The Liberal nomination in the riding of Saint-Laurent, was supposed to be for Yolanda James, the star candidate, former MNA and cabinet minister in the provincial government. She was all but appointed to run for that riding, considered to be one of safest in Canada for Liberals. The Liberal organization practically decreed that James should get it, heavily lobbying people to vote for her. In fact, they turned down long serving St-Laurent borough mayor Alan DeSousa who was blocked for reasons unknown by the party from also running. Conspiracy theorists claiming that he was blocked in order to let James take the seat. It was not long before we heard the painfully repetitive cry of “Shame” without any hint of the schadenfreude underlying the pointed finger. All the while their own hypocrisy is left to slide away. The liberals say they have changed but look the pundits cry, they have not changed at all. Same old back room dealing and same old roughshod over the local people to impose their big bad will on them. Except? For people who are in the news business should they not read the actual facts? Alan DeSousa was blocked, no reason given. How about he was one of the long term mayors that worked around all the corruption in Montreal and did nothing about it? How about the party was trying to distance itself from that same old legacy of being surrounded by the “Sponsorship Scandal” which it could not if even a hint or smell of corruption came with DeSousa? Or could it be they just don’t want to take on his baggage so they let him down gently with a polite but firm, “No thanks.” As for the process; let democracy be the judge is the new policy. Last time I checked, free speech was part of that so called Democracy. So the party saying, “James is a great person who will do you proud if you select her as your representative for your riding;” is very much a long way from parachuting her into the riding without holding a vote. James showing her class when she tweeted her congratulations to the winner. The very same person elected by the riding itself. Same old? Same old democracy speaking perhaps? There is shame to be had here but it is merely the shadow of talking heads mired in a past best left behind by all concerned. Oh and the lady who won? Emmanuella Lambropoulos, a 26-year-old high school teacher who now has a new career and considering how safe her seat is, she may be in politics for a very long while. Good for her. She won by going door to door and rallying the people to her side. She also just happens to live in her riding that she will represent. Who would have thought when the Liberal party said things have changed that they would let some unknown political novice be elected into one of their fortresses. Unheard of. Indeed, even unthinkable. And this act of direct democracy in action is being called shameful? Same old Liberals? Hip hip hooray! Let’s have more of this “Old Song and Dance” again. And let the people decide who they want to represent them. Oh wait, the Liberals already have in this riding. More power to them all! People power.