NATO a non-starter for MacKay?

Defence Minister Peter MacKay is believed to be in the running to replace Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as head of NATO, but his quiet campaign to win the position appears off to a troubled start. "There are some elements that are a little bit strange. He’s lobbying for it, but he keeps it to himself for the time being," says one diplomatic source. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, hell is reported to have broken loose within the Prime Minister’s Office when MacKay made clear his intention to pursue the influential job. Still, with two prominent European contenders having dropped out of the race and a general aversion to the possibility of an American taking over, MacKay is said to have hope.

Toronto Star