Is Michael Ignatieff going to win over Stephane Dion?
Michael Ignatieff wants Jamie Carroll fired. Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion says absolutely not.
Of course, Ignatieff wins.
Michael Ignatieff and Stephane Dion are battling over the future of Liberal Party National Director Jamie Carroll:
Stephane Dion is resisting pressure to fire the Liberal party's national director who suggested that former leadership rivals might be plotting against the new boss.
Deputy leader Michael Ignatieff told Dion over the weekend that Jamie Carroll should be fired, sources say.
While he did not demand Carroll's head or issue any ultimatums on the matter, they say Ignatieff argued that Carroll can't remain ostensibly in charge of rebuilding and unifying the party after publicly casting aspersions on the loyalty of erstwhile leadership competitors.
Left on my blog by a person who identifies himself as "Lib in the know":
Marissen [sic] is on his way to Ottawa today. Will be meeting Ignatieff and Dion. Jamie Carroll will be asked to step aside at the end of the session and caucus will agree to this "graceful" exit.
Carroll was behind Gerard Kennedy getting sacked in early April as Readiness Chair. Apparently for his behind the scenes preparation for a quick leadership race in the event of a spring election (loss) or better yet, Dion packing it in.
It will be an interesting Caucus meeting on Wednesday. Liberal tradition is that the National Director of the Party is in attendance, however, this week he has been told to stay home.
Expanding on a comment by "slap happy sam", commenting from his Blackberry:
Apparently Dion's heavy-hitter Mark Marissen is jetting in to Ottawa from the west coast today to deal with this powderkeg.
A third source confirms Marissen was on that plane this morning.
If this is true, it says a lot about Stephane Dion's leadership that Michael Ignatieff can demand one of Dion's people get the hook, and Mark Marissen, the Liberal Party National Campaign Co-Chair, makes it happen.
Of course, Marissen was Dion's campaign manager during the leadership campaign, so Dion is used to doing whatever Marissen tells him to do.
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Comments
But, but... Dion IS a leader. He banged a gavel. That proves it.
Posted by: Reid at May 15, 2007 01:02 PM
But wait, forget about Mons. Pion - whats this I hear about some tories meeting secretly in Ontario to start up the old Reform party? Is there some unhappiness with the tory policies and leadership?
Posted by: Undecided voter at May 15, 2007 01:57 PM
When a party leader has 3 powerfull adversaries on his back vying for the Leaders job he must be a strong character to fend them off.
Dion sofar has been shown to be a soft target, and remain such untill he is pushed out. It may take an indirect route, but it will happen and quite soon.And that can only mean trouble for the Conservative Govt.
Posted by: Jan at May 15, 2007 02:07 PM
ah, Carroll is going to caucus.
Marissen is coming to Ottawa as he does every week - to do his job.
Posted by: anon at May 15, 2007 02:38 PM
"In an email, party communications director Elizabeth Whiting confirmed "Mr. Kennedy is continuing his role as National Election Readiness Advisor for the Party on a volunteer basis" as indicated on a national campaign organization chart dated May 15."
-publiceyeonline.com/archives/002435.html
Posted by: at May 15, 2007 03:35 PM
Given the Liberal coffer is threadbare and uninspired cheque writers are suffering from donor fatigue, how come Marrissen sees fit to travel the friendly skies in business class ?
I wouldn't want to do the math, but 50 weekly trips a year at $2K ea adds up.
Or are Burrard Communications clients footing the pricey airfare ?
Posted by: raymaker's tail bone at May 15, 2007 04:44 PM
knives in the back,
blood on the ground,
marrisen's in Ottawa
putting dogs in the pound.
A united party, under the inspired leadership of Stiffi, facing the challenges of re-gaining popular support.
This little blood letting should help a lot.
Posted by: Fred at May 15, 2007 06:20 PM
Dion should sack the lot of the contenders. After all the Desmarais candidates (Rae and Iggy) got the gate. This gives Canadians a breath of fresh air(pun intended) with Dion and hope.
Posted by: bill dunn at May 15, 2007 06:47 PM
Forget Jamie, if Iggy was using his head he would contain and ultimately liquidate Marissen.
"Senator" Mark Marissen brings un-limited ambition with the tactical skills of the Keystone Cops to the ailing Grit team.
If Dion wants to destoy himself in the hands of Marissen that's fine, but Iggy & Co. should get as far away from the "Senator from BC" and his gang of empowered ex-Martinite Youth as possible.
Posted by: GREAT SATAN at May 15, 2007 08:11 PM
You're living in La La Land Bill Dunn. Stephie is yet another Lib leader owned by the Desmarais. JC's daughter, France Chretien DESMARAIS, supported Stephie at the convention. The Desmarais' hedged their bets and had 3 candidates in their pocket.
Posted by: Reid at May 16, 2007 09:02 AM
What will ultimately sink Dion's barge .. consistently bad internal and external polling numbers? .. open revolt? .. the next election? Or will Dion just come to the personal conclusion that he hasn't a hope in Hell of leading the defunct Liberals to any kind of victory so why bother?
I do sense in Dions a deluded political ego that tells him he can pull off the improbable if not the impossible. Will he go down fighting or will he exit gracefully?
Posted by: Observer at May 16, 2007 09:34 AM
What will ultimately sink Dion's barge .. consistently bad internal and external polling numbers? .. open revolt? .. the next election? Or will Dion just come to the personal conclusion that he hasn't a hope in Hell of leading the defunct Liberals to any kind of victory so why bother?
I do sense in Dions a deluded political ego that tells him he can pull off the improbable if not the impossible. Will he go down fighting or will he exit gracefully?
Posted by: Observer at May 16, 2007 09:35 AM
Possible future leaders, after Dion or other;
Mark Holland, Justin Trudeau, Ignietiff, Rae,
wait and see, I do not think Harper will get his majority.
Posted by: Jacko at May 16, 2007 01:12 PM
Jacko .. does anybody sane think that Canadians will elect Holland, Trudeau, Ignatieff or Rae as the Prime Minister of Canada? Before that happens the country will have suffered a cataclysmic event and Liberals will be getting elected in Alberta.
Let's remember that top-name Liberals abandoned the party and left it's leadership to political scrubs like Dion, Ignatieff, Rae, Kennedy, others. Before the Liberal party can rise again to government power, a generation will have elapsed, particularily in Quebec where federal Liberals are 'viande morte' for the next 10 years as assessed by political analysts in Quebec.
Are you suggesting that Liberals will recover their popularity within the next 12 - 24 months, and a new charismatic leader will emerge from the bunch of jokers you listed? I notice you only suggest Trudeau as the only Quebecer to lead the Liberals of the future.
Posted by: Observer at May 16, 2007 02:02 PM
We wouldn't be nattering about the ongoing melt down of the Librrans if Harper has siezed the initiative and made them go to the polls while they're this FXXked up!
An army of lie-spewing Liberal media cronies can't hide the fact the Liberals are so devoid of organizational direction/discapline, national vision and direction that they could be clipped by a 97lb. law clerk from Moose jaw.
What an incredible freaking waste that Harper did not drag this sorry mess of emotionality unstable and intellectually blank Liberals to the polls this spring.
Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at May 16, 2007 05:03 PM
 
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