Warren Kinsella - who still dreams of revitalizing the Liberals by "uniting the left" (ie, absorbing the NDP) - "paid tribute" to Jack Layton in the Conservative [url=http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/22/democracy-has-suffered-a-terrible-l... Sun[/url] - which "broke" the Layton massage parlour "scandal" (for which Kinsella believed Layton [url=http://warrenkinsella.com/2011/04/kcccc-day-36/]needed to apologize[/url]) - by writing:
For his NDP - because it was his NDP - sad and bad times lay ahead. [b]There is no possibility, none[/b], that they can ever expect to maintain what they achieved with Jack Layton.[b]Nor can the party's blasé dismissal of a union with the Liberals be allowed to remain unchallenged[/b]. Our democracy will suffer if the Harper government is not facing an effective Opposition. All of us - Stephen Harper included - need the NDP and the Liberals to consider the gravity of the moment, and abandon their pride and hubris. Now, more than ever, progressives need to come together for the good of Canadian democracy.
Jack knew that it would happen:
To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. [b]There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader.[/b] Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.
Conservative and Liberal pundits - and that represents, scattered lone voices excepted, our pundit class - are using this occasion to bury the Left and the NDP by praising Jack. It's grave dancing done up like a dirge, and it's not fooling me.