Last month, Ms. Stronach released a statement about suggestions she was involved in the breakup of Mr. Domi's marriage, saying "Any problems between Tie and Leanne Domi are not related to me."

Talleyrand said "Speech was given Man to hide his thoughts." I guess it today's world women can work the system too.

Budd you have been banned from online forums for making comments offensive to women. I can see that you're up to your old tricks.

I'm no a fan of Belinda, but Spector (and the reliably retarded Budd Campbell) is being wilfully naive and petty. Maybe his wife left him for greener pastures and he's just channelling his rage at her toward Stronach. Wouldn't surprise me.

Suffice to say, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors. And if Stronach did get her elbows up with Domi in the corner, I'm pretty sure she didn't put a gun to his head and force him.

Norman Spector presumes to speak for 90% of men?

How rude is this event going to get before we all (say 90% of us or so) just say we have heard enough from you two - and no more thanks!

These two guys begging to be tuned out!

What Mackay said was not a sexist comment - it was a comment directed at Belinda that, quite frankly, she deserves. Belinda is no different from a Paris Hilton who inherited a tonne of money and has nothing of substance to say for herself. Comments like what Mackay said does not discourage women from entering politics, and it is the lack of judgement shown by politicians like Belinda that give women a bad name.

Mr. Spector's comments are simply unacceptable. This republican style 'I can be offensively ignorant if I want to be' is indicative of the views of many in the leadership of today's conservative party. In my opinion Mr. Spector is simply employing undesirable gender stereotypes and slanderous gossip to score cheap political points. Shame on him.

I take it Mr. Spector's taste in women runs towards demure, loyal & obedient, not alpha females?

While no particular fan of Ms. Stronach's, I imagine all this rampant Tory misogynism is likely to make her a cause celebre.

Surely she's not the only Canadian politician with a love life, though? If Mr. Spector is interested in this sort of thing, I'm sure he'd sell lots of newspapers dishing on the infidelities and general carrying-on of his male political associates, complete with vulgar animal epithets as appropriate.

Well, well. Another Conservative lacky who refuses to offer even the basic level of respect to a female MP simply trying to serve her constituents. Is it any wonder that all parties have trouble recruiting women into politics and public service? This type of street language is totally unbecoming of a former Chief of Staff to a Prime Minister, not to mention a former Ambassador and DM. It seems that Norman has grown woefully out of touch with modern ideas since his exile to Victoria. He would do well to leave his asinine and infantile name calling to the playground where it belongs.

Well Mr. Spector should see if he could find his way into the 21st century.

I think that most people would find it objectionable that Mr. Spector only faults the women in an extra-marital affair. Last time I checked it still took two people.

If I were Mr. Spector I would also refrain from advertising the fact that he runs around using the word bitch "quite frequently". I have a hard time visualizing the context in which he would keep using the term :-)

This subject is wearing thin.Let's just carry on with other useless,but feelgood issues, like picking on smokers.

Way to go Norman. The story could have died today with the Speaker's verdict. But you had to get out the gas can, didn't you? The bitch remark wasn't enough, you had to slur female journalists.

I happily plead guilty! I, too, think Belinda Stronach is an absolute bitch. It is a word I, too.

Why should women be held to a different standard? They wanted equality, well, they've got it. Stop whining.

Where's Stronach's political resume? Nowhere. There's nothing on it, other than the fact that she's a charter member of the Lucky Sperm Club, being big Frank's daughter.

Good on you Norman for telling it like it is.

I heard Norman Spector make his comments on CKNW this morning.

Not the most tasteful choice of words but so what?

We often hear the word bastard being used for men in public office. Usually there is an accompanying adjective such as "arrogant bastard" and no one so much as twitches.

"Bitch" pretty much conveys the same message about a woman that "arrogant bastard" sends for a man.

I am tempted to say this temptest over Normans comments is political correctness run amuck but I am pretty sure it is something worse.

The reaction is political haymaking and doesn't serve anyone.

Unfortunately, haymaking has become a stand in for political debate.

This should be a concern for Canadians of all political stripes.

Norman should have his mouth washed outwith soap as mothers used to do with naughty children. One can only guess he wants some publicity, like the time he leaned over in the BC house, where he was a guest and told a MLA to shut up. Always a right winger and he sort of full of himself. I have never seen Ms. Stronach close up and certainly am not a conservative but when she crossed the floor the names started to come out.The cons really didn't like her defection. Real men don't call women names. Emerson crossed the floor in the other direction and was a hero to the cons. Norman Spector used to ridicule the efforts of folks trying to sort out the softwood deal, suddenly it's a whole new ballgame with Emerson on a new team. I rather think Ms.Stronach will be in the next election, neither Emerson or Spector will be running. One can only guess where poor old jilted Peter will end up. I used to think the guy nwas prett sharp, then he got to be a minister and he fell apart.

Does anyone care about this?

Give it a rest, Budd.

Finally, someone got it right!

There is certain decorum in politics that perhaps Mr.Spector lacks, or perhaps his comments reflect how politics was run in the old PC days. Regardless, the basic sentiment of his comments are likely shared by the majority of average Canadians. This woman has displayed a characteristic typical of of her silver spoon Liberal upbringing - that the rules most of us live by ( honesty, loyalty, conviction of principal ) simply don't apply to her.

Her behavior, which has layed bare her true nature, has opened the door to such attacks. There are a lot of labels one could attach to this woman, the one Mr. Spector used, while arguably accurate, is too blunt. I would suggest "lacking conviction or direction", "self interested" or "Liberal"

Come to think of it, A. G. Tsakumis is also a bitch. A whiny poorly adjusted little fifi bitch.

Budd you have been banned from online forums for making comments offensive to women. I can see that you're up to your old tricks.

