Just about everyone who is trashed by Mulroney in the new book is keeping mum -- except Kim Campbell. In today's Vancouver Sun, she responds to his criticisms of her thusly:
"In 1993, Brian Mulroney was the most unpopular prime minister in the history of Canadian polling and the Progressive Conservative Party was at historically low levels of support." "The question that begs asking is why he then gave me, as his successor, only 21/2 months to turn the party fortunes around before an election had to be called.
"Brian Mulroney did not 'groom' or 'mentor' possible successors. As he puts it, 'I've been manoeuvring this thing for two years, to be succeeded by Campbell.'
"Yet, by his own admission, he did not know me then and he does not know me now.
"He suggests that we could have won by running on his record, but he lacked the courage to stay and fight an election when all the reasonable deadlines for stepping down had passed.
"He waited until the last minute - using the resources of the prime ministership to travel the world in a 'farewell' tour of events that often seemed designed to help his post-political career - and then worked to ensure that the campaign would not criticize his record.
"His use of vulgar language and willingness to credit baseless gossip are an unwelcome reminder of those times when he made cabinet colleagues like myself uncomfortable.
"The effect of hearing Brian Mulroney in his own voice is, sadly, to remind Canadians of why they didn't like him and delay what he so clearly craves and feels he deserves - respect for the achievements of his government.
"What Brian Mulroney wanted in 1993 was not a successor who could actually have a chance to govern, but a scapegoat who would bear the electoral burden of his unpopularity, and allow him to retire 'undefeated' into the historical pantheon of which he is convinced he is a member."
Some of this is fair. But some of it isn't. What Campbell failed to mention was that when she called the election in 1993 she was actually ahead of the Chretien Liberals in the polls. She did run the most inept campaign in Canadian history. Senior strategist David McLaughlin in his book Poisoned Chalice admitted the Campbell team was making up policy on the fly at campaign stops. Campbell deserves her share of the blame for what happened to the Tories.
