It's campaign crunch-time at the Palais des congres conference centre and campaigns are patting one another's backs with one hand and furiously twisting arms behind the scenes with the other.

Hoping to eventually win the support of the four underdogs - Dryden, Martha Hall Findlay, Scott Brison and Joe Volpe - the front-running camps are rejecting the traditional approach of sitting on their hands for rivals in favour of cheering them on in hopes of getting their support in return.

Ignatieff's young supporters clapped and chanted Dryden's name as he and his placard-toting entourage worked their way past an Ignatieff press conference yesterday morning. Hall Findlay would be an important coup for one of the four hopefuls - Ignatieff, Bob Rae, Gerard Kennedy and Stephane Dion - because she is set to be first out of the race and offers symbolic momentum to whichever rival she supports.

Meanwhile, rumours of a Gerard Kennedy-Stephane Dion alliance hit fever pitch yesterday when news of a one-on-one meeting sped through the convention's ranks. Both matter-of-factly admitted to having the meeting. Kennedy has said he's talking with all of the candidates. Source...