John Manley: Treatment of Ignatieff 'Inhumane'

It was quite obvious that it took an inordinate amount of time for the results of the final ballot at the Liberal convention to be announced on Saturday. Media speculation was that it had been dragged out to run into prime time: 6pm ET. Regardless of what the real reason was for the long wait, comments made by John Manley on CBC during that lull were just absolutely outrageous. As the split screen showed Dion and Ignatieff and with commentary by Peter Mansbridge and Keith Boag about how 'tough' it was for candidates at that point who eagerly awaiting the results, Manley chimed in with this:

Manley: Whatever reason they have for delaying the announcement of these results, I consider it to be inhumane treatment of Michael Ignatieff. That man's been standing there for 10 minutes with his face on the screen knowing the result...for what purpose? It's very unfair. Just on a human level, it's unfair.

(Mansbridge cuts in thinking it's time for the announcement, but it isn't...)

Mansbridge: I'm sure what it is... it's all about trying to hit a television time here, you know. It's all about that. Not on part of the television network, no, on the part of your party...

Manley: Well, it's aggravating, it's unfair, it's cruel and I don't like it. If they think it's going to win some election in the future, they're dreaming in Technicolour. They should move this on.

I have to say that my head damn near exploded when Manley complained about this supposed 'inhumane treatment' of Ignatieff. To say that about a man who believes in coercive interrogation ie. torture. That Manley would even suggest that making Ignatieff sit there (for whatever reason) was 'cruel' is just a sad, pathetic joke.

Just let me quote from that poor, mistreated politician who was just subjected to Manley's definition of 'inhumane treatment':

To defeat evil, we may have to traffic in evils: indefinite detention of suspects, coercive interrogations, targeted assassinations, even pre-emptive war.
- Michael Ignatieff

Take your overblown indignation and stuff it where the sun don't shine, Manley. With every fiber of my being, I am profoundly grateful that the Liberal party did not choose Michael Ignatieff to lead them and may he fade away quietly into the dustbin of has beens.