Bob Rae    MP for Toronto Centre

There's been much debate in the Barack-Hilary contest about the impact of "going negative". The Clinton campaign has hit Obama very hard a few times, and he has clearly been reluctant to hit back in the same way. He's drawn a distinction between arguments that contrast positions, and arguments that ridicule an opponent or question motives, or grossly mislead.

There is the famous story about Lyndon Johnson being asked why he was saying things about his opponent that were obviously untrue. "I just want to see the look on his face when he denies it".

The Toronto Centre by-election is going through an interesting race. The Green Campaign is running an issues and ideas campaign. So is Liz White, a well known local activist committed to environmental and animal rights issues.

The broadsheet endorsing the Canada Action Party called Toronto Street News was being handed out last week. It contains material that is defamatory and anti-semitic, so "negative" is hardly adequate to describe it. So, for the record, I don't have a "Maoist brother-in-law", nor has Arlene ever been in the printing business. They must have us confused with other people, but this is still smutty stuff.

This would be bad enough, but the Harperities and "Jack Layton's NDP" have now emphatically joined the Army of Negativity. There are at least four Harperites pieces with photos of a shrugging Stephane Dion (contrasted with the rugged and handsome Stephen Harper). Mr Dion is portrayed as personally weak and soft on crime, who would raise taxes and doesn't care about seniors. Mr Meredith's name is on the back of the leaflet.

In a piece that is an eery copycat of the Harperite material "Jack Layton's NDP" has an equally unflattering picture of Stephane Dion on the front, contrasted with the rugged and handsome Jack Layton. On the back is a personal diatribe against yours truly, based on an equally malicious and partial version of the truth.

Welcome to the twin campaigns of Mr Harper and Mr Layton. They are both reduced to character assassination as their main argument. They think that going negative and personal will work.

There is a big difference between drawing contrasts and smearing your opponent. This is my ninth election, and I can tell the difference. One thing for sure - the old Progressive Conservatives and NDP are certainly gone - parties long on policy and civility. They've been replaced by the Republican farm team on the right hand side of the spectrum and decidedly unhappy warriors on the left.

Here's hoping the voters reject these approaches. Canadians deserve better.