Caretaker Bobby is on watch

Spurned as a permanent host of the four year run to come of Rebuildin' Liberals, Bob Rae none the less has still offered up his services as an interim custodian of the one time Natural Governing Party (not to be confused with the Natural Law party, though recent electoral returns could offer up similarities we imagine).

At any rate, while the Liberals try to sort out the Armageddon like crash of their popularity earlier this month, the one time NDP MP and former NDP Premier of Ontario, will now try his best to keep the Liberal brand front and centre (maybe a little to the left) while the political renovations get underway.

Of course, as we learned from a variety of sources this past week, not everyone is on board, nor does everyone see success in this mission for the Temp.



National Post-- Bob Rae steps into the void
National Post-- Rae gives generously to the party that rejected him
National Post-- Bob Rae's first job is to make them cry
National Post-- Rae takes command of a party searching for a soul
National Post-- Bob Rae's not so excellent adventure
National Post-- Bob Rae wins the crown of fallen Liberals
Globe and Mail-- Bob the rebuilder surveys the Liberal wreckage
Globe and Mail-- 'Bob the Rebuilder' forfeits run at permanent Liberal leadership
Globe and Mail-- Crazy Liberal idea (interim edition)
Toronto Star-- Rae takes over the Liberal reins
Toronto Star-- Rae for the short haul
Toronto Star-- Rae gives up on permanent Liberal leadership, goes for interim post
Toronto Sun-- Accidents follow Rae
Toronto Sun-- Liberals go underground to pick interim boss
Vancouver Sun-- Rae faces difficult task of keeping Liberals front and centre
CBC-- Bob Rae takes helm of political shipwreck
CBC-- Orders of the Day - Gimme that Old Time Caucus Dysfunction
Maclean's-- The Brief Bob Rae era begins

Well, this could end badly

The BC Liberals are pondering the prospect of a name change, a shift of the brand if you will that has been the governing machine for a good number of decades now.

Perhaps mindful of the deprecation of the brand from the federal version, the BC Liberals (a party which in reality isn't actually very Liberal and has little in common with their federal namesake) have floated the idea of adopting a more British Columbia focused moniker, something to run up the flag pole and salute without a gaze to Ottawa and the now disorganized group of the same name.

The BC Liberals which basically became the object of a hostile Social Credit takeover last century (yes we know it wasn't that long ago, but it sounds so cool to say last century) has governed the province lo these many years with but one guiding testimony to its existence, to keep the NDP out.

So, with that mission statement still intact and job one, the time it seems to adopt it's own identity has come.

Vancouver Sun-- B. C. Liberal party eyes name change
Globe and Mail-- B. C. Liberals need a name change, MLA suggests
Victoria Times Colonist-- Hansen says Liberals need a new name
Kamloops Daily News-- B. C. Liberals consider name change
CTV British Columbia-- Hansen wants B. C. Liberals to consider name change

This of course could be a messy thing if it ever comes to pass, especially if they hold one of those "name the party" contests, a prospect that probably would leave editorial cartoonists, political commentators and pundits giddy with anticipation.

We imagine, that if the time comes to rename, re-brand and renew as they say, it will be done internally, without much input from the average British Columbia.

Though we sure do wish that option would come to pass, as the nominations we imagine would be just an outstanding feast of possibilities, with just a drip of sarcasm on the side!

With new responsibilities comes the need for help

As it prepares for the next session of Parliament, the NDP which has gone from parliamentary conscience to opposition party in one fell swoop of voters apparently has a rather large job ahead of itself.

With such an influx of MP's set to descend on the corridors of Parliament Hill, the need to staff their offices, as well as that of the larger co-operative of the opposition is in full swing.

To that end, (and no doubt much to the horror of some Canadians convinced that the rebels are at the gates) the NDP will apparently be offered the assistance of Canada's union movement, with its members set to take up the challenges of providing assistance to the newest participants in our Parliamentary democracy.

To that end as the Globe and Mail puts it, the unions are set to offer up the cream of Canada's unions towards the machine that will become opposition.

However not everyone thinks that the process will offer up quality candidates for the political back room,
Gary Corbett the President of the Professional Institute of Public Service offered up this sage advice for the new leader of the Loyal Opposition when it comes to hiring on staff, "Even unions have bad staff. Which ones are they offering"

One thing is certain we suspect that one union fellow won't be receiving an invitation to join the new Layton team.

Perhaps what they need is a missing person's bureau on the Hill

The results of Monday's General Election have provided for a wide range of thoughts on the new class of Parliament Hill, some of the candidates in the election perhaps never thought that they would find their way to Parliament Hill, mere cannon fodder for the machine that is party politics.

However, it seems a funny thing happened on the way to the ballot box, more than a few of them suddenly are going to be forced to make a few changes in their immediate future.

Then again, some it seem, may still be stuck in the era of a peek a boo candidacy, elected but perhaps not universally aware of the need to actually make contact with those that elected them.

These are some of those stories:

Globe and Mail-- Lethbridge's 'Man Who Wasn't There' heads to Ottawa as Tory MP
Globe and Mail-- Rookie Quebec NDP MP missing in action before, and after, election
Globe and Mail-- Liberal candidate challenges election of absentee New Democrat
National Post-- NDP MP Brosseau cleared by Elections Canada
Globe and Mail-- Cone of silence tightens on Tories
National Post-- Give the NDP's Las Vegas MP a chance
National Post-- The Really New Democrats

Revised, Refocused, Relaunched

Clearly we've missed a fair amount of the political drama since our last post, the workload alas of our other portals of reflection taking up more time than we anticipated.

We however, are finding a renewed wind in our sails when it comes to the political discourse of both our province and on the national scene, so perhaps we'll endeavour to be more dedicated to our efforts in the political arenas of our province.

We've given some thought as to the direction that we may wish for our portal to proceed towards and will work out some of that new process as we re-launch Darcy to the world.

We'll do a bit of backtracking over the next few weeks, to get back up to speed on the political scene as it has evolved over the last few months of missing posts.

Part of the change may reflect less of a thorough review of events, though we still have aspirations towards that goal, but instead items that catch our eye on the political theatre of the land and ones we may wish to draw to your attention.

The events of the federal election, provide us with no shortage of fascinating material to work with, the changing nature of our political capital we imagine will provide no shortage of side stories along the way.

Likewise from our political perch on the West coast, changing leadership and a potential election on the way offer up more political intrigue to reflect on.

We'll give it a go at any rate and see if we can keep up to the pace of developments, a daunting challenge but one which should be a fun ride we imagine.