Sympathy for the Dithers

A recurring theme in recent commentary on Paul Martin: pity. National Post: "And so, even after having railed against Adscam and muddled Liberal policies, we couldn't help but feel an ounce of pity for our PM as he pled his case on television last night." Margaret Wente: "You've got to feel sorry for the guy. He wasn't cut out for the muck and slime of politics. His problem is that he's just too darn nice. He doesn't have the snake-oil charm of a Mulroney, or the street-fighting instincts of a Chrétien. He has no taste for banging people's heads together. He'd rather fly around the world, to Budapest and Ouagadougou, and leave the dirty work to other people..." Carol Goar: "It is hard not to feel sorry for a prime minister who has been dogged by an odious inherited scandal since his 60th day in office..." George Jonas: "One actually feels some sympathy for Mr. Martin. He wasn't handed his tasty treat on a silver platter. He had to beg, perform tricks, roll over and play dead for it. His predecessor made him jump through an inordinate number of hoops, then placed a tub of hot water behind the last one. 'If you want to make a splash so badly,' Jean Chretien seemed to say, 'I'll give you a lifetime opportunity.'" Greg Weston: "Like or hate the Liberals, it is hard not to feel a twinge of pity for this 'dead man sitting' -- a genuinely nice fellow slumped in his office wing chair, chin propped in his hand, his face carved deep with too much stress and too little sleep."