SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER; With a report from The Canadian Press
December 4, 2008
The Liberals' chief whip is asking his MPs not to abandon the party as concerns grow about dissatisfaction over Stéphane Dion's leadership.
At a closed-door caucus meeting yesterday morning, Rodger Cuzner said that if rival parties approach MPs about crossing the floor "we want to hear about them first" - a recognition of how fragile things are for the Liberals under Mr. Dion.
A caucus insider said there is growing unease in the party with the accord reached between the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tories mount a public-relations war against the coalition, which they are characterizing as an alliance with the separatists.
Peacenik watched all the speechifying last night, and all the punditfest aftermath. Duceppe seemed like the most likeable and sharpest of the bunch. Peacenik would be happy to have him as the front man for the Coalition. Dion did not come across well. Peacenik thinks the Liberals need a new temporary leader. Dion has too much negative baggage. Harper is meeting the GG right now. Peacenik is waiting.
