Michael Ignatieff: The Fallen

Michael ignatieff has lost support and is making enemies. Just scanning the blogosphere you can find Ignatieff supporters renouncing Ignatieff and declaring their withdrawal of support; granted they do so anonymously, but the effect cannot be understated. Further loss of support for Michael has been generated all from his statement, as taken from the National Post:

In an interview on a widely watched Quebec talk show, Mr. Ignatieff apologized for comments in August when he told a newspaper he was "not losing sleep" over an Israeli bombing that killed dozens of civilians in the Lebanese village of Qana.

"It was a mistake. I showed a lack of compassion. It was a mistake and when you make a mistake like that, you have to admit it," he told the French-language Radio-Canada program Tout le monde en parle.

"I was a professor of human rights, and I am also a professor of the laws of war, and what happened in Qana was a war crime, and I should have said that. That's clear."

His accusation that Israel committed a war crime has began a fierce reaction against the leadership candidate that has caused more damage to him then Volpe's scandal to Volpe, and it has been but a few hours.

Just recently announced was that Susan Kidias, a Member of Parliament who had previously supported Ignatieff has stated her withdrawal of said support. This statement came through her communications assistant in a communication that has marked just one disastrous event after another for Ignatieff. The full communication reads:

SUSAN KADIS WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR IGNATIEFF

THORNHILL - Susan Kadis, Member of Parliament for Thornhill, announced today
that she will be withdrawing support for Michael Ignatieff.

Kadis' comments come after Mr. Ignatieff told the French-language
Radio-Canada program "Tout le monde en parle" that Israel's attack on Qana
during theconflict this summer was a "war crime". Mr. Ignatieff was
commenting on astatement he had made in August when he said he was not
losing sleep over an Israeli bomb strike on Qana. He went on to say that it
was a mistake, and heshowed a lack of compassion.

"Michael is an intelligent person and I would think that he would have a
better handle on the Middle East given his years of experience on human
rights and international law". Kadis stated, "I find his unprovoked comments
very troubling given that fact that the Israeli response came in light of
brazen kidnappings by Hezbollah of Israeli soldiers". Kadis continued,
"Israel did not seek this confrontation and would not have occurred if UN
Resolution 1559 had been implemented. This was an attack intended to root
out a recognized terrorist group who were raining down thousands of missiles
on Israel".

-30-

For more information contact:

Shannon Earle, Communications Assistant

Yet this is just one of the examples of Ignatieffs fall. The Canada-Israel Committee has put forth a call for Ignatieff to publicly retract his statement and to apologize. You can read their address here.

Further examples are present in the National Post article:

His comments, broadcast on Sunday, sparked an angry reaction among Jewish leaders who learned of them yesterday.

"That's appalling. To call it a war crime is totally, totally unacceptable," said Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B'nai Brith Canada.

"I have to wonder if he is pandering to certain delegates who will be voting in the Liberal election for leadership."

Shimon Fogel, chief executive of the Canada-Israel Committee, said it was frustrating to hear Mr. Ignatieff's accusation.

"For somebody as well-informed and experienced as Mr. Ignatieff, he should know that is not a reasonable charge to level against Israel," he said. "What he ought to be preoccupied with is the kind of intolerance that gave rise to the conflict to begin with and the extent to which there are efforts to have it leach into Canadian society."

He said his group had been concerned by previous comments about the war made by Mr. Ignatieff's chief Quebec organizers, Denis Coderre and Pablo Rodriguez. Mr. Coderre took part in a pro-Lebanon march in Montreal in August at which some participants carried the flag of Hezbollah, which Canada has classified as a terrorist organization.

Since joining the leadership race, Mr. Ignatieff has had to back down from controversial comments several times. Contacted for clarification yesterday, an aide to Mr. Ignatieff said he would not retract the use of the term "war crime,"...

In just under a few hours Michael Ignatieff has caused the loss of the jewish community, of an MP, of notable interest groups, and of grass root supporters; one can only wonder what will happen in the days to come, and what he would do as Leader.