"The federal Liberal leadership race took a combative turn Saturday as the 11 contenders locked horns over Afghanistan and campaign financing during a debate in Winnipeg."
"Toronto MP Joe Volpe announced that he will disclose all donations to his campaign and challenged his rivals to do the same or 'bow out of the race.' "
Amazing the amount of Brouhaha that $5,400 donations from 11 year olds can make.
"Volpe cast himself as the victim of a 'smear' campaign after his team accepted donations from children as young as 11, and criticized perceived front-runner Michael Ignatieff for suggesting the donation scandal has 'caused reputational damage' to the party."
Because, you know, how could Volpe have possibly caused more damage to the party than It already had thanks to "Le Scandale Des Commandites"...
" 'I don't need to take lessons about how to serve the party from anybody,' Volpe told Canadian Press, contrasting his years of service to the party with Ignatieff's newcomer status."
Yes sir.
Don't need to take advice - gotcha... NO argument here... Just please don't hurt me Overlord Volpe...
"Volpe said his call for disclosure was aimed at 'clearing the air' on the controversy that surrounds his campaign. But other contenders were upset that Volpe insisted on reminding the public about an issue that has cast an ethical cloud over the entire party."
More like "cemented the ethical cloud over the entire party." Scott Brison much aided this with his own ethical booboo let us not forget.
" 'I think that it's unfortunate that this controversy is consuming what is otherwise a very positive leadership race,' former cabinet minister Scott Brison told reporters on his way into the debate."
Ya, a positive leadership race that's showing the unmistakable signs of a little "et tu Brute" going on.
"Ken Dryden, a Toronto MP, said the donation controversy is 'a setback' to the party's efforts to regain public trust in the wake of the sponsorship scandal."
This is a curse for sure, but it might also be a blessing. The next leader of the Liberal Party is going to have to deal with the "ethical" legacy of the party. This gives members a chance to see how prospective contenders fare on that front.
What am I doing? Giving respite to Liberals! Forget it! You're all doomed... DOOMED! Muhahhahahhaahahhahahhah1!!!jaf;dlkfaj;sdfk!12;3lk3,;.,;.4,3....
"Ignatieff praised Volpe's idea of speedily disclosing all donations, but that didn't deflect Volpe's attacks. Volpe accused Ignatieff of siding with the Tories on Kyoto and the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan, saying Ignatieff is 'very Republican-minded.' "
That's like a Tory calling a Tory a pinko commie up here in Canuckland for those unintiated poor Yanks. What's particularly ironic is where this comment comes from - the one man in the Leadership race that supported Bush's war in Iraq.
Of course now he's had a spontaneous change of heart that only Harvard Academics that have spent the majority of their lives outside of Canada apparently can have.
"Other contenders took more gentle shots at Ignatieff. Bob Rae, former NDP premier of Ontario, praised the Liberals for seeing Kyoto as 'an opportunity, not a liability,' as Ignatieff has dubbed it."
All this Ignatieff attention leads one to conclude that snotty nose Harvard brats are preferred right now in most Liberal membership polls...
Ignatieff the front runner?... Well I guess it's better than PM Bob Rae...
"But it was Afghanistan which exposed the deepest divisions among the 11 contenders."
Uber-interesting, considering the lack of divisions on this issue when Jean Chretien was in power.
"Ignatieff and Brison voted last month to extend the Afghanistan mission to 2009, the only two candidates to support the Tory government."
And the only ones to support the mission that was created by the FORMER Liberal government.
"Ignatieff explained that he couldn't 'in good conscience' oppose the motion when, that very day in Afghanistan, Capt. Nichola Goddard became the first-ever Canadian female combat soldier killed in action."
That's pretty weak. The decisions around war can't be motivated by passions or emotions solely. I would hope it would be a rational decision by those who make it.
" 'I supported the extension of the mission because that very day a brave soldier from Shilo, Manitoba, gave her life,' Ignatieff said. 'I couldn't in good conscience stand up in the House of Commons and not vote for the extension of a mission when our soldiers' lives were on the line.' "
Again weaksauce. By that rationale the Germans should've continued the occupation of France because their "soldiers lives were on the line." Now I'm sure that our lovable Harvard Prince aint nowhere near a Nazi, but he should consider the logical conclusion of his reasoning.
We should stay in Afghanistan for one simple reason: to win the war on terror. What were the goals of the war in terror again? Because we've all seemed to have forgotten it was to remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, destroy the Al Qeda network, and to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden.
Canada signed on to that war, as well as many other western nations, because they considered it an attack on their citizens as well... The WTC was an international target chosen for a reason. Hence our participation in the war, and now how 'bout we get going on those goals?
"Toronto MP Maurizio Bevilacqua said Canada must have 'an independent foreign policy.' "
codeword for anything the US says we do the opposite.
"Brison said he supported extension of the Afghanistan mission because he feared Parliament would be seen in New York newspapers as withdrawing support for the Afghan mission if the motion had been defeated."
Balloney. Where's the principled argument from anyone?
"Toronto lawyer Martha Hall Findlay shot back: 'We do not establish our foreign policy in this country, with all due respect, because we're afraid of what the headline in the New York Times will be.'"
Ouch. MHF: ten points. Brison minus a million.
And minus another million points from Kennedy, Dion, Bennett, and Fry for not getting a single quote into this article. Were these people even there?
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