I'll Bite George

George Young laments the lack of posts on Liberal blogs, concerning Ruby Dhalla:

Having said all this, most of the troubling thought I face this morning goes beyond the substance of this sad story. Liberal bloggers on Liblogs or Libs online managed to avoid comment on the Dhalla problems yesterday, just like me. Are we justified to do so? Obviously, if the shoe was on the other political foot, there would have been considerable comment. Will we tackle Liberal problems when they arise, or will we be as blindly partisan as our Tory adversaries? I like to think there is a balance that can be found that will set us apart from the opposition. Time for some introspection.

To be honest, I'm just starting to get my head around what all these accusations might mean, so don't confuse a lack of opinion with convenient partisan silence. In addition, it's pretty hard to say anything definitive when you don't have all, or even most of the facts. There is no video tape, which allows for basic common sense translation, let's call it the "type A" evidence. There is no audio tape, that implicates, the "this isn't for publication" category. There is no paper trail or raids, legal action and what not, that paints a clear attempt to usurp our democratic rules. In other words, to call for "introspection" at such an early stage seems an irrational request.

I think Ruby did the right thing in resigning, or more correctly, Ignatieff did the right thing in forcing her to resign, while this issue is sorted out. Kicking Dhalla out of caucus seems a bit premature at this stage, so the response is consistent with the revelation.

However, without reaching any conclusions, I am struck by the fact that we have two seperate accusations of possible illegal activity. One person, much easier to be quite cautious, but two women coming forward, essentially singing the same tune, it's a bad sign that something is truly amiss here. This is a serious matter, that deserves serious attention.

But, what else can you say? Sure, you can go off half cocked, making wild accusations. Or, you can do what we've seen to date, which means Dhalla must resign her critic role and the Liberal Party must monitor events closely. Ruby may well be DONE, if what's swirling around is true, there's no way out and she'll face legal action. I'd say the level of "introspection" is exactly where it should be, at this point, and if the truth crystalizes, no Liberal will excuse this type of treatment or behavior.

"we think it would be more damaging to have him appear than not appear at this point."

David Akin has the fascinating email exchange, wherein Baird seemingly ducks the OGGO Committee, apparently afraid to face the public on his stimulus spending progress:

From: Marcotte, Michel
To: Shamoon, Rana
Sent: Thu Apr 09 09:02:11 2009
Subject: RE: OGGO

I understand Minister Baird will appear before the SC on Transport between 3 :00 and 4 : 00 p.m.. Are you sure he cannot appear before the SC on Government Operations and Estimates, between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m., on the Infrastructures side of the stimulus package? The plan is to have a televised meeting with Ministers (Department officials already appeared last week) on the status of the 3 $ Billions envelope.

Michel Marcotte
Procedural Clerk / Greffier à la procédure
Committees Directorate / Direction des comités
House of Commons / Chambre des communes

To which Marcotte gets this very odd reply from Shamoon:

From: Shamoon, Rana
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 9:14 AM
To: Michel Marcotte Cc: Baldwin, Kristin; Hamilton, Ben
Subject: Re: OGGO

Hi Mike - as already discussed this at the strategy meeting, we really are not trying to be difficult but we think it would be more damaging to have him appear than not appear at this point.

Rana Shamoon

Apart from accountability now being a strategic decision, this odd refusal to attend is tantamount to an admission of failure. The only conclusion to the "damaging" characterization, Baird has nothing to show the OGGO Committee and he would be exposed. The government has been wonderful at re-announcing old expenditures as though part of new stimulus, but when it comes to moving quickly, as they initially argued, there is apparently little to report. Given that Baird is a skilled blowhard, who has the rare ability to make nothingness look substantive (see term as Min of Env), the fact that he still won't appear really does speak to potentially embarrassing admissions.

