Mike Klander resigns; aftermath
The poorly chosen words of a high-ranking executive of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) has resulted in his resignation.
The web site has already been updated.
Clearly, the Liberal Party would like to forget Mike Klander.
The executive vice-president of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), Mike Klander, has resigned following the furor over the comments made on his blog:
A high-ranking official within the Liberal Party of Canada resigned Monday after he made disparaging comments on his blog about NDP Leader Jack Layton and his wife, NDP candidate Olivia Chow.
Mike Klander, executive vice-president of the federal Liberal party's Ontario wing, stepped down after photographs of Chow, the NDP candidate for the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, and a chow chow dog were posted on his blog dated Dec. 9 under the heading "Separated at Birth."
The blog also contained an offensive reference to Layton.
The NDP is trying to make some hay:
But Ian Capstick, a spokesman for the NDP campaign, said the postings reflect Liberal mud-slinging.
"We were shocked, disappointed and offended," Capstick said from Ottawa. "This has become indicative of the way Liberals are seeing this election. They couldn't find basis for attack on Ms. Chow's community record, her activism, so they chose instead to focus on one thing."
Klander's resignation was a positive step, but he needs to make further amends, Capstick added.
"He needs to take a good long hard look at some of the postings he made on that website and realize the impact that they had on a variety of different communities."
The NDP might succeed, but I'm willing to bet the Liberals will be able to limit the damage. Still, the damage is going to cost them.
But, courtesy of Stephen Taylor, we have an interesting comment from Klander just prior to deleting his blog:
It would appear that more people viewed my blog than the small circle of friends it was intented [sic] for. I apologize if anyone was offended by my comments...they were meant to be in jest. Anyway, I have removed my previous posts and will ...
I wonder who was in that "small circle of friends". Any other senior members of the Liberal Party? I can only imagine who would not like to be known as a fan of Mike Klander's former blog.
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Comments
Notice the picture of Mike Crawley, the president of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario)? Perhaps he should pack his bags too...
http://www.conservativelife.com/blog/index.php/canada/2005/12/26/mike_klander_and_mike_crawley_a_two_man
Though that will probably earn him a promotion the way things are run in the Liberal Party.
Posted by: ferrethouse at December 27, 2005 01:30 AM
The Globe ran a story a few weeks back called "Parties' rush to embrace new media can sometimes backfire" that talked about the dangers of political party blogs. This appears to be a casualty. My prediction: the party blogs won't last.
Posted by: Ade at December 27, 2005 02:23 AM
Liberal resigns over vulgar blog
Executive VP of Ontario wing posted racially charged remarks about candidates
By BILL CURRY
Tuesday, December 27, 2005 Posted at 5:07 AM EST
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
OTTAWA — A member of the Liberal Party executive resigned yesterday over profane and racially charged critiques on his personal website of NDP candidate Olivia Chow, Conservative Rahim Jaffer and others.
Mike Klander, executive vice-president of the federal Liberals' Ontario wing, ran a website that included a picture of Ms. Chow next to a picture of a chow chow dog under the title "Separated at Birth."
Though the website has been removed, the Google search engine retained a snapshot of the site, which is now being circulated on the Internet.>>>
jay thomas from Toronto, Canada writes:
If Klander was a Conservative party worker Paul would be putting on his puppy dog face and jumping up and down that this is proof of a hoidden agenda.As he's a Liberal party worker the Libs simply say he holds the Liberal values of diversity and tolerance and inclusiveness.-Perhapse he does- the only people Paul seems to have tolerance for is Liberal supporters, as corrupt and intolerent as they are appearing to be.
* Posted Dec. 27, 2005 at 7:44 AM EST
#
Joe Mayo from Ballantrae, Canada writes: Just one more example of disgusting people living in the shell of a disgusting party.
* Posted Dec. 27, 2005 at 7:50 AM EST
#
Edward Vickers from Canada writes:
Hmmm, hidden agenda you say. This latest Liberal gaffe neds cumlutive thinking. Adscam, lying, cheating & stealing, Stupid parents spending childcare money on beer and popcorn, insulting the jewish community and attempting to paint Stephen Harper as conspiring with the BQ to destroy Canada, racist profane comments while describing the offender asd a minotr volunteer when he really is a key member of the Liberal campaign and on and on.
Who has a hidden agenda of entitlement, arrogance, and disrespect for the ordinary Canadian?Bring this Liberal arrogance to an end with a humiliating turf from office. Arrogance needs determination, not just disapproval.>>>
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051227.wxblog1227/BNStory/National/
Posted by: maz2 at December 27, 2005 08:14 AM
Interesting that Kinsella mentioned KKKlander on his blog on December 21, and he is disgraced within the week.
Posted by: OttawaCon at December 27, 2005 08:24 AM
i will kick your ass!
Posted by: at December 29, 2005 07:08 PM
This is a dangerous signal of a possible beginning of wide
discriminating one or more minorities in Canada.
In order to go through the political crisis, which is caused by
their own disgusting performance, a high-ranking executive of a
political party and his small circle of friends chose a way of
vulgarly disparaging their political opponents. This shows that that
bug, possibly and his small circle of friends of liberal party has no
wisdom or no way to find basis for attack on others.
This is dangerous, because those political bugs are misleading Canadian people by sacrificing minorities today and having to sacrifice majorities tomorrow.
Let me use vulgar way to repspond to those bugs.
Fuck Mike Klander.
Go to hell, my dear Mike Klander.
Fuck the small circle of friends of Mike Klander.
Go to hell, my dear small circle of friends of Mike Klander.
Get away from political stage, Liberal Party.
Posted by: at December 29, 2005 11:16 PM
 
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