Ask yourself this, when did Brian Mulroney admit taking $300,000 from Karlheinz Schreiber? When has he acknowledged taking Dime One from Schreiber? Have you ever heard him say it? Have you ever read where he's actually said it to anyone? I haven't and I'll bet neither have you.
We've heard Schreiber say it. We've learned about it in the great reporting from the Fifth Estate and the Globe & Mail but I can't recall anyone even getting a chance to ask Mulroney if he got the $300,000 he's alleged to have received.
Okay, okay, I know, Mulroney's supposed spokesman, Luc Lavoie, seems to have acknowledged the fact, even called it his boss's worst mistake. But that's Luc Lavoie, not Brian Mulroney. We've all heard about Mulroney promoting Schreiber's pasta venture of the Bear Head armoured vehicle plant proposal - but we haven't heard that from the mouth of the one guy who, at this point, truly matters - Martin Brian Mulroney.
Coming into the upcoming inquiry, Mulroney is seemingly trapped by facts. No one can know what he's facing better than Mulroney and his counsel. But take a hard look at the facts that confront him. For all we know, he may have a case built up that will blow Schreiber out of the water and make Lavoie look like an ill-informed,loud-mouth klutz.
Schreiber is vulnerable, that much we know. Lavoie can always say he was working from assumptions. Get enough of the clutter out of the way and all Brian Mulroney may have to overcome is Brian Mulroney.
That's not to say he doesn't have a lot of explaining to do. It's merely to say that a lot of what appear to be hurdles that lie in his path probably aren't as daunting as we might see them. What I'm also saying is that we're beginning to let assumptions get the better of us and, in these matters, that's like leading with your chin.
9 comments:
I thought Mulroney declared the $300,000 on his income tax in some special deal... but perhaps it was speculation that a $300K claim was for the Schreiber payments.
I guess we have some interesting days ahead!
I haven't seen anything about what was stated in his voluntary disclosure to RevCan. From what I've read no one else has either. Did he disclose $300,000 in unreported income or $30. Did he disclose that income as coming from Schreiber or another source? I wish I was a fly on the wall on this one but I'm not.
Okay, okay, I know, Mulroney's supposed spokesman, Luc Lavoie, seems to have acknowledged the fact, even called it his boss's worst mistake. But that's Luc Lavoie, not Brian Mulroney.
Don't you think Lavoie would be fired in an instant and likely sued by Mulroney if he said these incriminating things and they weren't true?
I know what you're saying, that Brian himself has never admitted it publicly, but if he changes his story now and says he never got any of this money, he looks even worse!
Yes, Darren, I think that's precisely the role LaVoie is playing and he's been doing it according to the book since the story of Schreiber's Swiss bank accounts came out. Look for the patterns. Then try to make sense out of the utterly illogical. More often than not that's how these things are unlocked. I used to do this stuff for a living.
I'm still a bit confused. Are you suggesting Mulroney will deny taking any money and contradict what Lavoie has already said?
Darren, I am increasingly less certain what Mulroney is apt to say in response to this. I doubt that he's going to take a direct posture. He'll probably go with something vague and flexible, the type of approach that can absorb a blow and still leave a bit of wiggle room. Prepare yourself for a few surprises. The more something gets blown up, the easier it can be to poke holes in it. I suspect Mulroney will probably "correct" things Lavoie has thrown out because I'm pretty sure they were put there intentionally, sort of a litmus test. Was it particularly sophisticated or pretty? No. Did it get thoroughly spread around? Yes. Could it have served a valuable purpose? Of course. Does one have to be paranoid to believe this sort of scheming? No, but you'll might get that way eventually.
ok...so I use sarcasm to the extent that no one knows when Im serious, so I can't tell if you mean it when you have the words "great reporting, and Fith estate in the same sentence" Just looking for some clarity....I also can't remember Mulroney ever actually going out and saying it was from Heinzketchup or not.
and guess what is reported in today's news???
Luc Lavoie has left as Brian Mulroney's spokesman.
Was he fired??
Lavoie has left Mulroney's service? Now that is interesting. Maybe his work was done. I doubt the fact of his departure or the timing were haphazard.
And, sorry, Manny but I do believe the Fifth Estate produces consistently fine journalism. You may not like what the message they send, but that's you, not them. Look at the way McKeown took apart Benny Hinn and the televangelist rackets or the way he made Ann Coulter look like a complete fool. That's classic stuff, Manny. Sorry you don't like the flavour.
Post a Comment