Saturday, December 06, 2008

Manley and Ignatieff. Some Sanity Prevails.

While Bob Rae has accepted the position to become the senior sales executive in charge of the "National Coalition Program", two sobering voice could be heard this morning rising above the din of the raucous and frenzied madness. First John Manley - who only a few days ago distanced himself from the coalition while on an on-line round table by denying to be one of the "4 wise men" - in the Globe and Mail, writes how the first step for the Liberal Party would be to "replace Stéphane Dion as leader with someone whose first job is to rebuild the Liberal Party, rather than leading a coalition with the NDP". Wow. A sober and resounding indictment of the soon to be legendary (for the wrong reasons) Liberal leader and now his infamous "youtube video". We can only imagine how Mr. Rae feels this morning after reading this, having accepted a position as cheerleader for a coalition that would now have him defend a partnership with the NDP, a skin that he has spent the past several years or more publicly shedding.

As for Mr. Ignatieff - who's body language since last weekend exposed his true feelings on the coalition, and who, like Manley tried to distance him self by suggesting that the inner workings around the deal were being orchestrated by those "with a much higher pay rate than his" - it appears that his concern too would focus around an expedient ousting of the current leader so as to end any future harm to the Liberal brand. On the idea of a more expedient process to replace Dion, this morning Mr. Ignaieff is quoted as saying, "I have been informed that discussions are ongoing," We hope that Mr. Ignatieff received a raise in the past 72 hours and that his rate of pay now entitles him, along with Mr. Manley, to become part of a process that would move this party in a new direction with the focus on rebuilding.

We expect that the fall out from all this will include the end of Mr. Dion's political career, regret by Mr. Rae for taking his new salesmen's position, and a bright future from Mr. LeBlanc if he can distance himself from the coalition rallies about to take our country by "storm".

In January, Mr. Harper will likely table the most un-conservative-like budget in the history of this nation and will give the opposition little choice but to accept it. It will be a spending extravaganza. As such, it would be best for the Liberal's to focus away from the coalition and start to look beyond January to a longer rebuilding process, one that we feel will be necessary to restore the confidence in the Liberal party that was eroded in large part by Mr. Dion's performance over the past seven days.

To that end, Mr. Rae might want to rethink his new position. He should perhaps fake an illness and stay in bed for a few weeks while the fragile coalition ballon looses its "hot air" and scurries off into political oblivion.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Piss on Manley he is a warmonger.....Liberals are all behind the coalition ....the cons are shaking in their boots....because of the coalition and you want to get rid of it...I certainly dont follow Mr.Rae but he is the only one making sense righy now.

thescottross.blogspot.com said...

You fail to provide evidence Ignatieff is against the coalition, indeed judging by an article today, it appears Ignatieff is just as much of an ardent supporter of the coalition as Bob Rae is:

"But Ignatieff said nothing will save Harper from that fate. He said a coalition of opposing parties will ultimately topple the Conservatives, who retained a minority government in the Oct. 14 election."

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/front/article/503626

-scott
thescottross

kitt said...

Anyone close to Manley? Tell him to shut up and finalize his support for Harper. Like Emerson did. Manley's just pimping for Harper because a coalition would do the CONS in and they would be reduced to opposition.

Anonymous said...

Our poll numbers have not reached rock bottom yet so keep pushing the coalition idea so we can get there faster and the NDP can then officially take us over.

Militant Dipper said...

The coalition is the only answer. FUCK Manley and every other Blue Liberal that stands in it's way. Ignatieff to his credit is still advocating the coalition. Just admit what you are and join the Tories you fascist tool.

Anonymous said...

To the anon who says "the cons are shaking in their boots", I don't know if you have bothered to navigate away from Liblogs (or perhaps the Blogging Dippers, which is more likely your fave site) in the last few days, but poll after poll has the cons grinning from ear to ear.

The Liberal polling bottom seems to know no limits. Two of the cement life jackets the LPC is currently wearing are Dion and the NDP.

