Taking back the populist vote

It seems to have escaped the media's attention that Layton has never given the Cons a free pass through this campaign. But the good news is that it's a particularly good message for Western Canada that's received some notice as Layton's attack on Harper:

12 years ago the people of British Columbia sent Conservatives to Ottawa who said they knew what grassroots meant. But those Conservatives have settled into life in Ottawa. They’re really comfortable on Parliament Hill now. But they’ve forgotten who elected them. And they don’t represent the issues that matter to working families.

I've mentioned before the NDP's need to take back some of the Western populist vote, and with the help of the occasional key endorsement, it looks like the party is now headed in that direction.