OTTAWA - Politicians frequently claim their remarks are distorted and
taken out of context by the media.
But in a sharp reversal of roles, Liberal Leader Michael
Ignatieff now finds himself accused of taking the media out of context
to promote paperback sales of his latest book, "True Patriot Love."
The jacket of the book trumpets a number of excerpts from
newspaper critiques that leave the impression the tome won rave reviews
when first published last spring.
Take this snippet from the National Post: "Plenty of scope for a
rich story ... Some wonderful anecdotes, particularly about George P.
Grant ... Well written."
In fact, the Post review in its entirety was far from laudatory.
"True Patriot Love offers little that is new on the Grants save
some wonderful anecdotes, particularly about George P. Grant. As an
exploration of patriotism, it offers up cliches about modern Canada but
little more," wrote Post reviewer Robert L. Fraser.
"True Patriot Love is a well-written disappointment."
Conservatives pounced Friday on the discrepancy as further
evidence of Ignatieff's alleged unfitness for political office.
"This is the type of dishonesty that not even a first-year
university student could get away with," Alberta Tory MP Chris Warkentin
told the House of Commons.
"I am wondering if the leader of the Opposition really believes
that this is honesty or if this is maybe a case of deceitfulness."
Ignatieff was in Saskatoon on Friday and unavailable for comment.
But his spokesman Mario Lague said the leader had no knowledge of the
selectively edited reviews cited on the jacket of the paperback edition.
"It was quite clear that he did not appreciate this," Lague said
after speaking with Ignatieff.
"I have no doubt the publisher will hear about it."
Lague said Ignatieff told him: "I'll take the blame from what's
between the covers, not for the cover blurbs."
It is common practice for movie and book promotions to use
snippets of reviews that often bear little resemblance to the original
critiques.
By Joan Bryden, THE CANADIAN PRESS
the winnipeg sandbox
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