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Date Posted: May 12, 12:22:pm GMT-5
Author: Mister Eeeeeeee.......
Subject:

MP faces fresh trouble for second letter
In reply to: Mister Eeeeeeee........ 's message, "MP shuns vet's plea: `You didn't vote for me'" on May 12, 12:13:pm GMT-5

Wappel's political future shaky as another scathing missive surfaces

OTTAWA - Scarborough Southwest MP Tom Wappel, his political future already in jeopardy over his written snub of an 81-year-old war veteran, is in hot water again because of another controversial letter he sent to a Toronto man.

The letter, written in 1998 on Wappel's Parliament Hill letterhead, was a scathing reply to Larry Bondy of Toronto, who had written the MP in the wake of Wappel's marriage breakup.

``What a puny and pitiful life you must lead, to find happiness in the pain of others,'' Wappel, a Liberal, wrote.

``I'd invite you to kiss my ass, but I'm afraid you would interpret it as an invitation, rather than the insult it is meant to be.''

Bondy, a one-time CBC journalist, had earlier fired off a handwritten note to Wappel mocking the MP over the breakup of his 25-year marriage.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Bondy said he has never met Wappel personally but sent the letter because he believes the MP is ``the essence of hypocrisy.''

Senior Liberal officials were studying the latest correspondence, but said no immediate decision would be taken on Wappel's future in the caucus. Prime Minister Jean Chr�tien has been informed of the letters.

Liberal sources said they believed Wappel was provoked in the latest case and had reacted emotionally. But the same sources indicated there is concern about the MP's judgment in using such abusive language on government letterhead.

As public figures, MPs are often targets of abuse from the public and they refrain from firing off equally profane rejoinders, one source said.

In his letter, Bondy wrote to Wappel saying: ``You're still an asshole and one of the phoniest twits on Parliament Hill.

``May you have the future you richly deserve, `Mr. Family Values.'

``Your wife is lucky to be rid of you.''

Wappel's office confirmed the authenticity of the Sept. 3, 1998, letter to Bondy, which the MP wraps up with a sarcastic shot at Bondy's journalistic career.

``What were you at CBC News, grip or best boy perhaps?''

Wappel, a right-wing Liberal MP and the father of five, is an advocate of the nuclear family and has publicly criticized mothers with young children for entering the workforce.

At the time Bondy wrote his letter, details of Wappel's marriage breakup were widely chronicled in the satirical magazine Frank.

In the interview yesterday, Bondy told The Star's Andrew Chung that Wappel ``was well known as one of the most outspoken people in the country about family values, preaching to others about how they should live.''

``I always thought he was an odd fit in the Liberal Party because of his views,'' said Bondy, 65, who describes himself as a card-carrying Liberal. ``I felt he belonged in some ultra-right wing party. But I don't think even the Reformers would be interested in this man.''

Bondy said he is retired. He refused to elaborate on what he did for the CBC.

But he speculated that ``if I've received this kind of letter (from Wappel), surely there must be a hundred others out there, similar or worse.''

An aide to Wappel said the MP would not be commenting on the letter ``any time soon.''

Wappel touched off a storm of outrage earlier this week when The Star revealed he had refused to help 81-year-old Jim Baxter, a blind and partially deaf war veteran who was seeking the MP's aid in receiving government benefits.

Wappel told Baxter that he could not help him because Baxter had voted for the Canadian Alliance.

After opposition MPs and war veteran organizations screamed for his resignation and Chr�tien scolded him, Wappel belatedly apologized to Baxter and his wife, Mary.

Yesterday, Alliance MP Peter Goldring (Edmonton East) said Wappel needs to make a fuller apology.

``What I feel he needs to apologize for is he has insulted veterans, he has insulted the members of Parliament and he has insulted the electoral process,'' he said.

``He must apologize to Parliament.

``We also want to know whether this is the tip of the iceberg. We're getting phone calls about Mr. Wappel and we're checking them out.''

The surfacing of Wappel's second letter will put more pressure on Chr�tien to fire the MP from caucus.

Frank Graves, president of Ekos Research, said public sentiment would likely view Wappel as acting like a ``jerk'' and believe Chretien should dump the MP.

``My instincts tell me this is pretty bad, worse than some of the other problems Chretien has had with his caucus,'' said Graves, who said he believes Wappel could be fired from caucus.

``The optics around this one are pretty brutal.''

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Replies:

Re: Wappel goes to the head of the classless -- Jim Coyle : Toronto Star Columnist, May 12, 12:28:pm GMT-5
- demo-crazy... -- Cat, May 13, 07:33:pm GMT-5