Bourque is describing how the candidacy of Liberal uber-intellectual Michael Ignatieff is imploding, the election barely underway:
A candidacy in shambles. It wasn't meant to be this way for the self-styled saviour of Canada. Michael Ignatieff, the 30-years-abroad egghead who's Harvard-based perch was thought by acolytes to be the perfect springboard for a thinly-veiled assault on the Prime Minister's Office, all conveniently dollied-up as the second coming of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Now, however, his undemocratic drop-in "acclamation" is being rebuffed in Etobicoke-Lakeshore as determined local Liberals, including the president of the Toronto branch of the Ukrainian Congress, move forward with their own nomination meeting tonight. Indeed, the Liberal riding association has now indicated that Ignatieff is not even a member in good standing. So much for the concept of democracy, eh Mr. Ignatief ? This growing nightmare can only find one logical outcome, insiders say. Ignatieff will have to step aside. Worse, senior Liberals in Toronto, Bourque has learned, are readying a game plan that will allow the egghead to step aside in favour of devoting more time to his students, lest the growing unrest surrounding his imposed candidacy split the Liberal vote in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. A little egg on the Great Ego's face, after all, might be the perfect reminder to him that democracy has a process and it must be followed. UPDATE: After Bourque divulged Ignatieff's grave difficulties, his appearance on a TV panel this morning was cancelled. Developing.
Yup, the Liberal Party mothership got "bucked" on this one.
Of course, it is not hard to imagine that Paul Martin would be less than pleased to have such a powerfully popular figure in the caucus. Imagine you are Paul Martin and that you are assuming that you will win the election, though with another minority. Ignatieff would demand and get a powerful cabinet position, while the rest of the party would have the knives out going after you for turning Chretien's back-to-back majorities into stomach-churning back-to-back minorities. With Ignatieff front and centre and ready to take over, your chance of surviving is nil. But with Ignatieff out, and with such far less appealing cabinet colleagues such as Ralph Goodale and Joe Volpe as alternatives to your leadership, you might actually survive another minority. You might even survive an election loss!
So is Paul Martin, or one of his loyalists, helping to make sure Ignatieff's run is over before it even begins? Maybe. I can't imagine any other individual more threatened by Michael Ignatieff's entry into federal politics than Paul "Buck" Martin.
