During the emissary meetings, Stronach is said to have announced -- unbidden -- that she had no intention to run for the party leadership.What Garth and Belinda both needed was, dare I say it... a good spanking.
She then set out to procure the best campaign money could buy, spending $3.95 million out of her own pocket to secure the best resources, strategists and field organizers in the business.
When she didn't win the leadership, and when Harper didn't immediately embrace her as one of his top advisers, Stronach stomped her feet and refused to play in his sandbox.
She went out of her way to undermine his leadership at every turn, speaking out to the press on issues like gay marriage and abortion and accusing Harper of being completely out of touch with mainstream Canadians.
"The real problem, hidden not far below the surface, was leadership," writes Plamondon. "In short, Stephen Harper was leader and she was not."
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