Draw a line between the dots then see the conclusion

The Emmerson cartoon sums up the motivation behind the attack on Len Brown.

The motivation behind the revelations about Len Brown's affair calls into question the behaviour, beliefs and mind set of the National-ACT bloggers.

Once one starts to draw lines between the dots the dropping of the information about the affair then one can only assume that the false out rage of hypocritical morality calling for Len Brown to resign  has been a deliberate attempt by the "dark forces" that control the right wing campaigning to discredit anyone who dares to oppose and beat them in an open election campaign.

The revelation that Chaung's paramour, Luigi WeWege, was a member of the Young Nats and closely associated with the group who cluster around the Slater-Lusk National-ACT "ginger group" adds even more suspicion about the motivations behind the anti-Brown campaign.

Add to the mix the revelation that defeated Mayoral candidate, Palino, also had a clandestine meeting with the"wronged" woman in an Auckland car park the day after the election to discuss what the Herald reports as:

"Bevan Chuang claims Mr Palino's camp raised the possibility that Mr Brown could be shamed into resigning the mayoralty."

" Ms Chuang claims she and Mr Palino discussed revealing to Mr Brown information about the affair and whether he might resign, claiming poor health. (He suffered a major heart attack in May 2008.)

"This would give him an opportunity to be a hero and assured that ... he did not lose any face, and yet allow him to move on to bigger and better political agendas," she said."

 "Last night, Mr Palino's campaign manager, John Slater, confirmed a meeting had taken place, but said it was just a "general chit-chat"."

and the suspicions about motivation get even more murky.

What is pleasing to see is that Len Brown fronted on the revelation immediately and that the councillors who have worked closely with Len have  refused to indulge in the sleaze based judgement being encouraged by the right wing bloggers associated with Slater.

Brian Rudman sums the issue up succinctly and well.  It is unfortunate that the torrent of sleaze has led to a leading journalist loosing his position for writing an editorial in support of Len as mayor.

It was also disappointing to see that Attorney General, Chris Finlayson revealed a briefing paper  headed "What to say in the event of the Mayor resigning" at the same time as Slater was feeding the rumour mill that Len would resign before Friday in the face of his self admitted politically motivated campaign to ruin Len's political career and reputation.

"Of course politics was involved. Of course I want to knock Len Brown over I have tried to knock him over before with his expenses at Manukau. He weaselled his way out of that one and he is trying to weasel his way out of this too," he (Slater) said.

What is of even more concern is that Finlayson revealed the briefing paper to the TV cameras just as the Solicitor General indicated that his office was seriously considering taking over the prosecution of the ex Cabinet Minister and leader of the ACT party, John Banks, for his offences under the electoral act which, if successful, would force him out of parliament.

The joining of the dots... real or imagined ... becomes even uglier and even more unsavoury.

The philosophy that drives Slater, Lusk and company.

His latest denial of plotting to over throw Len Brown, in the face of further revelations about his involvement with Ms Chaung, ring so hollow that laughter echoes through out the blogosphere. No nmatter hard Slater tries to escape the public odium that his actions have begun to heap upon him he cannot reconcile his earler statement that he has always been attempting to knock Len Brown over with his latest TV denial to:

"Ms Chuang said in her statement that she spoke to Cameron Slater on the morning after the mayoral election, and he told her the revelations would shame Mr Brown into resigning.
When that was put to Slater by The Nation, he said: "Well it would. It would shame him into resigning, it should shame him into resigning."
But Slater denied involvement in a plan to get Mr Brown to resign.
Slater said there had been "a lot of assumptions and a lot of leaping to conclusions".
"There's a lot of talks of plots. I can tell you that there was no plot from myself and Stephen Cook [the freelance journalist who helped break the story on Whale Oil] at all.

Slater should remain under the wood pile and be treated as the sleaze monger that he is.