That angry Stephen! (en francais)

Latest from the Liberal Party. "Their political agenda must be the country's agenda"?

Please. This coming from the entitlement crowd is so rich, I'm putting on a few pounds just thinking about it.

Dear Liberal Friend,

As I write these words, Liberal Headquarters here at 81 Metcalfe Street in Ottawa is alive with energy and excitement. Computers are being wired up, telephones installed, and preparations for an election are being finalized.

Canadians have said repeatedly that they don’t want a Holiday election. But the Opposition Parties, led by an angry, gloomy Stephen Harper, have decided that their political agenda must be the country’s agenda. That, of course, is their prerogative. But surely it doesn’t require, as they spent yesterday doing, calling all Liberals corrupt and drawing a direct line from the Liberal Party to organized crime.

The Bloc? Their separatist agenda requires that they construct “winning conditions” for a referendum, a referendum that PQ Leader André Boisclair has promised to hold “immediately” after winning power at the provincial level. For the Bloc, the election of a Stephen Harper government with them holding the balance of power is the ultimate “winning condition”. For they know that Stephen Harper’s neo-conservative agenda is the very antithesis of Quebeckers’ views. They, too, call all Liberals “corrupt” in the most McCarthyite way, to mask the fact that they have no policies that represent a positive vision of Quebec’s place in Canada.

It all amounts to a nasty campaign. As Liberals, we need to be prepared for the lowest possible level of political discourse from our opponents. We need to be prepared to respond to excessive charges. And we need to promote our record of achievement. That means speaking of a 30-year low in unemployment. Record surpluses. The best economy in the G-8. Social innovation. Child care. Tax cuts. Positive things – things that we can all be proud of.

I will be spending the rest of the time before Monday working with the Campaign team to construct a winning campaign. That campaign will cost over $18 million. Now more than ever, we need your help to mount that campaign. Our candidates need your time and talents. Your friends and neighbours can and should be asked to pitch in and help on our campaign.

Finally, we need your help to finance the campaign. Please take the time to donate to a winning campaign. Even a small amount helps. And as we approach year end, you are close to obtaining a generous tax credit.

As we approach our campaign launch, we carry with us the support of the hundreds of thousands of Liberals across Canada. And more than ever, we ask for a demonstration of that support: financial, moral, and otherwise – to re-elect a Liberal government.

Haven't we financed you enough already? Here's a thought. Find the missing $40 million owed to taxpayers by the Liberal Party. That should cover a few elections.