"Le 'Tit-Gars" Throws In the Towel

It looks like our former Prime Minister, Jean "Le 'Tit-Gars de Shawinigan" Chrétien has decided to suspend his effort to shut down the Gomery inquiry.

According to the news report, his lawyers now agree with the government position that it's too late to replace Gomery as commissioner, and that his application was premature.

Couple that with the failure of former minister Alphonse Gagliano to join his ex-boss's court challenge, and one can well forgive Paul Martin for breathing a sigh of relief.

It would seem that the former PM has finally realized that his challenge would do more harm than good to the Liberal Party. If his challenge had succeeded, it would have created ammunition for the Tories and the BQ to charge that the Grits will do anything--even skirt their own rules--to retain power.

It would certainly have diminished Paul Martin even more because it would have meant he couldn't get out from under Chrétien's shadow; the former PM shutting down the current PM's inquiry could only re-inforce Martin's reputation as a ditherer.

Finally, the former PM must have realized that his attempt to protect his place in history succeeded only in exposing it. Pierre Trudeau would be remembered for the Constitution; Brian Mulroney would be remembered for free trade. What will Jean Chrétien be remembered for? For creating a corrupt regime that nearly blew it on national unity.

Jean's retained the right to re-instate his challenge later on, most likely when Gomery's final report will be released. If he's smart, though, he won't use it: why draw attention to a reputation that's already in tatters?