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The latest episode of Bill Mahers show Real Time performed what was, in effect, an in-studio social experiment.

It sought to establish, in a controlled setting, the answer to this pressing question: How long could Maher and atheist author Sam Harris talk frankly about the illiberalism of much of the Muslim world before actor and director Ben Affleck, another guest, accused them of racism?

The result is in: Not very.

In fact, almost as soon as Maher and Harris began to discuss how liberals are betraying their own convictions if they dont stand up against social backwardness in the Muslim world, Affleck grew visibly agitated.

He could barely contain himself when Harris opined, We have been sold this meme of Islamophobia, where every criticism of the doctrine of Islam gets conflated with bigotry toward Muslims as people.

Thats when Affleck interrupted, and soon enough, he was calling Maher and Harris out for their grossness, ugliness and, yes, racism. How does it feel, guys?

You might be wondering, Why should I care what the new Batman thinks? The exchange was so notable because all three are men of the left in good standing.

As a walking embodiment of liberal piety, Affleck is emblematic of liberalisms see-no-evil discomfort with frank truths about the Muslim world.

The prelude to the intraliberal fight was the prior weeks show, when Maher pointed out the absurdity of liberals getting exercised over, say, actor Jonah Hill using an anti-gay vulgarism, but ignoring that gays can be stoned in Muslim countries.

To count yourself as a liberal, Maher declared, you have to stand up for liberal principles meaning across the board.

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Afflecks affliction: Liberals mute on Islams woes

It's crunch time for Pierre Karl Peladeau.

The potential PQ leadership candidate said he has no plans to sell his controlling stake in the Quebecor media empire, but with the PQ leadership campaign about to start, Liberals say that he has to make a choice -- and soon.

Peladeau, who is the favourite to win the campaign, is keeping to his Quebecor fortune even if it could hurt his chances.

Tuesday, the Liberals added to growing pressure on PKP to choose.

It's not normal for someone to think that he can be premier of Quebec, leader of his party, and at the same time leader of the information in Quebec, said MNA Jean-Marc Fournier, the government house leader.

The PQ race is about to start, with all eyes on PKP.

It's his first test in fact, said Fournier.

Premier Philippe Couillard warned the PQ not to apply a double standard to protect Peladeau. In 2009, Liberal minister David Whissel quit his cabinet post under PQ pressure, saying his family-owned asphalt firm was a conflict of interest.

How would they react to his case of a family-owned business, which I respect, which is the case, compared to the way they have approached other examples? he said.

The PQ's interim leader Stephane Bedard said PKP is following the rules as MNA.

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Liberals, CAQ push PKP to sell Quebecor shares

Support for the federal Liberal party is continuing to slide, a new Forum Research poll shows.

The poll, released Monday as the House of Commons debated a motion to send Canadian fighter jets to Iraq, found 38 per cent support for leader Justin Trudeaus Liberals, compared to 34 per cent for the Conservatives.

Thats a sustained drop for the Liberals, who were ahead by six points in September (40 per cent for the Liberals to 34 per cent for the Conservatives) and nine points in August (41 per cent to 32 per cent).

The Liberals had a 12-point lead in July.

We are seeing a slow but measurable trend towards parity between the two leading parties, Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said Monday.

The Liberals now lead the Conservatives by such a slight amount.

The NDP polled at 19 per cent, according to the latest figures, compared to 18 per cent last month, and 17 per cent in August.

The new poll was conducted Friday through Sunday.

Harper announced Friday that Canada is dispatching CF-18 fighter jets to the Middle East to battle Islamic State militants for a six-month mission.

Both the Liberals and NDP stated that same day that they would oppose such a move.

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Support continues to dip for federal Liberals

The federal Liberals continue to register strong scores on the Nanos Party Power Index.

The Liberals scored 60.5 points out of 100 on the Nanos Party Power Index, while the Conservatives scored 50.4 points, the NDP 49.6 points, the Green Party 31.9 points and the BQ 25.6 points (QC only).

Accessible voters for both the Liberals and the NDP are near a twelve month high for both parties while accessible voters for the Conservatives are near their twelve month average.

Asked a series of independent questions for each party, 58.8 per cent of Canadians would consider voting Liberal, while 45.6 per cent would consider the NDP, 40.6 per cent would consider the Conservatives and 28.2 per cent of Canadians would consider voting for the Green Party of Canada.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has maintained a seven point advantage in the week over week tracking on the preferred prime minister front over Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and registered a new 12-month high.

For the first ranked choice for PM, Trudeau came in at 35.8 per cent, Harper at 28.3 per cent, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair at 17.8 per cent, Green Leader Elizabeth May at 3.6 per cent, Bloc Quebecois Leader Mario Beaulieu at 0.7 per cent and the rest were unsure.

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Federal Liberals still enjoy strong score on Nanos Party Power Index

OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau is facing the first serious test of his leadership of Canada's Liberals in the wake of a parliamentary vote to send Canadian fighter jets to Iraq.

Trudeau and most Liberal MPs voted against the idea.

But Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, a former justice minister and a globally recognized human rights defender, abstained from the vote, saying in a statement that his "principled absention," as he called it, was a result of his recognition that military intervention against Islamic terrorists in Iraq and Syria is required, but that the Harper government's proposal lacked "clarity."

Cotler, former Liberal leader Stephane Dion and former Liberal cabinet ministers Lawrence MacAulay and Mauril Belanger, were also absent from Tuesday night's vote.

And influential Liberals like former interim leader Bob Rae, former cabinet minister Lloyd Axworthy, and retired general and former Liberal senator Romeo Dallaire, all argued ahead of the vote for a combat mission in Iraq.

The apparent schism among Canada's Liberals was an opportunity for Trudeau's political opponents to pounce.

"The Liberal Party should hang its head in a shame," Employment Minister Jason Kenney said after the vote. "This is an ignoble day for the proud Liberal Party of Canada, underscored by Irwin Cotler's absence tonight."

Kenney has long admired Cotler's work in defence of human rights in Canada and around the world and Kenney even began his political career as a Liberal staffer working for long-time Liberal MP Ralph Goodale.

"The vote that the Liberal Party cast tonight is contrary to everything that party ever stood for in foreign and security policy," Kenney said.

And, indeed, Trudeau now may have more work convincing his own party, let alone Canadian voters, that he was right to reject the combat mission Iraq largely on the basis that, in his estimation, the Harper Conservatives had not made the case for a combat mission.

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A test for Trudeau? Canada's Liberals split on Iraq combat mission