Pent-up, but also current Liberal bitterness

The Globe and Mail has unearthed and translated a devastating Facebook post by Janine Krieber, Stephane Dion's wife.   Krieber has not been seen much since Dion stepped down a year ago; she did not show up at the tribute to Dion at the Liberals' convention in May (which was a bit surreal.)  I did see her visiting the Commons about a week ago, led into the Opposition lobby by MP Marlene Jennings.

Her Facebook post  speaks volumes about the state of the party (and has now, reportedly been deleted.) With thanks/credit to the Globe, here's the translation of the now-erased entry.

It's been a year and one week since I last wrote on my blog. Ah! "la présidente" is lazy. But we have to take action now.

The Liberal Party is falling apart, and will not recover. Like all liberal parties in Europe, it will become a weakling at the mercy of ephemeral coalitions. By refusing the historic coalition that would have placed it at the helm of the left, it will be punished by history.

Anyway, I became convinced of it the moment that Paul Martin treated Jean Chrétien so cavalierly. The party died at that moment. If the Toronto elites had been more in tune, humble and realist, Stéphane would have been willing to take all the time and absord all the hits needed to rebuild the party. But they couldn't swallow the 26%, and now we are at 23%.

The time for choices is now. I don't want to see the Conservatives continue to change my country. They are, slowly, like any dictatorship, changing the world. Torture doesn't exist, corruption is a fabrication. Do we really have the right leader to discuss these questions? Can someone really write these insanities and lead us to believe that he simply changed his mind? In order to justify violence, he must have engaged in serious thought. Otherwise, it's very dangerous. How can we be sure that he won't change his mind one more time?

The party grassroots had understood all of that, and the average citizen is starting to understand it too. Ignatieff's supporters have not done their homework. They did not read his books, consult his colleagues. They were satisfied that he could be charming at cocktails. Some of them are outraged now. I am hearing: Why did no one say it? We told you loud and clear, you didn't listen.

I am starting a serious reflection. I will not give my voice to a party that will end up in the trashcan of history. I am looking around me, and certain things are attractive. Like a dedicated party that doesn't challenge its leader at every hiccup in the polls. A party where the rule would be the principle of pleasure, and not assassination. A party where work ethic and competence would be respected and where smiles would be real.

Maybe I'm not dreaming.

"La présidente."

Comments

[Observant]

Hey, Susan ... what do you think this all means ... Janine Kreiber running as a candidate for the NDP .. which she covertly refers to in the in the final full paragraph in her message ...???!!!!!

[hollinm]

Ms. Krieber has hit the nail on the head. Iffy is tearing the Liberal party apart with his amateurish theatrics and his inability or unwillingness to tell Canadians what he and the party stand for.
I do not agree with her position on the coalition but I believe she is expressing the frustration of many Liberals as they see their poll numbers crater.
Donolo is in an impossible position. Canadians have made up their minds about Iffy and unless Donolo is a magician and can give Iffy a personality transplant the Libs run the risk of the NDP overtaking them in the polls.
A strong NDP is a good thing for Conservatives. A vote for the NDP/Liberal results in a split vote with the Conservatives coming up the middle.

[John Warren]

Something we knew all along was that a very powerful few from Toronto parachuted Ignatieff for the sole purpose of setting him up to do their business. Now the very powerful few are trying to put Humpty back together again. Good on you Janine!

[Richard L. Provencher]

I do not agree that Mr. Chretien was treated so shabbily by Mr. Martin. Perhaps it was the other way around. In any case, I see Mr. Chretien's fingers still dangling in the affairs of the Liberal party. See how many of his former staffers are now in charge of Mr. I's agenda. Thank goodness we have Mr. Harper and the Conservatives at the helm of our country. After what the Liberals did to Canada during Adscam, let's give the Conservatives a massive majority next election.

[DL SCOTT]

Please forward a copy of this article to the CBC...they seem to be unaware of this...

[Ozy3]

I was shocked at the way Dion was treated by the Liberals in last year's election. I was shocked to discover that the Martin - Chretien rift had ripped the Party apart so badly that they would torpedo the LPC's best chance at leading the country just to promote individual agendas and profiles. The 2008 election made it clear to me that the Liberal Party had dissolved into anarchy and self-obsessed camps. It's been very difficult to watch the continuing devolution of Canadian values on torture, global peace, human rights, financial responsibility, etc. It's also been very hard to witness the "reinterpretation" of Canadian history between 1993-2006 without any concerted resistance or a unified voice from the LPC. The current Liberal leadership is truly selfish and unworthy of leading this great franchise. And Canadians have lost their way with the dis-information propaganda of the Harper Tories who only know how to campaign but cannot rule. Krieber may sound melodramatic and over the top but sadly enough, she's not exaggerating her claims. Currently, neither the Conservatives NOR the Liberals reflect core Canadian values and principles. A sad era for the average Canadian.

