Given the state he’s reduced to today, I doubt he showered every month, let alone every day.

There’s a slight difference: one is in awe of her elf, the other is full of herself. The end result, however, is the same – Plain insipid.

Then that makes at least two, because he was also bonking Vanessa Redgrave. Probably fancied himself as a sort of Socialist Kissinger.

[Daphne – Well, they can’t have done it standing up, that’s for sure – not unless he used a foot-stool.]

It was Vanessa Redgrave, not Charlotte Rampling. Unless he was doing them both. Which sort of weakens your assertion, Daphne, that women only look for a man who cares, can keep them amused, and showers every day.

[Daphne – It was Charlotte Rampling. She was on location in Malta and he invited her to ride with him. I doubt that she actually did him. She probably thought it best to humour the ugly midget.]

Early days yet, Joseph, to come to definite conclusions – the script on divorce has still got to be written. We are dealing with politicians here who all smile, strategize, weigh the pros and cons, sit on the fence and put their finger in the air to see which way the wind in blowing and talk out of every corner of their mouths – Muscat and Gonzi – are no different in that respect.

Anthony Falzon, you are doing your best to suggest that Joseph Muscat has political acumen and morality, in this case using the debate about divorce.The reality is that he is as alien to politics as divorce should be to a Roman Catholic fundamentalist.

His brief and petty political history says it all – the only instances when he was asked to take a stand on significant issues, that is the EU and Eurozone, he was either wrong or refused to take a position, all in context of his opportunistic plans.

When the time comes to commit himself and his party on divorce he will do the same.

And Mintoff with Charlotte Rampling……………………….?

[Daphne – Kien jasalha saz-zokra. Mhux ta’ b’xejn baqa fuq dak iz-ziemel.]

[Daphne – I see no contrast. Alfred Sant wouldn’t have legislated for divorce even if he hadn’t sunk his own ship because he hadn’t the stamina to keep going. Something like that has to be in an electoral programme because it’s a big deal. Also, Sant was (and no doubt still is) acutely conscious of the fact that divorce battles are best fought in the public eye by those whose own marriage is sound. That’s why he never pronounced himself publicly about divorce: his personal opinion would have been perceived as having been shaped by his personal experience, even though it was actually the reverse. Muscat has an advantage over him here.]

(2) You are right – Kmiec was refused the sacraments and I believe was also turned down by Vatican as possible U.S. Ambassador to Holy See before he was offered Ambassadorship to Malta. Ted Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi and I believe VP Biden have also been refused sacraments because of their pro-choice stand. I don’t know enough to say if that amounts to a formal excommunication or not.

(3) Please note that when I refer to the Roman Catholic Church, the hierarchy etc I used the third person. My observations could have been made re hierarchy of practically any other mainstream denomination but would have little value in Maltese context. Nowhere do I speak about whether I am a member (active or otherwise) or not so you are jumping to conclusions.

[Daphne – I wasn’t referring to you as such. I used the pronoun ‘you’ as an alternative to ‘one’ or ‘they’. So to make myself clearer: I can’t understand why people who resent the Catholic Church and who object to what it does at the same time insist/ed on being considered part of it and protest/ed when they are/were kicked out.]

(4) As to last comment, I appreciate you have a life. My comment to Chris II was content neutral – “for some reason”.

Have a nice day!

[Daphne – Anthony, I do not spend the entire day glued to my laptop, and I have no intention of moderating comments via a Blackberry when I am away from my desk.]

Essentially I see a difference between the church hierarchy which in many cases is composed of types that could easily be (and some would say are) running a corporation and the rank and file who are really trying to work for social justice. If you look at the church as the hierarchy you turn your back on it. If you look on the church as the rank and file, lay and religious working to do justice and peace and bring about “the kingdom” then there is much to admire.

Expecting the PN to legislate in favour of divorce is akin to expecting Norman Lowell to embrace multiculturalism.

[Daphne – Not at all. Norman Lowell has a single platform: racism. The Nationalist Party has no position on divorce.]