FYI: Sunday's Liberal Leadership Debate Live Chat

The Liberal leadership candidates are holding yet another debate today. Watch for sparks to fly between Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae after it was revealed on Friday that Ignatieff is trying to get most of Rae's BC delegates votes disqualified. Also on the radar screen will be Ignatieff's comment last week that what happened in Qana, Lebanon was a 'war crime', which he later flip-flopped on - again. (Ignatieff went from 'not losing any sleep' over the incident to proclaiming it was a 'war crime' and then deferring to international experts to decide whether or not it actually was a war crime.) The leadership candidates need to decide if they'll attack Ignatieff or join together to express their anger at PM Harper who said they were 'virtually all' 'anti-Israeli'. They could, of course, do both and there are many other issues like the war in Afghanistan and the Tory's so-called Clean Air Act, which will be released on Monday, that they can have a feisty debate and consensus about too.

The Toronto Star lays out the setting, program and issues of this debate including the tag-team line up:

The debates consist of eight segments (eight minutes each) of three candidates, chosen by draw, with Hall Findlay, Dryden and Volpe kicking off the fun. Unlike Vancouver, there is no teaming of Rae, Ignatieff and Dion, the threesome who delivered the most exciting exchange of the first four debates. Nor will there be any other combination of two front-runners and Ignatieff.

Ever fair, that Liberal party.

Instead, front-runner sparks will fly in smaller bursts, with Kennedy and Ignatieff paired with Hall Findlay, Rae and Ignatieff with Hall Findlay (who lucked out on the draws) and Dion and Ignatieff with Dryden.

The debate begins at 3pm ET and you can watch the televised coverage on CBC, CTV or CPAC. CPAC will also carry it live online in English and French.

Scott of Progressive Bloggers will also host a live (Gabbly) chat during the debate. He'll be AWOL this afternoon but the chat box will still be there. To participate, you need to be a member of ProgBlogs just to make sure the chat isn't invaded by trolls. If you're not a member and would like to join in, sign up at the site.

Grab your popcorn.