From Bully To Blinker

Yesterday, the Liberals demanded the government reform the EI system. In the past, any Liberal "bluster" was usually met with a stronger counter by the Conservatives, with the final result usually being frantic backpeddling to avoid a seismic showdown. In the first practical example of how the dynamic in Ottawa is changing, the former bully is now blinking:

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is leaving the door open to improve Employment Insurance (EI) to avoid being forced into an election by the opposition parties in Parliament.

"The opposition parties have some suggestions about what they would consider to be additional improvements to the (EI) system and of course we're listening to what they had to say," Flaherty told reporters today.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is threatening to try to force an election in June if the minority government refuses to improve eligibility requirements so that more laid-off workers can access EI payments.

And the New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois are demanding action to beef up EI during the economic crisis.

But sources say the Conservatives are considering further improvements to the program.

Liberals Lead

New Harris Decima poll, done over a two week period, which partially captures the Liberal Convention (Apr 23-May 3). Using the last HD poll as reference, the Liberals are widening their lead, and the "surge" in Quebec continues. The national results (previous release in brackets):

Libs 34% (32%)
Cons 29% (29%)
NDP 15% (16%)
Greens 11% (11%)

A large sample size(2000), and while the Liberal lead widens to 5%, it is noteworthy that HD polls continually, but only releases periodically. This is relevant, because HD actually had the Liberals ahead by this same margin in a late March poll that nobody saw. I actually emailed the pollster to ask why polls aren't released each week. I was told HD doesn't want to be simply known as a political pollster, so they scale back on public releases, even though they poll weekly. Fair enough, but still another good result for the Liberals.

What is entirely new, the Liberals continue to gain ground in Quebec, reaching a new high water mark from this pollster:

Bloc 38% (40%)
Libs 35% (31%)
Cons 9% (12%)

Two things noteworthy here. When the Quebec only CROP poll was released, it put the Liberals at 37% in the province. This score seemed high, relative to other findings, which gave some reason for caution. However, since that release, we have seen other pollsters show a 35%(Angus Reid) and 36%(NANOS) for the Liberals. Harris Decima mirrors this new high for the Liberals. Given where the Liberal Party was, this turnaround in such short order is really quite striking.

The other theme, Conservatives now have a viability problem in Quebec. Sometimes, bad polling can tend to feed on itself, and as people see a clear LOSER developing, it causes even more of them to abandon. The Liberals emergence as a clear alternative to the Bloc is heightened when people see the Conservatives in freefall. This poll is the first to put the Conservatives in single digits, almost as striking as the Liberal surge.

No more internals yet, will update when they're available. In the coming days, it will be interesting to see if the Liberals do get a slight bounce out of their convention...

UPDATE:

More internals:

In Ontario, the Liberals are at 40 per cent, thanks in large part to an NDP slide to 15 per cent. The Tories have held relatively steady from October with 34 per cent support in Canada's most populous province. The Greens are at nine per cent.

The Ontario results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

In British Columbia — where Mr. Walker said three-way vote-splitting magnifies even small changes in popular support — the Tories lead at 32 per cent, with the Liberals and NDP tied at 25 and the Greens at 14 per cent. The margin of error is plus or minus 6.2 percentage points.

The poll suggested the Conservatives remain in control on the Prairies while the Liberals maintain a significant lead in Atlantic Canada.

In Ontario, the Liberals are unchanged with 40% and the Conservatives are up 3% to 34%, NDP unchanged, Greens down 5%. The last BC numbers showed the NDP leading with 29%, Conservatives and Liberals at 26%, Greens 14%. The latest numbers look more in line with others, although the MOE is quite high. The slight uptick in Ontario and BC offset the further erosion in Quebec, which explains why the Conservative national number is stagnant.

Afterglow

First off, I apologize for my sporadic posting and lack of insight during the convention, but I found blogging to be a bit of a distraction. Anyways, a few thoughts on the convention.

