Iggy #1

Well, Michael Ignatieff is now the leader of the Liberal party. He came back to Canada in 2005 with a well respected record in many realms. Like Stephen Harper he is supposedly a brilliant man. Like Harper, he is a strategic politician.

The media (and Ignatieff) are now trying to say he was not really in favour of the coalition. (My thoughts on this here.) He was 'reluctant' in his support. However, he had a choice as an influential and leading voice in the Liberal party to take a different tack. He still SIGNED HIS NAME to the dotted line in support of the NDP - Liberal - Traitor coalition. If he thought it was bad for Canada, he should have said so then. His words now are, "coalition if necessary, but not necessarily coalition". Gimme a break. What do you really think, Iggy?

I have been encouraged by his offering to work with the Prime Minister. However, let's be clear. This is not because he loves Harper or thinks this is the right thing for Canada. He can read the polls and realizes that Canadians are incensed at the prospect of this coalition taking power. He realizes that this would result in the annihilation of the Liberals in an election. This 'olive branch' on the part of Mr. Ignatieff is simply smart politics.

In any case, he is an upgrade for the Liberal party in terms of leadership. He will be a much more formidable opponent for Harper and the Conservatives. Tomorrow I'll have some more facts and commentary on the man they call, "Iggy".