After Kenney’s “Asshole” Spiel – It’s Time For Conservative Senator “Bitch” Brazeau To Open His Potty Mouth
OTTAWA – Senior Harper-Conservative politicians have taken public discourse to pub banter with always something foul and nasty coming from their mouths.
After Immigration Minister Jason Kenney was forced to apologize for calling Alberta’s Deputy Premier an “Asshole” – this week it was the turn of Conservative Senator Patrick “Bitch” Brazeau to open his potty mouth.
Brazeau apologized Tuesday evening for telling Canadian Press reporter over Twitter that she should change her name to “Bitchburn,” after she reported that he had the lowest attendance record in the Red Chamber between June 2011 and April 2012.
CP reporter Jen Ditchburn looked at records in the Senate attendance register, and noted that Brazeau was absent for 25 per cent of the 72 sittings during that period, leaving him four days away from being fined.
Senators can miss up to 21 days in each parliamentary session without providing an explanation. After that, each day’s absence can cost them $250, Ditchburn reported.
Late Tuesday afternoon, a message appeared on Brazeau’s Twitter account, @TheBrazman, saying: “@jenditchburn while u smile Jen, others suffer. Change the D to a B in your last name and we’re even! Don’t mean it but needs saying.”
Ditchburn wasted no time in replying: “@TheBrazman Dear Senator: Many a person has made fun of my name and (t)he word “Bitch”. But never a Canadian senator. That’s a first.”
After the pair exchanged a handful of tweets over the course of an hour, Brazeau tweeted an apology.
“@jenditchburn I apologize for my comments. They were done because of my personal circumstance regarding your story. (1/2)
After Brazeau’s initial insult, the Twittersphere exploded with outrage by reporters and pundits both in and outside Ottawa.
CTV News Channel’s Mercedes Stephenson tweeted: “The Senate is the Chamber of Sober Second Thought… maybe sober second thoughts before one tweets would be a place to start.”
Alyson Court tweeted: “Um, dear #cdnpoli followers, a Canadian SENATOR just called a very respectable journalist a b—- on twitter.”
More than one reporter tweeted a simple, “wow,” or “sad,” while Maclean’s reporter Aaron Wherry offered a solution to the entire attendance issue.
“You know what would solve this Senate attendance problem? Abolishing the Senate,” Wherry tweeted.
Ditchburn asked Brazeau for comment prior to the publication of her story. He replied by email, saying that, “The very simple answer to your question with respect to my attendance or lack thereof is for personal matters.”
Brazeau did not elaborate on the meaning of personal matters.
NDP MP Charlie Angus called Brazeau the “latest poster boy” for a democratically challenged institution.
“It’s surprising that he shows up at all,” said Angus. “He’s got a gig for life. There’s no accountability, there’s no censure, he’s going to sit there until he’s 75.”
Ditchburn’s story also reported that Brazeau missed 65 per cent of meetings of the aboriginal peoples committee on which he sits. He also missed 31 per cent of the meetings of the human rights committee, on which he serves as deputy chair.
Brazeau made headlines earlier this year when he lost to Liberal MP Justin Trudeau in a charity boxing match. While he is shorter in stature than Trudeau, he was the favourite heading into the match for his muscular build and his black belt in karate.
