Manley and McKenna out of Liberal leadership race

Former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister John Manley and former New Brunswick Liberal Premier Frank McKenna bowed out and declined to compete to succeed Liberal Leader Paul Martin. Seems like first-rank Liberal stars do not want to dirty their hands in opposition politics. These two have been there at high levels of government and have tasted lives as retired politicians working as highly paid advisors to businesses. Manley was on the board of directors of Nortel; McKenna was chairman of the board of CanWest Global. Campaigning to be leader of the Liberal Party of Canada is not worth as much as it used to be. Winning would be difficult and would consume mind, body, soul--and time and money. Besides, winning no longer means getting to be prime minister. No, Manley and McKenna have better things to do. There is the A-Team of Liberal stars of Manley, McKenna, Rock and Tobin. We will have to wait for former Attorney General Allan Rock and former Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin to make their decisions. Then, things become more interesting in the Liberal parliamentary caucus. Is Ralph Goodale too tainted to be interim leader or to run for leader? Will persistent rumours about Bill Graham's sexuality rule him out as interim leader? If politicians are not suitable, will former university professors Stephane Dion, Irvin Cotler, Michael Ignatieff and Anne McClellan put their names forward? Will second-tier Liberal operatives be the only contenders for leader? Will novice Liberals with fewer than five years of Liberal Party membership the only Liberals to run for leader, new Liberals like David Emerson, Scott Brison, Keith Martin, Belinda Stronach, Ken Dryden?