Given this was my first convention, I really have no basis in comparison, in terms of mood or substance. However, and I believe this a non-partisan observation, it is fairly inspiring to see so many people actively involved in our political process. This convention seemed quite a healthy exercise, maybe not in terms of big picture policy, but with the exchange of ideas and perspectives, mostly through idle conversation. My pre-conception was a gathering of "backroom" types and "elites", but I came way with a visual of mostly ordinary people, made up of every race, ethnicity and regional background. I was also thoroughly impressed with how approachable and down to earth all of our elected representatives are, there was no "air" to anyone and that was refreshing. If the Liberals are some supposed amalgamation of arrogance, entitlement and detached operatives, I didn't see it. What I saw was engaged Canadians, within an inclusive entity. Every once in awhile, you need to dispense with the cynicism (hello in there media class!) and appreciate an organic expression of democracy.

A few highlights:

-IMO, Canada's national embarrassment is how we have mistreated aboriginals, how we have failed to deal with root causes, how we just passively accept obvious problems, mostly lip service and avoidance. I was quite impressed with the opening remarks from Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish Nation, even moreso when I realized we were standing on his peoples traditional land. After a great speech, it occurred to me, that despite the Liberal failures on this file, there was a great deal of goodwill extended, Chief Campbell addressed us as friends, which was an interesting perspective. Later, we heard the Nisgha performing traditional songs. This was a moment for me, because the lack of familiarity brought something spontaneous. At one point, there was a extended pause in the very rhythmic presentation. We Liberals rose to applaud, but the song then continued. What could have been slightly awkward turned into applause morphing in unison with the drumbeat. I loved every second of it.

-I attended the Dion tribute, and put up a small sum to help him pay off his debt. It was very well attended, and it was great to see Dion feel some love. Dion is such an honorable man, everything about him oozes integrity. I also listened to his speech and the great video that preceded his appearance. I thought the proceeding were a microcosm of his reign. While I watched the video tribute, it rekindled some of my conviction that Dion would have made a great Prime Minister, a man of ideas, forward thinking and principled. When Dion spoke, I confess to yawning several times after the halfway point, which also reaffirmed my former resignation that despite his strengths, there was always something lacking in his leadership, the ability to inspire. When the speech was over, any sense of "regret" had pretty much evaporated.

-Having media accreditation was a pretty cool gig and it's also a testament to the direction of the party, that they gave us grassroots bloggers, with no real status in the party, access and a level of respect. What I found noteworthy, was watching the "real" media and how they conducted themselves. I witnessed a couple of hissy fits (won't name names) over god knows what, but the real contrast came from watching the disconnect between reality and "spin". Now, we normally think "spin" is the domain of partisans, but in reality, everyone has their own agenda and I found the too clever distortions of the proceedings to be disappointing. I read one column that said "many Liberals are calling this the Seinfeld Convention", but the REALITY is those words were never uttered a Liberal, the characterization was a media frame, so the idiocy of the reference was striking. Another broadcast made mention that the convention wasn't media friendly because it lacked a "story", which was really a testament to media failure. I guess people getting along, joined by common purpose and genuine optimism, due to improved fortunes doesn't sell copy but really that's more a "story" about the messenger. Acrimony, angst and backroom nonsense, that's what they crave. I come away with one clear thesis, the media, in it's current state and focus is PART of the problem with our political discourse, not part of the solution. The Liberals need to reform, so too other parties, but for cripes sake, it's time for some introspection from the media class. Small.

-Somewhat related, but I had an epiphany of sorts while at the convention. I won't say who, but I was taken aside by a pundit, who was actually quite nice, pleasant and respectful. One limitation or pitfall with this medium, or maybe more accurately, one failing or "glitch" on my part- the way in which we tend to dehumanize, the way we argue as though in the lion's den, the lack of decorum. I confess, over recent months, I've allowed myself to get dragged down into the gutter, less high signal, less tolerant. I won't rationalize or justify, but said pundit wondered why I had been so venomous in my criticisms, beyond just a philosophical argument. After I got over my initial surprise that my musings actually mattered, or where read, I felt somewhat embarrassed at my behavior. I apologized for my past attacks. Coming home on the plane, I actually considered giving up blogging or commenting, because it can be a nasty affair and there is a real disconnect with how I act in the "real" world and this online one. Anyways, I was confronted with my own hypocrisy for acting like the low rent characters that I can't stand within this medium.

