Irwin Cotler: A profile in cowardice.

Following a link from Simon Pole, we learn that Canada's Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler has decided that discretion is the better part of valour and that, with respect to the Marc Emery case, he "will not comment on the case while the judicial proceedings unfold." How best to respond to this? Let me think ... let me think ... OK, maybe something like this:

Irwin, you worthless, weaselly, cock-sucking piece of shit.

Dante wrote that there were several circles to hell and I dearly want to believe there's a particularly unpleasant one for a country's justice minister who seems perfectly content to offer up some of his own citizens for numerous years in a foreign prison system but doesn't feel like he has any obligation to explain his thinking.

Now, certainly, in some legal cases, there are good reasons to keep your mouth shut. If you're the defendant, the first piece of advice you were probably given by your lawyer is to put a sock in it. Then there are the occasional gag orders, so it's kind of out of your control. But none of this applies to Cotler.

He's the man who made the decision and, as a public servant, he has an obligation to explain to Canadians what's going on here and, specifically, the legal basis for it. As Canadian citizens, we deserve no less. We have a right to know how our own legal system works and how our politicians make decisions that could put some of us in prison for years. That's not a privilege; that's a fucking right and we are entirely entitled to be demanding an explanation.

So how does Cotler defend his "no comment"? Actually, it doesn't really matter since what he's up to is so transparent, it's painful.

If Cotler were to actually explain his logic (or appalling lack thereof), numerous legal eagles across Canada would undoubtedly start to dig through it and show the glaring holes in his thinking. And, oh dear, wouldn't that be embarrassing?

The solution? Obviously, say nothing and leave everyone guessing. After all, they can't criticize you if they don't even know what your position is, can they? How slick. How clever. How unspeakably irresponsible and sleazy.

Can we impeach this asshole? And where do I sign up?