1989: Ontario Premier David Peterson interrupted a brief vacation with Frank McKenna Tuesday to suggest that the New Brunswick premier should run for the federal Liberal leadership.

1990: Whispers about McKenna’s interest in replacing John Turner have been growing in New Brunswick in recent weeks because the premier is shopping for a new speech writer.

1997: Journalist Allan Fotheringham, who reported this in the Financial Post, suggested the Martinites regard former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna as a real danger, though it’s hard to see the country choosing a man so earnest and eager to please.

1998: Frank McKenna, the political wunderkind who ran New Brunswick for a decade and is still only 50, might be persuaded to leave the corporate world and go into federal politics, where he was once expected to go.

2002: The former premier of New Brunswick, Frank McKenna, has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

2003: Mr. McKenna, who attended the Liberal convention briefly last week and didn’t rule out running.

2004: McKenna has made it clear that while he wants to run for election in a seat in the Moncton area, he does not want to fight for the nomination with an incumbent MP.

August 2005: Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Frank McKenna, is seen as the prime contender to replace Prime Minister Paul Martin.

December 2005: Topping everyone’s list of heirs-apparent is Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Frank McKenna.

January 2006: The body isn’t even warm yet, and already there are at least two senior Liberals — Frank McKenna and John Manley — who insiders say are quietly gearing up their leadership campaigns.

January 2006: A longtime friend and political ally of McKenna’s said the former premier is a “political addict” and will be very tempted to plunge into the leadership contest.

May 2006: A source, however, told The Hill Times that “don’t be surprised if you see the draft [Frank] McKenna campaign by late July” if none of these official Liberal candidates emerges as a clear front-runner.

July 2006: If you ask some Liberals whom, among the 11 candidates, is going to win the
leadership campaign, the answer is now the twelfth, Frank McKenna.

Now:

McKenna Eyeing Liberal leadership: source

Lord Discusses McKenna as Grit leader

“I don’t think the people who are putting his name out there are doing it without some indication that he wants it out there,” one Liberal said Thursday.

(linkless entries found via proquest)