What's Joe Volpe doing right this minute?
It's anyone guess what Joe Volpe is doing in the wake of this latest scandal, but I know what I think.
That Joe Volpe is in deep trouble, again, is par for the course:
His campaign has seen its share of controversy since the spring and there's speculation Liberal leadership candidate Joe Volpe may bow out of the race after another alleged scandal.
A published report claims the Volpe campaign team signed up dozens of members in Quebec without their knowledge or without paying the required $10 fee and two of those new Grit recruits were deceased.
As many have said, it takes a powerful leader to garner the dead vote.
But put aside the zombie jokes for a moment. I think it's fair to say that Joe Volpe is planning to quit:
The former Paul Martin-era cabinet minister is scheduled to hold a press conference Monday morning in Ottawa and there's speculation as to whether he'll pull out of the race or defend himself against the allegations.
I say he's quitting. Why? Because he's scheduled a news conference 48 hours into the future. That's a dead give-away. Politicians always preceded an announcement of quitting or resigning with several days of "deep thought and personal re-evaluation".
But besides the attempt to recover a bit of dignity, the delay serves another purpose. It is time to make phone calls to the major camps, and to check out the appetite for some sort of deal. Would anyone be interested in his support? At what price? Given the potential for offers and counter-offers, it could take some time.
I bet that's what Volpe is doing right now. Working the phones. I guess we'll know tomorrow.
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Comments
...i'm starting to miss wearing my tinfoil hat with all these Liberal types riding off into the sunset with my hard earned tax dollars padding their retirement fund...
Posted by: tomax7 at September 24, 2006 11:56 AM
Say it ain't so, Joe!
The country needs Joe Volpe as leader of the Liberal Party to ensure years of Conservative majority government to come.
The Liberal Party needs Joe Volpe to keep people's attention off the severe shortcomings of the other contenders.
Bloggers need Joe Volpe to provide a ready source of material for thousands of posts about the Liberal Party's venality and amorality.
Joe Volpe's withdrawal from the Liberal leadership race, and from public life, would make us all a little poorer.
Posted by: Loyalist at September 24, 2006 12:53 PM
This is absolutely amazing... supporters rally for miracle man Joe
Volpe supporters say they will not be moved
Posted by: neo at September 24, 2006 01:15 PM
Who needs an army of zombies when you have the liberal party of Canada.
budump bump
Is thing on?
Posted by: missing link at September 24, 2006 03:00 PM
Joe Volpe is beyond funny. If the Liberal Party of Canada elects this person as its leader, it truly deserves to spend the next twenty to thirty years in the political wilderness.
Posted by: Brian in Calgary at September 24, 2006 04:58 PM
Steve "Would anyone be interested in his support? At what price?"
I think you mean at what price NOT to support.
Posted by: at September 24, 2006 05:07 PM
I was shocked that he didn't drop out last time. The man has no shame - oh wait, he's a Librano candidate - that's a requirement.
When Bryant and McGuinty's brother said they were supporting Iggy, my first thought was "well, I guess he's out of the running". Same thing with Joe - kiss of death.
Posted by: Selma at September 24, 2006 05:29 PM
another ass bites the dust
Posted by: george at September 24, 2006 05:46 PM
Liberal leadership candidates are starting to panic. Volpe juggernaut "just can't be stopped", says one Lib insider.
Posted by: neo at September 24, 2006 06:26 PM
I am sure honest Joe is on the phone, Steve, but I doubt that he will pull out of the race. I expect that the Monday presser will be to 'angrily denounce' the 'malicious, slanderous lies' being told by 'political opponents with their own axes to grind' yadda, yadda, yadda. Volpe has known since the race started, and perhaps before, that he wasn't going to win - his only goal is to be the kingmaker so he can demand a significant position as the price of his support. If you aren't in the race, you can't make that kind of deal. Joe didn't have the decency to pack it up after the Apotex contribution flap, and even tried to brazen it out; I see no reason to think that merely being caught signing up dead people will make him see things any differently.
Posted by: DCardno at September 24, 2006 06:36 PM
Really, the Dead-Canadian community needs representation as much as the rest of us! After all, they're only differently-oxygenated. There's no shame in that. And the Liberal Party has a long history of reaching out to Dead-Canadians. I think this is going to be ok for Volpe.
Posted by: Meg Q at September 24, 2006 06:54 PM
I for one hope Joe Volpe sticks it out. His blatant lack of morality, decency and judgement should serve as a model to all Liberals. For us conservatives, the man is bottomless pit of jokes. C'mon Joe man up and stay in the race!
Posted by: Andrew Smith at September 24, 2006 07:33 PM
I imagine there are a lot of Librano$ who would hate to see the back of Joe Volpe. I think they've got used to the kind of "support" Volpe brings to the party, if you know what I mean.
You gotta problem? We'll fix it.
Posted by: 'been around the block at September 24, 2006 07:51 PM
There's a rumour out there that Volpe has decided to pull out and throw his support behind Rae. I wonder if anyone else has heard this.
Posted by: The Cyber Menace at September 24, 2006 07:57 PM
Scott "beer and popcorn" Reid was on CTV today, pointing out that Joe's communications people would likely be working to squelch any rumours that Volpe was quitting the race, if it wasn't true. In other words, the lack of denial is strong evidence in its own right.
But I have to acknowledge the possibility that these Liberal memberships might have been entered for the specific purpose of sabotaging Volpe's campaign. Did anyone expect to cast ballots (for convention delegates) in the names of these dead folks? What possible good could have been expected by increasing "Volpe sales" by two? When the Party hasn't released actual numbers of membership sales sold through each campaign. It all seems more than a little suspicious.
Posted by: Paul O at September 25, 2006 12:54 AM
I suspect he's out digging up new votes.
Posted by: Shaken at September 25, 2006 05:53 AM
Neo:
"Volpe supporters say they will not be moved."
It's called Rigor Mortis...
Posted by: at September 25, 2006 09:29 AM
Re: last 2 posts...
...Priceless!
Posted by: Alienated at September 25, 2006 10:21 AM
Maybe old Joe should go back to his old profession, and maybe teach Grade 3...but then again...mebbe not...like, who would want a sociopathic creep like this to have any influence whatsoever, on your kids?
Posted by: Feldwebel Wolfenstool at September 25, 2006 08:31 PM
...hey the guy made CNN...he can't be all the wrong...
*cough, hack, sputter*
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/09/25/canada.dead.reut/index.html
Posted by: tomax7 at September 25, 2006 11:58 PM
 
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