Garth Pritchard is in Sri Lanka, with the DART team. He writes in the Toronto Sun;
IT WAS a circus when Prime Minister Paul Martin visited the disaster area of Kalumai in Sri Lanka this week for a photo opportunity. His people from Ottawa, including the RCMP, were pushing people out of the way, grabbing at cameras, and trampling over graves on the beach in order to photograph the PM.An RCMP guy tried to interfere with my camera, but one of our soldiers intervened.
A couple of women from the PM's office were running around yelling at people.
It got out of hand. It was crazy.
The whole visit was a photo opportunity -- with cameras set up for the PM in designated spots: Martin on the beach looking out to sea, Martin amid the wreckage, Martin with a homeless kid, Martin taking a token drink of water produced by the DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) water purifier.
He met with the Canadian commander, Lt. Col. Mike Voith, and a small medical team but didn't visit the camp of the 200 Canadian military people here for tsunami victims.
Martin's handlers wanted no one but their people taking photos. The padre was even shoved out of the way.
90 minutes later, he was gone.
Well he didn't strangle anyone on camera, so that's a plus, right?
Ugh - that is awful.
Not necessarily, Sean.
If he had, we could hope that if it was not the beginning of the end, then at least it was the end of the beginning.
I think we're already seeing the beginning of the end. He's getting worse press coverage now than Mulroney did at the end of his reign. Much worse than Kim Campbell, as well.
Paul Martin is the Vanilla Ice of Canadian politics.
Hm. May have to blog that.
He can't even fake compassion.Is this what Martin dreamed about all these years, as he clawed his way up the greasy pole?
Kate,
I couldn't get an email through to you, but here is some more info on the Tamils:
I've posted a blog about the Tamil situation in Sri Lanka at http://www.globelens.com/blog/2005/1/5/tamils.html
Some readers commented and one sent me a couple links: A list of Tamil leaders assasinated by the LTTE and photos of a massacre of Muslim civilians by the LTTE. (note: the photos are uncensored and very graphic.)
Just if you're interested.
Daniel
Here's the difference: When George W. Bush visits the troops he serves them turkey; when Paul Martin visits the troops he is the turkey.