My regard for Jean Chretien has tumbled since yesterday. Remarks about Paul Martin attributed to Chretien in this morning's G&M show he can't rise above his bitterness and spite.
After Martin reached out to Chretien in his speech, Jean returned the favour with a mean-spirited, even childish swipe. Asked for his assessment of his successor, Chretien said, "I don't know. Obviously he didn't win." He went on to suggest that Martin was a good underling, "For me, I had a great team, and he was one of them."
As the sponsorship scandal unfolded I came to believe that, if Paul Martin had known of this while he was a backbencher and vying for leadership of the party, he would have used it to beat Mr. Chretien over the head like a Newfie on a harp seal.
If this convention shows nothing else, it settles all question of who was the most successful prime minister and who was the bigger man. One guy who must still adore Jean Chretien is the current prime minister. He owes his very success to the scandal Chretien left in his wake.
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