Notes on Liberal leadership.

John, writing at Ezra's, has a nice recap of the procedings and what led up to them (though, of course, I'm in the "external factors" camp. Paul Martin had it in him to be a great leader.) And Galloping Beaver recounts Howard Dean's address to the convention -- in English and French! It's good, and sort of bracing, to see the Dems call a spade a spade and pick sides.

As a Kennedy-but-really-anybody-but-Iggy-or-Rae supporter I'm delighted. I think John is basically right about the grassroots rejecting the party brass' picks this time -- and the continuation by proxy of the Liberal civil war with a chunk of the Chretienites betting on Rae and a chunk of the Martinites behind Iggy. Gerard Kennedy's agency in the affair can't be overstated, sending his delegates to Dion before the third ballot. But it's basically just exciting to see the Liberals engage in such a messy, democratic convention.

Harper has a lot to be worried about.