From the Editor

Bob Rae for Canadian Prime Minister!

Wilting in one of the most humid summers on record, Canadians have traded "those crooked Liberals" complaints for tomato talk. Watching the grass and corn grow is less stressful than pondering what new plots their politicians are up to. The Western Standard dubbed "Libranos" (Canadas ruling Liberal Party) are reading poolside, the mainline medias latest drubbing of Conservative Opposition Leader Stephen Harper.

Barbecuing his way through Ontario, theres more heat than the one that originates from humidity on Harper.

"What a poor excuse for Johnny Cash," one wag remarked when Harper jumped out of a cheap rental vehicle at a recent summer park gathering, decked out in Gothic black from cowboy hat to burnished boots.

"Its too hot for all that black," opined another.

In 100-degree-plus F temperatures, September seems far away.

Even recent talk of former Ontario Premier Bob Rae replacing Prime Minister Paul Martin as Liberal leader is desultory. No ones working up a sweat under their straight razor lather down at the drowsy, fly-laden summer barbershop.

When Bob Rae came into power as Ontarios first (and hopefully) last Socialist premier in 1990, manyincluding Bob Raewere surprised. By the time he left after a single term in office, Rae couldnt catch Toronto Blue Jays home games in the Domed Stadium without being roundly booed by baseball fans. When they threw his picture up on the stadium screen, the booing was loud and clear.

Most politicians are used to getting booed. Apparently, not Rae, who was so depressed about the reception he was getting at Jays games, that he said hed be seeking professional help.

By the time the humid summer of 2005 is replaced by cool autumn (only by Septembers end here in north country), lethargic, cottage porch Canadians will return to summer torrid.

"Bob Rae as Liberal leader?" "Paul Martin rocks!" is bound to be the new political mantra after the young fry go back to school.

Why would the high-flying Libranos even be considering Rae as a replacement for their scandal-plagued, but still poll-favoured leader?

Deadlocked in minority status since June 2004s election, its time to change partners and dance.

With Rae as new leader the Liberals can stop pretending that theyre really, well, Liberals.

In both spirit and policy, Canadian Liberals are really New Democrats, or socialists. And Jack Laytons NDP, are more realistically Canadas neo Marxists.

Finally able to drop their veil and come out of the closet as the NDP, the Libranos more than anyone else, are fully cognizant of Raes winning credentials.

No stranger to federal politicking, Raes brother John was a big number in the election campaigns of Martin predecessor, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

And it doesnt stop there.

Martin has his lifetime mentor Maurice Strong in his PMO as senior adviser. Although Strongs contract as UN Secretary General Kofi Annans pointman in North Korea was not renewed last month, Strong is still doing reform duty and conducts other agendas for Annan.

Yet, if it werent for Bob Rae, most Canadians would have never heard the name, Maurice Strong.

When Rae was growing up, Strong was entertained at the family home so often by his father, Saul, that young Rae says he fondly called Strong, "Uncle Mo".

The boy who grew up to become premier hired "Uncle Mo" as chairman of Ontario Hydro. Strong tried to buy a Costa Rican rainforest financed with public tax dollars and achieved name recognition among the Canadian masses.
With Rae at the helm, the Liberals can continue kowtowing to the UN, where the identity-challenged Canada continues trying to make a name for itself.

NDP federal leader Jack Layton will stop yapping like a Jack Russell at Liberal trouser cuffs when Rae is in charge.

Its Stephen Harper and not Paul Martin who is the bogeyman in Laytons books.

Threats of forcing the minority Liberal government back to election booths notwithstanding, theres been a longtime friendship between Layton and Martin.

When Layton was both still a Toronto city councillor and new chairman of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Martin was still Minister of Finance, Martin stressed the influence FCMs submission for funds had had on the 2000 federal budget.

Martin handed the Layton-led FCM a $125-million, revolving, taxpayer-funded empire, which, according to FCM literature, "will operate at arms length of the Government of Canada".

The FCM windfall was used mostly for Green Investment and Green Enabling Funds.

"The FCM will urge municipal governments, through their own operations and policies, to support the principles and agreements adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit, as well as the framework Convention on Climate Change, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the Biodiversity Convention."

So, in effect Martin handed Layton NDP leadership with a $125-million revolving account, which was later doubled.

Depending on ones viewpoint, Martin excelled at advancing a lib-left agenda for Canada, even from the humble perch of minority status. The last legislation passed by his administration before members headed off for a lengthy summer holiday, was the same-sex marriage bill.

Some Liberals, knowing that polls show they likely will be returned to majority status come next election, are tired of languishing in minority status. They cringed when Martin was given the nickname "Mr. Dithers" by a prominent magazine.

Should Bob Rae as Liberal leader replace "Mr. Dithers", it will be a Red Letter Day for Opposition-deprived Canada.

Voters will get to see party lines made manifest, that the Liberals are really the NDP and the NDP the Marxists.

Rather than merely in theory, with their styles out in plain sight, voters are apt to run in droves to the down-in-the-polls Stephen Harper.

Bob Rae for Prime Minister!

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