Rae Bankrolls Political Foes
At least, you'd be forgiven for thinking so based on recent news media reports on Canadian Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae's donating habits. Said media - across the political spectrum - reported this week on Elections Canada's recently disclosed documents showing Rae made donations to (now political opponents) NDP parliametary candidates as recently as 2005.
But really...
...what the documents show is that Rae donated the princely sum of $550 to two NDP candidates in the last federal election, on top of donations he made to several Liberal candidates, including interim Opposition Leader Bill Graham, and even (in a previous campaign) then PC leadership candidate Hugh Segal.
So - in the words of Michael Krauss - I think the question you've got to be asking yourself is; is this a blatent example of Rae's opportunistic motivess, and lack of consistency and solidarity towards the party he is vying to lead, or is it a lifelong politician maintaining a sense of loyalty and support for colleagues he's worked with and admired throughout his career?
Comments and debate would be really, really welcome.
posted by CORCORAN @ 12:24 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Well, Bob Rae has been around a long time and has friends in all the parties.
I think he learned when he was premier of Ontario that people with principles have trouble keeping friends - especially among the rigidly ideological.
Rick! Long time!
I agree with you, which in a way opens up the can of worms about the type of people we should really want in government. On the one hand, do we make it a volunteer service where only the truly dedicated (and by definition, comfortably wealthy) choose to serve, or do we make being party leader a $1-million/year position attracting the best and brightest from seductive private sector jobs? I know it's not that simple, but it illustrates to some degree and almost self perpetuating frustration people in democracies have with their governments.
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