-I heard Ignatieff speak three or four times, do a couple scrums, so I feel I have a better sense of the man. Again, this speaks to inherent cynicism, but I think the detractors need to cut Ignatieff some slack. Policy differences aside, not to mention a penchant for platitudes, Ignatieff is a serious person with genuine desires for the country. This isn't a ego gratification exercise for Ignatieff, although it's also true that EVERY politician has a sense of SELF. Ignatieff cares about our country, rather than fixating on the details, I was struck by the inflexion in his voice, the passion and the resolve.

-If I don't smell beer for a week, it will be too soon :)

Liveblogging The Convention

I'm on the floor at the Liberal Convention. This blogger accreditation is a great gig, a few of us are up on the risers with the media. A note on proper etiquette, in case you are wondering. If there is no one around, but a nondescript bag is placed on a table, that means it's reserved for a reporter from Le Devoir. Should you sit in said seat, expect nasty glares. A later apology and it's all good :)

Alf Apps is speaking, as the precursor to Michael's speech. Quite looking forward to Ignatieff, the room is packed and enthusiastic. Love-in 2009 reaches crescendo...

UPDATE

Here comes the big fella!!! Man this place is jacked.

I'm going to soak this in (really I can't multi-task), but fellow Libloggers Impolitical and Jeff Jedras are doing an excellent job detailing the proceedings.

New Polls

Two new polls, with quite similar results. Both the NANOS poll and the Ipsos poll have the Liberals at 36%, Conservatives 33%. Of note, with the new Ipsos result, there is now no current poll which puts the Conservatives ahead of the Liberals.

The NANOS results are identical to their previous poll nationally. However, the internals would seem to confirm a Liberal uptick in Quebec, with the party in a statistical tie with the Bloc:

Bloc 37%
Libs 36%
Cons 11%
NDP 11%

Another high score for the Liberals in Quebec, which adds some weight to the earlier CROP this week. Also, further confirmation that the Conservatives are at rock bottom in Quebec, neck in neck with the NDP.

NANOS shows a tightening race in Ontario, although the Liberal number is quite stable and strong:

Libs 43%
Cons 39%
NDP 11%
Greens 8%

The Conservatives are up, the Liberals unchanged and the NDP falling further. The overall NDP vote is up in this poll, as they appear to have made mild gains elsewhere, but this Ontario number is quite low.

In terms of the leadership numbers, Harper leads Ignatieff on the index of various perceptions. Critics are pointing to the 27 point gap as bad news for the Liberals, but that is really a laughable frame, which denotes NO understanding of the sitting PM dynamic. Actually, Ignatieff scores quite well in a realistic sense. In addition, the overall "best PM" measure shows a very tight score, with Harper at 32%, Ignatieff 27%, Layton 13%. From a Liberal perspective, I would be quite pleased that Ignatieff is within range of Harper. For an opposition leader, one is looking for numbers that put you in the "ballpark", given these results and other recent findings, I would classify Ignatieff's position as positive.

The last Ipsos poll had the Conservatives at 37%, Liberals 33%, NDP 12%, Greens 8%. The new poll gives a sizeable 7% swing, putting Ipsos more in line with other pollsters. Ipsos shows a big swing in the Quebec. Their previous result had the Bloc at 41%, Libs 27%, Cons 16%, NDP 12%. We now see a statistical tie, which is becoming a recurring theme, more proof that Duceppe's new "perspective" isn't a coincidence:

Bloc 34%
Libs 32%
Cons 14%

In Ontario, Ipsos shows the Liberals widening their lead over the Conservatives from 5% to 10%. I can't find the numbers online, but it's a sizeable gap.

Ipsos also gives us leadership numbers, with Harper ahead on vision, trust and economic management. Again, I can't recall any opposition leader ahead of a sitting PM(pre-writ) on these type of measures, it's almost counter-intuitive to expect anything else.