Anonymous said...

While MilitantLiberal's name calling is a bit much, it should be clear to everyone that the coalition was the only real option, the other two choices (another election, or abstaining,) being suicidal for the Liberal party.

As for your claim that in January Harper will present an "unconservative" budget, I'm tempted to engage in some name calling myself. This claim is flagrantly absurd, I even can't imagine where you would have come up with it. Harper will use the fact that he is dropping the public financing provision as proof that he is willing to work with the opposition, but will otherwise leave the mini-budget untouched. (i.e. keep the assault on pay equity, the assault on labour rights, and the failure to provide any real economic stimulus.) Anything else would be suicide for Harper.

Anonymous said...

anyone who believes the polls the conservative papers are putting out is one of them....they are junk.

Ted Betts said...

Manley was the Minister of Finance under Chretien and Chretien pushed him to run for the leadership against Martin. Layton and Dion thought enough of him that they put his name forward (without telling him!) for this "wise persons" economic council. Let's not take a scorched earth policy to those with whom we disagree. There are a LOT of longterm, solid Liberals from left and right who agree with him and many who do not. The rhetoric toward him is symptomatic of bigger problems in the party: we don't identify as Liberals but by camps and colours. Lacking in any kind of self-confidence, we can't hear criticism from within and just simply disagree.

This coalition is the only thing that has given Harper pause, and put him into retreat. It cannot be considered a bad thing. However, we have overplayed our hand with it and rushed into something that, had we actually gotten government, I think would have forever stained if not destroyed the Liberal Party.

The coalition is a good tool for opposition. We should have come up with a list of common policies that could be agreed upon rather than a formal agreement with Layton and Duceppe. I don't see how it would be effective in government, especially during a financial/economic crisis. There is just too little common ground overall between the three parties to govern as a coalition.

Our strength and our renewal comes from working with the opposition parties, not merging with them.

Anonymous said...

anyone who believes the polls the conservative papers are putting out is one of them....they are junk.

Yes indeed. Wasn't it that "Conservative mouthpiece", the CBC, that put out that EKOS poll on Newman's show Thursday showing the Liberals slipping badly?

How deep is your head in the sand anyway?

Dennis Hollingsworth said...

To FAR & WIDE

Sense or Urgency my Friends … find away to get er done & get er done pronto … too much at stake to fumble the ball now … do-overs are only allowed at the Kiddie table.

Democracy delayed is democracy denied !!!

Based on what we already know to be absolutely conclusive about how Harpie processes information, can you imagine what he’s really thinking right now … he has dodged a major missile attack … he’s so angry and full of rage with the impudent (lol) parliamentary majority that it is highly probable his head will explode sometime prior to mid January. Failing this retributive justice scenario, Harpie is maxed-out with rage.

All indications are that Harpie is a very mean-spirited, vindictive, vicious, vengeful, bitter, malicious, hostile and ruthless person (to use but a few from the applicable grist of descriptors) … it is important for us all to fully realize that HARPIE JUST CANNOT HELP HIMSELF.

A big question for me is this : how much longer can the three dim bulbs Flaherty, Baird & Clement continue to deliberately mislead Ontarians / Canadians about mission critical facts, with anything resembling a clear conscience; with anything resembling credibility; AND with even an once of believability ??? ANSWER IS … the can’t, yet indeed they will, as they appear to possess the same arbitrary & dictatorial traits as Harpie !!!

Although I have always subscribed to Win / Win outcomes (and will continue to do so) in all my adult endeavours, this Harper Party of Canada scenario requires us to think (out of the box) about Win / Lose as the most probable outcome to this economic, political, democratic & constitutional crisis, single-handedly perpetrated by Harpie and his jack-boot thugs.

The outcome of this Harpie designed crisis will see one clear victor with the opponent bloodied & laying on the ground. This is Harpers design and I predict he can / will actually pull it off, if we remain complacent.