Will Klein Share Chretiens Fate?

I have been saying this for the past year since Klein announced his pending retirement, see here and here, but its nice to see someone on the right finally adimit it, but only after Martin and Chretien are no longer in office.

Deja vu? asks BBSIs it just me or does this sound strangely like the Chretien/Martin debacle? The forces pushing for Ralph's ouster might want to go back and study a little recent history. Do they want to risk a repeat of the Liberal's internal war in their own party?

And of course the real reason for the sexist and racial slur uttered and reported on faithfully by Ric Dolphin for the Western Slander was to show that the old boys network in the Tories are tired of Ralph. They are acting just like the Martinites and their quiet quizzling backstabbers did in pushing Chretien to quit. And look where it got them. Hey there might be a silver lining to all this yet. In other words the upcoming convention and leadership vote may not be going Ralph's way. The rattling of knives you hear are out for the Kings head.

Rick Bell covers the internecine intrique in his latest column in the Calgary Sun.

In this real life story, the king is Ralph and he has said he will leave in 20 months. He made his intentions quite clear last fall when he spoke about people lining up to replace him.

"These guys can kick tires. They can kick tires until their toes are blue but I ain't goin' until 2007 unless the party tells me they don't want me or I'm dead. Alright? Period."

Well, Ralph is very much alive but Tories at next month's party convention will get a chance by secret ballot to tell Ralph whether they want him.

And there are those in the party, and not a small number, who are pushing for the premier to lose the vote on his leadership, or secure a win so narrow he will be embarrassed into exile.

After all, in this place, the person who succeeds Ralph becomes premier, not just leader.

In recent days, an article in the Western Standard takes the rebellion in the ranks to a new depth, quoting unnamed Tories who believe Ralph's wife Colleen is keeping Ralph from leaving. One source maintains once Colleen is no longer the premier's wife she be- comes "just another Indian."

No party people are pointing fingers at the off-the-record racist. In fact, every single Conservative you speak to insists their outrage against this verbal swill be put on the record. But all kinds of back-stabbing bravado continues behind the scenes with no names attached.

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