I got that email. It also contained a negative attack on his opponent. Such a tactic won't help Mulligan in his efforts to win a nomination fight.

The Liberals are bothering to nominate a candidate in Victoria?

Where's the real news? I want to know which riding David Mulroney is running in this time? I have Nanaimo-Cowichan in the pool...

I don't see why Mulligan got his ass in a knot over this. Everyone knows that the Leader has set a goal of 33% female candidates.

So, someone sat down and talked with him about withdrawing in favour of a well qualified female candidate? Big deal. He could either say sure, I'll do that or no I won't instead of going off the deep end.

"Everyone knows that the Leader has set a goal of 33% female candidates."

The voting public knows that is as dumb as appointing candidates and know the federal Liberals are up to their old tricks again.

"Step aside for [name of our favoured candidate here] and we'll get something for you after we
win"

Wash, spin, repeat.

It amuses me how it is universally accepted that we need more women in Parliament, so long as that doesn't have to apply to their own riding! Kudos to the Dion team and Bruce Young for forcing the issue.

Grit Guy:

If by "old tricks" you mean mean encouraging women to run, I agree with you - the party is up to its old tricks.

Its a good trick too as far as I'm concerned and I am very happy that the party is actually encouraging strong female candidates to run in winnable ridings, like Quadra and Victoria instead of offering up sacrificial lambs in places where its nearly impossible to win.

I, too, wonder (although am not that suprised, I suppose) why Mulligan would get his derriere in a twist.

Bruce Young is a principled guy, who knows the lay of the political land better than almost anybody. Straight and reasoned, he did the right thing--always does.

Where's the issue here??

Mikey, this is politics 101 old boy!

All's fair in love, war and the backroom.

Nothing has changed.

But after the May 28 election (with Anne coming in third in Victoria and a Conservative majority overall) Stephane, Mark, Bruce and Jamie will simply disappear from the political landscape.

Shawn, why are you not posting the email with all its details?

"fed up" you are completely off your rocker if you think the conservatives will come in anywhere BUT third in Victoria. Time for a wee bit of a reality check my friend.

Did you say May 28th? That's pretty specific. Why are you so sure of that particular date, fed up?

Have to agree that it doesn't really matter who runs in Victoria as the Conservatives seem to be heading to a majority regardless.

Mulligan should step aside, take his juice, and at the end of the day he will be the only one that sees any upside.

I agree, Innocent Bystander, that is why I hope that Mayor Lowe should show some guts in taking on the current NDP MP, ex-councillor with VCE which had been opposing Mayor Lowe one way or another for almost a decade.

I think it's time for Lowe to take on a higher position and he will be a fine pick in Harper's majority government I would believe.

BTW, enough with this liberal political grapevine, what's their chances against NDP incumbents anyway. With Dion about to appoint candidates into each riding, all of this will become irrelevant.

Why not? David Anderson is still young and healthy. He should run as the Conservative candidate.
He might feel more comfortable now with Steven Harper than he did with Dionne.
It's no secret that the Liberals dropped the ball on this whole climate issue. And David was disappointed that he couldn't make more of a change in the climate.
Maybe he can help out the Conservatives?
Canada is pretty well in the center of politics. Not that much difference between everyone.
I encourage David Anderson to run as a Conservative in the next election.

David Anderson running Conservative? I don't think so. I expect he's waiting for Premier Carole James to appoint him to re-assess offshore issues as a Royal Commissioner, or perhaps take charge of Capital District amalgamation issues and controlling the growth in residential developments that forest companies are generating along the route from Sooke to Port Renfrew.

But there's a bit of long term continuity in Liberal plans if Shannon is the eventual nominee, in that Anderson himself came out of the External Affairs bureaucracy when he first ran in the 1968 Trudeaumania election.

"Why not? David Anderson is still young and healthy. He should run as the Conservative candidate."

He and the voters in Victoria would be better off if David was kept staying at home watching Canucks hockey on Sportsnet.

This is the same David Anderson that somehow got
his niece in front of the line during the Commonwealth games to meet the Queen ahead of everyone else?

"He might feel more comfortable now with Steven Harper than he did with Dionne."

How is that possible? Dion has only been leader
for less than 4 months.

"It's no secret that the Liberals dropped the ball on this whole climate issue. And David was disappointed that he couldn't make more of a change in the climate."

Probably because he was spending too much time saying yes to Chretien and Martin.

"Maybe he can help out the Conservatives?
Canada is pretty well in the center of politics. Not that much difference between everyone.
I encourage David Anderson to run as a Conservative in the next election."

We would encourage David Anderson to take that
vacation to California once the election is called. Disneyland is great between April and June.