Liberal Democrats are thankful for small mercies
In a one-liner, "Gossip mag Opik loses presidential bid".
The vote though might well be remembered more for who lost, than for who won.
In the running were two relative unknowns and one all-too-well-known.
The winner was Baroness Ros Scott, the former group leader of Suffolk County Council.
Businessman Chandila Fernando promised to modernise the party's machinery. And the most recognised name of the three, Lembit Opik, offered a presidency painted in "primary colours".
The party leader, Nick Clegg, will be sighing with relief.
It was widely thought that Baroness Scott was his preferred candidate. In fact, the deputy leader Vince Cable officially endorsed her.
The result:
Ros Scott: 20,736 votes (72%)
Lembit Opik: 6247 votes (22%)
Chandila Fernando 1799 votes (6%)
One thing's for sure - Randerson won't be sleeping soundly tonight.
One thing's for sure - Randerson won't be sleeping soundly tonight.
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27 comments:
You have stated many times that the reason you do not comment on issues such as Alun Cairns racist remarks (or other Tory issues) is because the blog is focus on the One Wales government. This is clearly a post outside that remit. If you are willing to do that here why not tackle the Tory issues? Consistency is all I am asking for?
If you have a problem with the content of the blog, why read it? I support Welsh Labour and stopped reading this blog until today.
I dont have any problem with the blog and enjoy reading it. I would just like to see their analysis of the problems facing the Tories. I understand the reasoning for not doing so given the blog covers mainly One Wales issue but if you are going to extend it for some issues why stay silent on so many Tory scandals.
Tory scandals??? Alun Cairns' remarks were a storm in a tea cup and the so called dodgy dossier on Rhodri was deserved.
still scandals though. You had one Tory AM susbended for using racist language and you had Tory AM's briefing up against their own leader in what looked set to be Nick Bournes departure.
As I said... storm in a tea cup
and as i said leadership crisis, racist suspensions. if thats only a storm in a tea cup i would hate to see what you actually consider a problem!
Anyway as to the origional point how come this blog doesn't cover these issues but does labour/plaid and lib dem issues outside the one wales agreement? If this is, as some anons are suggesting, a tory attack blog then fine i wouldn't expect it to touch on damaging issues. Just curious. enjoy reading either way.
What about Peter Black's comments? Peter Black’s ridiculing of a war veteran for his 'unnatural movements'. As Matt Withers pointed out in Wales on Sunday, Peter Black may come to regret his comments:
“IT’S never nice to kick a man while he’s down, so Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales West, Peter Black, may come to regret the description on his blog of unsuccessful presidential candidate John McCain’s speech-giving stance.
‘His movements appear to be synchronised by remote control,” he wrote. “Indeed, so unnatural does he seem that there were times when I thought that the Republican nominee was break-dancing with his arms.’
Whoops! The injuries McCain sustained during his well-publicised time in Vietnam left him permanently incapable of lifting his arms behind his head, hence his unusual movements.
Perhaps next week Mr Black will offer his insight into Gordon Brown’s unresponsive left eye.”
Here’s the link to the Wales on Sunday's piece criticising Peter Black's warped sense of humour (if it even deserves that name) here:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2008/11/09/elder-abuse-who-d-know-about-that-91466-22212029/
What was Peter Black thinking? It's the week when we remember those who fought for their country and suffered such terrible injuries and loss of life ... and then there's Peter Black taking the mick out of a POW who suffered terrible injuries to his limbs serving his country.
I hardly think that Peter meant those words as they've been taken. If you have issue with him then why not take it up with him?
What, that Peter Black didn't mean to write: “His movements appear to be synchronised by remote control" ... “Indeed, so unnatural does he seem that there were times when I thought that the Republican nominee was break-dancing with his arms.”
Peter Black should be forced to resign
Peter Black clearly didn't know the reason behind it all. Give the guy a break. This is American politics after all.
Peter Black made these appalling statements AFTER Obama won the election. There was no rhyme or reason to make such outlandish appalling comments about a former POW who suffered horrendous injuries in service to his country, he almost died, and thereafter was never able to use his limbs properly.
One could give Peter Black a break if he gave a unambiguous full apology and retraction of his appalling comments - but instead Peter Black gave a pathetic excuse, which doesn't make sense since Peter Black earlier on his own blog referenced McCain's time spent at the "Hanoi Hilton", the prison where McCain and other captured American POWs were held captive and tortured.
This issue requires a full unambiguous full apology and retraction of his appalling comments.
What has this blog post got to do with Peter Black AM? Answer = NOTHING!!!
Why not try commenting on Peter's blog. That way, you might get an answer.
Only suggesting!!!
Oh, Peter Black 'responded' with a pathetic half-apology where Peter Black claimed he "didn't know" that McCain suffered serious injuries to his limbs in service to his country. But Peter Black cited (just two months ago, 5th Sept., 2008) to McCain's time at the “Hanoi Hilton” where McCain and other captured American POWs were held captive and tortured.
"McCain's time at the “Hanoi Hilton” where McCain and other captured American POWs were held captive and tortured."
That doesn't mean that they are wholly connected.
