LeBlanc to drop out of race.

[HeresyLives]

LeBlanc out of Liberal leadership race: sources
Updated Sun. Dec. 7 2008 6:30 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

New Brunswick Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc has dropped out of the Liberal leadership race, sources have told CTV News.

CTV's Chief Parliamentary Correspondent Craig Oliver said LeBlanc will make the announcement Monday, according to senior officials.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081206/rae_ignatieff_081207/20081207?hub=TopStories

[HeresyLives]

1. Further to this -

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion is expected to resign this week and Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc has dropped out of the leadership race and will support rival Michael Ignatieff, CTV News has learned.

"Michael Ignatieff pretty much has this leadership race wrapped up," CTV's Chief Parliamentary Correspondent Craig Oliver told CTV Newsnet Sunday evening. "It will be over by Wednesday."

Oliver said LeBlanc will make the announcement Monday, according to senior officials. He said LeBlanc will bring four MPs and five senators with him to back Ignatieff.

The Liberal caucus is to meet on Wednesday, which will include 57 MPs who support Ignatieff, Oliver said. They would "almost certainly" vote to make Ignatieff their parliamentary leader, putting immense pressure on Liberal MP Bob Rae to drop out of the leadership race.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081206/rae_ignatieff_081207/20081207?hub=TopStories

[HeresyLives]

2. And further to THAT -

Liberals are virtually unanimous that the leadership question must be settled quickly — well before a Jan. 27 budget vote that could plunge the country into an election or see the Harper Conservatives replaced by a coalition government.

If there is to be no nationwide vote by party members, a caucus vote is the only other option left to find a replacement for Stephane Dion. Dion is expected to resign at a Wednesday caucus meeting, although some Liberals expect he may go as early as Monday.

Under the party constitution, as soon as the leader resigns, the national executive, in consultation with the caucus, can choose an interim leader.

Many Liberals now expect Ignatieff will be chosen Wednesday by caucus as interim leader — to be made permanent by a ratification vote at a previously scheduled May 2 leadership vote.

Ignatieff already enjoys the lion's share of support in caucus. He's expected to get a boost Monday, picking up the support of the third leadership contender, New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081207.wdion1207/BNStory/politics/home

[Metric System]

3. Wow, everything's happening so fast. I wonder what this does to the coalition? Supposedly,

Ignatieff isn't big on the coalition. Personally, I'm no longer sure about the viability of the coalition after seeing the opinion polls this week, but then maybe the point of them was to discourage us. I just don't know what to think. I liked the idea of the coalition but it seems like it has run out of momentum. What I still don't understand is why did it seem like for a day or two the coalition forming government was a sure thing and then suddenly all the talk turned to prorogation? It was almost as if it was just a matter of waiting for the confidence vote on the 8th. Did the coalition not think that Harper would ask for prorogation? And why did they reveal their hand so soon? It gave Harper plenty of time to retaliate.

[HeresyLives]

4. Well all this was done to have a

'suitable' leader in place for the vote on the 27th of Jan. So I assume the Coalition is alive and well, because that's the only way they could defeat Harper on a no-confidence.

[Metric System]

5. We'll have to see where the polls are and if there's any compromise on the budget. Public support is

key to the success of the coalition. Right now I would say the PR war is the most important factor in determining which way things go. It probably sounds like I'm not as enthusiastic about the coalition as I was earlier in the week and that would be the truth. The polls kind of scare me right now, even though I am aware there could be some manipulation going on. My biggest fear is a backlash against the coalition resulting in a Harper majority. I would rather things remain the way they are now than to have that scary outcome.

[HeresyLives]

6. I doubt polls have anything to do with it.

It's how our political system works. Conservatives are just doing their usual PR job.

I think most folks just want the economic crisis addressed.