The Election: Day 48

Not only are the Liberals faltering in their national campaign with a whiff of defeat in the air, now the Bloc Quebecois is campaigning vigorously in Paul Martin's riding with a view to robbing the PM of his seat. The Conservatives are drawing federalist votes away from Martin and the BQ has intensified its campaign with Duceppe taking the fight to the Liberal leader's home turf.

Meanwhile Jean Lapierre, former BQ MP and now Martin's Quebec lieutenant, is spinning matters somewhat differently. Lapierre is claiming that the increase in Conservative support in Quebec will help " keep the Bloc down." Lapierre also claims that pollsters are telling the Liberals that there has been a transfer of support from the Bloc to the Tory party.

"And so, we could be right in the middle and gain seats instead of losing some," Lapierre said.

As an indication that the Liberal campaign is in trouble Paul Martin spent the weekend in traditionally strong Liberal ridings in and around Montreal while Stephen Harper campaigned in ridings curently held by Liberals in Ontario. However, one Martin event in Laval was attended mainly by journalists. Another Martin appearance in the riding currently held by Heritage Minister Liza Frulla was attended by barely 40 people.

Meanwhile Harper and Layton held giant rallies in Ontario.

Sheila Copps opined today that the Liberal campaign has been long on tactics and bereft of strategy. Amen to that view!

Kenneth Kidd in the Star has an interesting article entitled "Is the Scary Stephen Harper gone?", speculating on the evolution of Stephen Harper into a moderate progressive Conservative.

But in the most interesting tidbit of the day, LaPresse has a story on the "SUCCESSION ÉVENTUELLE DE MARTIN." LaPresse states:

"Les stratèges libéraux qui ont permis à Paul Martin de prendre la tête du Parti libéral après des années de lutte interne ont déjà choisi leur homme pour lui succéder: Frank McKenna.

"Les fidèles organisateurs de Paul Martin (David Herle, Mike Robinson, Brian Guest, Scott Reid, Terry O'Lerry, Tim Murphy, entre autres) entendent tout faire pour s'assurer que la machine qui a permis à M. Martin de déloger Jean Chrétien après 10 ans de lutte fratricide travaillera à faire de Frank McKenna le prochain chef du PLC.

" Lorsque Paul Martin prendra sa retraite, nous allons appuyer Frank McKenna ", a récemment confié à La Presse un stratège libéral proche de Paul Martin."

In short, the clowns who spent years undermining Chretien to put Martin in his place and who have succeeded in royally screwing up the current Liberal campaign will have the audacity to try turn the machinery of the Liberal party, themselves included, over to Frank McKenna. This should give all good Liberals who were thinking of supporting McKenna as Martin's replacement room to pause and think long and hard. With friends like these, McKenna will be lucky to win the leadership, let alone prevent a Harper majority in the election after this. Now is the time for a thoughful charismatic alternative for the Liberal leadership to begin preparations for the coming leadership battle.