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Thursday 4 December 2008
Jim Karygiannis should join the blue team
Conservative Secretary of State responsible for Toronto? Jim seems to side with us on a lot of issues. He is constantly overlooked in the Liberal Party for cabinet and critic positions. Jim has a large following in his own riding and has lots of experience on the hill. We did OK in the Scarborough area in the last election and I think he could hold the seat in the 416 for us if he was willing to join our caucus. I am not sure if that would ever happen, but you cannot help but have respect for this man for at least telling it like it is.
-Darryl
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Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis wasted no time in calling Mr. Dion to be replaced before the House returns in January. "Who are we kidding? I think it's over," he said, heading into a closed door caucus meeting.
"To become Prime Minister at all costs? Where do we take the Liberal brand? ... The brand got hit. The brand is good. The CEO of the company screwed up."
The Scarborough MP emerged from caucus saying the party supports remaining in the coalition, but Mr. Dion must be replaced. "The party still wants the coalition to keep together. My constituents want Mr. Dion to go."
He said it's time to move the party's leadership race up - a conventon is slated for May - or find some way of making sure it has "a leader who can lead us" if there is an election in February or March.
Mr. Dion's botched video address was a clincher, he said: "We bombed."
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Next Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff gave him his cover:
Toronto MP Michael Ignatieff, the front-runner in the race to take over the Liberal leadership from Dion, criticized Karygiannis harshly.
"Every single [Liberal] is aware of the seriousness of this, every single one of us is trying to rise to the expectations which Canadians have of us, and Mr. Karygiannis' characterizations of these discussions today is unworthy of the caucus to which he belongs."
