From firebrand to pussycat: Galloway's TV transformation

[AmericanErrorist]

He purred and mewed, his greying whiskers giving his face the appearance of a Cheshire cat. Next, George Galloway, the Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, and scourge of Capitol Hill, got on all fours and pretended to lick milk from the cupped hands of the once-famous television actor Rula Lenska. She rubbed the "cream" from his "whiskers" and stroked his head and behind his ears.

When he steps out into the real world, Mr Galloway may regret his decision to accept the producer's challenge to mimic a pet on live television last night. He may feel his flirtation with a reality TV youth audience was not worth the loss of credibility that many of his critics claimed yesterday was an inevitable consequence.

The firebrand parliamentarian earned the grudging respect of even his political enemies through his performance before the US Congress last year. But yesterday viewers only saw rolling footage of the cat performance. Commentators called it excruciating and his own supporters said it was an indignity.

As the cat scenes continued to play out, the Labour party moved into the absent MP's constituency, in the form of Westminster chief whip Hilary Armstrong armed with a petition - as well as her own television cameras - demanding that the missing MP return to work. She urged Mr Galloway to "respect his constituents, not his ego".

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1686303,00.html?gusrc=rss

Errr... the Labour critiques are ridiculous, but so was going on the show.

[geek tragedy]

1. Galloway's career is over. And about damn time.

Too bad they didn't have that woman wear a Saddam moustache just to make things crystal clear.

[Colorado Blue]

9. Good point. To think his espousal of Saddam raised no

eyebrows, but his catdance was de trop.

Tut tut.

[barb162]

2. 'Galloway can no longer count on the indulgence of polite society'

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,9321,1686739,00.html
'Galloway can no longer count on the indulgence of polite society'

Nick Cohen
snip

The leaders of the anti-war movement should have paid attention. The rage showed that there were limits to the tolerance of the liberal middle class. We had our lines in the sand, damn it. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong beach.
George Galloway and his backers in the Socialist Workers Party are finished now. The alliance they organised between the Trotskyist far left and the Islamic far right, which produced the most disgraceful protest movement since the Thirties, can no longer count on the indulgence of polite society.

snip
The BBC, the Independent, the Telegraph, etc., have been totally on his case too.

[Stella_Artois]

3. Here is the video

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1532509206579317476&q=George+Galloway

MP for the Respect party. Oh the sweet sweet irony.

[barb162]

4. What was he thinking

or was he thinking. He better start thinking about his constituents.

[Stella_Artois]

6. He's doing good work in the "Big Brother" house

Meanwhile, there was an important vote in the Commons that affects people in his constituancy. He missed it, because he was choosing to lap make believe milk from the hands of an ageing actress on live TV.

Which is a better excuse than he normally has. He has one of the worst attendance records of any MP.

[barb162]

7. Commons trouble for MP Galloway

Looks like some people are going after him regardless of the good work on the BB. I read about that vote he missed that affects people in his district.

--
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4618690.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 16 January 2006, 20:46 GMT
Commons trouble for MP Galloway

Mr Galloway has been criticised over his appearance on the show
Respect MP George Galloway is to be investigated after he tabled subjects for a Commons debate despite appearing on Celebrity Big Brother at the time.
snip

[Stella_Artois]

12. Hey go easy on him.

He's on TV dicussing important matters. Like how his likes are sunbathing, sex, and licking where his balls used to be.

[barb162]

16. you bad

[Fenris]

5. That video is frightening on so many levels.

[Colorado Blue]

8. LOL!

I think it is hilarious.

When I read he'd been up to imitating a cat on the tube I didn't realize they meant a - a - a TOMCAT. He puts my WokWok to shame.

No wonder people are worried:)

[wookie294]

10. I think it's great Galloway has a sense of humor

People upset about Galloway's appearance on the show are uptight and need to get a life and a sense of humor.

[Stella_Artois]

13. Who's upset ?

He is behaving entirely in character, nothing fruadulent at all in this.

He's a shamelessly self promoting egotistical fool. Going on a reality TV program is entirely consistent with that. If i was a member of his consitiuency and had voted for someone who is never seen in the area, doesn't turn up to votes that affect the area, and has to have a member of the Labour party hold MP "Surgerys" (where the locals can meet with the MP for the area to dicuss their issues) because he can't be bothered to do them, then perhaps i'd be upset.

[wookie294]

14. Whatever you say, Granny

Humor sucks, right? Happiness sucks! Let's all stay miserable because it's COOL!

[Stella_Artois]

15. He has my respect

He's the Respect party. Duh.

[barb162]

17. I think a sense of humor is great too but if I had voted for him I

would want him showing up for votes that affect my voting area rather than being on all fours playing catboy.

[Trish1168]

11. Its embarrassing to those who supported him.

I supported him and cheered him on in his debates. My husband didn't like him, because his arguments against Christopher Hitchins in the famous c-span debate were not well thought out or concise (and I agree he didn't do a great job).

Its frustrating when you want a champion and spokesperson to put some truth out there, and then he discredits himself.