The Liberals want us to believe they’re ready to run the country. That would be the same Liberals who allowed the fourth place New Democrats to hold them hostage for nearly four years until they noticed that the New Democrats didn’t have bullets in their gun–or even a gun for that matter–and finally worked up the courage to make their getaway…um, yesterday. Right. The Liberals haven’t even demonstrated that they’re ready to be the opposition let alone lead the nation. So stuff a sock in it you silly prats.

Now for the parable portion of our show courtesy of Aesop.

A traveler hired an ass to convey him to a distant place. The day being intensely hot and the sun shining in its strength, the traveler stopped to rest and sought shelter in the shadow of the ass. As this afforded only protection for one and as the traveler and the owner of the ass both claimed it, a violent dispute arose between them as to which of them had the right to the shadow. The owner maintained that he had let the ass only, and not his shadow. The traveler asserted that he had, with the hire of the ass, hired the shadow also. The quarrel proceeded from words to blows and while the men fought, the ass galloped off.

Grits and dippers can argue over who is the traveler and who is the owner in this fable but I think we can all agree on who is the ass.

I have a question for all the fence sitters who believe the NDP should help the Liberals bring down the Conservative government. What makes you think the Liberals would be any better for us dippers than the Conservatives are?

Lets say we do have another election and by some minor miracle, Ignatieff’s Liberals do manage to eke out a minority of their own. It won’t change the fact that the Liberals stood against us when they voted in favour of extending our military involvement in the Afghanistan war, not once, but twice. It won’t change the fact that the Liberals stood against us when they voted against anti-scab legislation. Nor will it change the fact that the Liberals stood against us by voting for a free trade deal with Colombia; the worst abuser of human rights in the Western hemisphere.

And what have the Liberals offered us. Will Ignatieff help us reign in the blight caused by the exploitation of the Alberta Tar Sands? Nope, in fact he calls it “awe inspiring”. Will the Liberals roll back or delay massive corporate tax cuts. Nope, not even to deal with the massive deficit the Conservatives have created. Will Ignatieff help us stem the steady privatization of our public healthcare system. Nope, Ignatieff believes, “more private delivery could yield needed cost-efficiencies.” Will the Liberals help us protect worker pensions. Nope, in fact they think protecting worker pensions is “irresponsibility of the highest order.”

So what have the Liberals offered us other than their butts in our face, naked contempt and partisan games meant to embarrass us. Nothing and how can they when Ignatieff has made it clear he’d sooner stab out his eyes than work with the NDP.

So ask not what we can do for the Liberals. Ask what the Liberals can do for us. Until they answer that question I see no compelling reason for us climb aboard their ill conceived plan to replace one governing party that disregards what is important to us with another that will continue doing the same.