From Michael Ignatieff, deputy leader of the Liberal Party:

Dear Friends,

Over an eight month campaign for the leadership of our party in 2006, in the second biggest country in the world, I spent a little over $2million dollars. Barack Obama spends that amount on his national campaign every day! So I feel - as do all the leadership candidates - that we gave the party and the country a great race, at a very competitive price.

We raised the money on the old rules limiting donations to $5400.00. Now we're repaying debt following the new rules, which limit contributions to $1100. So it hasn't been easy, but we're getting there.

I've held fund-raisers across the country and I'm incredibly grateful to all the generous people who contributed sums large and small to enable me to pay off my debt, and to the campaign workers and suppliers who put their faith in me as a candidate. I've also raised money for Liberal candidates and MP's right across the country, as have the other leadership candidates.

My debt started at about $800,000. On June 3, when Elections Canada requires all of the leadership candidates to file returns, I will be reporting the significant progress that I have made with your help. I don't quite know where I'll be on that day - some contributions are still in the pipeline or are being processed by the party - but I will not be fully paid off by the deadline. I am within striking distance and expect to pay off the debt completely by the end of the summer.

So, dear friends, if you have not given your maximum of $1100 and still have a generous thought towards me or the other candidates, think of contributing online. Any amount large and small would be appreciated, and remember that you are helping us to keep our promises to all the people who put their faith in us and the party.

Thank you,
Michael

Please click here to donate.

(or enter this link: https://secure.michaelignatieff.ca/contribute/default.aspx)

There are no graphical elements to the email.  Just plain text.  Even the typo ("$2million" with no space) remains in the text.  The email has come from Campaigner, the bulk email marketing service.  But for all the support Campaigner offers for flashy emails, this email is so utterly minimalist.

I wonder why.

In any case, Michael Ignatieff makes an unambiguous admission -- he will miss the June 3 deadline to pay off his debt, but he is not willing to estimate by how much.  Moreover, he will spend the summer raising funds to finish paying off his debt, instead of focusing on raising funds for the Liberal Party to fight a possible election.

Not that it will make a difference, but for any supporters of the Liberal Party reading this post, I've included the links to the donation pages above.  If you haven't reached your limit, and you care to donate, you can follow those links and help out.  Why am I encouraging this?  Because I appreciate that readers who support the Liberals come out to this blog to add to the discussions we have on this site.  It can't be easy hanging out here (though I've always wanted people to feel welcome here), but you're dedicated.  Perhaps you're looking for another way to express that dedication.

As for the rest of us, we'll wait to see what Michael Ignatieff's debt, as well as the debts of the Stephane Dion and the other leadership candidates.  Elections Canada will almost certainly provide extensions, and the countdown will begin again.