Liberal Party of Canada: Political Games

In honour of the failed stunt in Question Period to divide Canadians and push abortion, here's a reminder of why the Polls show popular support for the Liberals is only a few points above the worst showing in 150 years..

The Pile on:

 "We look like fools," one Liberal MP said privately. Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, a doctor who argued vigourously in favour of the motion, had, earlier in the week labelled the vote a "day of reckoning" on the issue. It was indeed a day of reckoning -- for her own party. -David Akin

It was a gong show last night in the Commons for Michael Ignatieff and his Liberals; one Liberal MP is even calling it “clown city.”

First, the Liberal motion on the Harper government’s maternal health initiative, aimed at stirring up the Tory bench over reproductive issues, such as abortion, failed. The Grits lost the vote after three of their own MPs opposed it; others abstained and some Liberal MPs, who are pro-life, were told to stay away from the Commons, according to sources.- Jane Taber

"The motion did not specifically talk about abortion, but there was sufficient inference," said Albina Guarnieri, who opposes abortion and skipped the vote. "That's why some people stayed away, myself included."

MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, who is also opposed to abortion and missed the vote, said he, too, was uncomfortable with the motion's wording. He said he had permission to stay away from the vote and continued with committee work. CBC

If this sort of sloppy behaviour continues, they'll be dreaming up a 2017 vision for an even smaller Liberal opposition that will be staring across the aisle at a Conservative government dynasty. Don Martin

I really don't get the apparent determination of the Liberals to identify themselves as the party of Big Abortion. They've been on this kick for weeks now, culminating in Tuesday's revolt by Liberal MPs against the party leadership. When Michael Ignatieff first suggested the Tories were slagging off women by not energetically encouraging abortion in developing countries, I figured it was just another misstep by a surprisingly accident-prone leader. I thought he'd quickly be apprised of his mistake, and shut up about it. But no. He kept it up, apparently convinced there are votes to be had by raising the one issue guaranteed to make a large segment of the population decidedly uncomfortable. Kelly McParland

 Source Figure 3: The Anatomy of a Liberal Defeat

 March for Life 

OTTAWA - Campaign Life Coalition is hoping this year’s National March for Life will draw 20,000 people to Parliament Hill on May 13 with help from Ottawa area Catholic schools.

Last year’s march drew more than 12,000 people, the largest crowd in the event’s 12 years. About half of the marchers were young people. But many of these were bused in from other cities around Ontario.  -Catholic Register

Talk to Liberals – office holders, party organizers, fundraisers – around the country and you will tap into a malaise that a good pollster could rout out with a single question: “What's happening?” “Nothin',” the vast majority would respond, with a margin of error of plus or minus very little.

“There is no Liberal Party,” says one lifelong card carrier who has sat at cabinet tables.

“It died a long time ago. It's not completely extinct yet, but there's no there there.” In this lifelong Liberal's eyes, the party has been stalled for years. No new energy, no new ideas, no vision of what it might like to do. The singular advantage of proroguing, this Liberal would say, is that it has put an end to the squirming every time the opposition pounces.

“The ‘gotcha' stuff is out of control,” says the Liberal. “They bring in all these nerdy keener kids from campus and it's some kind of game to them. They're turning politics into pro wrestling.” The media concentrates on the top, Ignatieff, and on the Hill, but disenchanted Liberals say there is a story to be told far from the now-silenced sound bites of the Centre Block.- Globe & Mail