Responsible government indeed

And now comes the flip side of an appointment from on high, as Michael Ignatieff tries to claim that the anger of Liberal riding association members is merely a trick to hurt the Liberals:

Author and scholar Michael Ignatieff pledged his affinity Monday to Canada's Ukrainian community and branded efforts to discredit him on the eve of the federal election campaign a “transparent attempt” to twist his writing and sow dissent within the Liberal Party...

He also branded the criticism as an attempt to sow dissent in the riding in a “transparent attempt” to create division and strife ahead of an expected January vote.

“I am satisfied that tactics of this sort tend to rebound heavily on their perpetrators when weighed against the truth,” said Mr. Ignatieff who also said he shares a “deep, personal affinity with the suffering of the Ukrainian people at the hands of Soviet Russia.”

Never mind the NDP trying to paint PMPM and company as being no better than Harper's conservatives. Between the chosen heir to Martin claiming that dissent within his own party is nothing more than a political trick and the finance minister invoking the "I saw nothing wrong, so nothing is wrong" defence to what was at best a glaring miscommunication within his office, maybe it's within reach to portray the Liberals as little more than Bushco North in the degree to which they value patronage over common sense.

No wonder Martin seems to want to extend the campaign as long as possible. Not only will that give Harper more time to shoot himself in the foot, but the Liberals need the time for their own self-inflicted bullet holes to heal.