Liberal "star" candidate not so shining

I tend to focus on Stephen Harper's mistakes because he makes so many of them (the latest, deciding that drugs is a key issue). [Editor's note: Trust me, in Canada, it's not the scourge the U.S. makes it out to be.]

However, in the spirit of fair play, I should point out a good-sized Liberal Party mistake. The last thing the Liberals need is a controversy, especially when it's self-inflicted.

Michael Ignatieff is the name that has spewed controversy in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding in Toronto. The party forced Ignatieff onto the ballot as the Liberal candidate with a number of questionable moves. And the people who are in the Liberal party in the riding don't want him. His writings have upset Ukraininan-Canadians, a number of whom live in the riding.

He's also a cheerleader for the U.S. being in Iraq, directly opposite of the position by the party (a platform the Conservative Party favors).

Amazingly, Ignatieff is seen by the party hierarchy as a potential, down-the-road prime minister candidate. When you significantly hated by members in your own party, and it can only go downhill from here, I don't see the words "prime minister" and "Ignatieff" coming together anytime soon.

This is not a distraction the Liberals need in an election season.