No, not sexy. Sorry. It is the hardest word in politics and John Baird deserves credit for saying it.
In an update soon to be posted on our web, Mayor David Miller reports: "Minister Baird called me this morning and apologized for his comments, and we agreed to work together to ensure that we find a way that Toronto can buy its new streetcars and create thousands of jobs in Thunder Bay and across southwestern Ontario."
The Transport Minister also gets praise from this quarter for owning up to saying the harsh words in the first place when asked about it by The Star yesterday.
. No weaseling, no saying that reporters are just as bad (we are, at times, but as Anna-Maria Tremonti chided Kory Teneycke on The Current this morning, we're not ministers of the crown.).
Baird handled this well. He said it, admitted it, said he was sorry. Funny how rare that is around here.
An apology extracted from a public official for the purpose of stopping the media’s howling is worthless, IMO.
John Baird rightly apologized for using a naughty word in public. He didn’t say it to you, nor to me, nor to the entire population of Toronto. He has been humbled, so let the self-righteous rejoice. Fine. End of story.
Ms. Raitt has NOTHING to apologize for. Her use of the word "sexy" was not used to describe cancer, it was used to describe the entire issue of isotopes.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9012061.html
«Ms. MacDonnell said the isotope issue is hard to control, “because it’s confusing to a lot of people.”
“But it’s sexy,” says Ms. Raitt. “Radioactive leaks. Cancer.”
“Nuclear contamination,” says Ms. MacDonnell.»
Notice that little word “it”?
Its antecedent is “the isotope issue” NOT “cancer.”
The media literati and the illustrious members of the opposition apparently cannot decipher that elementary fact.
Your colleague Tonda MacCharles informed us http://www.thestar.com/Article/648278
“Lisa Raitt has lost a grandmother, grandfather, father and brother to cancer.”
Are the jackals who are howling for an apology suggesting Ms. Raitt thought those personal losses were “sexy”?
If anything, an apology should be expected from media outlets that kept and went through someone else's property for six days (the binder) and for 5 months (the recorder).
Posted by: Gabby in QC | June 10, 2009 at 09:31 AM