Thursday, January 26, 2006

Another Name...

I'm hesitant to call this guy a "serious" candidate, because I don't put much stock in his chances. But, unlike my previous post, this is a serious rumour.

I've heard from the son of an Ottawa power player that Glenn Murray is considering a run at the Liberal Leadership. Glenn just better hope that he doesn't have to face any stiff competition like, you know, Steven Fletcher.

posted by calgarygrit at 11:38 p.m.

28 Comments:

  • I think both Kennedy and Smitherman decided not to throw their names into the hat.

    By Blogger Dan McKenzie, at 12:08 a.m.  

  • I hate to be a nitpicker, but as a former resident of Charleswood-St.James-Assiniboia, I feel I must correct you. It is Steven Fletcher (although I can forgive you since you probably have that other Stephen on your mind), and Glen Murray, without extraneous N.

    I don't think Glen is the man for the job, but it would an interesting run nonetheless.

    By Blogger jonathan, at 12:12 a.m.  

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger Dan McKenzie, at 12:32 a.m.  

  • Well if he ever returned I doubt he'd be running against Fletcher again. There will probably be a few openings for him now.

    By Blogger Dan McKenzie, at 12:33 a.m.  

  • My bad. Stephen has made quite a name for himself lately - I forgot about the much cooler, "v", spelling...

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 12:33 a.m.  

  • As a former winnipeger. Glen term as mayor was a disaster. money for parties downtown and no money for street repairs. no wonder he had to leave town. He acomplished nothing for the city. Broken promises during the election and then nothing while in power. In other words a perfect liberal leader.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:52 a.m.  

  • While we're on the topic of Hellyer et. al., may as well throw in thee three other 'most obvious' options...

    Option 1: Why not just bring Chretien back and be done with it? :-P

    Option 2: Maybe Kinsella's latest posts are just a clever tactic to disguise his true intentions to run? :-)

    Option 3: Two words: Justin Trudeau

    In all seriousness though, Ujjal Dosanjh seems to be talking a lot to the media in the last few days; he was basically directly asked if he was planning on purusing a leadership bid on election night, and seemed interestingly evasive (can't remember if it was CBC or CTV's coverage)... Then there were some pretty sharp comments in the Globe and Mail today from him targetting Stephen Harper, over the whole tape issue / Harper not talking to the Ethics Commissioner. With his name 'cleared' and relatively free of scandal, maybe he's a long-shot possibility?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:12 a.m.  

  • As a former winnipeger. Glen term as mayor was a disaster. [...]

    As a current Winnipegger, your comments are 100% false. Glen was easily elected and re-elected because he was tremendously popular. His street parties were huge successes. He made the cover of Time magazine for his innovative ideas. He was the first openly gay mayor of a major city. And if you were a true 'Pegger, you would know the streets here are ALWAYS bad - Glen's reign was nothing out of the ordinary.

    Sure he BARELY lost a traditionally Tory riding to the first quadriplegic MP ever, but that hardly makes him unpopular; it makes him the victim of a series of unfortunate events.

    So lay off Murray. I doubt he can compete with the high-rollers, but he was nothing close to a failure as mayor of Peg City.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:07 a.m.  

  • I was looking forward to seeing Glen in cabinet, but if he couldn't even win his seat I don't think he's leadership material. Straight from Mayor to potential PM? Unlikely.

    By Blogger Jeff, at 7:25 a.m.  

  • I'm a current Winnipegger and I agree with the former Winnipegger, Glen Murray was useless. Being gay, popular, and throwing a good party doesn't make one a good mayor. His "New Deal" was a novel idea, but he didn't communicate it well and it died. And since when is Winnipeg a major city? Winnipeg is a wannabe town. Peg City, P Dot (or would it be W Dot?), gimme a break.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:58 a.m.  

  • His ego is big enough to take a run at it, but I hope his higher reasoning powers kick in and tell him that it's not the best of moves.

    And I'm speaking as a former volunteer for him in civic and his federal run.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:08 a.m.  

  • As a current Winnipegger who misses the days of Murray et al, all I can say is HUH?????

    I hope not for his sake. Not quite his time yet. He would make a dynamic leader, but in his own time.

    Mlle. B.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:25 a.m.  

  • Anonymous,
    Look a little deeper:
    The PM appointed "unethical commisioner" stated that he did not use any of the recorded conversations of those involved in making his decision-an astounding comment. Could you imagine the supreme court not using such damning recorded evidence in rendering a decision?
    In addition, Mr. Dosanjh certainly would be 'flexible' enough given his record of being a former member of the Communist party of India, an MLA with the dippers in BC, then after a successful backstabbing of the then premier Glen Clark he became a very short lived Premier only to be demolished both personally and as a party in the subsequent BC election. He would no doubt be an "ideal leader" from the CPC perspective.
    Wet Coaster

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:39 a.m.  

  • Munter is running for mayor of Ottawa in the fall, so I don't think he'll be running for the Liberals (and, as the person who said that noted, he's a pretty strong NDP supporter).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:41 a.m.  

  • Kinsella is throwing a fundraiser for Kennedy the first week of February and most of the speculation I've heard is it is going to be a "coming out party" for many of the Chretien Liberals to show their support for Kennedy. Based on what I've heard from old Kennedy supporters, it's probably 65-35 that he will run. Obviously he needs to be careful about who he tells given that he's, um, a Minister in another government.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:18 a.m.  

