I've been watching the general election campaigns warming up with some interest, particularly with respect to what appears to be increasing desperation in Tory ranks.
Just recently we've had lies about crime figures, lies about who attends Cameron's speeches, crass interference in the Northern Ireland peace process, lies about teenage pregnancy, lies about Tory funding donors, lies about Labour's tax plans (which also scuppered a cross-party consensus) and Cameron making personal attacks on Brown.
But this is what really struck me as to how low the Tories, or in this case one of their chief bloggers, will go.
These three tweets were posted last night on Twitter by a blogger who calls himself "Tory Bear". His tweets, and blogs, are generally a series of childish personal insults, smears and innuendo, but even he has sunk to a new low here.
Perhaps I am wrong, but I always felt that mocking politicians was fine, but mocking disability is just cheap and nasty.
Similarly, I think it's reasonable to hold a politician to account for his actions, but to deliberately repeat smears about drug dependency is not only desperately vicious, but also seeks to trivialise what is a serious issue for thousands of people.
And finally, just in case you thought the above wasn't tasteless enough, there's always the last resort of the utterly vile scoundrel: label your opponent as a paedophile.
Jolly well done, Tory Bear. Cowardly enough to tweet this disgusting abuse, and cowardly enough to try to delete the evidence when called to account for yourself.
Yep, the offending tweets have now been deleted. Classy.
No doubt he'll get away with it, and be free to continue his trivial vendettas against other people, but I for one think this spokesman for the Nasty Party has shown his true colours. Vote blue - fight dirty. Just the sort of people we want to ru(i)n our country for the next four or five years.
The drugs one is still up there.
ReplyDeleteThere's a prominent Ann Summers video ad on his site, which seems really odd for a political blog.
And if you go to his cafepress site, you can even buy a Tory Bear branded thong.
A thong? A //Tory// thong?
ReplyDelete*shudder*
UPDATE
ReplyDeleteI asked Tory Bear whether he would be commenting on his now-deleted tweets. His reply:
"i commented earlier that perhaps drinking a twitter are not a good combo. Brown does smile like a paedo tho."
Some people just don't get it, do they.
I saw that Angry Slug....I take it was therefore saying he was sober for the return...therefore no excuse and an unpology. Just glad I also took screen grabs.
ReplyDeleteTory Bear AKA Dave Cole (he hates it when you use his real name so make sure you always add Dave Cole to the Tory Bear bit, just to get his goat) is a monstrous tit and a terrible example to all of us with regards to decent blogging.
ReplyDeleteActually I understand his name is Harry Cole. This is him, looking suitably man-of-the-people: http://diagnostics.eusa.ed.ac.uk/cabinet_files/Harry%2520MOTS.jpg
ReplyDeleteI can see a pattern developing here...
ReplyDeletehttp://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/07/20/harry-cole-not-open-not-transparent/
http://www.bloggerheads.com/archives/2010/01/harry_cole_aka.asp
http://linlithgow-libdems.blogspot.com/2009/08/fibbing-tory-bears-in-hood-today.html
Even the Tories don't seem to like him:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44405198049
Harry Cole AKA Tory Bear, apologies for that school boy error, I must have been thinking David Cameron.
ReplyDeleteNo worries Daniel :)
ReplyDeleteThey're even falling for Godwin's Law now:
ReplyDeletehttp://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/02/political-artist-goes-for-brown.html
This is going to be a dirty election campaign.
Have we turned into Americans or summat? Calling people Nazis?
ReplyDeleteHope not...