Updating my report from yesterday that Liberal MP Bill Graham will be announcing today he won't be running again in Toronto-Centre. It appears former Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae really wants that seat, and Bill may be metaphorically passing the torch to Bob during today's announcement.
The talk isn't about an appointment at this point though, at least not yet, and that'd be tricky with two quality candidates actively seeking the nomination in Meridith Cartwright and Rob Oliphant. Rae will need to press the flesh and try to convince Cartwright and Oliphant to step aside and leave the path clear. And it looks like they're already running hard. If not, barring leader intervention it would be an open contest.
If Graham does pass the torch to Rae today though I'd have to think that would have some heavy sway with the members of Toronto-Centre, being as respected as Bill is, and would mean a lot should Rae end up running in an open nomination contest.
Update: CP makes it official. And Graham reportedly said he wants an open nomination, it looks like no torch was passed to Rae.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Rae lobbying hard for Toronto-Centre
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9 comments:
Why doesn't Rae just run in Hamilton East? I think that would be the best for both him and the party.
Give it to Rae,I'm not gonna vote for him anyways.The damage the silk curtain socialist did as Ontario NDP premier totally disqualifies him from any consideration no matter where he runs in my book.
As a Liberal member in Toronto Centre, I am not too excited about the propect of Bob Rae as our candidate, and MP.
That said, the nomination is his if he wants it. Provincial Health Minister George Smitherman who holds the provincial riding is a big backer of Rae, and will put his machine to work to ensure a comfortable victory for Rae if the nomination comes to vote.
Meredith Cartwright will fight to the bitter-end and won't make things easy for Rae. She has been organizing for over a year and is not afraid to play dirty. Earlier this month her campaign was caught trading free beer and wings for Liberal memberships at Ryerson University.
Rob Oliphant won't fare to well in a nomination race, he has been organizing only since December and eligible members must have been signed up for at least three months in order to cast a vote...meaning the vast majority of members he signed up, will not be permitted to vote.
Rae is being appointed in TCR. As a Liberal, I am ashamed by this move. At least Kennedy has the balls to run in an open nomination in PHP. Rae is of course "owed" this given his decades of dedication to the Liberal party...
Thought he was going to run in Oshawa. What happened to that long-professed notion?
Rae is not being appointed in TC, Bill blocked the move tonight at his retirement party expressing he wants an open nomination.
This is ofcourse after Bob and Smitherman snaked their way into his retirement party and then left jsut as quickly after receiving their news.
Meredith has a shot, and I'm confident she can go toe to toe in the nomination against Rae, and as far as dirty goes I would like to see you provide me proof of trading beer for memberships.. seems more like an event advertisement to me.
Sorry, that above post is mine, forgot to log in.
I heard rumors of Rae running in Toronto Danforth against Jack Layton. Is there any substance there?
Rae will ignite the City with his Energy, A city going down to the NDP Path, who need the NDP when we get Rae. A dram comes through. Open npomination may nasty, but wiil gIVE Rae a forum to speak from.
Rae byhymself can lift the spirits of the drowzy Libeals. Welcom BOB
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