-Jets star Thomas Steen is going for the Tory nomination in Bill Blaikie’s old riding. The NDP nomination meeting is set for this Sunday, with MLA Jim Maloway among the three candidates vying for the nod. I know some people are going to disagree with me, but I’d be willing to put money on Steen netting this one…that seat is ripe for the picking with Blaikie gone.

-It sounds like David Emerson will not be running again.

–Palliser MP Dave Batters will not be running again, due to medical reasons. Batters knocked of Dick Proctor to win this seat in 2004 and won by 10% over his NDP opponent last time. This Liberals will be running a former Regina police chief in the riding.

-The Liberals anounced a star candidate in Manitoba today, convincing Bob Friesen, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, to run against Steven Fletcher in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia. Hopefully this will help the party’s credibility with the farming community.

-Former PC MP Andre Bachand, who called said the idea of a merger between the PCs and Alliance “gives me a rash and no dermatologist can fix this problem” must have found a good dermatologist, because he’ll be the Conservative candidate in Sherbrooke. It’s definitely a long shot riding for Bachand, but he’s pretty much guaranteed a cabinet position if he wins, so it may not be a bad gamble on his part.