While most of the polls show a tight race, just outside or within the MOE, it's interesting that all tip to the Liberal side. Also, both polls don't really capture the convention impact. While a "bounce" is debatable, it's hard to see how this gathering hurts the Liberals or Ignatieff moving forward.

Convention Turnout

From pre-convention media reports, we've heard talk of 1500-2000 Liberals expected to attend. Today Michael hinted that turnout was quite strong, and now we have some confirmation, which I can confirm isn't "padded":

VANCOUVER – Over 2,500 Liberals from across the country pulled up their sleeves and got down to the work of renewing the Liberal Party through commission meetings, policy think tanks, and election readiness workshops.

“We’re delighted with the convention turnout,” said Rocco Rossi, the Liberal Party’s national director. “Liberals know we have a big job ahead of us – which is why we’re here in numbers to exchange ideas in an open and inclusive dialogue about how to earn the trust of Canadians.”

A great number, all things considered. I know there was some nervousness in the past few weeks that the lack of "substance", plus the expense, would translate to a smaller turnout than hoped. Given the media penchant to find issues, a bad turnout would clearly have been seized upon as evidence of apathy or whatever else could be invented by bored "minds". The fact the attendance number is well beyond expectations is another feel good theme.

Ignatieff Speech To Young Liberals

Ignatieff spoke at the YL meeting, the room was packed and very enthusiastic. Probably the highlight, Ignatieff made a passionate plea in favor of the OMOV resolution. Ignatieff said it wasn't his place to dictate, but he did say if there is one thing he wants to see come out of this convention, it's that OMOV passes. Ignatieff was quite animated, seeing this measure as another tool to draw ordinary Canadians into the party. The speech ended with Ignatieff putting on a Canucks jersey, which by pure coincidence had the number 23 on the back.

I don't have the exact numbers yet, but Ignatieff eluded to the fact that the convention attendance is better than expected.

First Quarter Fundraising

The fundraising results for the first quarter are out for all parties. I've already reviewed the Liberal uptick, but another positive development is the number of donors who have given to the party. The Liberals have added 5000 donors year to year, which translates into a 50% increase. The Conservatives have lost 5000 donors year to year and their fundraising has suffered to the tune of 600 000. The NDP numbers are well off year to year, almost half the amount raised previously, although if we use the second quarter numbers from last year the drop off is less significant. The NDP donor figure also shows noticeable erosion.

Here's a rundown, year to year differences:

Liberals 1,831,843.33 (15,230 donors) 2009
Liberals 846,129.37 (10,169 donors) 2008

Conservatives 4,361,540.04 (39,432 donors) 2009
Conservatives 4,954,550.22 (44,345 donors) 2008

NDP 595,611.16 (10,304) 2009
NDP 1,119,647.67 (13,329 donors) 2008

The Liberal numbers were floated a couple days ago, and I can confirm a sense of excitement here in Vancouver, in terms of fiscal momentum. Nobody is under any illusions, the caveat of "much work to do" is always near, but the relative improvement is impressive. Reviewing the donor list, what was a 5 to 1 ratio with the Conservatives, is a much more respectable 3 to 1 (again relatively). Reviewing the other party figures provides another positive for Liberals, with some evidence of apathy within the Conservative base. Ditto for the NDP numbers, who easily post their worst monetary and donor numbers in quite some time. In other words, the only party with positive indicators are the Liberals.

In terms of optics, all this data congeals into a attractive frame for the Liberals, which is elevated by the concurrent drift elsewhere. Work to do, but work being done.

"Mildly Amusing"

Ignatieff held a media availability which I attended. One question concerned the recent change in tone coming from the NDP and Bloc camps, how that relates to election timing. Ignatieff's comments were interesting, saying he found it "mildly amusing" to watch the NDP suddenly "playing nice" with the government. This commentary was said with a wry smile, then Ignatieff referenced both parties "cozying up to the Conservatives", adding, as though he knew the answer "I wonder why?" The last quote was an apparent reference to the recent polls. Ignatieff reiterated the long held Liberal position that we would not seek an election, until which time Parliament could no longer function.

