05.10.2010 12:37 PM

The non-Warren room

The Hill Times’ Harris MacLeod sent me an email this aft, asking about something or the other, but also if I’d be running the LPC war room in the next election.  I told him no.

He asked why.  This is the gist of what I wrote back.

“I wrote to Michael and said I couldn’t run the war room in the next campaign.  I am quite busy with the McGuinty war room, and won’t be able to do both simultaneously.  Michael was very understanding.

I’m still a federal Liberal, and I will be helping out in any way I can.  But I don’t have the ability to be in two places at once.  And my business took a hit last Summer and Fall, when I dropped everything to be on hand for an election that never came. Have I agreed with everything that has been going on in OLO?  No, of course not.  But that’s how it is in a political party – you don’t always agree with every single decision that is made.

I wish Michael and his team the best.  They’ve got some great, great people up there.  I know that the next war room will do an amazing job.  I wish them the very best.”

19 Comments

  1. Catherine says:

    You will be missed.

    But, thankfully, you have offered to help.

  2. Sandra says:

    Warren, Jane Taber says otherwise in her article today. She claims to have an email from you.

  3. Sean says:

    In my book there is a very important piece to this story. The most important part of this story, the part which all Liberals *ought to learn* and the part which will not be in the media because it isn’t sexy or controversial, is the fact Warren chose to not make a fuss about this when things were extremely volatile last fall. He chose to deal with this quietly and professionally. No drama or bitter commentary to see here. Team player and class act all the way.

  4. e says:

    I’ll believe it when I see it

  5. Volkov says:

    It’s a shame, but at least you’re still working for Our Man in Queen’s Park.

  6. doug sather says:

    Bulllllllllssshhhhiiiit. iffy is heading to harvard.

  7. Elizabeth says:

    Thankfully they have Warren’s book to go by. 🙂

  8. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that WINNING and Warren both start with a “W”. Rather telling don’t you think?

    All the best,

    RON

  9. uku says:

    Hey there

    Offhand, abandoning a fight with Harper if favour of a fight with Hudak seems downmarket if not a betrayal of formerly stridently held positions. What-ever

    cheers

    uku

  10. Bob R. says:

    Warren,

    Dr. Szohar is doomed to going back to Harvard prematurely without your help.

    Please reconsider – re-run his war room.

    ps. Deal with that “has-been” Donolo…too many of them around.

  11. Michael Watkins says:

    Cutting your losses quickly, long before they become too deep to come back from, is a sign of a good investor, as is choosing to invest where the greatest return can be obtained. Seems to me Warren is doing both and this makes perfect sense to me.

    In my humble opinion, both the Conservative and Liberal parties should take a cue from Warren, cut their losses, and ditch their leaders. A replacement? No idea. Wait… Maxime Bernier for CPC leader with Wajid Khan to run the campaign. The Libs? Dunno but the somewhat slight guy coming to the rescue of Tom Gabel in their recent video might get my vote for doing the right thing at the very least.

  12. Catherine says:

    You’re known to have pretty good political instincts. For what it’s worth I think you made the right move, and for the right reasons….IF what Taber writes is fact.

  13. Paul R. Martin says:

    As a person who usually votes Conservative (I do remember once voting Provincially for Ian Scott), I always find your site to be extremely interesting. You are a loyal Liberal and are loyal to you friends (from all parties). You can also be a fierce enemy. As this is your site, you deservedly have complete control over which comments you decide to make public. Like other commentators in this thread, I have noticed a slight change. You remain a very loyal Liberal, but you have allowed a few more alternative views to appear. Anyways, keep up the good work.

  14. James Smith says:

    I like your site & your insight and as a sophomoric partizan I’m disappointed with the news- like a few others, I had an inkling that this may have been about to happen. I have to say you have been quite classy about how you’ve handled the situation. For what it’s worth I agreed with you at the time – we should have gone to the polls in Spring ’09. I hope the work you’ve done was not in vein.

    • Ronald O'Dowd says:

      James,
      Warren,

      Last summer I was at the Stornoway garden reception and pushed for May (between glasses). It was almost like I came from another planet. In short, I took my pill and swallowed hard (at least for a little while!) before soldiering on to deaf ears. I’m still itching to take them on now, win or lose.

      I’m a lot wiser in this party than I was in the last one. So suffice it to say that all that comes to mind at this point is Que sera, sera…

  15. John W. says:

    Warren

    I can understand. It must be frustrating. The Ottawa Liberals won’t fight back. They won’t attack. Even on something as marginal as Member’s Statements, the Cons attack Ignatieff personally and viciously every day. Why don’t the Liberals attack Harper in the same tone and style?
    It’s like a boxing match with Iggy just defenceless and helpless against the ropes being pounded.

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