August 23, 2006
WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO DO?:
Divisions on Mideast alarming Liberals: Key party members say discipline unravelling amid long leadership race (CAMPBELL CLARK, 8/23/06, Globe and Mail)
Key figures in the Liberal Party warned yesterday that discipline within its caucus of MPs is unravelling over the issue of the Middle East conflict, in a party stretched over a long leadership race.Some candidates for the leadership called for MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj to be removed from his post as deputy foreign affairs critic over his reported assertion that Hezbollah should be involved in Mideast negotiations and removed from Canada's list of banned terror groups.
That dispute is only the latest that has seen MPs and senators criticize their party's Mideast position, as well as the decision of Mississauga Liberal MP Wajid Khan to accept a post as Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's adviser on the Middle East.
Leadership candidate Bob Rae said he has concerns about MPs "freelancing" their views in public comments that will undermine confidence in the Liberal position.
The Left's natural hostility to Israel is a tough sell in the Anglosphere. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 23, 2006 9:05 AM
It must be very confusing for them, because for years they all talked this way and no one said boo except a few easily-ignored fruitloops in the (Conservative) opposition. Now all of a sudden somebody says "Hey, let's talk to Hezbollah" and people start walking out and tearing up their party cards. No doubt they are all telling one another this reaction is disproportionate.
Posted by: Peter B at August 23, 2006 3:19 PMOK, no more confusion.
Posted by: Peter B at August 23, 2006 4:05 PM