[Nightedge]

Situation:

Oxford University Chancellor Chris Patten says that some rich people in the city have got foreign passports and become thoughtless about those who have deprived of their rights. Those slated by the chancellor have sent a letter to the prime minister to defend themseleves and criticize Mr Patten; part of the letter says:

-The attack on them and the reference to having foreign passports in their back pockets were both inappropriate and divisive.

Is it correct to use the simple past? My friend says the remark by Mr Patten is inappropriate now, then were is wrong and only are is correct. But in English very often we hear

-Tom was right. (=Tom was right when he said...)

Using the simple past just tells us that the remark was made in the past, not whether the remark is true or not. What do native speakers think?