In what amounts to be practice for ousting the Conservative government of Stephen Harper come January, the Liberals are poised to install Michael Ignatieff as their new “interim” leader next Wednesday, after Stephan Dion finally steps down today.

While the Liberals constitution allows for the appointment of interim leaders, Michael Ignatieff is also running formally to replace their briefly rehabilitated but disgraced leader Stephane Dion. In effect, Ignatieff becomes the de facto Grit leader, which tramples the chances of the other two leadership hopefuls, including one Bob Rae.

Bob Rae, the Grit most animated to topple Stephen Harper is effectively being ousted himself. The leadership race will still be on, of course, but in reality the party will have robbed Rae of his chances to 1) get his hat trick toppling governments in Canada, and 2) become the leader of the battered Liberal Party.

In essence, a coalition of Liberals other than Bob Rae supporters is colluding behind close doors to take Bob Rae’s democratic chances away and to give the prize to Michael Ignatieff.

What goes around…