Ignatieff was asked "if the party is better off", given the lack of drama heading into this convention. Ignatieff reminded us, that had it not been for the personal sacrifice of Rae and LeBlanc, things might be much different. Ignatieff then thanked Harper the "master strategist" for being so offensive last fall that he effectively united the Liberal Party, allowing it to come to Vancouver "ready to fight" an election. This convention is now about building the party in every region of the country, letting delegates know that we have a 308 strategy, take the message home with optimism.

In a related comment, Ignatieff spoke to the improved fundraising and the retiring of the debt. There was a veiled threat with "the financial picture is signficantly improved and the other parties should take note". I took that as a warning to the Conservatives, that should they go negative, we have the resources to respond in kind. Basically, bring it on with calm confidence.

I was present when Ignatieff entered the convention hall to register and the commotion was compelling. I don't want to overdo it, but suffice it to say it was quite a scene and people here are quite pumped.

UPDATE

Jeff has put up a video of Ignatieff's speech today at the Council Of Presidents Meeting:

At The Convention

People are trickling into this beautiful facility in Vancouver. The party has set up a nice area for the bloggers, as well as giving us access to all media events. I spotted Jane Taber walking the halls, apparently reporting on "nothing" is actually noteworthy, but then that's her niche anyways, so it's a good fit. Meow.

Just a few thoughts on the vibe I'm sensing so far, in speaking with a few notables within the party. Obviously, the word upbeat comes to mind, a very positive attitude is clearly on display.

I did speak with Rocco Rossi for a few minutes and I won't rehash what Jeff has said, but I'll add one observation that was interesting. With the way the party financing rules work, Rocco made the point that every new vote in the Liberal column has a doubling potential. Apart from new voters- people who didn't vote in the last election- every time we are able to move a vote from another party, not only do we benefit but the other parties suffer. I thought this a clever understanding of what is at stake, how every voter is important within this system. This view also speaks to the merits of the 308 strategy, because "winning" a riding isn't the only consideration, bleeding support from traditional sources can undermine our opposition, while improving our bottomline. Anyways, I saw that comment as further proof that Rocco is a smart cat. Tall too :)

Ignatieff is scheduled to speak with the media shortly, then with the Council of Presidents. I'll try to attend both and will post any observations.

Fundraising

More good news to kick off the convention:

Q1 2009 - $1,831,843

Q1 2008 - $846,000

The "more than doubled" fundraising number is true. Not sure what the other party numbers are, as of yet, but a relatively great number for the Liberals. As an aside, the NDP have now lost one of their continual talking points, that being the Liberals get a higher percentage of total monetary supply from public financing. The math has changed my friends :)

Liblogs are holding a meet and greet suite tonight, which apparently will be well attended (Rossi is supposed to be there). Should be a fun night...

Polls and New Coalitions

A pretty amazing result from CROP for the Liberals, which gives added weight to the new coalition talk. The numbers, particularly the francophone breakdown, are beyond anything a Liberal could have hoped for, at this stage (last poll in brackets):

Libs 37 (plus 7%)
Bloc 31 (minus 4%)
Cons 15 (minus 3%)
NDP 12

Those numbers are almost too good, in the sense that the Bloc will look to avoid an election (more on that dynamic later). Another poll that shows the Conservatives on life support, a real danger now of perceived irrelevance, all current seats in play.

The Liberals are now in a virtual tie for francophone support, which would have been a laughable want just a few months ago:

Bloc 37% (minus 4%)
Libs 34% (plus 7%)
Cons 13% (minus 4%)
NDP 12%

I'll defer to those more intimate with Quebec seat distribution, but it's fair to say this movement with francophones puts many ridings into play for the Liberals.


On the best PM measure, Ignatieff enjoys a massive edge:

Ignatieff 45%
Layton 20%
Harper 17%

Quebec is a wasteland for Harper.

