Political satire

ecoFRAUD.ca

A self-described Montreal student, communications consultant and "active member" of the Liberal party (a Marc Gendron, according to his email address) has created ecoFRAUD, a web site parodying the Conservative's ecoACTION site and its plan to fight global warming. In the same eco-friendly green and white layout as the official site, ecoFRAUD satirizes the Conservative' plan as a hollow PR excercise, with Onion-like precision. The ecoACTION slogan is rewritten as "Sounding better - Doing less" and the title of the government's plan (Turning the Corner) recast as Turning our Back. One dig that seems almost too close to reality to be parody: the recurring references to "Canada's New Government."

The swag factor

Rival Liberal leadership camps will stop at almost nothing in their efforts to woo supporters from one another – free food, free drinks, buttons, t-shirts and other campaign paraphernalia.

The Ken Dryden campaign, for example, distributed mock hockey cards of the ex-Canadiens great along with home-baked cookies.

But the Michael Ignatieff campaign set the bar with gold-wrapped chocolate bars embossed with the candidate's name.

High-flying endorsment

Michael Ignatieff scored an endorsement that was almost out of this world just as first-ballot voting was about to begin.

Marc Garneau, Canada's first astronaut, pledged his support for Ignatieff, calling him the "candidate of renewal" and the one "best positioned" to beat Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

A space shuttle rocketed Garneau into orbit in October, 1984 and into fame as the first Canadian to ever fly in space. He went on to fly twice more in space. Unfortunately Garneau didn't have much luck in his more earthly exploits into politics -- he ran unsuccessfully in Quebec's Vaudreuil-Soulanges riding in the January election.

But he's been active in the Liberal Party and took part in Thursday night's tribute to former Prime Minister Paul Martin at the leadership convention here.

Bob Rae collected his own high-profile endorsement today from former cabinet minister and Fredericton MP Andy Scott. Scott held several cabinet posts when Liberals held power, most recently serving as the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Bobbing for buttons

The Conservatives seem to have developed a small cottage industry in the distribution of anti-Rae material at this convention. The buttons just keep on surfacing:

"Go for Bob. Go for Broke!" says one.

"Call me Bob. Let's not talk about my past," says another.

And the one everyone wants as a souvenir? A button showing a photo of Rae and comedian Rick Mercer, leaping naked from a dock in that now-famous episode from CBC's Mercer Report. The Tories have emblazoned this logo on the button: "Is this the tush of a prime minister?"

Of course this does beg the question: What does constitute a prime ministerial behind?

On second thought, perhaps it's best not to think about that too much.

By the numbers

Liberal Party president Steve MacKinnon announced 5,627 delegates and substitute or alternate delegates registered for the convention.

"makes this the largest delegated convention of this kind in the country," he said. "This is a great story."

That number includes 748 ex-officio delegates – MPs, Senators, defeated candidates, riding association officials and other party officials – who hold some sway, presumably, with others in the party.

There are also 2,985 other participants, including: media and other observers, such as Conservative, Bloc Québecois and New Democratic party observers.

MacKinnon announced registrations are now closed, but a few exceptions were made for a group of about two dozen late arrivals who got stuck on Hwy.20 en route to the convention, where there was an accident.

MacKinnon would not release the numbers of delegates that each leadership camp managed to successfully get to the convention.

First ballot results are expected to be released after 11:30 p.m.

Wishful thinking?

Sandra Buckler registered as an observer to the Liberal convention in Montreal and was given a pass marked "opposition party."

In fact, Buckler is director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. You know, the folks who sit in the government benches in the House of Commons.

She's here at the Liberal convention to offer the Conservative view of how things unfold as Liberals pick their leader - and to no doubt stir the pot a bit. Joining her is Dimitris Soudas, Harper's press secretary. He was sporting a button that said "Bob Rae - Harper's choice."

According to Soudas, a few of Rae's Liberals foes have taken to wearing similar buttons as well.

Media shmedia

Bob Rae began to sound a bit like Stephen Harper on the media at a bearpit session today.

When asked about how to unify his party, he said Liberals shouldn't "be afraid of a debate, but we shouldn’t be afraid of the occasional joke. I’ve told a few and others have told a few at my expense…we should all learn not to take things too personally. I think that’s one of the great lessons that I’ve learned in politics, people can say lot of nasty things, even, may I say so, some journalists have been known to say some bad things." (Laughter from the audience.)

"Somebody once said the definition of journalism is the person who goes through the battlefield and shoots the survivors." (Big laughs)

"But I wouldn’t say that." ( Bigger laughs)

Then Rae hastened to differentiate himself, lest he be compared to the Conservative leader. "But let me say to my friends in the media, the two of you who are out there, (giggles all around) that those of you who have dealt with me in the past, that access is never a problem. And another thing, controlling the message is not something I’ve ever been able to do and I don’t intend to start trying now."

Map to the Scars

Some Liberal delegates arriving at the leadership convention are getting a handy tourist map to local attractions. But it’s a guide to Montreal sites that most Liberals would rather forget. In a little bit of mischief making, observers from the New Democrats are handing guides to local spots that were at the heart of the sponsorship scandal that sparked the ouster of the Liberals after more than a decade in power.

"As a confluence of cultures, language and commerce, Montreal is a city of great history – though recent history has been less than great for the Liberal Party of Canada,” the pamphlet says. "Having lost the support of more than 760,000 Quebeckers, it is easier to find a Toronto Maple Leaf fan than a Liberal MP in today’s Montreal," it reads.

Titled "Map to the Scars," the brochure points visitors to such spots as:

• 200 Rene-Levesque Blvd. W., site of the hearing room where the Gomery Commision held its probe into the sponsorship mess from February to June 2005. "Pay us a visit and relive the accusations, the denial and raw absentmindness" of the witnesses.
• 75 Sherbrooke St. W. The offices of Groupaction Marketing Inc. the "home of money for little or no work."
• Suite 840, 6020 Jean Talon East, the former constituency offices of former public works minister Alphonso Gagliano.

The playful guide also helpfully gives directions to 759 Square Victoria, the headquarters of Canada Steamship Lines, which Paul Martin once headed before turning the wheel over to his sons.

In the best tradition of tourist maps, it offers a handy map and a detailed description of all the locales.

Baring no baggage

At a lunchtime bearpit session, Bob Rae was asked by a self-described  uncommitted delegate about the former Ontario Premier's "baggage".

Rae, who skinny-dipped with the Newfoundland comic on national TV, quipped in reply: "Anybody who saw me on Rick Mercer would know I don't have a lot of baggage."

Rae gets Alpaca vote

Bob Rae gets the Alpaca Vote. It's not as strange as it sounds.

The latest New Democrat to jump ship to the Liberals is Rae's former agriculture minister, Elmer Buchanan.

The Peterborough-area Alpaca farmer came to the International Plowing Match being held almost literally in his backyard to make his announcement.

"I figured the best shot is the Liberals federally," said Buchanan, in Rae's cabinet from 1990 to 1995.

Buchanan said he's worried that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government will "dismantle" public services like former premier Mike Harris did.

Current NDP leader Howard Hampton, also at the plowing match today, tried to change his mind.

"I said, 'Too late, it's done," said Buchanan, citing Rae's "leadership skills and experience."

Also trolling for support at the plowing match, an important event in rural Ontario, were Rae rivals Scott Brison and Ken Dryden.

No sign of Rae.