BACKSTAGE AT OTTAWA
THE MAN WITH A NOTEBOOK
IN BOTH the older parties these days, all the talk is about new leadership. The Liberals problem is out in the open and relatively simple. Since J. L. Ilsley s retirement, the number one candidate is Louis S. St. Laurent. Had Mr. Ilsley consented to run, he could probably have carried the Liberal convention. But now the only real opponent to Mr. St. Laurent is Hon. Jimmy Gardiner; Hon. Jimmy is a resourceful and tenacious fighter who should never be counted out in advance, but this time the odds are against him.
There may be other candidates before the convention for the first ballot or two. Some Liberal strategists think it would be better not to let it develop as a straight two-man fight, for fear it might break down into English versus French. They’ve asked several people, including Premier Garson of Manitoba and Right Hon. C. D. Howe, to be ready to run in order to break up the English vote on the first ballot. This would give Mr.
After meeting with Republican senators at the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden appeared poised to push forward with his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan even if it fails to draw Republican support.
After meeting with Republican senators at the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden appeared poised to push forward with his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan even if it fails to draw Republican support.
By Jarrett Renshaw and David Morgan
While the White House termed Biden’s discussion with 10 Republicans who pitched a downsized relief effort as “productive,” the Democratic president told the senators their plan did not go far enough.
Biden told the group “that he will not slow down work on this urgent crisis response, and will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
The Republicans who attended the meeting are pushing a COVID-19 relief proposal about one third the size of Biden’s.
Earlier on Monday, top Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives filed a joint $1.9 trillion budget measure, a step toward bypassing Republicans altogether on a new virus relief bill.