Uh, ex founding campaign strategist for the party in question is surely more accurate than "pundit" in McCarten's case.

Yeah, and Michelle Boag is a former President of the National Party — but I'd still take anything she has to say with a grain of salt and plenty of tequila.

I wouldn't put money on the Maori Party surviving that three-way fight.

To be honest, I wouldn't bet the Christmas Club money on the punditocracy getting anything about the Maori Party right. Their form is, to use a technical gambling term, a wee bit shit. :)

Anybody who thinks that Hide's short or long term viability as a politician has been in any way damaged by his recent escapades is seriously deluded.

Let's just say that I'm reliably informed that Rodney has made his position a lot more difficult that it really needs to be, and…

Harawira, on the other hand, is done.

Matt McCarten has a different take on that (though he seems to be downplaying the long-term frustrations within the leadership about Harawira):

The hysteria this week has panicked the Maori Party into thinking it has to take drastic steps. Turia has decided there's no…

How many times do I have to keep calling bullshit on that? Sorry, but anyone who thinks Hide has someone dropped off the radar over the last week either needs to open both their eyes or just stop lying.

Anybody who thinks that Hide's short or long term viability as…

how many times do I have to keep calling bullshit on that? Sorry, but anyone who thinks Hide has someone dropped off the radar over the last week either needs to open both their eyes or just stop lying.

Very colourful Craig and oh so temperate ... so you really…

And if you disagree with Lynn Prentice, you're a pig-f***er who looks up skirts.

Ah, yes... throw offal in the water and pretend to be surprised — nay, shocked and offended — when the sharks show up. A little attention-grabber both Prentice and Farrar indulge in far too often for…

Because, of course, criticising an MP is just like a pack of Klansmen torturing and murdering black folks. And he's got the gall to accuse DPF of "dog-whistling" Dixie?

And if you disagree with Lynn Prentice, you're a pig-f***er who looks up skirts.

Because, of course, criticising an MP is just like a pack of Klansmen torturing and murdering black folks. And he's got the gall to accuse DPF of "dog-whistling" Dixie while, once more, trivialising obscene racist violence…

All the media oxygen has been sucked up by the MoFos and…

Can see where you're getting the TV on the Radio theme from – slightly more headfucky though. Great piece of music erudition.…

More like the best offer he'll get...

Very Big Male Chicken

May that phrase catch on.

**Outsourcing your nastiness to the caucus "attack dog" does not make you nice — just a cowardly, hypocritical…

It's almost home time, enough with the subtle. That took my brain like 10 clicks to figure out!

Good job our trackydax friend from Nelson is out walking his....VBMC

I just thought he was a Very Big Male Chicken

It's almost home time, enough with the subtle. That took my brain like 10 clicks to figure out!

I find the the release of the recording of Gordon Brown's phone conversation an appalling breach of trust.

A communication is only confidential if *both* sides agree it is.

Gordon Brown's remorse in relation to the death of a British soldier...seemed genuine

But he hasn't stopped the offending activity. He's still sending troops off to a colonial occupation of someone else's country. Until he realised that and brings them home, what's remorse and apology.

on the balcony in Tabac trying to prove me wrong. I wasn't offended, I just thought he was a Very Big Male Chicken,
Funny I was out late one night in town and I saw a VBMC, and I thought it was the drugs.

Even funnier, in 1995, if you…

working for charity in a way that wasn't part of some 'image rehabilitation' strategy cooked up by a publicist or political spin doctor.

I can think of many people who would benefit from anonymous rehabilitation. And no, not DJ's.

on the balcony in Tabac trying to prove me wrong. I…

You'll always be a high-riding, ball-breaking bitch to me. :)

If I said yes, would you be offended, would I then have to apologize?

I have been called a bitch by some* of my closest friends.

And I nearly said, "I'm very hard to offend" but the last person I said that to subsequently spent about an hour on the…

"I'm sorry for, y'know, everything."

Slight rephrase, "I'm Sorry, for you know everything"
I had to apologise once, for making a mistake. I had said I was wrong, when in all honesty, I wasn't.

Does that make me a bitch?

If I said yes, would you be offended, would I then have to apologize?

"I'm sorry that any offence was taken" is a really slimy passive-aggressive way of not taking ownership for your own behaviour.

Disagree. Often, sure, but not necessarily.

