The Spoiler and the Turncoat

Popped into The Big Picture's in-box is this Bob Rae letter, below, reminding us that it was Jack Layton who forced the 2006 election and ushered in the The Harper Years.

No mention that Paul Martin made it impossible for Layton to support him. Or that the Grits subsequently ran one of the worst campaigns in history. Or that the Liberals have since propped up the Harper government.

Kind of ungracious, after the Dippers propped up the Martin government.

Rae says Layton has an Obama complex, which we hadn't noticed. The sole substance for this might be that Layton did attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Rae accuses Layton of "advancing his own political ambitions," which as you know is rare among politicians. Certainly it's something Rae himself studiously avoided, except for that time he was instrumental in bringing down Joe Clark's government in 1979. Certainly at Queen's Park, Rae didn't advance his interests. I mean, he didn't plan on being Ontario's least successful premier.

Anyhoo, what's important here is that the Grits see the NDP gaining ground on them and must therefore smear Layton. And who better than a former Dipper to do the deed?

"As for Jack Layton's delusion about being Barack Obama, he could not be further from the mark. If there is an analogy to be made, it's with Ralph Nader, whose candidacy for the U.S. presidency in 2000 was perhaps most responsible for George Bush's narrow win over Al Gore."

So that's it. The CCF/NDP, which has been around for 76 years, is supposed abandon the field to let the Grits handle the Tories on their own. Which they did such a triumphant job of in the past two elections.

Oh, and not that it matters, but while Nader may or may not have been decisive in 2000, there were bigger factors in Gore's loss:

• Gore ran such a lousy campaign he failed to carry even his own state of Tennessee. Had he done so, he would have become President.
• Disgusted by Lewinskygate, Gore distanced himself from the Clinton record of unprecedented job creation (23 million new jobs from 1993 to 2001), budget surpluses, annual double-digit declines in crime rates in almost every major American city, and so on. Instead, Gore ran on a promise to protect Social Security ("I'll put it in a lockbox"), which only Gore and close family members regarded as a compelling campaign issue.
• Republican goons at the direction of James Baker and Karl Rove, dispatched to Florida during the recount there, verbally and physically assaulted the volunteer vote recounters for days until increasing numbers of the intimidated volunteers stopped showing up.
• The five Republican-appointed members of the U.S. Supreme Court installed Bush as President, with the four Democrat appointees dissenting. In doing so, the Court broke with its states-rights philosophy and practice, overruling a Florida Supreme Court ruling that the recount continue. The Supremes then reverted to their states-rights prediliction. Bush v. Gore, one of the thousands of Supreme Court cases Sarah Palin was unable to cite when asked to name even one case other than Roe v. Wade, is widely recognized as the second-worst Court jurisprudence after Dred Scott.

That Rae, a careful student of history, knows all that makes his letter all the more farcical:

The House Jack Built

Le français suit Dear David, Jack Layton says he wants to be Prime Minister. He's even trying to pretend he's Barack Obama. It's time for a reality check. Jack’s problem is that there’s an obstacle in his way: the Liberal Party of Canada. He knows he can’t get anywhere until he tears down the Liberals. So time and time again, he’s undermined initiatives he claims are important to him and allowed Stephen Harper’s Conservative government to cancel programs and tear up agreements that should be at the core of any progressive government. He forced the 2006 election and campaigned to defeat the Liberal government, knowing full well that Harper’s Conservatives would cancel the Kelowna Accord and the National Early Learning and Child Care agreements, and abandon the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Since then, Jack Layton has done everything in his power to condemn Liberal policies, even those that are supported by the progressive thinkers he admires. Jack claims to be serious about the climate change crisis, but environmental leaders like David Suzuki have said the Liberal green shift plan is exactly the right thing to do. Jack’s positioning is not principled. It is aimed at advancing his own political ambitions, even if, time and again, that means real setbacks for the people he claims to be helping.  Thankfully, there are many former New Democrats who see through this tactic, and know how short-sighted and counterproductive this approach really is.  As for Jack Layton's delusion about being Barack Obama, he could not be further from the mark. If there is an analogy to be made, it's with Ralph Nader, whose candidacy for the US presidency in 2000 was perhaps most responsible for George Bush’s narrow win over Al Gore. There is only one viable alternative to the Conservatives: a Liberal government under the intelligent, principled leadership of Stéphane Dion. Please support us in building a richer, fairer, greener Canada. Don’t let Jack Layton and Stephen Harper hold us back any longer. Sincerely, Bob Rae, Liberal Party of Canada Authorized by the Federal Liberal Agency of Canada, registered agent for the Liberal Party of Canada

Comments

[jay]

Thank you for your analysis!

