The Liberal Party continues to appear hapless and confused in the Saskatchewan riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River.  A nomination fight was cut short when Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion announced that he was appointing NDP MLA Joan Beatty as the candidate.

This has local Liberals very upset, especially in the aboriginal community.  In fact, the consensus is that Ralph Goodale ought to be kicked in the butt:

Ralph Goodale may be one of the most respected politicians in Ottawa, but to many of those at a meeting in Prince Albert on Saturday he had hit local Liberals where it hurts most.

And members of the crowd wanted to return the favour.

Internal strife continues to boil over the appointment of former NDP MLA Joan Beatty as candidate for a March 17 byelection in the federal riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River. A kick in the nether region was suggested more than once as a response to be bestowed upon Goodale, the Regina-Wascana MP and former federal minister of finance.

More hurtful, though, than the semi-comical promise to kick Ralph Goodale are the repeated claims that Ralph Goodale can't seem to tell the truth.

Essentially, local Liberals believe that Stephane Dion allowed himself to be manipulated by Ralph Goodale.  Nomination contender David Orchard maintains that he was assured by Stephane Dion that no appointment would take place.  Ralph Goodale insists that David Orchard signed a paper that declared his understanding that an appointment could be made.  No paper has been produced and David Orchard has called Ralph Goodale a liar:

"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.

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

Meanwhile, Ralph Goodale is saying that the Green Light Committee put forward Joan Beatty's name and was very enthusiastic about that choice.  Not so says GLC member Doug Richardson, who is saying categorically that Ralph Goodale is telling a whopper, and that the GLC was not behind any particular candidate:

But Doug Richardson, a Saskatoon lawyer and GLC member -- and one-time chief of staff for John Turner -- categorically denied Goodale's claim the GLC supported any single candidate. In fact, Richardson mentioned to a few people as they entered the meeting that he is personally behind Orchard.

How is it that Stephane Dion was led to believe that this appointment would have gone over better?  Didn't Ralph Goodale tell Dion just how people would react in the riding?  Metis leader Jim Durocher says Ralph Goodale has trouble with the facts:

Some Liberals say, both privately and publicly, that Mr. Goodale misjudged the situation and persuaded Mr. Dion to appoint Ms. Beatty, denying Mr. Orchard a seat.

"I will not call Ralph Goodale a liar. I will say that he has trouble stating the facts of the matter from time to time," says former Métis leader Jim Durocher. "He is not telling the leader the facts. The facts of the matter is that people ... cherish [their democratic right]."

Mr. Goodale is not commenting.

Ralph Goodale, PC, MP, BA, LL.B, LLPOF.

That's Privy Councillor, Member of Parliament, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Liar-Liar-Pants-on-Fire.

In acronym form, it sort of looks impressive.  But having Liberals publicly calling you a liar in the press is anything but impressive.

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