Mmm, see... If I should, say, use the word 'niggardly', and somebody listening became offended because they believed it to be a racist slur, I wouldn't feel any obligation to apologise for their offense. Does that make me a bitch?

Oh god. We actually had that one, didn't we?

I…

If I don't think I have a damn thing to apologise for, then I'll say so.

But what if you genuinely regret that your best intended actions upset someone?

After all, it might be someone you like, or want to be liked by.

I don't regret my words, but I do regret your taking offence at what I say. I'm sorry, but I stand by I'm saying.

But in the real world, not even Helen Clark's best teflon survived that defense.

"I'm sorry that any offence was taken" is a really slimy passive-aggressive…

I don't regret my words, but I do…

(The answer is of course, no, that was all those…

It just wasnt the British way.
"Take it on chin Old Boy" is a fine sentiment in that situation.

Up to a point, but his son wrote a memoir a few year back, and it comes across that John Profumo was sincerely and deeply ashamed of how his affair hurt…

"no offense meant, no apology necessary".

Not sure I buy this and I have heard this said a few times.

The original Latin meaning for the word apology (apologia) was to speak in one's defense , in which case you Dutch man was probably right , he you are not…

No book deals or lachrymose appearances on Oprah for the Profumos.

It just wasnt the British way.
"Take it on chin Old Boy" is a fine sentiment in that situation.

Does that training stick or does it come unstuck when they leave office.

Well, look at John Profumo who might be best remembered for giving his name to the mac daddy of sex scandals (though it wasn't his extra-marital affair that ultimately cooked his has, but lying about it in…

An apology by a politician who appears contrite probably doesn't mean much. These people are politicians, they are trained to fake sincerity.

Is that cynicism creep or a fatal indictment of our society?

Does that training stick or does it come unstuck when they leave office.

From now on he will be treated the way you treat a taxi driver offering an unsolicited opinion.…

Unfortunately, the message politicians of all stripes will take from it will be that they simply shouldn't bother trying to have unscripted encounters with the public.

If that came from a guy, it might not have been quite the apology it sounds like.

So I can only roll *two* eyes at this? Why don't humans grow more eyes, dammit?

he'd justified his personal behaviour in going AWOL (including lying to his party leader and the Speaker) on the basis of colonial wrongdoing

That's pretty much my whole beef with the post-Paris side of the business.

[Though re: the being-sick thing he said that was a misunderstanding. I don't know…

Best apology I've ever received: "You're right, I was wrong. I'm sorry." Simple, to the point, and takes the wind out of the sails of anyone gearing up for an argument.

Yeah, pretty much. Mine, from an ex-boyfriend: "I'm sorry for, y'know, everything."

"You're right, I was wrong. I'm sorry."

If that came from a guy, it might not have been quite the apology it sounds like.

Like you, I have hitherto had a lot of time for him.

I didn't particularly mind when he went off in Australia rather than do the select committee thing. It was rude to his fellow committee members, but at least he did something with the time that I thought came…

I think go-go dancing is perfectly comprehensible*: it is saying 'here, look at my bullet-bra boobs'.

I was distracted by their arms. Sorry.

I often wonder if apologies get a bad rap in western culture. We tend to suck…

I still like what he stands for, but I wonder whether his ego is getting the better of him. That would be a pity, because he has always been a very sincere MP, in my experience.

I think he's been too cute by half this week. He spent most of…

But it is still a great song by the Easybeats.

Oh boy, is it what! I clearly need to investigate them further, rather than just bopping about to 'Friday on My Mind'...

Holy shit, that video has go-go dancers. That dance is less comprehensible than crumping.

The male go-go dancer…

Don't forget "hindsight". As in, "with the benefit of hindsight, I accept that constantly trying to grope the office staff and threatening to sack anyone who complained was inappropriate". Because I couldn't possibly have known that in advance.

Extra points…

Hone was on…

All too often people seem to go to extraordinary lengths to avoid having to use the word when they've fucked up. Even to the extent of avoid repairing the harm because that would be like admitting there was a…

I make no apologies for it. But if anyone does take offence then . .

Whilst I don't feel I need to apologise, I thought I would apologise for any offence taken by this
lil' controversial building

it is of modest ambition and good humour in places, and I (of course) think would make an excellent Christmas present,

Could you bring me a signed copy to the book launch on Dec 2.You are going aren't you? I know I promised to get to your book launch but…

As for Mssrs Hide and Harawira – the former is…