The return of Sheila Copps?

Former Liberal MP Sheila Copps is attempting to make a political comeback, of sorts.

The former deputy prime minster in the Chretien government is vying to be the next president of the federal Liberals.

Copps, who has been working as a political pundit since retiring from politics in 2004, says she wants to mold the party into "a modern, accessible and responsive vehicle for change."

Most would agree that the Liberal party needs a president who can rebuild and re-energize the party with new ideas.

But if you're trying to renew the party, should you really be looking to bring back a grizzled vet such as Copps?

Copps, 59, argues her experience is why should be elected president.

In an interview with the Toronto Star's Tim Harper, she recalls former NDP leader Ed Broadbent's prediction of the Liberal party's 'imminent demise' following the 1984 election.

"We had the Rat Pack," she says recalling the nickname given to her, and fellow Liberal MPs Brian Tobin, Don Boudria, Jean Lapierre, and John Nunziata during the Mulroney government.

"We fought back and we rebuilt. It's analogous to what is happening today. The people predicting its death want it dead. But it's not dead."

Many high profile Liberals seem to agree with Copps.

Copps, who is the perceived frontrunner in the race, has secured the bulk of the endorsements from MPs and senators of Liberal past and present including former cabinet ministers Lloyd Axworthy and Herb Dhaliwal.

Copps is running against four others, most notably Mike Crawley who was president of the Liberal's Ontario wing.

Crawley, who is expected to be the biggest threat to a Copps victory, received an endorsement from former MP Belinda Stronach, Wednesday.

"Mike Crawley is my choice for President of the Liberal Party of Canada," Stronach wrote in a message posted on Crawley's website.

"His dedication and commitment to modernizing the party and ensuring our members have a direct voice in policy development and the election of our Leader are issues that I also feel strongly about."

The new president will be elected at the party's biennial convention in Ottawa that begins January 13.