These kinds of comments reflect on how Liberal navel gazing overtook the party. As each Liberal insider looked about for "moles", Chretienites, Martinites, they took their eyes off of Canada.

The real problem for the Liberals is learning that "Canadian values" and "Liberal values" are not one thing.

The ability to differ in opinion and yet believe in Canada is a lesson the Liberals will have to learn before they can ever be trusted with political power again.

The Liberals won't see that. As former Liberal ministers assume opposition MP positions, and lose their limos and large staff, they will resent it.

They will want their power and perks back.

David Dingwall said it best.

TIZ

Posted by: TIZReporter at January 30, 2006 10:07 AM

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Perhaps the Liberals can start by rallying around their "core values"?

Problem is, what are the Federal or Provincial Liberal's unique core values?
Dalton's core values seemed to have been;
1) "I am not Mike or Ernie"
2) Say anything to get elected

What are the Fed Liberals unique core values?
The Greenies and NDP share the socialist platform.
'Fear the Conservative hidden agenda' platform has lesser results this time around...
and...???

Perhaps the lack of any defined core values of the Fed Liberals is due to the fact that they ruled by default in the 90's with shattered right and the rise of the Bloc.

Conservatives stand for small government and traditonal family values.

What do Liberals stand for?

(sound of crickets)

Posted by: Pete at January 30, 2006 10:17 AM

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How will they ever pay off their $34 million plus debt?

Posted by: Bruce Randall at January 30, 2006 10:34 AM

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In the Libral political syndicate defined by their demonstrated lawlessness, the "traitors" are members with ethics who may be potential whistle blowers on lawless party/government activities. "Healing" as it pertains to the buzz word bandied about by Librano apparatchiks, is code for "closing loopholes" in lock-step discipline, party security and qualifying/loyalty standards for patronacge clients.

As always Liberals see their defeat as not so much what they did wrong as more a matter of their ability to contain scandal and BS the public thoroughly enough to retain Mordor's ring of power.

Personally I hope they languish in political irrelevancy until they come in line with the electorate's demands for open accountable ethical government. Seeing how the genetic arrogance in Liberalism attracts the type who do not feel the need for public accountability, and the fact they have the same old faces in opposition seats and in party powerbrokerage cliques, true cathartic change is unlikely....unchanged idealogically and strategically they will remain a political irrelevancy to a nation craving ethical change for some time to come.

Posted by: wlyonmackenzie at January 30, 2006 10:38 AM

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Adam Radwanski has a chilling article in Monday 30 January National Post about life inside the Martin monolith. Shades of Stalin and Mao. In such a machine truth becomes irrelevant---all efforts go to meeting "The Plan". The national interest is subsumed into the cult of the Leader.

For the Liberal Party to heal and become a player again there needs to be root and branch cleansing of the Martinites. a real re-invention of the party machinery. Sadly, I predict that the Martinites will stay in power, with a new leader they hand-pick in a hurry. There will be an even more personality-driven purge in the next few months. They need to be out of power so long that the apparatchiks wander off to seek power somewhere else. Then reform can start.

Posted by: Patrick B at January 30, 2006 11:01 AM

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With 100 seats in parliment, the liberals are hardly irrelevant - as much as they deserve to be.

I agree with your read of the liberal/left reaction to election setbacks. They dont examine their policies and change things. They assume that voters didnt get the message or didnt understand the liberal platform. So they'll get a new leader - a new advertising firm - but will leave the platform alone.

The fact is. A large portion of the electorate did understand the liberal platform and rejected it.

Posted by: Curtis at January 30, 2006 11:11 AM

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Angry:
This whole process sounds like deja vu for the Liberal Party.
That is precisely a repeat of PM Paul Martin's rise to leadership and theft of the top job creating the old traitors.

Posted by: banjotom at January 30, 2006 11:19 AM

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The Liberal Party that has governed Canada for most of its history will 'heal' itself around their usual 'core' value of the personal opportunism of those attracted to this 'running on the left, governing on the right' national institution. They always succeed because Canada does not have a genuine democracy. Only electoral reform can stop them from getting into power again to continue to destroy Canada.

Posted by: brock at January 30, 2006 02:10 PM

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"It's difficult to fight against your adversaries, but it's even harder to fight when you have traitors on the inside who are trying to sink everything."

Hmmm I think Stalin once used those exact words.

We all know how Stalin dealt with the party traitors.

Posted by: at January 30, 2006 02:34 PM

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I am spending way too much time enjoying all this good stuff.

Renewal of the Liberal Party?
First, the question of facing the courts. A minimum of 10 $billion of our money has been syphoned off.

Starving health care and education to create a surplus does not imply the right to stuff your pockets with some of that budget surplus.

If our justice system were not stuffed with Liberal shills, I may have had hopes for justice.

Another way to penalize and minimize Libranos is to throw support to the Greens.

20 seats for the Green party in the next election at the expense of the Liberals would be very good for Canada.

Message to Liberals. You are infested with crooks. Those crooks must be seen to walk the plank, otherwise you can not expect to regain Canadian voters respect.

Liberal popularity is still spiraling downward and that will continue as the public learn of the full list of crimes.

List of 218 *Low Points*, Toronto Sun by Linda Williams January 22nd

Different list of 200+ http://BendGovernment.blogspot.com

Canadians were aware of Adscam and a scam and there. Wait for the backlash when they learn about the scope of fraud these lists represent.

When the MSM*s fear Harper trick is better understood, there should be a backlash there also.

Rocky roads ahead for Liberals. TG

Posted by: TonyGuitar at January 30, 2006 03:55 PM

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That's supposed to be * a scam here and there*
I'm late! I'm late! TG

Posted by: TonyGuitar at January 30, 2006 03:59 PM

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I think Paul and Jean had real hates on for each other. They divided the liberal party, and together they completely subverted the riding association system of the liberal party. (Read the National Post column of Jan 30 on this, its very interesting.) I don't know how easily this system will repair itself. (or even if it can)

I think PMPM got things confused. He thought Prime Minster was something to BE. Stephen Harper thinks that Prime Minster is something to DO. PMPM wanted to be the man, PMSH wants to do the job.

Posted by: Curtis at January 31, 2006 01:05 AM

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