Right on cue, Gilles Duceppe is putting out signals that his party is ready to work with the government, much like the NDP pivot last week. We also hear talk that the Conservatives are going to do everything in their power to avoid a confidence vote prior to the 2010 Olympics. The strategy will also delay release of next year's budget, so that the government rule through the feel good Olympics. As far as that tidbit goes, with the economic situation, a general consensus that no rebound will really take hold until later in 2010, one has to think the Liberals can capitalize on any perceived budget delay for partisan advantage. That dynamic brings me to the new coalition of socialists, seperatists and sell out federalists.

From the Liberal perspective, if the other opposition parties want to make backroom deals with the government, prop up Harper, it puts us in a strong position. There does seem to be some strategic consideration in trying to force a fall election, the reasonings for the Liberals are obvious. However, it is a serious error for anyone to conclude that postponing any election "thwarts" the Liberal ambitions. The biggest danger for the Liberals moving forward, is a sense developing, wherein Canadians start to see the party as Conservative enablers, diminishing their stature, as well as arming the other parties. If the new dynamic gives the Liberals free reign to push an agenda, knowing full well the other parties are afraid of an election, it's hard to see how that hurts us in the polls. The key word here is "afraid", and that's exactly why the Bloc and NDP, as well as the Cons, are starting to play footsie under the table. No amount of spin detracts from a simple concept that denotes weakness. Liberals know the perils of perceived weakness, if others want to do the propping, one can think of a myriad of ways to be aggressive and capitalize on the wide berth.

In addition, time is the Liberals friend here, when you consider building organization, fundraising, candidates, etc. It's not like Liberals are DYING to have a vote, if one of the main concerns within the calculus is eliminated, I think people might be quite comfortable with watching others scurry while we build. I don't see how the Liberals fall considerably in the polls, especially when we will look a strong and aggressive opposition. If other parties are content to hide from the Liberal juggernaut, I am left with the clear impression that things have changed DRASTICALLY. Harper working with the Bloc, too delicious for words. The NDP propping up the government, tasty as well. Factor in the Liberal freedom as a results, works for me.

Heading To Vancouver

I'm off to Vancouver this morning for the Liberal convention. I'll be an accredited blogger during the proceedings, so expect regular posts from the floor starting tomorrow.

Make it so:

Jim Prentice Does "Preposterous"

I wonder if Prentice realizes that he makes no sense whatsoever? There he was today on television, his main message coming out of climate talks- not only are the tar sands not a point of concern, NOBODY even mentioned them in conversation. The sentiment is expressed in this article, which just happens to detail all his actions to address the concerns that don't exist:

Mr. Prentice said it was "preposterous" for environmental groups to claim his mission in Washington was to seek a special deal for oil from the Alberta oil sands. The oil sands were not mentioned once during the two days of climate meetings among ministers from 17 nations, he said.

Not mentioned, not once, read my lips. Prentice is trying to downplay, fair enough, but how can he actually utter that crap, when he's concurrently tells us what he is doing to stop measures which will harm the tar sands:

Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice on Tuesday said the Conservative government has "issues" with a draft bill that would make it increasingly difficult for U.S. refineries to sell fuel from the carbon emission-intensive oil sands.

In effect, the rules would force U.S. refiners to measure carbon intensity of a fuel from ‘wells to wheels.' Because the life cycle emissions from oil sands crude is up to 30% higher than in conventional oil, Canadian officials are worried the country's energy industry would be devastated by a national low carbon fuel standard in the U.S.

Canada's concerns about the U.S. climate bill follows "the same logic" as objections Ottawa raised last week in a failed bid to derail the California measures, Mr. Prentice said following two days of meetings in Washington.

In a letter last week to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, federal Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt said the state's low carbon fuel standard "discriminated" against oil sands oil and "could be perceived as an unfair trade barrier" between the two countries.

"I think the practicality of it was raised in some detail in terms of rendering it operational," added Mr. Prentice.

