Angry in the Great White North

Recall the controversy surrounding Bob Rae's very recent support for the NDP, even as he insisted he has not been in the NDP camp for years?

Among contributors to New Democrat Irene Mathyssen's successful federal election campaign in London-Fanshawe riding was federal Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae.

Rae, in London with the eight other candidates vying for the party leadership, defended his $300 donation to Mathyssen, saying he remembers her fondly as a member of his NDP government in Ontario from 1990 to 1995.

"She served with me in government," the one-term premier said last night when asked about his contribution. "I still think highly of her."

He said the donation to Mathyssen and another NDP candidate in Toronto as well as to Liberals "was long before I ever considered running for anything."

You want some irony? The Liberal candidate in that riding in the last election was Glen Douglas Pearson. He lost to Mathyssen, garnering 15,199 votes to Mathyssen's 16,067.

Why does this matter? Glen Pearson is running again, in the by-election just called in the riding of London-North-Centre:

Firefighter Glen Pearson was fired up as the just-picked Liberal candidate in London-North-Centre riding last night, making no secret he is targeting his Conservative rival, Dianne Haskett.

"We have to send a message to Ottawa," Pearson told a crowd of about 175 party faithful, "not just about Stephen Harper's agenda, but about candidates parachuting in and saying they can represent this riding."

So do you think Bob Rae is going to make a stop in London-North-Centre to explain to the voters why they should vote for his good friend Glen Pearson of the Liberal Party? I mean, this time around. Not like back in February when Bob Rae was telling people not to vote for Glen Pearson of the Liberal Party. That will make for a rather strained photo-op, don't you think?

Given that it's Hallowe'en, it seems appropriate that Bob Rae will be haunted by...what? A ghost from his past? A skeleton in his closet? The NDP monster hiding under his bed?