Two peas in a pod make for split pea soup
Suddenly, everybody wants to be leader of the B.C. Liberal party.
One would think the Liberals aren’t doomed to be wiped out in the next election after all. Or maybe it’s the chance to go down in history as a premier of the province, regardless of what happens in the next vote, that’s attractive.
Mike de Jong is in town today after confirming his intentions yesterday. I’ve always liked de Jong’s candor, going back to some friendly sparring matches on the old Mel Rothenburger Live radio show in the late ‘90s.
Also in the race are George Abbot (also a personal favourite — I like his droll sense of humour); Moira Stilwell (not a household name), and Kevin Falcon (who announced Tuesday). Christy Clark keeps getting mentioned.
One can’t help but compare the exit of Newfound and Labrador premier Danny Williams to that of Gordon Campbell. Williams is not only leaving at the top of his game, but he’s not messing around.
Campbell, forced out of office by terminal unpopularity, insists on lingering. After announcing his resignation only a few days ago, the ever-popular Williams is out of there as of tomorrow.
Different circumstances make for different styles. Let’s compare Kevin Krueger to Bill Bennett, for example. They’re alike in so many ways — both are rough around the edges, both are the kind of guys you’d like on your side in a brawl.
Both thrive in confrontational situations, both have a habit of saying things they later regret — or should regret.
Yet, how differently they’ve reacted to the disintegration of the Liberals and the dramatic fall from grace of their leader. They’re like two peas in a pod who’ve made split-pea soup out of the whole mess.
Bennett chose to kick Campbell while he’s down. In his now-famous remarks of a couple of weeks ago, he likened Campbell to a bully, claiming the cabinet suffered from “battered wife syndrome.” Campbell is a shouter and even a spitter, claimed Bennett.
“I’m tired of the bullshit that goes on in politics, and I’m really tired of the way Gordon Campbell thinks he can just run on people,” he fumed.
For some reason, Bennett’s Benedict Arnold act was widely regarded as an act of courage. Suddenly, Bennett — who’s been a bully himself on occasion — was the sympathetic hero.
In all the years he’s been in and out of political trouble, and in and out of cabinet, Bennett had never “stood up” to Campbell or breathed a word of his unhappiness while the Liberals were doing well. Backed by the gathering wolves, with Campbell on the outs, he screwed up his courage.
Krueger would have none of it. Ignoring the opportunity to dump on Campbell and distance himself from the battered premier, Krueger remains steadfast and loyal. Probably, I might add, to his own detriment.
He’s been such a total Campbell cheerleader over the years that Leonard Krog of the NDP referred to him a couple of months ago as “playing the same role to Premier Campbell that (Joseph) Goebbels played to Hitler: he’ll be the last to leave.”
“I’m joking,” Krog added, “but I say he’ll be the last to leave the bunker. Kevin Krueger is entirely loyal to the premier. If you say anything about Premier Campbell, Kevin Krueger is going to go for the gusto.”
Krog soon apologized, and so he should have, but the point was made about Krueger’s loyalty to Campbell.
Back in 2007 when Bennett was forced to resign from cabinet after some over-the-top remarks about a constituent, Krueger called him “a hair-straight-back, full-ahead guy” who simply lost his temper.
When Bennett complained about the way in which Campbell recently shuffled the cabinet, though, Krueger was quick to criticize him for it, saying Bennett was “way out of line.” Things went downhill between them after that.
I don’t know about you, but my vote goes to the second mate who stays on the poop deck over a guy who muscles his way past the women and children and abandons ship in a storm.
mrothenburger@kamloopsnews.ca
ArmchairMayor.ca 
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