Irene Mathyssen was told in no uncertain terms that she had to apologize and without any conditions or qualifications. That was not her plan. Indeed, after the NDP MP accused Conservative MP James Moore of looking at pornography in the House of Commons, an accusation that was quickly shown to be baseless, Mathyssen made it clear she intended to get an apology from Moore!
At least one reporter is saying that the NDP decided this was too absurd, even for them.
As of ths morning, NDP MP Irene Mathyssen was not very apologetic. Despite the big comedown from accusing Conservative MP James Moore of looking at porn on his laptop while sitting in the House of Commons, Irene Mathyssen had the temerity to say that she was owed an apology:
In London yesterday, Mathyssen clarified her planned apology before attending local anniversary memorials for the 14 women slain in the 1989 Montreal massacre.
Mathyssen said she asked Moore to apologize for the "scantily dressed" image of a brown-haired woman, but he has refused.
So today she stood in the House of Commons...and apologized. Without reservation:
New Democrat MP Irene Mathyssen has offered up a formal apology to Conservative MP James Moore after she accused him earlier this week of looking at pictures of "scantily clad women" on his laptop.
Moore, who sits in front of Mathyssen in the House of Commons, later explained the pictures were of his girlfriend.
"The member has explained what those images were and I have accepted his explanation," Mathyssen said Friday in the House, after cancelling scheduled events in her London-area riding and flying to Ottawa to make the statement.
"I recognize in hindsight that I should have approached the member and sought an explanation before I rose in the house. For that I am truly sorry."
She said she offered the apology "without qualification" and went on to apologize to Moore's family and all members of the House.
So what happened? Last night she was telling Chip Martin of the London Free Press that she was the wronged party and that she was owed an apology. Today, she was acting, well, mature.
Imagine that. A feminist who admits to having wronged a man.
And I always thought being a feminist meant never having to say you're sorry.
Not only that, she had to apologize to a man by saying he was looking at pornography. No man is ever owed an apology on that count, because the entire male gender is guilty, right?
According to CTV's Robert Fife, Irene Mathyssen must have been taken to the woodshed:
Fife said it's clear Mathyssen's party pressured her to offer up a full apology.
"She will probably have to explain to her local newspaper why she said one thing to them and another thing in the House of Commons," Fife told CTV Newsnet.
"But I'm sure that the New Democratic Party leadership said Irene, you were wrong, completely wrong on this, you owe Mr. Moore an apology, get up there and unreservedly apologize and let's put this matter to rest. That is what she has done."
That must have been a most bitter pill to swallow for Mathyssen. Apologizing to a man. And to a Conservative.
I have to say that Mathyssen completely messed this up. The original accusation was bad enough. But to then spoil her apology by publicly making it clear she didn't think she entirely to blame, and that she had asked for an apology herself...
Regardless of what she said in the House, we know what she's really thinking.
James Moore was the one the showed real class through this whole business. Irene Mathyssen is an embarrassment.
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