  • Glen Murray?

    hahahahaha, you can have him. He's not welcome in Wpg anymore. We are done with his childish antics and goofy street parties.

    If you want the first PM to cry during news conferences, pick him. His cry baby act got tiring quickly.

    All style, no substance, and no intestinal fortitude. Completely unable to handle conflict.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:31 p.m.  

  • Great Kinsella just turned me off Kennedy.

    :(

    Advice to Gerard keep away from Kinsella.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:43 p.m.  

  • Hey,
    Why not Anne Murray or Rita McNeil. They could sing this classic Canadian song. I believe Roger Miller made it popular but I think he has passed away.
    Can you imagine the media scrum being asked to sing along with Anne or Rita at every press conference. Imagine the national pride they will bring back to the Liberal party.

    This land is your land,
    This land is my land,
    From Bonavista
    To Vancouver Island,
    From the Arctic Circle,
    To the Great Lake waters,
    This land was made for you and me.

    roamed and I rambled
    And I followed my footsteps
    To the fir-clad forests
    Of our mighty mountains
    And all around me
    A voice was calling,
    This land was made for you and me.

    I followed your low hills
    And I followed your cliff rims,
    Your marble canyons
    And sunny bright waters.
    As the fog was lifting,
    A voice was saying
    This land was made for you and me.

    When the sun comes shining
    And I am strolling,
    And the wheat fields waving
    And dust clouds rolling,
    As the fog was lifting
    A voice was calling,
    This land was made for you and me.

    By Blogger Fighting for Democracy, at 12:50 p.m.  

  • The Glen rumour is true.

    Although he will be awaiting word on what Allan Rock does before making a decision.

    They were have supposed to have spoken sometime in the past couple of days.

    Now, let's cut all this leadership nonsense...it's making the party and all Liberals look horrible.

    TDH

    By Blogger TDH Strategies, at 12:56 p.m.  

  • I supose Glen Murray is a step above Paul Hellyer, but its a short step. Murray was likely one of the worst mayors Winnipeg has ever seen. Squandering money on redecorating his office, and on street parties rather than anything practical. All style, no substance - no wonder some of the Liberals here love him. After seeing the disaster the last Liberal campaign that's exactly what is needed - more of the same.

    Although I'm loving the fact you all already have Belinda as a serious contender in the race. Throw in Glen Murray, Joe Volpe and Michael Ignatieff and its going to be a heck of a three ring circus to watch as style, narcisim compete with ideas which are repellent to the hollow shell which is the Liberal party.

    By Blogger Chris, at 1:29 p.m.  

  • This is going to the biggest leadership convention in the history of the party. It's going to be completely decided on who can raise the most money the fastest.

    Doesn't matter though, it will still 2009 before the Libs pay off their debt and have funds for an election.

    By that time the Tories will have around 30 mil in the bank, and that's without trying to get donation.

    By Blogger Joe Calgary, at 1:38 p.m.  

  • Please Please Please let it be Alan Rock as the new leader. The liberals would be lower than the greens if he was in charge. The only reason that the UN hasn't imploded since he arrived is because it is already screwed up beyond repair.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:53 p.m.  

  • Who was Vijay Sappani's contact? I am not in Gerard's inner circle. I do know people in Gerard's inner circle. Not one of them has said that Gerard is passing up the opportunity to unite the Liberal Party (John Manley, Paul Martin, etc. have all been at fundraisers for Gerard Kennedy).

    Look, it has been only 4 days. No one has a team ready. However, people are lining up. I suggest all Gerard supporters keep up the emails encouraging him. And don't jump to another line yet!

    If you don't know who Gerard is, see

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Kennedy

    I would like to add. Why has Harper been given a blank cheque for the next year? Every Liberal should be out there selling memberships. Raise the price a bit, create a buzz, sell a million, pay large chunk of debt, and keep an eye on Harper. He can do a lot of damage in a very short time if he feels the Liberals are not ready.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:25 p.m.  

  • Ha... I like that one Don

    By Blogger Joe Calgary, at 2:29 p.m.  

  • How does leadership speculation hurt the Liberals? Even if some of the names being thrown around are a little improbable, it shows that the Party is in good enough shape to attract a wide variety of candidates. Remember the PC leadership race in 1998? Or a few years ago, when the Conservatives only had three candidates? In both cases, the parties looked awful because barely anyone was willing to put their names forward. It'd be much more damaging for the Liberals if no one was even being speculated.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:38 p.m.  

  • As a conservative...I beg you...make Belinda or Glenn Murray you next leader...wise choice!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:16 p.m.  

  • Ken Dryden for Prime Minister ... uh, err ... I mean Ken Dryden for Leader of the Liberal Party.

    He's smart, strong, in great shape. He's caring, articulate, well-respected, well-known. He has no smelly old baggage to drag in with him.

    Ken Dryden! Ken Dryden! Ken Dryden!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:13 p.m.  

  • "In addition, Mr. Dosanjh certainly would be 'flexible' enough given his "

    As a BC resident I wholeheartedly agree that Ujal can "grovel in the mud" with the best of them.

    He is one of the most despicable politicians there are. His roll in the Grewal scandal was typical of his actions. He "slimmed" his way into the leadership of the BC NDP party when he stabbed Glen Clark in the back(not that Clark didn't deserve it. And after basking in the glow of being first East indian Premier in Canada he led his party to total annialation in BC.

    So I guess, in the end, yes he would be a perfect Liberal leader.

    Horny Toad

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:28 p.m.  

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