"Bob Rae wants to be Prime Minister"

So the Conservatives have release a new attack ad on Bob Rae. It can be found here.

In the ad an ominous female voice says:

Bob Rae wants to be Prime Minister.

But as a former Premier of Ontario, he has a proven record of failure.

The most job losses since the great depression.

The highest income taxes in North America.

The biggest deficit Ontario had ever had.

By the time he was done, Premier Rae turned Ontario into the welfare capital of Canada.

Bob Rae: if he failed at running a province, why does he think he can run a country?

I'm not going to attack or defend Bob Rae's record as Premier. Frankly, I think it was quite good given the circumstances surrounding the world economy of the day. What I would like to say is that I find is astounding that Conservatives are even bothering... Let us forget for a moment that an election is still three years away. The Conservative Party can use its money however it wants. But why attack interim leader of a third party? Can anyone think of any precedent of a third party leader or interim leader (let alone both) receiving as much attention as Bob Rae?

We are talking about a man who has made it clear that he has no intention to run for permanent leadership. We know there are Liberals already jockeying for the coming race. So why on earth would the Conservatives target someone who will at best be a front bench minister? Why bother?