Mr. Pearson arrived early each day, always having full cognizance of the Globe and Mail lead editorial. We all knew it was advisable to read that editorial before we arrived at work. Mike Pearson was an early riser, usually in his office -- room 219 of the East Block, which is now my office -- by 8 am. One morning he
called me in, referring to the editorial of the day which stated that the House of Commons had
become a dogfight between Pearson and Diefenbaker.
"What are you going to do about that?" he asked.
I remember screwing up all of my courage and saying, "Sir, the reason they are writing that is because that is exactly what has happened. Mr. Diefenbaker has brought you down to his level." "Well, that may be true," snapped Mr. Pearson, "but I would like to see you standing there day after day, facing that awful man!"
It was one of the few times I ever saw Mike Pearson genuinely distressed.
Keith Davey, The Rainmaker: A Passion for Politics (Stoddart: 1986), p. 95.