It is what I have been saying since that damn email went out.

[janfromthebruce]

Dear Bob Rae,
Jack Layton says he wants to be Prime Minister. You can't say that, because your new and improved party rejected you as its leader. It is understandable that you'd be bitter bitter bitter. It's time for a reality check.

Your problem is that there are obstacles in your way: Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff. You know you can’t get anywhere until you tear down the leader, and his deputy, too. So time and time again, you've played the mean boy vainly attempting to undermine the initiatives of your former party, which you occasionally claim are important to you, and allowed Stephen Harper’s Conservative government to behave like a majority, by sitting on your hands, skipping Parliament with your buddies, and crying that it's all the NDP's fault.

You refuse to stand up for issues that should be core values for any progressive.

Instead, you hop around, whining that leader Jack Layton forced the 2006 election and campaigned to defeat the Liberal government, knowing full well that Harper’s Conservatives would cancel the Kelowna Accord and the National Early Learning and Child Care agreements, and abandon the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

But, you know, not everyone buys into the notion that the Liberals are Canada's natural governing party. I know it hurts you to read this. I write it for your own good.

Acknowledging the complexity of democracy will be a good first step to healing from this wound.

Since then, Jack Layton has done everything in his power to introduce NDP policies and positions, even those that are supported by the progressive thinkers he admires. He and his MPs even go to the House of Commons and vote on bills! And votes of confidence! Against the Conservatives!

Jack claims to be serious about the climate change crisis, doing strange things like getting legislation introduced, debated, and passed in Parliament.

Jack’s positioning is principled. I know you don't like to hear it, but this is good for you, Bob.

You are too focused on advancing your own political ambitions, even if, time and again, that means real setbacks for the people you claim to be helping. Thankfully, there are many Canadians who see through this increasingly desperate, escalating tactic, and know how short-sighted and counterproductive this approach really is.

You will never be leader of the Liberal Party, sweetie. Say this to yourself a few times. Then look in the mirror, say it again, followed by the sentence, "I am worthy of love, and don't require control of others to receive it."

As for your delusion about being prime minister some day, you could not be further from the mark. If there is an analogy to be made, it's with Don Quixote, whose problem with windmills wasn't really that environmentally sound, was it?

There is only one viable alternative to the Conservatives: trouble is, it's the Canadian people who will decide who that will be. Not you. Not the vile, elitist, Liberal party, with all its submerged and barely hidden vendettas between its various power-hungry factions, now willing to play nice for the next couple of weeks before bringing the knives out for the intelligent, principled leadership of Stéphane Dion.

Please help yourself. Don’t let Jack Layton and Stephen Harper hold you back any longer. Grow up. Trust Canadians and this thing called democracy. And, if you don't like our antiquated system and how it skews things, be a bit more active in bringing about electoral reform.

That would be great!

Sincerely,

One Little Canadian
So Tired of Liberal Nastiness
http://janfromthebruce.blogspot.com/2008/10/dont-touch-stash-little-potty-mouth.html

[janfromthebruce]

H/T writer
Dear Bobby Rae potty mouth,

P.S. That sure no way to win back old friends and loved ones

P.S. We don't think you're anti-NDP hate message was for us. Are you revving up your lib leadership campaign - et tu Brutus?

P.S.S. We're stickin' with the NDP - watch carefully - have some fun - life's too short!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auVGvM4_9XU

[Pat]

Thank you David!

Why hasn't the other media picked this up? I have a good friend, but a Liberal partisan, who keeps spewing this nonsense while otherwise being one of the most thoughtful and reasoned people I know. The CBC should also follow up with a reality check.