A stone removed from Paul Martin's shoe

With more questions to be answered than in a Florida election count, Tony Valeri has become the candidate for Hamilton-Stoney Creek. Valeri was announced as the winner of the Liberal nomination tonight after a two hour delay, so as to allow for the crush of people wishing to vent their spleens, er I mean, vote in the process.

With the announcement came an interesting omission, what were the numbers? This could be the first election which doesn't give a final result, just the name of a winner, a speech and hey, we gotta go now the hall's rented out. Very strange happenings in Ontario tonight, that's for sure.

Florida had hanging chads, Hamilton-Stoney Creek has the numberless victory. Liberal officials announced that 5,313 party members cast a vote tonight, but never announced a vote total for either candidate, not exactly your usual electoral procedure, well in democracies anyways. With the number still unknown, of course conspiracy theories will abound, Copps supporters are refusing to accept the results, until the official tallies are released. Sheila herself claiming that until she knows the number, she won't know if she wishes to launch an appeal.

The Copps supporters are calling into question why some 400 of the signed up members were disqualified, supporters which just happened to be would be Copps delegates. Disappointed Copps supporters were quick to claim that there were many irregularities in the process, a point which Valeri supporters claim they suffered as well, but they are willing to accept the final result. Well, duh, no kiddin', really?

There was talk early this year, that Sheila was thinking of joining the NDP, but reports tonight suggest that window of opportunity closed once she chose to contest the Liberal nomination. Smilin' Jack may not be inclined to want any damaged goods in his feel good NDP crew, but if the dark suspicions continue about the nomination process, Sheila may get another chance to run for the NDP. This time, as the symbol of democracy spurned (it would be an interesting role change for her to play, that of the victim, but if it keeps her going I'm sure she can muster the appropriate chagrin).

If the NDP decide to turn off the porch light, she can always run as an Independent candidate, taking away some of Valeri's Liberal support on General Election day. Revenge being a dish sometimes best served cold, a wait of two, three or more months to take away the sweet success of the day for Valeri, could be just what the therapist orders. It would no doubt be a fine remedy for her disappointment tonight.

For Paul Martin, the final results (whatever they were) will be a major relief, imagine the black eye he would have suffered had his Transport Minister been forced out of office, because he couldn't secure his own nomination. Not to mention, that with Copp's finally banished to the Liberal sidelines yet another Chretien loyalist will be going off into the sunset, this one probably kicking and screaming but leaving none the less.

With Martin tossing Chretien patronage appointees off the aft deck of the CS Liberal with record speed these days, the image of his government being totally different from the Chretien years will begin to take hold. Having the highest profile Chretienista shot down in flames and exiled, will be his largest victory yet in the Liberal Party blood feud that has been boiling on high for the last six months now. Bit by bit, Martin is taking complete control of his Party. If the message wasn't understood before it will be now, the Chretien loyalists had best take to the lifeboats, the water is rising, their ship is sinking.

Then again, those Florida chads continue to haunt George W. Bush to this day, he may have won the vote but many suspect and suggest that it was a "stolen" victory. It will be interesting to see if tonight's exercise in Hamilton, will follow Valeri around in much the same way.


***UPDATE****Early Sunday morning, the Liberal party released the vote tally of the nominating meeting, 2802 for Tony Valeri and 2491 for Sheila Copps. A difference of 311 votes, making those 400 disputed voters a pretty important group. Copps is re-assessing her plans. Guess that stone will still be stuck in the shoe for a little while yet!