Mark Oaten: Nope, Still No Sympathy

For your delectation, dear reader, I give you the interesting sight of The Daily Mail blatantly plugging the book of former Lib Dem leadership candidate, Mark Oaten. In case anyone has forgotten, Mr Oaten had to step down from his place in the shadow Shadow Cabinet and from the leadership contest when the shit starting flying in about his private life. Pun intended. 

Still, it seems Mr Oaten is still pitching for the sympathy vote. Take this summary of his book:

"This is the story of a man obsessed by retaining his youth, fearful of turning 40 and feeling a complete failure."

Not for the first time, I'll note that a lot of people have been obsessed with retaining youth, been afraid turning forty and of being a complete failure. But they have managed not to have affairs with rent boys behind the backs of their life partners. Besides, it was only really his affair that made him a complete failure - it made him a man who not only failed to win the Lib Dem leadership, but a man who couldn't even complete the Lib Dem leadership race. 

Of course, everyone is entitled to a private life and consenting adults are free to get up to whatever they want as far as I am concerned. But if you do run for the leadership of Britain's failed third party, then you do have to entertain the prospect that your private life may become public. And for that reason - combined with the betrayal of his wife - is why I struggle to have too much sympathy with young Mr Oaten.

*H/t Tory Bear. 

Calamity Clegg

The one ray of light on this otherwise shitty, rainy, bleak winter day came from that most unexpected of sources - the Liberal Democrat leadership campaign. Just when you thought they had given up finally there comes the faint whiff of a contest. For the Huhne campaign, or at least an over-zealous researcher, have dubbed the faintly bemused looking Nick Clegg "Calamity Clegg". You can read all about it here, and I would advise having a look at the video as well. It is great just to see how over-bearing, rude, and arrogant Huhne is, next to the schoolboy hurt and utterly ineffectual nature of Clegg. Swear to God, it looks like Clegg is going to cry at one point.

Of course, this is nothing compared to the wonderful 2006 Lib Dem leadership campaign. I mean, no-one has had to resign over being pissed up all the time, and no-one has been exposed as a shit obsessed rent-boy addict. But finally, it looks like there may be a bit of fight left in the scrag end of Britain's third party. And with the petty, but effective, viciousness of Huhne's attack, you really note that the Liberal Democrats don't need enemies when they have each other.

Calamity Clegg is a tag that is going to stick, and I already think of young Nicky boy with that nickname. But in the interests of fairness, I think Huhne should have a nickname as well. Any suggestions, please put them in the comments section. But I rather favour "Hideous Huhne".