[HaliburtonZeke]

She's right about one thing; she'll have to start a new party because she and her husband are finished as Liberals.

[wascally wabbit]

I was part of a grass roots group that started up to support Stephane Dion when it was clear that there was a move to push him - and his policies - out. That group included Janine Kreiber. The group changed its focus - with the tacit approval of Monsieur Dion and Madame Kreiber when Stephane decided to step down for the sake of the party. In very recent times, Madame Kreiber must have deleted herself from at least my account, because I did not see this post first hand. However, I will certainly be attempting to re-connect, because everything she writes is both the truth, and to my mind, the only way forward for the Liberal Party!

[Michael Saykaly]

As someone who shares a historic affinity with Canada's Federal Liberal Party, I find the hysterical and despairing tone she uses in her letter to be most unfortunate and unhelpful to her Party. She has every right to "feel" and to express her feelings. But is she not equally responsible to vet her thoughts, and to employ logic and rigour along with emotion in her communication, and not just to vent raw, hysterical feelings? Mr. Ignatieff may certainly be criticized for some of his behaviour as leader, but she goes over the top, without nuance or recognition of the man's authentic credibility and potential. She makes no constructive suggestion for alternative action, only despairing remarks that lead only to nihilism.

[Catherine]

Ms. Delacourt, you seem to be fanning the flames of controversy.

Who would be surprised if Ms. Kreiber held a diminutive view of politics, politicians and media.

And, we tend to take things out on our families.

But, the media assisted the Harper party in placing Mr. Dion in and uneviable position.

And, rather than respect their feelings, you seem to want to continue with their mistreatment.

So, you really do not wish to raise the bar of civility.

[Jan]

Human nature at work. The Liberal Party needs a complete overhaul.Prevent Chretien and his cohorts from having any influence at all and things will be better managed. Get a leader who is respected by Canadians, and for the health of Democracy a viable party to Govern this immense and beautiful country is essential. i'm not a liberal or socialist, but this country needs an alternative as Government. And lets not forget that any political party has good and well meaning people, but as always it is the manipulation at the top which creates the problems.And so it is with the Liberal Party, Ignatieff is most likely a good man, but he is no politician, and PM Harper is providing a satisfactory Governing of the Country.

[Tim from Alberta]

Janine Kreiber and her husband will now suffer the same fate as Mr. Colvin.They have made the mistake of putting country before party.A fatal mistake in politics.Colvin will be allowed to work out his string and retire.The Dion's will disapear into acadamia.
The result of Ms. Kreiber's facebook posting(I hope) may be that the three parties on the left(Liberals,NDP and the Green)are forced to integrate.
This will/could result in only two national parties and negate the power plays that Quebec and the bloc are famous for.......a two party system might even cause the bloc(separists) to disappear.
This country needs a majority government(pick your party).Our present minority government strangles the operation of parliament.A liberal minority government would do no better.
This country needs a majority government with a four year mandate.If,after four years,the majority of Canadians are displeased........vote them out!

[Elizabeth MaybeNot]

The liberals are a party of the past. They have nothing to offer. It looks good on them. About the only thing they were any good at was bringing newcomers into the country with the payback in votes. That did not work out in the end because the newcomers over the last ten years were not in agreement with "liberal Values". Gone are the days of Italians voting for the Liberal red election signs.

[Frustrated Liberal]

Ms. Kreiber. Pleaaaaaseeeee Champion a new grassroots’ "Liberal Democratic" Party! The country needs all progressive forces to save it from the current degenerated political environment. The grassroots that elected Mr. Dion as Party leader wanted a new, fresh and visionary approach to politics, but alas! the establishment is exacting its revenge!

[William J. Godfrey]

All I can say is that Ignatieff is a Great Leader and will be a Greater Prime Minister! I can see however, with the media being in the corner of Harper and his Cons and against the Liberals...as analyzed by Mel Hurtig, this will become a major story and a continuation of the Attacks against the Liberal Party and Ignatieff! The only real disarray with the Liberals is the fact that we do not have over $100,000,000 to spend on Advertisements like Harper and his Cons! Even those 10 percenters they spent almost $7,000,000 of Tax Payers money! I find that the media and political pundits to be very disingernuous about these advertisements! If Ads do not work then, why would anyone pay for them?

[Yappa]

I wrote a long response to Krieber here:

http://yappadingding.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-response-to-janine-krieber.html

[MyThought]

Well, she's only succeeded in making Dion look more henpecked and foolish.

She was Dion's main advisor.......she has to take responsibility like a grown up.

Her influence on the Liberal Party- nadda?

[M. Halpen]

It is useful for voters generally to see the internal bickering that is commonplace within political parties. A sanitized version that spinners present is dishonest.