Posted by OomPa LOomPa on October 30, 2006 01:29 PM

When did that ever happen? Name one such instance.

Budd's comments are usually offensive to someone, often everyone. Nevertheless, he has as much right to express his narrow, out-dated views as the rest of us, including Spector, Mackay and Stronach.

Oh, please! Since when is having a rich daddy a crime? How often is that used against successful male scions? And how many public figures get away with calling people "bastards" on air? Remember Carolyn Parish's public slur against Americans? And why target the "outside woman" in an alleged extra-marital affair--she's not the one who supposedly violated any vows. The sexist double standards are rife and the blind old dinosaurs who can't see them are so last-century!

Mr. Spector showed appalling judgement. He's intelligent & experienced enough to know it's simply not possible to hold a rational public debate when participants are engaged in vulgar public name-calling. His on-air venting seriously damaged his credibility as a political commentator & he'd be wise to admit he was having a grumpy day and apologise.

Do I think that Belinda Stronach is a bitch? No. Do I think that Budd Campbell is? Yes.

Do I think that Norm Spector should have a right to call Belinda a bitch? Yes. Do people have a right to call Norm an asshole for saying that? Yes they do.

It is called free speech and it is something that is very much under attack here in Canada from the political left. In the United States it is under attack from the political right.

So the right to free speech is something we can no longer take for granted. It is something we have to defend or we will lose that right.

Also given my own experience I have given quite a bit of thought to what the British refer to as "the Canadian disease" which is essentially political correctness run amok.

In part I think that it stems from need, we are after all probably the most multi-cultural country in the world, and in part it stems from also being one of the more passive aggressive societies as well.

For those who are interested click on http://mgcltd.blogspot.com/2006/10/my-condolences-to-norm.html

Vulgar descriptions of political opponents are nothing new, and, sometimes, fit within the category of free speech. The words used by Spector, and allegedly used in Parliament, to describe Belinda Stronach, and the authors of those words, don’t awaken in me any interest in defending them. It is attributed to Voltaire that he said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Definitely not worth martyrdom.

bitch is a gender specific term(usually), but does that make it sexist?

If it is, he should apologize. If it isn't, he shouldn't.

Norman Spector is a bitch, and i'm sure if he ran in to me outside the NW studios after those comments, he would be pleading like a bitch for me to stop pummelling him. If that was my sister/wife/friend, i would find it extremely offensive, in any field of work. If she were my MP, i would find it just as offensive.

Grow up you dinosour...it's probably the reason no govt will ever hire you again.

I think a few folks on here are missing the larger point. We currently have a lower percentage of female members of parliament than Afghanistan. Gender-based attacks, like a racially-based attack, should be avoided if we want to encourage more women to particpate.

Attack Ms. Stronach over her ideas, her principles or her actions if you wish. Call her an idiot or an asshole if you like. But don't attack her because she's a woman. It's just as offensive as attacking someone becasue they are Chinese or Jewish.

I'm wondering if some of you actually understand what was really said: Norman Spector used an off-colour word to describe Belinda Stronach. So what? It was not vulgar. It was not inappropriate. What it was, was shocking and an excuse for the linguine left on this blog to attack one of the best political advisors in the history of this country.

It was not an attack because she is a woman, it was not an attack because she is Liberal. It was not an attack at all. It was a statement of fact.

Simply put, Belinda Stronach is a self-made caricature, who is every bit a bitch in the opinion of Norman Spector, and I would wager heavily, in the opinion of a majority of Canadians, and not because she sleeps with a hockey thug, or crossed the floor. But rather, because she has offered Canadians nothing and has used her membership in the Lucky Sperm Club to further her own gains, at the heavy expense of others.

No other MP in history has shamelessly manipulated personal affairs to advance an egregious, personal political agenda.

Belinda Stronach is a bitch, pure and simple.

The comments were rude. Norman Spector took the low road. Because you can be rude in a free society does not mean you should be rude. Tune out rude behaviour - rather than turn up the volume - and if necessary tune out those that persist in being rude.

Budd's comments are usually offensive to someone, often everyone. Nevertheless, he has as much right to express his narrow, out-dated views as the rest of us, including Spector, Mackay and Stronach.

Posted by Steve Hopkins on October 31, 2006

Do I think that Belinda Stronach is a bitch? No. Do I think that Budd Campbell is? Yes.

Posted by Mike Geoghegan on October 31, 2006 09:30 AM

Thanks Steve, that's mighty Liberal of you! Tell me, am I the only person who's ever been offended by your comments? Or have there perhaps been large numbers of people who find your partisan teacher baiting to be highly annoying?

And Mike, I see you're no longer busy with the construction sector. Which is really a pity in a way, because there's a lot of lucrative work there for consultants, but I digress. I was just wondering what I have ever done that would cause you to call me a "bitch"? Really, Mike, I am truly amazed and would appreciate an explanation.

"And Mike, I see you're no longer busy with the construction sector. Which is really a pity in a way, because there's a lot of lucrative work there for consultants."

Actually Mike is still doing working in the construction sector as a consultant. But the hilarious thing is that you consistently make bitchy comments like that on this site and then are amazed that you get called on it.

Are you really that self-unaware or are you just in denial?

Reporters, they are incredible. They throw out scraps of unproven nothing for the gullible public to feast on.If the rolls had been reversed I wonder if we would even know of the incident.

LuckySpermClub, perfect! I didn't care for Belinda before she defected to the liberals, had even less use for her after, but she's in the right party now. Good riddance! How could folks in Ontario vote for her again?? Some people just vote for a name they know, without informing themselves. Peter, ask for advise, when falling for someone, apparently love is blind, that was a bad choice! Nice guys usually get the not so nice mates.