Martin kills Twitter account after tirade

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New Democratic Party MP Pat Martin (CHRIS WATTIE / REUTERS ARCHIVES)

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OTTAWA -Manitoba MP Pat Martin Thursday disabled his Twitter account after a series of tweets Wednesday evening in which he repeatedly called the Conservative Party of Canada "rat faced whores."
 
Martin (NDP-Winnipeg Centre) sent out one last tweet this morning: "I apologize for my regrettable and inappropriate language yesterday. It seems some people shouldn't tweet so with this, I sign off."
 
Martin has run into controversy before over expletive-laced 140-character tirades. His series of tweets last night was apparently set off by the Harper government’s allegedly not inviting Martin to an announcement in his riding.

Martin was the life of Twitter Wednesday night after he erupted in a stream of rants and attacks on Manitoba senior minister Vic Toews.

Around 9 p.m. Wednesday night Martin began ranting about money given to Youth For Christ for its new youth building on Main Street and Higgins Avenue.

"All the money for inner city youth went to USA Youth for Christ. Big building, no benefit. Vic Toews Mr family values. What gives?"

Within the next half hour he added several more tweets on the subject including:

"All the money for inner city youth went to 'Youth For Christ', who are Vic Toews' donors and buddies, now the bldg is all but empty," and "it's a disgrace that Vic Toews gave ALL the money for inner city youth to his evangelical Youth For Christ. That got me going."

But Martin was not done.

Apparently egged on by some supporters then he really got going, this time taking the attacks to Toews' personal life.

When one twitter user asked Martin if he was "cruising for another lawsuit," Martin responded "F*** you my friend."

When some noted he was rather worked up Martin said: "I'm not 'worked up' so much as 'fed up' with the rat faced whores in the CPC who neglect to invite me to ancemnts in my riding."

Then he said "Look... Given the parliamentary session we've just endured, the term 'rat faced whores' is using a great deal of restraint..."

Martin told the Free Press this morning he was angry because he found out last night he had not been invited to an announcement on refugee housing in his own riding on Tuesday.

"I got upset again," he said. "I just get so fed up with these guys."

Martin said the former Liberal government always invited opposition MPs to government announcements as a courtesy. The Conservatives he said never do.

Martin has been in trouble on Twitter before for telling someone to "F*** off." He is also facing a lawsuit from an Alberta robocall company who allege Martin slandered the company last winter.

Martin told the Free Press he was not officially commenting on the Youth For Christ situation because he had to do more research to find out if what he was being told is really true.

"It was private tweeting to my followers," he said.

Many people wondered what exactly was going on with Martin last night, with some backing him and others questioning the wisdom of his ways.

Manitoba Conservative MP Candice Bergen weighed in. "Oh my goodness... What has gotten into @PatMartinMP tonight. He's rather worked up... Maybe too much rum?"

Then she added: "some get stomach pains from bad eggnog others @PatMartinMP get mouth rot. Hopefully he feels better in the morning."

Bergen had her own, albeit less profanity laced, twitter argument recently. In a brief Twitter conversation with Karl Knox, a Montreal indie radio dj, on Dec. 13, Knox accused Bergen of being "Canada's answer to Sarah Palin - just as dumb and as much of an ideologue."

Bergen responded on twitter about an hour later with a single word. "@knoxkp coward."

She did not take the bait the second time, when Knox replied: "Don't like the truth? Did you celebrate the killing of the registry on Dec 6? Drive your SUV to UQAM and try that crap."

On Thursday, Manitoba minister Vic Toews called Martin’s behavior "both irresponsible and disgraceful."

He also said Martin’s claims the Youth for Christ building is not being utilized is "patently false."

"Rather than commending Youth for Christ for the exceptional work they do both in Manitoba and around the world, NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg-Centre) launched into a rambling tirade against the organization through Twitter last night," Toews said in a written statement.

He said the organization helps disadvantaged youth and helps curb gang activity.

Of Martin’s claim he didn’t get invited to the event earlier this week, Toews said:

"It is news to me that he is suddenly interested in the concerns of his riding. I’ve dealt with many opposition MPs in Winnipeg, including former MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis and current Winnipeg-North MP Kevin Lamoureux, both of whom have contacted my office previously and have spoken with me regarding funding for their ridings – in my seven years as the Senior Minister for Manitoba, Mr. Martin has not made the same efforts. Given that the bulk of the money was allocated by the provincial NDP government, I have to wonder why they also chose not to invite him. Clearly even his own party doesn’t want him at events."