THE ruthless knifing of their leader Sir Menzies Campbell demonstrated once again the nasty streak the Lib Dems are willing to display as they seek in vain to re-establish themselves as a major force in British politics.
The Fife Central MP at the age of 66 might not have been the most dynamic speaker nor possess the qualities some may associate with either Messrs Brown or Cameron. But when the chips were down 18 months ago he brought the party back from the brink af
ter a similar whispering campaign did for his predecessor Charles Kennedy - the party's most successful leader for more than 80 years.
Moves to oust Mr Campbell quickly reached a head after Mr Brown elected not to go to the country this autumn, when the Young Turks in the Lib Dem shadow cabinet expected Ming to lead them to disaster - hoping they could profit from his failure.
This latest example of their desire to rip their leaders to pieces at the slightest opportunity has made it crystal clear to voters that, no matter how they try to portray themselves, they are not the "nice" party of British politics.
By moving so quickly to force him to quit just weeks after they embraced him at the party's annual conference, certain factions of the party have merely shown themselves to be shamelessly opportunistic and motivated by little more than personal ambition.
It is true that Mr Campbell's time was limited and he was expected to stand down or be ousted at some point but this week was not the time. By his own admission he became "irritated and frustrated" over the constant questioning of his leadership as much from within the party as outwith.
Who helped wield the knife is a matter of debate at Westminster - was it Deputy Leader Vince Cable, Party President Simon Hughes or favourite to succeed, Green Supremo Chris Huhne? Or even Home Affairs spokesman Nick Clegg? It matters little to the man in the street.
Whoever gets the job of Lib Dem leader in two months' time will find that it will become an even tougher job trying to win his respect and trust.
While the latest bloodletting will have damaged the party itself - and even seasoned party activists will find it difficult to summon the energy and enthusiasm to help pull them out of the mire into which they have sunk.
Having already lost their coalition foothold in Scotland, and fading fast from the political spotlight in the north, they are now a party which is rudderless at national level at a time when Mr Brown and Mr Cameron are going full out to establish their own credentials.
Whenever the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls an election, the Lib Dems are likely to suffer - and the party's high command will have only themselves to blame.
They are doing more than their rivals to make it a two-horse race.
The full article contains 496 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
