Angry in the Great White North

When Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion bowed to pressure from Ralph Goodale and appointed Joan Beatty to be the candidate in the north Saskatchewan riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, everyone knew populist David Orchard, who had been running hard to win the Liberal nomination in this riding would be upset.

David Orchard has said nothing about his nomination effort being tossed aside so that Stephane Dion could appoint an NDP MLA for no better reason than she was a woman.

He has said nothing...until now.

David Orchard has spoken, and the first thing out of his mouth is to label Ralph Goodale a liar:

David Orchard says he'd never have campaigned to become a Liberal candidate in Saskatchewan if he had been told from the outset that Leader Stephane Dion would appoint a woman.

In his first comments since controversy erupted over Dion's decision to appoint NDP defector Joan Beatty, Orchard told The Canadian Press he was assured there would be an open contest to choose the Liberal candidate for the Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River byelection on March 17.

Orchard vehemently refuted Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale's version of events.

Goodale, the lone Liberal MP from Saskatchewan, said Wednesday that Orchard and other prospective candidates knew full well that Dion might appoint a woman. Indeed, Goodale said all would-be candidates signed a paper acknowledging that the leader might bypass the democratic nomination process and make an appointment.

"Mr. Goodale's statement is completely and utterly false," Orchard said in a brief telephone interview.

"In fact, I was assured that there would be no appointment whatsoever and urged to work hard for the riding.

"Does anyone believe that I would have campaigned for three months - I criss-crossed the riding, 20,000 kilometres, signing up hundreds of members - if there'd been a threat of an appointment over my head?"

And Orchard issued a blunt challenge to Goodale.

"So my answer to Mr. Goodale is this: Produce the paper about the female candidate or back down."

So will Ralph Goodale produce the paper?  If it exists, it should be easy to produce it.  But then David Orchard wouldn't issue that sort of challenge, would he?  If there is no paper, and Ralph Goodale was being liberal with the truth (heh), then will Ralph Goodale take back his statement?

Heck no.  He'll just ignore David Orchard.  It's not like David Orchard is an MP.  Orchard isn't even a nominee.  With his blast against Ralph Goodale, it's a fair bet David Orchard won't be a Liberal for much longer either.

Orchard's ranting can't amount to much.

As far as the Liberals are concerned, David Orchard is just a nobody. 

For the sake of the party, they'd better be right.  Because it looks like David Orchard is gearing up for a fight.  Just check out his website.  In one day, the David Orchard website has received a massive update, linking or reproducing every news story related to his crushed nomination effort.

Including this story, where David Orchard calls Ralph Goodale a liar.

Oh yeah.  Ugly.

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