The run of luck that the Liberals enjoyed last spring while the Gomery inquiry jumped into the headlines must seem like a lifetime ago to Paul Martin. Tonight, a new scandal has broken out north of the border, as our good friend Kate at Small Dead Animals notes. The Liberals expelled a candidate for a riding in British Columbia after the NDP reported a bribe attempt to get their candidate to withdraw and endorse the Grits:

Liberal Leader Paul Martin dumped one of his Liberal candidates in British Columbia on Friday after the man was accused of trying to bribe the local New Democrat candidate. ...

The move came just a few hours after the NDP publicized a complaint to Elections Canada from NDP federal secretary Eric Hebert alleging Mr. Oliver, the Liberal candidate in Abbotsford, offered NDP rival Jeffery Hansen-Carlson a job in Ottawa and help contesting the next civic election if he publicly threw his support behind the Liberals.

Both Mr. Oliver and his campaign manager, Gordie Kahlon, denied the bribery allegation, especially since the Liberals had no hope of winning the staunchly Conservative riding. ...

In a notarized letter attached to the NDP complaint, Mr. Hansen-Carlson said the offer came at a meeting last Tuesday with Mr. Oliver and Mr. Kahlon, at the Liberal candidate's office.

Mr. Hansen-Carlson said he became suspicious when Oliver's manager said he had heard that the New Democrat had "civic aspirations."

This broke just hours after the Tories had to drop one of their candidates in BC after finding out that he concealed smuggling allegations and formal charges. Instead of making hay with the Conservatives on what could have been a devastating blow to the Tory hopes to capture a majority government. Now the Liberals instead have shot themselves in the foot, snatching defeat once again from the jaws of victory when last spring they used all of their efforts to free themselves of the Essence of Adscam. They almost seem to want to lose power as suddenly and as effortlessly as they once claimed it.

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