Angry in the Great White North

The CBC is reporting on the confusion besetting the Liberals as Liberal leader Stephane Dion has fired his Quebec lieutenant, Marcel Proulx, but apparently without a replacement ready:

Turmoil after a byelection disaster has brought down Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's Quebec lieutenant, Marcel Proulx, amid confusion about who will replace him.

Proulx, the MP for Hull-Aylmer, resigned as lieutenant Tuesday in the fallout from the party's September losses in three Quebec ridings, including the longtime Liberal bastion of Outremont, the CBC's Susan Bonner reported from Ottawa.

Two Montreal MPs, Denis Coderre and Pablo Rodriguez, were said to have been offered the job, with Coderre turning it down and Rodriguez's position unclear, she said.

Interestingly, the CP version of the story suggests an even more confused sequence of events:

While Proulx says he's a team player and has no problem with being replaced, sources say he quit after learning that Dion had offered the post to Montreal MP Denis Coderre.

However, Coderre declined and Dion was left scrambling to find a new lieutenant.

Dion is trying to persuade a reluctant Pablo Rodriguez, another Montreal MP, to take the post.

So according to the Canadian Press, Stephane Dion offered Proulx's job to Denis Coderre, and without telling Proulx. Somehow Marcel Proulx finds out. Perhaps offended, and certainly seeing the writing on the wall, Proulx resigns and Dion accepts the resignation. Turning to Coderre, Stephane Dion discovers that Coderre would prefer not to take on this responsibility after all, but by then Marcel Proulx has walked out the door.

How did Marcel Proulx learn that Denis Coderre was going to be offered his job?

We could assume yet another leak inside of Stephane Dion's inner circle, but let's keep it simple.

The only person who knew for certain that Stephane Dion was considering Denis Coderre for this position was Denis Coderre.

Denis Coderre gets the offer from Stephane Dion, being asked if he would consider the position.

Coderre tells Dion that he would consider it.

Coderre then tells Marcel Proulx what is up (directly, or perhaps by arranging for a "leak"), and Marcel Proulx resigns.

Denis Coderre completes his michief-making by calling Stephane Dion back and telling him thanks, but no thanks.

Now Stephane Dion is without a Quebec lieutenant.

Oh yes, and somehow the whole goofy story is reported to the press.

Did I mention that Denis Coderre was a key Michael Ignatieff supporter?

Nah, I'm sure it didn't happen that way. I'm certain Liberals like Denis Coderre would never engage in that sort of silliness. Especially if it would hurt Stephane Dion and the Liberal Party.

By the way, Pablo Rodriguez was one of the MPs adamant that Jamie Carroll be fired over his comments about hiring more Quebecers. When asked to help Stephane Dion out of this bind, Rodriguez is slow to respond, letting Stephane Dion twist in the wind (and the only reason Stephane Dion is twisting is because the story has somehow gone public). Pablo Rodriguez was Michael Ignatieff's Quebec Chair during the leadership campaign.

You might be wondering if Pablo Rodriguez has attached any conditions to taking on this job. I'm certainly wondering that myself.

And just why is being Stephane Dion's Quebec lieutenant such a awful job in the first place? In most parties, taking on a role of such importance is a stepping stone to greater things.