PPP leader remains defiant

Samak asked the PPP beat reporters in the news room at his party headquarters on Thursday why The Nation had blown up the report.

As Samak was trying to make amend with the reporters, he saw the evening news on a television channel running the clip where Samak had asked the Siam Rath reporter, "Did you have sinful sex last night"  as he was asked about Newin and Sudarat.

After the end of the news clip, the reporters asked Samak if the incident would affect the chance of his party in wining the election.

Samak angrily answered back, "It is the second abject nature of television. We will see if voters do not vote for the party because of me,'' he said.

When the reporter persisted in asking if he did not care how the voters felt about his aggressive nature, Samak answered, "No, this is me. I am not artificial. My mouth speaks my mind. What about the press, are they the father of the country?''

The reporters argued with Samak that they had the right to pose the question because the party received grants from the Election Commission, which is tax payers money. "But I also have the right to use my way of exchanging blows to end the conversation,'' he said. "My party also understands what happened. The reporters harassed me, so I taught them a lesson,'' he added.

The reporters asked that if he was posed the same question, would he repeat the same tactic. Samak answered, "Absolutely, there is no clause in the Constitution that forbids me,'' he said.

Chirmsak Pinthong, a former senator and drafter of the 2007 Constitution, criticised Samak's choice of words as "impolite and inappropriate" saying he could not believe Samak would say such words to the reporter.

"As the party leader he should control his emotions,'' he said.