Thursday, September 27, 2007

Open Revolt


I think it safe to say, that an open revolt is underway:

And a candidate who was set to run for the party called The Canadian Press without any prompting - saying he was asked to do so by a well-known Liberal - and announced he was no longer interested.

Paul Leduc, a three-term mayor of a large Montreal suburb, says that he's changed his mind about running for the Liberals and that one of the party's household names provided him with phone numbers for journalists and urged him to go public with his story.

The former Brossard mayor had been endorsed in April by the Liberals' provincial election commission to run without a contested nomination - but he said Dion kept him cooling his heels all summer.

"I never heard any news from Mr. Dion or his entourage," Leduc said.
"A leader who doesn't follow a recommendation, I call that inaction and indecision and it's a lack of respect not only for me, but also for the commission, and for members of my riding."

Leduc's decision not to run follows a similar one from astronaut Marc Garneau.

Carroll isn't the issue:

"If Dion didn't have enough headaches with candidates dropping out, woeful fundraising, poor recent byelection results, and a possible federal election approaching, he now also has to deal with a public war between members of his party and one of his top organizers.

Senior members from Quebec have been pleading privately for him to fire Jamie Carroll, the Liberals' national director and one of the key players in Dion's leadership victory.

They are now making their demands public."

Leduc's decison not to run is disturbing on so many levels, but the fact that he was pushed to make it public suggests a co-ordinated expression of open revolt. Who calls CP?

As I mentioned at Scott's blog, Coyne made the comment tonight that the Carroll incident was less to do with the phrasing and more a convienient excuse to attack another, bigger target. Agreed. Maybe I was ahead of the curve ;)

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Totally, no question. Pablo Rodriguez and all the rest of them, they don't care at all about Carroll's comment - it's just something they've been waiting for is all.

I'm curious what Dion's reaction is going to be.

Steve V said...

"I'm curious what Dion's reaction is going to be."

If there is any dithering, this thing could reach critical mass.

One point that is getting lost in all of this, is the assumption that other camps are working against Dion. Given what we have learned about Garneau, and now Leduc, not to mention the previous hesitations in Outremont, it would appear that people are being alienated, and the Dion people are demanding the loyalty oath, which only enflames otherwise dormant wounds. This exclusivity, wherein anyone who dared entertain someone else for the leadership is cast aside demonstrates no desire to build a team, or bring everyone under a tent. Marginalizing people is sure to backfire, and it shows no political sauvy whatsoever.

lance said...

Steve said: "One point that is getting lost in all of this, is the assumption that other camps are working against Dion."

The signs are all there that the Dion "entourage"(*) has been playing the 'hit them before they hit you' game for awhile.

In chronological order: Carroll's comments about losing sleep worrying what the other Liberals do. Not allowing Trudeau in Outremont. Garneau and Leduc left hanging on the string until they quit. Dionista's claiming Iggy was sabotaging Outremont.

Funny how the last one garnered the most coverage when it was the last to happen. You could say that as soon as Iggy's name was brought out the knives came out too.

What was really funny is how everyone jumped on the unnamed quote in the Halifax paper. I'm thinking that whoever it was just echoed the vibes as they came from on high.

*: when did we stop calling it "the board"?

Cheers,
lance

rogered said...

what in the world is going on in the Liberal Party??

tdwebste said...

This is so much a rerun of what happened in Saskatoon during the 2006 election. Maurice Vellacott was not looking good before the TV debate. Mysteriously during the TV debate with Chris Axworthy, a phone call was made from the Liberal campaign office. Days before the TV debate no one monitoring who was in the office and the front door was left unlocked.

The point is that ridding election campaign was won through the use of dirty tricks. It was a real eye opener for me. Dirty politics works, careful you are not playing into someone's dirty politics. It is not so much the phone call, that kill Chris Axworthy, it was very quickly tossed out. But the StarPhoenix playing the story front page for 3 days.

"Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence." -- Napoleon

The campaign office security was handled with great incompetence.

I believe the Liberal campaign team is behaving in a completely incompetent manner.

Jacques Beau Vert said...

Not that I've been paying microscope-intensive attention, but it *seemed* to me that Dion was reaching out to everyone. (I stress my casual observation here)

Perhaps I was wrong.

Clearly, no one is afraid of him - which is a bad place to be... alienating AND not respected.

I just don't grasp what these people think is in it for them, to so openly rebel like this. It just makes the whole entire LPC look bad.

I don't get it. Is there some sort of bigger game plan in their heads? Or are they just this stupid and self-obsessed?

Dion is under-performing, no doubt. But now, he's starting to look better than those around him. How'd that happen in one evening???

Steve V said...

I'm curious to see what happens with the fundraising numbers for the third quarter, due to be released any day.

Dion did reach out to everybody, at least that was the talking point. It would appear that "on the ground", in Quebec, the exact opposite has occured.

bigcitylib said...

J. Bo Green,

Exactly. Assume a fall election call. Does the Quebec wing run to lose in hopes that they inherit the smouldering ruins of the Liberal Party? Hard to influence a new leadership campaign if you got no elected MPS on your side.

Steve, take a pill, dude. Panic is unseemly.

Anonymous said...

It's not like it's the first time Carroll has caused contraversy with his big mouth.

I think Quebekers will never be happy with a leader that was part of the adscam years - even if they weren't involved - the Liberals needed a new face.

Steve V said...

"Steve, take a pill, dude. Panic is unseemly."

Ya, that's what everyone said in the middle of August, when I suggested we were in danger of losing Outremont if we didn't wake up. There is no panic, but where is the sense of urgency?

lance said...

Tim, everyone knows who made that phone-call and it wasn't a plant from Vellacott's campaign.

Tomm said...

Steve,

All LPCers that wish the quickest end possible to this Reign of Error should push for a fall election.

That way the damage can be done, the leadership reviewed and the LPC can try to re-create itself as the Natural Governing Party.

However, that means that between now and the decision to not support the thrown speech, LPCers have to quit firing at each other, and that caucus members that are career politician's and in danger of losing their seats are all given mucho prozac.

Harper might also throw a wrench into this too.

Tomm

bigcitylib said...

Steve, they should have listened to you in August. But today they would be crazy to listen to you. "Install" Iggy at the behest of the Quebec wing of the party, the whiniest Liberals in the country? How do you think that would play in the ROC? And how soon before Iggy stepped on a rake and accidentally set his tie on fire?

Steve V said...

bcl

Iggy just seemed natural, given the deputy leader status, not to mention a good percentage of caucus support. It wasn't a particularly well thought out idea, more an argument to try and change the channel.

lance said...

Never mind. Election isn't on.

They've trotted out the close confidant

The Liberals are going to blink.

Cheers,
lance

Steve V said...

lance

"The Liberals are going to blink."

I think you might be right.

Idealistic Pragmatist said...

I think you might be right.

Are you okay with that? Just curious.

Steve V said...

id

It's funny, because for all the talk of not wanting to look weak, hiding from a non-confidence motion pretty much says it all. I don't see how you build on the appearance of the spooked party, carrying Harper's water, but what do I know :) The only positive on the horizon, the Ontario by-elections, which would give some semblance of viability I suppose.

lance said...

No need to jump to conclusions Steve. There is the question of whether Dion can control his caucus enough to pass the Throne Speech.

Who knows, the rebellion might cause some to vote against the leader, or the CPC could call in sick too.

Although the former is more likely than the latter.

IP: "Are you okay with that?" Heh, you're evil. :)

Cheers,
lance