Sunday, December 7, 2008

Globe Takes Another Swipe at Ignatieff

This time Douglas Bell takes his shots. This after Taber already ridiculed him earlier.

The Globe's Rob Silver has questions.

6 comments:

Steven Megannety said...

For any liberal who gives a tinker's cuss about the country or the Party, the villain of the piece is given a pass once again by the mini Machiavellians who write solely to see their names in type. Stephen Harper, with his bile-soaked intellect has once again found a way to divide the only credible choice of a government. This petulant and simplistic rant supporting a pig and poke coalition that has no chance of succeeding - not because the majority of Canadians don't want it, but because the Jack and Gilles will never agree on the big questions and thus will paralyse Canada when we can't afford it.

This is a time for Canadians and Liberals to force Harper to govern without venom and rhetoric and petty partisanship. Continuing this divisive debate over a coalition cobbled together in a back room without any resort to logic or planning falls into the Harper timeline to destroy Canada as we know it - and what it to be.

Show Canadians that we can govern with a purpose beyond gaining power, and we will get their support. Continue this finger pointing, 'my guy is better than your guy' twitter, and we will get what we deserve.

James Curran said...

Perhaps, as an Ignatieff staffer Steve, you could shed some light on the "poison chalice" for us. You see, some of us are having issues with the Ignatieff people now that they are playing the "unity" card.

Where exactly was this party unity while Pablo and Denis continued their attacks on Dion for the past two years in and outside of the caucus.
Where was this sudden concern of an alliance when the Ignatieff-dominated caucus emerged just a few days ago led by Michael, Bob and Domenic to extol the virtues of a Dion-led Coalition to bring down the Harper gov't?

And, last but not least, why are Iggy caucus members calling riding presidents and executives all weekend long asking them to send letters to the party office to 1) have Dion step down and 2) to install a PERMANENT leader before Jan. 26/09. Who would that favour do you think?

Steven Megannety said...

Sorry Jim, I'm not an Ignatieff "staffer" and to have a poisoned chalice, one has to have a cup. The leader is the leader until he isn't and your rants over the past two years haven't made M. Dion listen to anyone or stop micromanaging. That is why we had the worst showing since 1867. The "sudden concern" is mine. I don't shill for anyone or pretend that

Pablo and Denis are team players when there is a team. We haven't had a team since December 2006 when a compromise candidate assumed that he won and the others didn't lose.

And again, I'm not a staffer or a shill for anyone but myself. My cheques and time working in over 100 ridings across Canada over the past 30 years earn me that right.

James Curran said...

I see.

Our worst showing? How about Turner's 40 seats? Or how about the 69 or so that Martin lost the party whilst in power?

My rants?

Please.

Darryl said...

I think Ignatieff needs to show some leadership.

Bob Rae has been very clear with his intentions and even if you don't like what he is saying, at least we know what he is saying. Bob Rae strongly supports this coalition and I honestly believe his end game is a formally united party similar to what the Alliance/PC parties did recently.

Dominic LeBlanc is a marginal player and at this point isn't registering as an important player in the game.

John Manley was the first Liberal who seemed to realize that the coalition was a mistake, that Dion should resign and in general seems to argue that the Liberal party needs to move away from the far left and back to the center. I think his arguments should resonate if Liberals could get over blind partisanship by calling his obvious remarks "unhelpful" or somehow reflecting a lack of loyalty to the party.

Finally Michael Ignatieff is the wild card. A poll shows in the Toronto Star that he would fare the strongest against the Conservatives in an election (although ultimately Rae's vision would be the biggest threat to Harper if it ever happened) but he is taking heat for sucking and blowing at the same time. At the beginning despite reservations he came out along with the other candidates and supported not only a carbon tax, not only a coalition but Dion as Prime Minister. Now in the media we are seeing signals that he is not entirely comfortable with the idea and is only going along with it to avoid the perception that he is the one that would keep power in the hands of Harper.

Personally from the Conservative side, I think Iggy's stock is declining. I respect the man and think he would be a strong opponent but he is one of the big loser this week. As he bobs and weaves and fails to take a position on this; I think people like the Globe and Mail have a right to make the case that perhaps he lacks qualities of leadership. I am not a Liberal, but I would think his front runner status could be challenged either by Rae or Manley if he doesn't make his intentions clear by the caucus meeting on Wednesday.

Just my two cents for what is worth.

Beijing York said...

The coalition was a mistake or ill born is just a CPC talking point that the media is jumping on.

I heard Rex Murphy agreeing with blatant lies that Harper supporters are spreading over call-in shows like a bad rash.

The one that really kills me is that the CPC were conciliatory after they pushed the opposition parties too far and withdrew the offensive economic update. The PR machine is in full force manufacturing truths. Flaherty first withdrew the election finance subsidy off the table (trying desperately to make it look like the coalition and Bloc were only looking out to save their own hides) and when they didn't bite, they said they would remove the offensive curtailment of the public service union's right to strike. Never did they remove from their statement the pay equity proposal or the provision to sell off crown assets.

The bottom line is the the coalition and Bloc MPs stated that they were willing to work with the Harper government if he introduced an economic stimulus package immediately. Harper's response was to move the budget date from March to late January. Big freaking whoop!

This more "Not A Leader" smear campaigning that the CPC are undertaking with the corporate media, and even some so-called progressive blogs, falling in line to support outright lies and misconceptions.

Pay attention progressive people, Harper is still controlling the puppet strings, and Ignatieff and Manley are doing his bidding whether inadvertently or not.

wv = tropsy

As in who gets the awards for scuttling bringing down Harper.