Jack Layton’s last words :
‘ Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear … ‘ have already been turned into posters and Canada is gearing up for an emotionally cathartic state funeral for the popular New Democratic Party leader.
Count Christie Blatchford out …
The Toronto-based columnist for the National Post cast a cold , unsentimental eye on the coverage of Layton’s death Monday from cancer , and especially his final public letter to Canadians …
The letter , essentially Layton’s final political testament , is ” vainglorious , ” full of ” sophistry , ” and guilty of being crafted with help from the dying leader’s closest advisers.
” It’s remarkable because it shows what a canny , relentless , thoroughly ambitious fellow Mr. Layton was , ” Blatchford writes. ” Even on Saturday , two days before he died , he managed to keep a gimlet eye on all the campaigns to come. ” …
Blatchford also needles her colleagues for abandoning their journalistic detachment , instead putting a supportive arm around Canada’s collective shoulder as it revved up to Princess Di levels of grieving …
” … Television anchors donned their most funereal faces , producers dug out the heavy organ music , reporters who would never dream of addressing any other politician by first name only were proudly calling him ‘ Jack ‘ Blatchford observed. ” Even serious journalists like Evan Solomon of the CBC repeatedly spoke of the difficulty ” as we all try to cope ” with the news of Mr. Layton’s death.’ ” …
Needless to say , a lot of people reacted as if ” Blatch ” had cut a loud fart at a church service !!! …
