John Spencer AKA Leo McGarry has Died

American actor John Spencer aka Leo McGarry from The West Wing and Tommy Mullaney from LA Law has died from a heart attack at the age of 58.

I know many Lib Dems are fans of the West Wing, indeed some of my local party discussed the latest series (only number 6 here in the UK) after our AGM. However, John was also a fan of the Liberal Democrats in fact a signed message of support hangs in Scottish party headquarters.

However, with season 7 of the West Wing still in production it means there will have to be a sudden plot line change for the remainder of the season, especially as Leo's character is fairly central to this year's run.

Sadly his death is a case of life inmitating art at the end of the second episode of season 6 Birnam Wood John's charater Leo has a heart attack in the grounds of Camp David. Unlike Leo who recovered to take part in the campaign of Jed Bartlett's successor John has not been so lucky.

Alison Janney who currently plays Chief of Staff, and former Press Secreatry, C. J. Cregg said:

"John was a consummate professional actor and everyone adored him. We will miss him deeply."

Bradley Whitford who played Deputy Chief of Staff and now Santos/McGarry Campaign manager Josh Lyman said:

"I can't believe that he is gone; We have all lost a dear, dear brother."

The shows creator Aaron Sorkin and oringinal executive producer Tommy Schlamme paid tribute as well by saying:

"We're shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden death of our friend and colleague.

"John was an uncommonly good man, an exceptional role model and a brilliant actor. We feel privileged to have known him and worked with him. He'll be missed and remembered every day by his many, many friends."

This is my favourite Leo McGarry quote which sums up the charater of the man, there is a crisis going down but he has spotted that the New York times has messed up in its crossword has not spelt Ghadaffi's name wrong to fit the grid nor given it enough letters for the clue.

Leo McGarry: [on the phone with the New York Times from the Chief of Staff's Office next door to the Oval Office] 17 across. Yes, 17 across is wrong. ...You're spelling his name wrong. ...What's my name? My name doesn't matter. I am just an ordinary citizen who relies on the Times crossword for stimulation. And I'm telling you that I met the man twice. And I recommended a pre-emptive missle strike against his air force, so I think I know how...

C.J. Cregg: Leo!

Leo: They hang up on me every time!

Lib Dems Truely are the Online Party

So yesterday I mentioned that this site had immerged as part of a coup to drag a reluctant David Cameron into the Liberal Democrats.

Today I mistyped the site to find this and there is also this proving that the Lib Dems are truely the party of the 21st Century and know their way around cyberspace. My hat is off to the people behind both these very rapidly produced rebuttal sites.

Cameron has Given Up On Scotland Already

Just to see what the oppostion are up to I took at look at the Lib Dems 4 Cameron website. They have a map which turns all the Lib Dems seats tory blue for every part of the UK except Scotland.

So at least I can sleep well tonight knowing that David Cameron isn't pursuing me to join his new Conservatives.

Young Dave has Spoken

Well Cameron has spoken and apparently all I have to agree with him on is a commitment to green policies, localism and deregulation and then I should fit easily into the new Tory party. I’m not convinced and neither is Simon Hughes. It will take a lot more than a change of clothes and no new policies to make the sort of waves he is urgently looking for.

As Simon said:

"Talking about the environment, social justice, and a brave new world, is different from changing policy on nuclear power, fairer taxes, and Europe.

"They haven't changed their policy and, until they do so, Mr Cameron should be judged by his authorship of the last Conservative manifesto."

Let us not forget that young Dave and his shadow chancellor were two of the main architects of this.

So Mr. Cameron it’ll take a lot more than a new face to make those of us who have battled against Conservatism for years in various locations to simply up and jump ship. However, it is good to know you realise where the real talent is located, shame you won’t be able to pilfer it.

Leadership Crisis Culprit Revealed

There appears to a leadership crisis is the offing . Apparently David Cameron is about to launch his own brand of "modern compassionate Conservatism", including more environmentally friendly policies. How this will go down the farming, 4x4 driving and industrial supporter who make up the Tory core vote? There is talk of social justice, which is not going down well the BUPA members as this may give their buy to let tenants.

Apparently this is an attempt to woo the Liberal Democrat voters. So I appears that we have found the person who has been briefing against Charles Kennedy. Yes it was the same young policy advisor who was standing on the sidelines during Norman Lamont’s statements on Black Wednesday. That person may now be leader of the conservative party. However, within two weeks he has realised that his membership is largely getting older and is dying off. So he is aiming to take over as leader of the youngest, most forward looking and rapidly growing party. Step forward David Cameron as he launches his bid to be the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Sadly I understand on good authority that there are too many illiberal skeletons in his closet for this coup to succeed.

So We Discussed...

Was at my first Liberal Democrat gathering following this weeks news of attempted leadership coups, the Edinburgh Council Groups Jazz Reception. Did we discuss potential leaders to follow Charles Kennedy? No!

What we did discuss was how we can move the party on from our good performance in 2005 to make the most of the Scottish parliament and Council votes in Edinbught, Lothian and Scotland in 2007.

OK there was the occasional sentance about the weeks events but there was no forming of rival camps, no lobbying for potential leaders later this year. No there were far more important things open for discussion and so these were discussed:

Mobilisation of non-activists.

Organising across constituency boundaries for the new Multi-Member wards.

How Lib Dems strive for gender balance against David Cameron's grand scheme.

So any flies on the wall would have had a boring night of gettting what they expected all told.

Bizarre Labour Response to Post Office Closure

It is interesting to see just what sort of public response new Labour run West Lothian Council have to the closure of Bathgate’s main Post Office. Especially as I have posted my thoughts on this on the football club’s website. This is quite an good public arena locally because, as well as myself, a SNP and a Labour councillor are both regular posters.

Somebody had posted that the development of Livingston was shutting Bathgate, once a prospering beating heart of West Lothian, down. I responded that it was actually shutting West Lothian down. So imagine my delight when Labour Councillor Willie Dunn, who is also Deputy leader of the Council, came on an posted not about the Post Office situation but attacking my signature in light of the above post.

My signature comes straight from the West Lothian Lib Dem Website:

Working for Livingston and Linlithgow & Falkirk East with a link to the website.