Anon (20:07)> so it's OK then for Peter Black to state:
“His movements appear to be synchronised by remote control,” he wrote. “Indeed, so unnatural does he seem that there were times when I thought that the Republican nominee was break-dancing with his arms.”
Source:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2008/11/09/elder-abuse-who-d-know-about-that-91466-22212029/
Sorry, but I don't buy it. Peter Black cited to the Hanoi Hilton and we are then expected to believe that he did not know what went on there?
All politicians make mistakes based on an oversight. Get over yourself... he's not going to resign.
If Peter Black offers a full apology, there is no need, imho, for his party to sanction him. But absent such an apology, his own party, the Liberal Democrats, should sanction him.
And failing that, the Welsh Assembly should sanction him. By his awful comments, Peter Black has brought the Liberal Democrats into disrepute, and the Welsh Assembly into disrepute. Peter Black has a breathing space, but he is rapidly running out of time, it is only a matter of time before his awful insults against a former POW reaches national level. At which point if Kirsty Williams hasn't further distanced herself from him, her campaign will also be damaged.
You'll be calling for his execution next.
... well, Peter Black should think before he ridicules anyone for their limb movements using such language as: I thought he was "break-dancing with his arms". People who have limb movement problems should not be described using such vulgar language, let alone a former POW who was seriously injured while in service to his country, especially in Remembrance Week when we all should be thinking of those killed or wounded serving their countries.
Never mind going national, the matter will go international absent a full and complete apology from the senior Liberal Democratic member/politician or sanction from his Party.
Specifically, absent an unambiguous apology or sanction from the Liberal Democratic Party, a letter will be typed and circulated to Senators in U.S. Congress drawing attention to the Welsh Liberal Democratic Party's ridiculing of the physical ailments of the Senior Senator from Arizona who sustained serious injuries while in service to the United States of America, the letter will include a download of the criticism published in Wales on Sunday – copied below.
The same letter will be sent to several hundred Representatives in the House of Representatives detailing the exact language used by the senior Welsh Liberal Democratic politician.
In the USA it is regarded as extremely rude and totally unacceptable to ridicule a former POW for his awkward movements acquired while in service to the United States of America. Absent a clear unambiguous apology or sanction by the Welsh Liberal Democratic Party there is no way, no how that Peter Black’s awful commentary will go unnoticed in the USA.
Extract from the Wales on Sunday follows:
- IT’S never nice to kick a man while he’s down, so Liberal Democrat AM for South Wales West, Peter Black, may come to regret the description on his blog of unsuccessful presidential candidate John McCain’s speech-giving stance.
“His movements appear to be synchronised by remote control,” he wrote. “Indeed, so unnatural does he seem that there were times when I thought that the Republican nominee was break-dancing with his arms.”
Whoops! The injuries McCain sustained during his well-publicised time in Vietnam left him permanently incapable of lifting his arms behind his head, hence his unusual movements.
Perhaps next week Mr Black will offer his insight into Gordon Brown’s unresponsive left eye.
Source: “Elder abuse? Who’d know about that?”, published in the Wales on Sunday newspaper on Nov. 9, 2008.
Does anyone realize in Wales that it was the Senior Senator from Arizona that re-opened the Pentagon mid-air refueling contract that Airbus (via EADS) later won (re: building wings at the N. Wales factory). The Senior Senator from Arizona is none other than John McCain, the former POW that Peter Black ridiculed on his blog for his ‘unnatural movements” for ‘break-dancing” with his arms.
It is the Legislature (Congress) that has the enumerated spending power – it is Congress that funds the Pentagon. It will be Congress that has the final say on who gets the mid-air refueling contract. This order is worth BILLIONS. It is worth many hundreds of millions to the North Wales Airbus wing factory – I read that the order is worth over 3 billion to the North Wales wing factory.
Does anyone believe that Peter Black's appalling comments about the Senior Senator from Arizona and Peter Black/Welsh Lib Dem party not unambiguously apologizing for the awful comments is helpful to Wales?
I have only just had this thread drawn to my attention though I have seen letters to the South Wales Echo and Western Mail. The fact is that I did unreservedly apologise for those remarks as a footnote at http://peterblack.blogspot.com/2008/11/so-what-did-i-miss.html, which is where they were made.
Although I knew McCain had been a prisoner of war for some reason I did not make the connection between that and his hand movements. I was not aware of the extent or nature of his injuries. If I had been I would not have said what I did.
The point I was trying to make was that McCain did not seem at ease with crowds in the way that Obama did. That manifested itself in his method of speaking more than anything else.
Thank you for answering your critics Peter, as there are some that try to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
Senedd Whip happened to be monitoring the blog at the time of those comments and I agree with SW when he/she says "I hardly think that Peter meant those words as they've been taken. If you have issue with him then why not take it up with him?"
Senedd Whip removed a number of comments that were unfair to you and took the matter too far.
He/she assures me that the other 'anti-Peter comments' on this post were left untouched as the content is seen as ridiculous, considering your standing in Welsh politics.
As I've said before, you'll be hard pressed to find a person that believes you meant those words in the way some people have taken them. These people are out to make mischief.
Comment moderation is now in place for posts older than 14 days in order to keep a tighter reign.
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