Apparently the House of Liberals had a meeting of the caucus (a mere fifteen??!), and were divided on the response to Harper's trinkets-for-all budget:
"Others argued that they should not acquiesce to Mr. Harper by triggering an election that he seems to want; the election should be called on their terms and timing.
"It's a mess," said one MP about the state of play in the caucus over triggering the government's defeat. Some MPs believe that if the campaign team is not ready, after being put on notice as far back as the fall, then the leader should fire them all."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080227.wbudgetliberals27/BNStory/budget2008/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080227.wbudgetliberals27
How pathetic can the Liberal MPs get?
I expected Harper to buy off the Bloc to avoid an election.
I was wrong.
Harper took one hard look at the so-called opposition, and it its leader, Dion, and bet that the Liberals were afraid of him and of an election.
And Harper bet right.
Dion caved.
And why?
Because they lacked the guts to table amendments to the Harper budget which would have reflected Liberal values, and, if those amendments did not pass, then vote against Harper's budget, and fight the election on the basis of the Liberal budget.
Simple.
If you really know how to play hardball, and actually fight for your own principles.
What a sad, sad sight: Dion and his MPs with their tails between their legs, with Harper smirking all the way to another year in power ...
Wouldn't it be nice if the Liberal Party actually had a leader with the courage to fight?
