Return of the Libranos

Adscam almost killed the Liberal Party. In a classic rearrange-the-deckchairs-on-the-Titanic move, Paul Martin banned ten Quebec Liberals from the party "forever", to show his commitment to cracking down on corruption. Voters didn't buy it, and turfed the Liberals, and they've stayed turfed.

I guess back in 2005 Michael Ignatieff was still working in the U.S., his adopted homeland, and missed the whole thing.

Because he's inviting some of those banned Libranos back.

Now I think I understand Ignatieff's cavalier attitude towards Warren Kinsella. The Adscam judicial inquiry declared that Kinsella's role was "highly inappropriate" -- a judicial finding that Kinsella railed against, but curiously never appealed.

But why bother appealing it? Ignatieff has offered him a full political pardon -- and Beryl Wajsman, too.

How much longer before ol' Chuck Guite himself pops up as a star candidate?

The next election will likely be dominated by the economy. But Michael Ignatieff is doing his best to ensure it's about corruption and ethics, too. Amazing.