'Feeling empathy for Gordon' blog discussion

PhylPho

rickbonar wrote: »

I should think virtually all non vetted members of the public randomly speaking with any politician will ask an embarrassing question at some point.

The "setup" would be the live microphone. NOT Mrs Duffy.

What you've got to ask is why didn't his aides make sure he wasn't wearing it when he got back in the car and why did they prompt him with "well what did she say".

Well, I've already said elsewhere on MSE how the record shows that Brown is a pathological bully in search of excuses to throw his not inconsiderable weight around. Which means I don't believe he ever regarded Mrs Duffy and her response as any kind of issue at all, merely a starting point to launch into an ego-boosting attack on the subservients around him.

You and I view things differently. You're much more charitable to Brown than I am.

Errata

What you've got to ask is why didn't his aides make sure he wasn't wearing it when he got back in the car and why did they prompt him with "well what did she say".

Blair had an aide whose sole job was to remove the mike when it wasn't needed. A lesson Brown didn't pay attention to.

Barbarian

When I listened to a recording of Brown's "bigotted woman" comments, it seemed to me that he put more stress on the word "woman" than "bigotted". Interesting n'est-ce pas?

Errata

Barbarian wrote: »

When I listened to a recording of Brown's "bigotted woman" comments, it seemed to me that he put more stress on the word "woman" than "bigotted". Interesting n'est-ce pas?

Mrs Duffy has said she was offended by Brown referring to her as that woman (his emphasis), and can't understand why he didn't say that lady.

Bobby2

I just wonder why the media broadcast the "off camera" comments made by GB - I question their political agenda. How many people have uttered, muttered something under their breath having just spoken to someone? Hand on heart, I think that very few people could say that they haven't. GB was mortified when he heard his comments played back on live radio - he apologised - what more could he do? The media hype for this has and is unforgiveable - "let he without sin cast the first stone" - I hope that Labour win on Thursday - no they have not got everything right but heaven forbid the Tories get in!

Errata

He was mortified that he'd been found out. The chance of him apologising to Mrs Duffy if his comments hadn't been broadcast is so small it's incalcuable.

wireframe_2

Bobby2 wrote: »

GB was mortified when he heard his comments played back on live radio - he apologised - what more could he do?

He could have taken Gillian Duffy's comments seriously and not dismissed her as "that bigoted woman"

Bobby2 wrote: »

heaven forbid the Tories get in!

Its this kind of closed-minded insanity that really gets my goat - we're £848 billion IN DEBT, the country's currency is being devalued DAILY by printing billions of pounds to supplement "fiscal easing" when really the country should have saved money in the hayday of the economy. GB sold £400 BN of gold at one of the lowest ebbs, to "invest" in Euros (which have marginally increased in value, where as gold has quadrupled), and created 1.7 billion "British jobs for British workers" and given 98% of those jobs to foreign labour! (I have no issue with foreign workers, the example is the breaking of an election promise).

Greece has the same national debt as us and look where they are right now!
All this "we've got to keep the tories out" nonsense is the maddest thing I've ever heard. Change "tories" to "blacks", or "muslims" and see how stupid you sound. I'm not saying "go and vote Tory, right now", but at least don't be so closed minded as to dismiss a party out of hand for no other reason than "they're tories".

ManyDollarz

And the nominations for the Gordon Brown 2010 Empathy Awards are:

"I'm fighting so hard, because I want 2010 to be the year"...

A) I get my band G £216/mo Council Tax paid for (again!) by the UK tax payers!
I get my BT bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
C) I get my £400/mo food bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
D) I get my £301 Scottish Gas HomeCare Agreement paid for by the UK tax payers!
E) I get my £42/wk Domestic Services paid for by the UK tax payers!
F) I get my Sky TV paid for by the UK tax payers!
G) I get my £219 Scottish Power electricity bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
H) I get my £35 grass cut paid for by the UK tax payers!
I) I get my £195/mo garden maintenance paid for by the UK tax payers!
J) I get my £29.38 window cleaning bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
K) I get my £388 ScottishGas bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
L) I get my £168 carpet cleaning bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
M) I get my £492 PIR 500watt light bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
N) I get my £2713 ground floor under stair toilet paid for by the UK tax payers!
O) I get my £1472+vat DPC bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
P) I get my £53 master bedroom pendant light fitting bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
Q) I get my £176 photography bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
R) I get my £352 mouse eradication bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
S) I get my £105 Noahs animals Childrens roller blinds paid for by the UK tax payers!
T) I get my £1396 internal redecoration bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
U) I get my £6464.53 Solar Panels bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
V) I get my £262 cleaning services bill paid for by the UK tax payers!
W) I get my £153 replacement soil pipe brackets paid for by the UK tax payers!
X) I get my £30 for a Piper, to pipe at the Royal British Legion Scotland paid for by the UK tax payers!
Y) I get my £195 newspaper bill paid for by the UK tax payers!

And the winner is...
"I'm fighting so hard, because I want 2010 to be the year"...
Z) I get my £88.13 invoice for 'clearing the choked WC pan in the upstairs bathroom' paid for by the UK tax payers! :eek:
pdf page 39: http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/gordon-brown/Gordon_Brown_0607_ACA.pdf

British "jobs" for British workers! :rotfl:

.

Old_Wrinkly

Errata wrote: »

He was mortified that he'd been found out. The chance of him apologising to Mrs Duffy if his comments hadn't been broadcast is so small it's incalcuable.

It's not incalculable. It's zero.

renegade

Old_Wrinkly wrote: »

As an earlier post said, I am beginning to wish that a link to the MPs expenses site hadn't been given ...

I already knew from their words and actions that most of them couldn't be trusted, and were a sleazy bunch.
I had listened on radio & TV to reports of the worst of the expenses claims, and how many MPs were returning small amounts of money on particular things.
But I don't think that even then I realised just how corrupt the majority of them were, by consistently claiming for things they weren't entitled to, as "wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred ...".

The MP for my area is standing down this time (as are many others) - the expenses issue no doubt being a factor.
But there are 650 of them with expense claims to look at, and I won't now rest until I find one honest MP.
Surely there must have been one!

You will be waiting forever- the words Honest & MP do not are incompatible!