Angry in the Great White North

From National Newswatch, Stephane Dion let's us know about his critical role in the recent announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to recognize Quebeckers as a nation within a united Canada:

During an interview Thursday afternoon with New Brunswick talk radio show host Tom Young, Liberal Leadership candidate Stephane Dion took partial credit for Prime Minister Harper's stand asking the House of Commons to declare that Quebec is a nation — "within a united Canada." ....

Describing himself as a "trouble fixer," Dion told host Tom Young that the prime minister called him for advice on how to solve the Quebec Nation issue. Dion indicated he advised the PM on how to fix the problem. He also indicated that he will be supporting the government motion because it's very close to the solution he freely gave the prime minister.

Wow! What a guy! I've got a TV that is all blue in tint. Do you think he could fly in and fix that too?! You know, take something blue and make it more red?

Let's assume that the report in National Newswatch is accurate. Frankly, I found it hard to believe that Stephen Harper breathlessly called Stephane Dion to beg for help, and that Stephane Dion essentially wrote the motion himself, so I contacted a friend close to the top:

We consulted with different folks from the other federal parties as it was crucial to get them on side. That was important both for yesterday and the next few days.

Well, duh! We know that Liberal Party leader Bill Graham and NDP leader Jack Layton were consulted too:

Harper first approached Graham Tuesday night and told him he was going to "figure something out" to counter the Bloc motion, Liberal sources say. It was an aide who alerted Harper to the Bloc motion at 6 p.m., Tuesday and immediately the Prime Minister started looking for his own wording, said a senior federal source.

Harper, who cut his political teeth on constitutional issues back in the 1980s and the 1990s, mainly as an opponent of special status for Quebec, also met privately with NDP Leader Jack Layton Tuesday night.

As for consulting with Stephane Dion, his advice was sought out and his opinion was valued as a person who has for years spent a lot of time thinking about the problem of Quebec's role in Confederation. Significantly, the Toronto Star report strongly suggests that the advice was sought on a wording that had already been developed by the PM and his staff:

Dion got a call from a Harper adviser, seeking his advice as a constitutional expert and as a Liberal contender. Dion told the Star last night that "within Canada" was close enough to his proposal to recognize Quebec's nation status as a "sociological," not legal fact. "It's no big deal," he said.

An adviser called him? Not the personal phone call from the PM suggested by the National Newswatch piece? Not the role as the author of the resolution, but a proofreader? To be honest, I would have thought that the role Dion played as described in the Toronto Star piece was worthy enough, and nothing that needed embellishment.

Some people just don't feel special unless they're alone in the spotlight.