Choices, Choices

There go the Conservatives, at it again, roughing up the reputation of their political rivals. For heaven's sake, the Liberals have not yet crowned Bob Rae; he remains interim leader, despite that he obviously considers himself to have inherited the throne, and his demeanor and comfort with the leadership appears to have convinced most other Liberals that this is his birthright.

But the Liberal Party of Canada is languishing in the House with the fewest seats they have ever had, in a repudiation by the electorate of their past performance. Jean Chretien left the party in disarray and disgrace; both for himself and the party. Neither Stephane Dion nor the great academic hope of the party, Michael Ignatieff, ignited interest from the electorate. So it's up to Bob Rae to make his mark.

Except, the Liberals aren't even the Official Opposition, are they? They're opposing the government at every turn, but it is the New Democratic Party that miraculously managed to garner sufficient seats to knock the Liberals onto a scant few back seats, finally positioning themselves as a second-place party, striving for first-place.

And what a motley crew it is that is positioning themselves for the NDP leadership. As the old mariners would have it, a "scurvy lot". Left-wing politics, once fairly respectable, has become fairly lunatic in their fantasies of a world that reflects their judgement of what constitutes fairness and justice. The best of a scurvy lot seems to be Thomas Mulcair.

And can one see this short-fused autocrat with some sensible ideas and sound reasoning in some areas being addressed as Prime Minister Mulcair? As prime minister he would, though reputed to be a stout federalist, authorize an amicable semi-parting of the ways with Quebec from the rest of Canada. And where would this Quebecer stand as PM?

The prime minister of Canada, or the prime mover for Quebec?

But, back to Bob Rae. He's the challenger-to-the-throne that the Conservatives are aiming their propaganda guns at. For the time being, in any event. Calling into question Mr. Rae's bona fides. For before he was a Liberal he was a NDPer. And as leader of the provincial New Democratic Party he found himself amazed by being elected Premier of Ontario.

In which position he earned the wrath of public service unions, and condemnation from all Ontarians. Who just chafed at the bit until they had the opportunity to toss him out as an utter failure. Ushering in a prolonged period of misery under the provincial Conservatives. Who managed through cut-backs to rescue the province from a nasty deficit left them by the NDP.

So, out come those attack ads. Attack ads? They are geared to recall to Ontario voters' memories the umbrage they felt when this man who would be Liberal leader was NDP leader/Ontario premier and they didn't much like him in that role.

Choices, choices.