Meet Michael Ignatieff

In May, Canada's Liberal Party leader got no shortage of attention:

TORONTO — When it comes to getting noticed in the United States, Canada’s main political rivals are somewhat of a mismatch.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative Party, recently needed the help of two former presidential press secretaries — Ari Fleischer, who spoke for George W. Bush, and Mike McCurry, who did the same for Bill Clinton.

They booked Harper a round of interviews with CNN, Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, and gave him talking points. Harper explained his government’s recession-busting strategy and flaunted the health of Canada’s banks.

Much of the coverage back home, however, focused on the more than $24,000 each consultant received for the work. Media reports questioned why the many well-paid diplomats at the Canadian embassy in Washington weren’t chosen to do the job.

Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff, Harper’s main political opponent, doesn’t need the hired help. His circle of close friends includes Lawrence Summers, head of the White House’s National Economic Council, and Samantha Power, President Barack Obama's friend and former adviser on foreign affairs.

Read the rest of my column here.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/general/091117/meet-michael-ignatieff