Now There's Class, Big Time

"My jokes weren't working at all. What people need to know is that it's an attempt at something that I'm obviously never going to try again."
"It's not an excuse, and I am sorry, but I'd had about five hours sleep in 48 hours."
"Obviously, I should stay with my usual goody two-shoes where I'm more comfortable."
Elizabeth May, leader, Green Party

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand     Transportation Minister Lisa Raitt tries to save Green Party leader from herself at the annual press gallery dinner in Ottawa.

The moralizing, sanctimonious leader of the Green Party, defender of all perceived societal underdogs, the environment and any other cause that requires a staunch defence on grounds that only she is capable of mounting in inimitable style has brought mystification to an annual event that is meant to be light-hearted, bipartisan and even speaker-self-deprecating.

At the annual Ottawa Press Gallery Dinner where speakers tend to skewer themselves through self-mockery, causing amusement and no little respect in the process, Elizabeth May thought to act 'out of character' in the sense of using coarse language she is not known to otherwise employ, for its shock value on a topic that is fairly shocking in and of itself.

She chose to contrast her distrust of the federal governing Conservative party with that of the newly-released-on-bail former Guantanamo Bay jihadi-youth of Canada's notorious Khadr family; he a fine upstanding Canadian citizen irrespective of having been responsible for the death of a U.S. medic, and his training as a jihadist at an Afghanistan terrorist training camp. It is, she feels by contrast, the Conservatives that are despicable.

Omar Khadr, on the other hand, is to be admired, and welcomed back into the Canadian fold. She spoke to the audience: "Hang on, you know what? You guys remember this theme song? Who knew Kotter was spelled K-H-A-D-R! Welcome back Omar Khadr, you're home [with] more class than the whole f------ cabinet."

A member of that loathed cabinet, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, personally known to the Green Party leader, attempted to lead her away from further disgracing herself and puzzling the audience in the process: "...There's a lot unusual in your speech Liz, but we need to go...", Ms. Raitt murmured to her, attempting to lead her away from the microphone.

The very Conservatives in the House of Commons that Elizabeth May enjoys slandering were extremely generous in shrugging off the incident, prepared to overlook any cutting slights she may have intended in expressing her vociferous dislike of her political adversaries whose values are far more reflective of the average Canadian voter than the Green Party leader's.