Denis MacShane, all hasbara but no explanation

I know, I know, hasbara means explanation but by usage it is taken to mean zionist propaganda.  Explanation on the other hand means, er, explanation.

Here, from the beeb, is what happened:

Former Labour minister Denis MacShane has quit as an MP after he wrongfully claimed at least £7,500 in expenses.

A Parliamentary committee found he had submitted 19 false invoices which were "plainly intended to deceive" Parliament's expenses authority.

The committee said it was the "gravest case" which has come to them for adjudication.

Mr MacShane, who has has repaid the money, said he wanted to take responsibility for his mistakes.

And here, from The Guardian, are some chunks out of various statements from MacShane:

MacShane said he "unreservedly" accepted Lyon's findings. In a letter to the committee on 26 October, he wrote: "How did this foolish and wrong behaviour come about? I was as Mr Lyon generously recognises under great pressure in this period.

"I had lost a daughter in a sky-diving accident in Australia, gone through a wrenching divorce and held the hand of my first daughter's mother, Carol Barnes, as she lay dying from a stroke for a week in 2008.

"To overcome these griefs I did what many do and buried myself in work. I accepted extra parliamentary delegation work from the Labour party. I chaired the all-party commission on inquiry into antisemitism which was hailed as a model of its kind and changed government policy. I wrote two books and hundreds of articles, but claimed under the wrong heading as Mr Lyon rightly notes. Foolishly and wrongly I paid no attention to the administration of my expenses claims.

In his resignation statement:

MacShane said: "In the light of the Parliamentary Commissioner's decision, supported by the Committee of Standards and Privileges, to uphold the BNP complaint about expenses claimed in connection with my parliamentary work in Europe and in combating antisemitism, I have decided for the sake of my wonderful constituency of Rotherham and my beloved Labour party to resign as an MP.

 And in yet another statement, yet another reference to antisemitism:

"Clearly I deeply regret that the way I chose to be reimbursed for costs related to my work in Europe and in combating antisemitism, including being the prime minister's personal envoy, has been judged so harshly.

"I remain committed to work for progressive values, for Britain playing a full part in Europe, and for combating antisemitism even though I can no longer undertake this work as a Labour MP."

And on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, a friend and supporter of Denis MacShane, Mark Stephens, invoked MacShane's "anti-fascism" and fight against "semitism" (sic).  To which the interviewer responded, "that's an extraordinary assertion, that his campaigns against antisemitism and so forth somehow justify what the Standards and Privileges Committee called "the gravest case which has come to them"."  This was after the interviewer pointed out to Stephens that MacShane had told the committee "I did something so foolish and wrong, I am still unable fully to explain to myself my stupidity".

Denis MacShane's method of "combating antisemitism" has mostly consisted of promoting the EUMC working definition of antisemitism so as to stifle criticism of the State of Israel so it's good to hear that even the BBC is wise to the fact that Denis MacShane's various statements have been all hasbara but no explanation.