Safe to say for Thomas Mulcair, he won't declare!

The NDP leadership wobbles towards its finish line next weekend, the delegates making their choices through the week through a variety of electoral options, all leading up to the NDP convention in Toronto on Saturday.

This last week of the delegate head count featured the rather unusual spectacle of angst over the potential future of the party delivered by the wrath of Ed, with Ed Broadbent taking on the task of providing for the social conscience of the party and channelling the past of Douglas and Lewis, as he puts up what he calls the "warning signals" about current front runner Thomas Mulcair.

In Mr. Broadbent's opinion the ascent of Mr. Mulcair to the leadership would put the party's future in peril, taking it away from it's Social Democratic roots and beliefs, owing it seems to Mr. Muclair's past political efforts, a journey he took while not always within the NDP boat.

Considered by many to be more of an outsider/interloper than holder of the true faith, the party's old guard is rallying around Brian Topp, a long time party strategist who it seems is more in lock step with the past glories of the NDP.  More of the days  of perpetual conscience of Parliament, as opposed to those that real political power is within the party's grasp.

One would think that the NDP would have done all its vetting during the lengthy round of leadership debates (a spectacle that culled fewer and fewer viewers the longer the process went on), if Mulcair's candidacy was to be scorched it should have been done in before the final week.

The outburst by Mr. Broadbent seems more of a desperation move by the party's establishment, who suddenly it seems have become aware that the NDP post Jack Layton's days is a rather different collective than the party that they had prior to the last election's results.

The last battles for the soul of the party it seems will be played out through this week leading up to the vote count of Saturday.

Mulcair, the front runner today faces one last week of the old game of King of the Mountain, seeking to keep his spot atop the NDP's popularity table, while the other candidates seek to knock the blocks out from under him.

Mr. Topp and Mr. Cullen, the MP for Skeena Bulkley Valley the most likely recipients of any movement that declares anyone but Mulcair by Saturday.

While it may be a tad traumatic for the NDP's rank and file these next few days, the events of the last few days at least should guarantee that the public finally takes notice of the NDP's leadership campaign, something which up until Mr. Broadbent injected himself into, wasn't exactly resonating with those outside of the NDP tent.


National Post-- Broadbent attack on Mulcair about keeping NDP a niche party on the left
National Post--  Mulcair and the separatists, a love story
National Post-- Ed Broadbent defends his criticism of NDP frontrunner...
National Post-- Thomas Mulcair, the centrist warrior
Globe and Mail-- Mulcair almost certain to be NDP leader - maybe
Globe and Mail-- Broadbent blasts Mulcair, warns against pushing NDP toward centre
Globe and Mail-- New Democrats aren't just debating ideology in leadership race
Macleans-- Broadbent vs Mulcair