Ruminations

Blog dedicated primarily to randomly selected news items; comments reflecting personal perceptions

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Leading Failures

One can only wonder how long it will take for Liberals to realize what a disastrous mess they've made in selecting Stephane Dion as their new leader. A man who, at first glance, appeared so appealing, so promising as an intrepid leader forging new alliances, clearing out those Aegean stables of graft and corruption, a man of moral rectitude. Imagine; he's turned out to be none of those things. Instead, he's an astonishing amalgam of all the faults combined of his most recent predecessors.

And who would have imagined that this little owl-eyed professorial politico would hold deep within himself the violently intolerable urge to succeed to the extent that he would exercise all those prerogatives that he must have despised in the characters of those who preceded him. Honesty has dissipated and political expedience taken its place. Integrity somehow disappeared along with his stated intention to bring it back to the deservedly-maligned party.

All the initiatives, seen as compellingly necessary at the time they were introduced by the previous Liberal governments, and intending to be extended by the current Conservative government, disavowed. Not because these represent ineffective, inefficient or unrequired measures but simply because they are now championed by an adversary. The well-being of the country at large is simply not now the issue.

Winning at all costs is. A collective representing families who were victims of terrorism; those dreadful terrorist acts that claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent Canadians and forever depleted the lives of others pleaded with the Liberal party and Mr. Dion to drop his opposition to the renewal of two key provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act. These were people whose relatives died in the Air India disaster, the 9/11 attack and suicide bombings.

To no avail, because nothing could penetrate the conscience of a man who had already abandoned all reasonableness for a richer prize. Stephane Dion was determined to have his day in opposition to the plans of the Conservative government despite the misgivings and outright pleading by key members of his own Liberal caucus and that was, quite simply that.

And despite declared defiance and a last-ditch attempt by Irwin Cotler to accept an altered extension, Mr. Dion was adamant and whipped his caucus on the vote, just like the petty little tyrant he has turned out to be. Toronto MP Derek Lee attempted to assure colleagues concerned about civil liberties that the measures are in full compliance with the Charter of Rights, but that wasn't the point at all - which was to defeat the Conservatives.

Despite all the Liberal dissenters, including the voice of Keith Martin who said he would vote with the government, it was only MP Tom Wappel who voted with his conscience, in the end.

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