Bob Rae

I have never voted for a liberal, but if I lived in Toronto Centre (Rae's riding) I think I just might.

I have always liked and more importantly respected the man. I even liked him during the Rae days as that plan allowed me to keep staff on instead of having to fire them. He strikes me as a decent human being who perhaps has never received the recognition that he deserves.

Within weeks of being elected as Premier of Ontario his was being vilified by the business press and within months his support from the unions also was in doubt. He had the bad luck to be elected at a time when the economy was quickly going down the toilet and in spite of the fact that he did more to reduce the provincial expenditures than any other premier before or since, he has been tarred with the belief that he was a big spender who drove down the economy.

He has a long record of looking for compromise and of doing not what is best for him politically - but what he thinks is best for the party and the country.He didn't quit when Dion got elected nor did he cause problems when Ignatieff managed to assume power without being elected.  He stayed on, he was effective and supportive. He remain committed to the party.  I never saw any comment of his that suggested that he did not support his leader 100%.

Bob Rae's decision to be the interim  leader of the Liberal party demonstrates his commitment. I think that there can be no doubt that he wanted to be the Liberal leader and try to become Prime Minister. By agreeing to be the man who will try to rebuild the party he has taken that possibility away from himself. Which is a pity.

We need politicians who can consistently demonstrate that politics can be an honourable profession. We, the public, need to know that there are people who see public office not as a chance to get ahead or to achieve power but rather as a chance to serve the people.

Bob Rae provides a powerful counter balance to Stephen Harper. Canada needs such a person.