported to say that."

He apologized for the confusion.

So there you have it: the candidate in the awkward position of having to answer for a staffer — and a senior staffer at that.

"I'm entitled to a holiday, but I don't want at any point (to) set up obstacles, or false trails for you or anyone else," he said.

For any of you who read your way around the Liberal blogosphere, you've surely read lots and lots over the past while about the absence of Michael Ignatieff from events, media, etc, etc for most of the month of July. Many have criticized Ignatieff's absence as a rookie mistake and certainly his silence on questions about the Middle East during the crisis in Lebanon was surprising to many. As one blogger pointed out, there are 3.5 million land lines and 8.5 million cell phones in Hungary. Surely the Ignatieff campaign team could have "phoned a friend" when they needed comments.

Any criticism about Ignatieff's absence resulted in vicious retaliation from the Ignatieff folks on the blogosphere. When Calgary Grit posted a picture of Ignatieff on a milk carton and listed a mock top ten reasons for his disappearence for a constest started by another blogger prominent Ignatieff blogger TDH Strategies had the following to say:

Calgary Grit, Mr. "Bart Ramson" (how did you ever come up with that silly name, sir?), has taken it upon himself to make light of a deeply personal affair that Michael Ignatieff and his wife have had to endure in Hungary. In his logic, he believes that the above-linked post isn't "weighing in" on the issue, and that he is somehow going to wait before making his opinion known. Well, excuse me for being a little confused by that kind of a statement, considering that he and his brand of humour seem to be all over the affair.

If that is how CG chooses to conduct himself, then so be it. But regardless of who I support, my ideals will never allow me to make a joke out of someone else's tragedy, particularly when it comes to family. That is a line that I don't think anyone should cross.

Another blogger has written that "Where's Iggy? seems to have replaced Where's Waldo? as one of the more popular past times in the Liberal blogsphere over the past week or two." Well, I'd be more interested in starting another game this morning - namely, Where's Gerard Kennedy Going to Run? It could be in his home province of Ontario...although, he is now living temporarily in Quebec for the summer...but then again, he does have western roots in Manitoba and Alberta...heck, BC might even be an option. We'll all have to keep an eye on the next geographic flavour of the week that Mr. Kennedy chooses to pander to in order to find out. In fact, I'm considering starting a pool:

I'll put a bunch of ridings in the grid (I might have to expand it as the months progress), and TDH readers can puchase different squares for a designated amount. Winner takes all.

And to think of the kind of fun we all could have had if a member of Gerard's family had fallen deathly ill.

Absolutely disgusting.

Full of anger, some might say hate, the response came attacking not only the blogger who made a joke but also saying it was disgusting, and references to family members "fallen deathly ill". Then moving on to attack the leadership candidate supported by the blogger in question.

What a sham. I will quote again candidate Ignatieff who told the Star: "There is no health crisis, there never was. Anybody who said there was, was not authorized to say that. I never purported to say that."

I think TDH Strategies and other bloggers out there who have insulted and called the ethics and morals of other bloggers into questions need to offer some serious apologies. Now.