Let The Torture Begin

Michael Ignatieff has all but declared his candidacy for philosopher king of the Liberal Party.

Be prepared to suffer some of the most brutal and excruciating assaults on the public consciousness ever inflicted.

Michael Ignatieff may not yet have made his candidacy for the Liberal leadership official, but any potential supporters worried he may not have the moral or intellectual suppleness required for politics can rest easy.

In a broad-ranging policy speech at the University of Ottawa yesterday, Mr. Ignatieff proved he is an A-list candidate who should have no problem raising the $3-million or so in $5,000 increments necessary to run a successful campaign -- in contrast with many of his 20 or so potential rivals.

He presented himself as a compassionate but fiscally conservative Liberal, who would place an emphasis on development issues, the environment, productivity and national unity. On the unity file, almost alone among Liberals, he recognized a fiscal imbalance existed between "a federal government that runs surpluses, while several provinces struggle to fund their ever rising costs in education and health care." He proposed solving the problem by negotiating a new equalization deal with the provinces, rather than transferring tax points.

The media will continue beating us over the head until we break down and confess that Ignatieff is the second coming of Trudeau. For our own good, of course.