Liberals plan bash to honour Copps

[Minstrel Boy]

Liberals plan bash to honour Copps

Two senior Liberals went to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Toronto last week where they hatched a plan to heal their shattered party.

Paul Zed, the MP for Saint John, and Dennis Mills, former veteran MP from the Toronto-Danforth riding, decided to organize a huge bash to honour one of the most controversial women in the Liberal Party -- Sheila Copps.

So far, 250 people have expressed interest in coming to fete the Hamilton politician who was first elected federally in 1984 under John Turner and was deputy prime minister to Jean Chrétien and later his Canadian heritage minister. Both Mr. Turner and Mr. Chrétien are expected to be there, either in person or by videotape. It is not clear whether Paul Martin, with whom Ms. Copps had her battles, will attend.

Mr. Mills calls it an "evening of the peacemakers."

Says Mr. Zed, "I would say there is a black hole called Sheila Copps in this party that no one is prepared to talk about."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060216.SHEILA16/TPStory/National


"A black hole called Sheila Copps"? Jeesh Zed, nice wordsmithery. And I wonder if "bash" was well-chosen.

The Liberal Party owes something to Copps but I don't know if this is peacemaking or more self-interested shit-disturbing. Mills is said to be considering a leadership bid. First SARSstock, now COPPSstock?

[IntravenousDemilo]

1. Maybe she's thinking of running for the leadership again.

She could have a strong "I told you so" factor in her favour. On the other hand, she writes for the T.O. Sun, so where are her politics exactly?

[Minstrel Boy]

2. I think even Sheila must know by now

she'll never be the leader. It would be her fourth leadership bid, including her Ontario run against Peterson in 1982.

I don't think her writing for the Sun is indicative of her politics. The Sun seeks out colour and Shelia's that. It's a right-wing tabloid, but more con than neo-con, and more populist and less ideological than the Post. (Eric Margolis writes for them too, and he has one of the best minds for geopolitics in a mainstream forum and is consistently anti-neo-con.) Also her antipathy to Martin meant the Sun was more than happy to give her a platform.

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. Well, if we know Copps (and after all this time, we probably should)

the almost certain prospect of yet another crushing defeat wouldn't be enough to stop her.

But seriously, the Liberals need Lloyd Axworthy. He's leftish, from the West (that'd be a new one for them), frighteningly intelligent, with a great résumé as a politician/humanitarian/activist, and not all that connected anymore with either the Chrétien or the Martin camps. But he won't run, which is sad.