Paul Martin - Worst Liberal leader in history?

[maplesyrup]

The chickens are coming home to roost.

Martin will now pay the price for his putsch against Chretien.

I think one of the major things that is disturbing Canadians is when Martin was asked how much money CSL received from the Canadian government, and Canadians were initially told $137,000., when actually it was $162,000,000.

Susan Riley, of the Ottawa Citizen, called Martin's leadership a Shakesperean tragegy in the making. I think she was correct

[maplesyrup]

Liberal attacks were ordered by top officials, sources say

Despite denials, blame for 'commando raids' by cabinet ministers falls on party strategists

By JANE TABER, CAMPBELL CLARK

Thursday, June 3, 2004 - Page A6

OTTAWA, WINNIPEG -- Paul Martin's senior strategists directed cabinet ministers to ambush Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and disrupt his events, according to sources, despite public statements that they did it on their own.

How sad to see what was once a great political party stoop to such low and desperate tactics as they slink into the political sunset.

[maplesyrup]

SES CPAC poll released today shows:

Liberals; 35%, down 6%

Conservatives: 32%, up 4%

New Democrats: 19%, up 1%

This shows a 10% change between the Conservatives and the Liberals, in the Conservatives favour, with the NDP gaining slightly.

Finally, a real election race

By PETER WORTHINGTON -- For the Toronto Sun

IT LOOKS to be a real election this time.

For the first time in the past 25 years, the federal election on June 28 looks to be a genuine contest, and not a cakewalk for one party. This reality may be the biggest surprise of the campaign and something few expected.

When Paul Martin was anointed PM to replace Jean Chretien, conservatives were in some disarray, with the Tories and the Canadian Alliance bickering and unable to unite.

It was assumed by most commentators (including me) that if Martin called a quick election, he'd coast to a majority that might even rival the 211 seats won by Brian Mulroney in 1984.

The only one I recall who didn't buy into this line was Doug Fisher, the dean and the most perceptive of the Ottawa Press Gallery gang. Fisher insisted Martin was no messiah, couldn't walk on water or walk through fire unscathed, and was hardly a dynamic personality.

How true that has turned out to be. The fortunes for the new party turned during the leadership race, uniting blue and red conservatives. Credit goes to Belinda Stronach's leadership bid. She had no chance of winning in a real democratic race, but her candidacy focused the nation's attention on the contest.

I remember Ed broadbent commenting on Martin when Ed launched his cmeback campaign saying: "Martin had never been tested".

[takeanumber]

If Martin had called the election before the Alliance got done eating the PC's, and before the West got their seats, he would have aggrevated western alienation and suffered some minor blowback in Ontario.

Trudeau would have done it.

Chretien probably would have done it.

He's not the worse.

[joseph13]

Wait Till The Conservatives Regurgetate The Alliance Cronies--and Show Their True Colours!!!

[August1991]

Regurgetate

What language is that? Anglais? Français? Pycckuu?

[Kliege]

The Liberals are in disarray. With polls showing them headed for minority government status — or worse — some party member have quietly begun to organize a campaign to dump Paul Martin after the election.

"If it's a (Liberal) minority, this is happening," said one long-time party organizer. "If it's a minority Conservative government, he's going to have to resign right away."

The scale of the dump Martin movement is hard to gauge. Those involved are reluctant to identify themselves publicly until after the June 28 election, for fear of being labelled traitors.

Three former cabinet ministers are said to be supporting the putsch. But so far, I've been unable to confirm this.

What is clear is that a cadre of middle-level, long-time Liberals feels that Martin's going to have to go.

"People are quite disappointed," says one prominent Toronto Liberal, a former candidate for the provincial Legislature. "Even people who supported Martin."

"There's a lot of dissension," says one Scarborough Manley supporter involved in the dump-Martin campaign.

Take, for example, the troubled riding of Brampton-Springdale, northwest of Toronto.

Last Sunday, the local Liberal riding association voted overwhelmingly to support New Democratic Party candidate Kathy Pounder against Liberal Ruby Dhalla — a Martin supporter parachuted into that riding by the Prime Minister over the objections of two other candidates who had been organizing for months.