If you had any doubts, then Rahim Jaffer's appearance before the Common's Operations Committee should set you straight. Jaffer's groveling in front of former friends and colleagues was the equivalent of a political snuff film, only it was the death of his reputation by a thousand questions and very few coherent answers.
Jaffer's hapless performance makes you wonder why he agreed to appear in the first place and did so without legal counsel whispering in his ear.
Even Jaffer's former friends and colleagues stood in line for a shot. According to the G&M, " Mr. Jaffer expressed his surprise when his former Conservative colleagues turned against him and vented their anger at the fact he had promoted “his countless relationships” in Ottawa and his ability to “secure support from the Canadian government” on his personal website"
The MPs went too far when the accused Jaffer of somehow sullying or discrediting all politicians with this lobbying and lying. "“Do you understand that your actions have tarnished the reputations of politicians from all parties?” asked Tom Lukiwski, parliamentary secretary to the House Leader." (G&M) Sullying the reputation of politicians isn't difficult; one could argue that low standing, suspicion and dislike comes with the job description.
As John Ibbitson of the Globe writes,
The RCMP may announce there’s nothing here, move along; the Lobbying Commissioner may conclude there was no wrongdoing; the Ethics Commissioner seems determined to keep her distance.None of that matters. This is politics, and politically, Rahim Jaffer and Helena Guergis are the loneliest couple on Earth.There's no doubt that Jaffer has suffered humiliation. First it was the OPP giving Jaffer a strip search and possible anal probe, now it's Conservatives and Liberals doing much the same thing on Parliament Hill.
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ps Ok there's no proof that Jaffer was given an anal probe or cavity search by the OPP...it just sounds good.
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