Iggy grabs for the ring...Insiders in rival camps said Ignatieff and his supporters were lobbying hard to have Ignatieff chosen as interim leader by a vote of Liberal MPs and senators at the Wednesday caucus meeting, with the decision to be ratified formally at the May convention.Not too surprisingly, ol' Commie Bob Rae suddenly thinks a caucus-only vote is a travesty...
A caucus vote would give Ignatieff a decided edge. Indeed, rival camps said some Ignatieff supporters were arguing that the matter should be settled strictly by the 77 elected Liberal MPs, which would likely guarantee an Ignatieff victory.
He said allowing caucus alone to decide the leadership would be elitist, undemocratic and illegitimate.So Bob... it's different when it's just Liberals?
“One suggestion that I've heard — that the caucus or even just MPs, for which there's no constitutional basis, but just MPs would decide — is to me unacceptable and just plain wrong,” Rae said. “People have to understand there has to be a process and it has to be seen to be a democratic and legitimate one.”
Rae said a vote by caucus alone would disenfranchise Liberals in the 231 ridings not represented by a Liberal MP.
“The people have to be heard,” he said. “At a time of party renewal, it's inconceivable to me that people would be even contemplating the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of Liberals.”
Sauce for the goose, my friend... sauce for the goose.
Two party sources said well-known Liberal and former Paul Martin adviser Mike Robinson has left the Rae camp over disagreements with Mr. Rae's embracing of the coalition. Mr. Robinson could not be reached for comment on Sunday.**********
FROM THE COMMENTS:
"Please pass the beer & popcorn. I want the DVD when it comes out."*
