If Michael does have the backing of Stephen Owens, he pretty much as this thing locked up in BC. He is pretty much the most respected Liberal MP in Western Canada now that Emerson has been converted, not that there are many respected ones to start with anyway.

But man is this going to be a long and boring campaign, it's only May for goodness sake. Give us a break on this meaningless race, can you please Sean?

Fan, give your head a shake. Respect has nothing to do with it. Owens is a bureaucrat turned politician. Numbers, its all about numbers. Whoever signs up the most people wins the race.

When I said the most respected Liberal MP in Western Canada, I was referring to Stephen Owen. What other political machine does he really need now that he has got the Owens? Chans?.lol..

"Numbers, its all about numbers. Whoever signs up the most people wins the race."

Is that all this is? Who amongst the leadership candidates can haul in the most fish?

Are federal Liberal members that naive and dumb to think that hey are beholden to just one person? Do that actually think Dion, Iggy, or who ever else there is that they are the best simply because "x" candidate signed up more than "y" candidate? Haven't we seen that nonsense before with the Martin and Chretien people?

Give it a rest. The smart member will assess the candidates and choose the best one he or she thinks will be best for the party (not nessesarily the one whose worker signed the membership form). Things can change in a few months. A member can support 'x' candidate now, but can easily support 'y' candidate later.

It is after all for the membership to decide, not the campaign volunteers (or worse the paid hacks). Their job is to make the sale and keep the customer.

It should be "well thanks for sending in my membership, but so and so isn't going to cut it, so I'm going to vote for who you who."

What happens if the candidate bombs after the ballot?

Quite simple. The candidate and his paid hacks are on their own. The smart member will vote any which way he or she pleases. It's not a contest for the paid or wanna be paid hacks. It's for the members at large too, eh?

Seems to be that the federal Liberals are sliding back into their old habits of a numbers game.

Spin the wheel. Anyone can play.

Sorry to offend you Murphy Brown. Thats the way the game is played, its all about numbers. How do you think Harper won the leadership of the Conservative Party. Let me guess he dazzled everybody with his insightful discussions and great sense of humor. The nonsense you refer to is the system by which we select leaders of party's. I suppose if it was up to you there would be an IQ test followed by tea and crumpets where civilized debate takes place amongst the "captains of industry" while the peasants wait outside for the end result.

Your views make a great deal of sense on the chalkboard. But in the cold hard reality of leadership politics where kings and queens are crowned, its all about numbers and the "paid hacks" producing those numbers.

Sorry to pop your bubble.

Your cheekiness about MI events somehow being 'regal' (or at least implying that our venues for Meet 'n Greets in B.C. are high brow), belies the real facts. The Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver may be in popular, trendy Yaletown. But - let's face it - that example of the location for our Lower Mainland volunteer launch earlier in May with MI certainly does qualify as pretty grassrootsy.

While a captivating speaker who inspires because of sincerity plus depth and a whole lot more with elan in both official languages, MI also is a pretty regular, approachable guy interested in hearing what's on peoples minds. You'd be hard put to find another elected national politician so erudite, and such a seasoned expert on the things that count most to and for Canadians, who listens so well, too. He actually takes notes!

MI's Russian ancestors' connections with royalty aside, if at all princely this Federal Liberal Leadership contender is a prince of passion about Canada, about Liberal Party unity and especially about what it's going to take to achieve this country's 21st Century greatness.

Anybody interested in checking out why MI tops the list for many British Columbians is welcome to contact me. To join the growing crowd committed to helping make MI Canada's next Prime Minister, you need to join the Liberal Party by July 1st.

GERRY LENOSKI
Communications Chair
MI Campaign in B.C.
(604) 608-6179

"Anybody interested in checking out why MI tops the list for many British Columbians is welcome to contact me. To join the growing crowd committed to helping make MI Canada's next Prime Minister, you need to join the Liberal Party by July 1st."

Wonder how much he's getting paid to write that drivel.

" But in the cold hard reality of leadership politics where kings and queens are crowned, its all about numbers and the "paid hacks" producing those numbers. "

So to heck with the members. They're just being used.

No wonder people don't volunteer in political parties in numbers like it used to be.

Too many paid hacks who don't know what they are doing and trying to look like they do.

Seems the Liberal Party is getting back to the Martinesque numbers game.

Nothing new there.

Just the same game, different players.

Spin the wheel. 'Round 'Round it goes, where it
stops, Liberal members get hosed.

Michael Ignatieff kicks seven kinds of ass.

Vote Iggy!

To "Jim Dial", where have you been, Mars, maybe Venus?? How do you think Brian Mulroney became leader of the PC's? How about the leader before him, Joe Clark? So Steven Harper became leader of the Conservatives by avoiding the use of "Paid hacks". Sure, next you will be telling me that pigs fly and birds talk!! Lets talk about John Turner for the federal Liberals, his successor Jean Chretien or Paul Martin? Tune into reality, not your playful halucinogenic fantasy world. The people you refer to as "Paid Hacks" did not originate with the Paul Martin campaign. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. "Paid Hacks" have been part of the game since before you were born. They will continue to be part of the game long after you have left this world.

Finally, when you talk about the members "being used", the last time I checked, people didn't have guns pointed at their heads telling them who to vote for.

Clearly fan shin, the tory, has absolutely no understanding

"Paid Hacks" have been part of the game since before you were born. They will continue to be part of the game long after you have left this world."

Yeah too bad for that. Little dedication or wanting to volunteer. It's "I'll do it, but pay me". Real dedication to the party and to the candidate's goals, eh?

Some of these "paid hacks" are self-important people who should spend time doing the real work, volunteering because of dedication to the cause, not working to get paid. Work atleast 10 campaigns before even thinking about saying "I want to be paid".

Been on quite a few campaigns where the only person that was given a cheque every two weeks for the duration was the campaign manager, and even then most of that cheque was reimbursement for expenses. Some campaigns I worked through no one got paid, but the expenses such as food and fuel for the car and supplies were taken care of. Food was brought into the campaign office, so the volunteers got fed.

" I checked, people didn't have guns pointed at their heads telling them who to vote for."

Exactly. Been there myself. Worked a leadership campaign once or twice, but told the candidate (and their piad hacks) straight out - "I'll help you out until the end, but if you drop off on a ballot, you're on your own. I'm not interested in who you are supporting afterwards, and I'm not interested in this BS about 'delivering delegates' to your favourite candidate who is poised to become leader. I'll vote for whom I damn well please. Now about that those delegeates who are supporting you from..."

In fact one leadership campaign figured I was going to support their person, but didn't. Walked
by their booth and a few groans of disappointments. One said "Why are you supporting
[other candidate]? I figured you would be supporting [our candidate]. Told them quite simply. "You didn't ask for the sale", and left
to get lunch.

and that;s the way it should be folks, paid hacks
or not.

Vote the way you want, not the way the political hacks tell you you should vote.

Iggy if nessesary, but not nessesarily Iggy.

Dion? Forget it. It will be back to the old days of our Liberal Party and Canadians don't want that nonsense with Don Boudrais and company.

Be courageous and go with someone new. The Liberal party needs to be new and away from the old days of Martin and Chretien.

Go Iggy.

For now.

Iggy is just getting beaten alive by the Tories in QP today, (again) for all the off message/anti liberal positions he has taken. He says he wants to run the party "center left" and then supports Bush in Iraq and Harper in dismantling Kyoto. This guy is not ready for prime time. I am sure the Tories are praying that he wins.