That poll

HOW BAD is that Toronto Star/Ekos poll for the Liberals? This bad: not only are they trailing the Tories by 11 points (the worst showing I can recall, probably since the 1988 election); not only are they seven points behind in Ontario; not only are they trailing in Atlantic Canada: they're behind the Tories in Quebec. The good news: they're still ahead of the NDP. I expected a four or five percentage-point swing. But ten points is unreal. And probably won't last: this is a poll taken in the heat of the moment. But here's the really bad news:

A full 60 per cent of respondents said they saw the Prime Minister as "an essential part of the Liberal government since 1993 and now, as leader of the Liberal party, should be held accountable for the sponsorship mess." Less than half that amount — 29 per cent — said Martin "had little to do with the sponsorship mess and deserves credit for calling the inquiry."

That kind of stain won't be brushed away so easily. IT'S BEEN amusing watching the Tories try to go all statesmanlike in response, dressing up crass opportunism as deep respect for the voters: we'll go when the Canadian people tell us they want an election, etc. They're probably wise to wait, but don't try to pretend this is anything other than cynical calculations of partisan advantage."Winning conditions" and all that. Mind you, for po-faced main-chancers it would be hard to top the Liberal MPs who have suddenly discovered the party they belong to is corrupt to the gills, and are hinting they might jump ship. These are the same people who gave Chretien a standing O -- led by Paul Martin -- in caucus the other day, after his performance at the Gomery inquiry was feted by the stupefied inbreds in the Ottawa press gallery. Just as they stood and applauded him through the HRDC scandal, and the multiple revelations of the Shawinigan/BDC affair, and the gun registry, and all the rest. But now they're shocked, shocked to discover what sort of company they've been keeping through three election wins. Why, it's time to take a stand, a principled stand that is. And nothing whatever to do with being at 25% in the polls. But all is not lost. The Tories will no doubt welcome them with open arms. Just the type of person a moderate, mainstream party needs. UPDATE: Here's one of those Liberals who has lately recovered his virginity, Ontario MP Pat O'Brien:

"I'm feeling personally outraged (about the scandal)," said O'Brien. "At the time these monies were allegedly being misused and misspent, I was struggling . . . to get very valid, small amounts of grants for worthwhile projects in my own riding.

See, this is the kind of thing that gives plain old-fashioned pork-barreling a bad name.