The distraction over whether to recognize Quebec as a nation is gone, pulled from the agenda yesterday by the same grassroots Liberals who had called for the debate in the first place, the ones who started the national-unity wildfire that continues to spread everywhere — except now at this convention.

Now, the party is free to plunge single-mindedly this week into the multiple-ballot exercise required to choose a winner this weekend from a field of eight contenders; four of them vying at the front of the pack.

Balloting starts on Friday, when all eight speak to the convention, and will continue Saturday and as long as it takes until one candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the votes.

Only the overconfident or the naïve are predicting who will win — Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae, Stéphane Dion and Gerard Kennedy all have their own reasons to hope and to be nervous. Their delegates are already running around chanting through the Palais des Congrès, waving team-issue scarves and posters. Source...