Liberal power couple back Harper on Mideast (Coup-d'Etat in Lib Establishment)

The Globe and Mail ^ | 2006/08/04 | CAMPBELL CLARK

[balk]

Liberal power couple back Harper on Mideast

OTTAWA — Liberal power couple Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz have publicly broken with the Liberal Party line on the Middle East crisis and are turning to Prime Minister Stephen Harper because of his support of Israel.

Mr. Schwartz, a confidante of former prime minister Paul Martin and one of Canada's most influential businessmen as the head of Onex Corp., is one of the eight signatories of an advertisement placed in a newspaper in Cornwall, Ont., where the Conservatives are holding caucus meetings.

Mr. Schwartz's wife, Ms. Reisman, says she is leaving the party to support the Conservatives under Stephen Harper.

In an e-mail to friends, Ms. Reisman applauded film producer Robert Lantos's statement at a weekend rally that he would "hereby take off [his] life-long federal Liberal hat."

"I [am] right there alongside Robert. . . . after a lifetime of being a Liberal, I have made the switch," Ms. Reisman wrote. "Feels strange, but totally and unequivocally right."

A recipient of the e-mail confirmed that Ms. Reisman, who was the Liberal Party of Canada's policy chairwoman in the 1980s and who worked for Pierre Trudeau in his first election in 1965, had sent the e-mail to several friends, and that she has told others the same thing.

"She has told her friends in person and in e-mails that she is supporting the Conservatives under Stephen Harper this time," a close friend said yesterday. "She thinks that his position on the Lebanon issue is the right one."

[balk]

This was below the fold on the front page. The story of the day if you ask me... The Liberals are going to a hard time replacing these three (and more if they sway any of their friends). This is like George Soros switching sides.

[conservativepoet]

Wow. Finally, liberals coming to their senses. Amazing.

[balk]

Good News for Canada Ping!

[elhombrelibre]

They should feel welcomed to our side (or in this case, Harper's side).

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

This hugh and series!

The article doesn't say nearly enough about how important Heather Reisman is to "liberalism" in Canada. As the owner of both the Indigo and Chapters chains of bookstores, Reisman is an icon of the self- proclaimed "intellectual" left in Canada. In the past, she hasn't been shy to ban books she doesn't like from here shelves, and promote those that she does. This switch could mean that "conservative" authors will have better access to the shelves.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"here shelves" = "her shelves"

[Clive]

It's a major story and the Globe knows it.

But the story conference put it below the fold anyway.

They could not avoid putting it on the front page.

[balk]

It is worthy of note that Schwartz/Reisman are prominent in fundraising efforts in hopelessly-moonbat Toronto. So this is no small feat. Perhaps Toronto will have a few of new "blue" MPs next time if you know what I mean.

[NorCalRepub]

...LOL>...we'll take George's money....he can stay

[conservativepoet]

"Perhaps Toronto will have a few of new "blue" MPs next time if you know what I mean."

I do ;-)

[Alexander Rubin]

Canada ping.

The other good news is that the Schwartz and Reisman are indicative of a lot of centrist Jews. If Reisman and Schwartz are switching to the Conservatives, then maybe many other Jews also will.

It should be noted that a lot of Canadian Jews vote Conservative already; more than American Jews who vote Republican. But this move may indicate a rightward shift of the centre.

[sinanju]

It would seem this "power couple" prefers to be on the winning side rather than self-condemned to the political wilderness for the sake of ideology.

[Candor7]

This is Great, Stephan, but don't give them a cabinet position just yet, make them earn your trust!

[caveat emptor]

Liberal power couple Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz have publicly broken with the Liberal Party line on the Middle East crisis and are turning to Prime Minister Stephen Harper because of his support of Israel.

Too soon to tell how important this will be, if at all, IMO. There is no indication in the article that there are other issues on which they will support the Conservatives.

[Blind Eye Jones]

'As the owner of both the Indigo and Chapters chains of bookstores, Reisman is an icon of the self- proclaimed "intellectual" left in Canada.'

This explains the predominance of left wing books in my Chapters store. I first put it down to a politically biased buyer for the store, but this makes perfect sense.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Maybe Canada isn't as hopelessly liberal as everyone thinks. All it took was a normal conservative leader to slap the stupid out many of them.

[fanfan]

Canada ping.

Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.

[aculeus]

Good news bump.

[do the dhue]

Apparently these liberals had their brains restored to normal temperatures (see link below):

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1678042/posts

The odds of recovery from brain injuries and vegetative states may be dramatically improved simply by restoring normal brain temperatures, according to a new medical theory published in the August issue of Medical Science Monitor.

[Beagle8U]

I wonder if the fact that Islamic terrorists were caught just before they blew up liberal Toronto helped change their mind?

I think common sense Conservative, Harper, will start more of them thinking that the Liberal party doesn't have brains enough to survive in a 21st century world.