The environment minister was in Washington to attend a climate summit organized by the White House for 17 large carbon-emitting nations. He also met with U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to discuss the Clean Energy Dialogue established between Ottawa and Washington during President Barack Obama's visit to Canada in February

Prentice has spent two days trying to ensure that any American initiative doesn't punish high carbon imports from Canada, but nobody spoke about the high carbon imports from Canada. I don't know what's more frightening, that he actually isn't aware of the absurd logic proposed, or that he thinks nobody will notice how "preposterous" he sounds.

Fundraising "Gossip"

Joan Bryden gives us some indication of just how much fundraising has improved under Ignatieff:

Financial results to be released later this week are expected to show the Liberal party more than doubled its fundraising take during the first quarter of 2009 over the paltry $850,000 raised during the same period last year. And the party expects to announce during the convention that it's paid off its $2-million debt from last October's election.

Liberal national director Rocco Rossi attributes the improvement to ``the Ignatieff effect.'' ``There's clearly excitement, enthusiasm and you have a leader who's going to every corner of the country, who's reaching out,'' Rossi says.

Final number aside, "more than doubling" our fundraising total in such short order is a serious shot in the arm, beyond reasonable expectation. I expected some significant improvement, but not this trajectory, this soon, before the new team really had a chance to put a its strategy in place. The fact the mega 1 million dollar fundraiser earlier this month counts for the next quarter, not included here, also means we can expect more good news in the future.

It goes without saying, whatever the number, we still lag far behind the Conservatives. However, in a practical sense we're more competitive, and maybe just as important, the narrative of an energized party on the uptick continues.

Ignatieff Interview

Here's the clip of Gregg's in depth interview with Ignatieff:


After the first ten minutes reviewing the book, there are some interesting exchanges on partisanship, differentiating from Harper, fundraising, courting western Canada and a passionate, clearly sincere perspective on aborginal issues at the end.

Riff Raff

Yesterday's proceedings in Parliament had a rather professional, respectful tone as MP's dealt with the swine flu issue. In a testament to the complete lack of respect Pierre Poilievre enjoys, rather than listen to his continually embarrassing performance, Ignatieff just left:

The Liberals groaned, then moaned as the government sent up Pierre Poilievre to answer. At the sight of the Prime Minister’s parliamentary secretary, Ignatieff decided the proceedings moot, packed up his papers and left the House, the Conservatives calling after him to stay.

“Words, Mr. Speaker,” Poilievre began. “As an academic, a journalist and author, the Liberal leader has built his entire career on words. Surely, he cannot tell us that his words mean nothing. If his words mean nothing, then he means nothing.”

Poilievre invited Ignatieff to return and answer whatever it was he was asking, then returned to his seat and shared a laugh with Tom Lukiwski. Watson smiled too. Chuck Strahl laughed uproariously. John Baird applauded.

The people of Nepean Carleton must be proud.

From The "What Were They Thinking" Department

When somebody has an idea like the following below, particularly the US military, you have to wonder why nobody would connect the OBVIOUS DOTS and maybe NIX the concept. It's actually mind blowing that this plan got off the runaway. A large jet, accompanied by fighter aircraft, within eyeshot of the former WTC:

One of President Barack Obama's official planes flanked by an Air Force fighter jet flew low over the Statue of Liberty Monday for a photo opportunity that reminded startled New Yorkers of the Sept. 11 attacks.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized the federal government and his own administration for failing to warn the public, which was shocked by the image of a jumbo jet flanked by an F-16 flying near the World Trade Center site.

"The good news is it was nothing more than an inconsiderate, badly conceived and insensitive photo op with the taxpayers' money," Mr. Bloomberg told reporters.

"They should know how sensitive people would be if they had low-flying planes down around the World Trade Center site," said Mr. Bloomberg, adding that he was "furious."

Employees at the New York Mercantile Exchange, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and other institutions evacuated their buildings, and hundreds of others called the 911 emergency response line, City Councilman Daniel Garodnick wrote in a letter of complaint to the FAA.

Goodness.