[url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090318.wcoiggy19/BN...
Newman seems to think Iggy is getting poorly treated by the national media.[/url] I can't think of any politician who has received such fawning treatment.
At the same time, there remains a shadow, a hidden liability in his vaunted celebrity and academic achievements. The media - or most of them - lie in wait. Ottawa-based reporters resent him. Since arriving back in Canada, he has been too successful too fast. He moved up without serving the appropriate apprenticeship (as they had to do in order to occupy the cat seats in their organizations' Ottawa news bureaus). The aristocratic gent was never truly a backbencher; now he is the crown prince.While he is far from vulnerable, he is building up some debits. In this celebrity age, shelf lives are measured by the span between full moons. The media hope to destroy him one day. So far, they see him as something of a riverboat gambler, flying flags of convenience (or inconvenience) but not a power junkie like Stephen Harper, who, whatever his faults, takes strong stands on issues and will back down only when he reaches the comforting shores of purgatory.
Unlike Pierre Trudeau, whom the media (rightly) claim they created, Mr. Ignatieff won the leadership all by himself. He owes the press nothing, and that doubles their fury.
Michael Ignatieff is yet to be tested, but his run will make history.