Today's Campaign Promises

You got the Count with the deja vu Liberal universal daycare redux  reduced (for now).  In other words more big nanny state taking money from you to pay for others childrens daycare.  No doubt with this expensive unionized bureaucracy your children and grand children will be taught how to be good little liberals.

Next you have Jack Layton declaring war on the Alberta oilsands.  Good job  Jack, you just increased Linda Duncan's re-election chances.(not).  That'll do wonders for our recovery.

On the other hand.a re-elected Conservative government will continue and finish free trade agreements with the EU and India within the next couple of years. and make the Halifax Harbour an international trading hub
That's a common sense approach to expanding our economy which we need.

It's obvious who has the most common sense program that will enhance and improve our country.  You have a choice. Do you want a coalition of the losers who will take your money to spend on  bigger nanny state programs in that will go mostly to Quebec, (Greece anyone) or do you want a stable, prudent government that will seek to make sure our economic recovery goes forward and that we continue to be the envy of the world.

The only choice is in in this election my opinion is a Conservative majority government that will be a stable prudent government who get things done and we wouldn't have to go to the polls for four years. That is a plus.  The other choice,a coalition of the losers which would give us instability, spend us into oblivion. It would be chaotic and never get anything done expect what is good for Quebec and. we'd probably be back to the polls in another eighteen months or so anyway. What do you choose?

Sign of Impending Coalition?

The NDP candidate in London just dropped out of the race and puts his support behind the Liberal candidate.  Coaltion at work?  You decide.

An NDP candidate in London has surprised everyone, including his own party, by withdrawing from the election race and throwing his support behind a Liberal rival.
Ryan Dolby, who was running in Elgin-Middlesex-London, made the sudden announcement through a news release emailed to the media, party officials and others Wednesday morning.
"I am worried if Stephen Harper gets a majority. I made a strategic decision," Dolby said.
He was running against Liberal Graham Warwick and Conservative Joe Preston, who held the seat before the election.
Asked if he had warned NDP officials either locally or nationally, Dolby said he thought it would be best to let everyone know at the same time.

Media Manipulation

I want to urge some caution when dealing with the media this federal election. Be aware of media manipulation.  Here's what to watch for.

1. Using Anecdotal evidence  
This is the method where reporters use a single example as "evidence".
2.Providing only one side of stories Most journalists seem to forget there are two sides to EVERY controversial issue, otherwise it wouldn't be controversial!
3.Choosing only certain stories to run or emphasize A media source shows it's bias not only by how it presents it's stories, but also in what stories it chooses to run.
4.Cherry-picking research & statistics
5.Using biased polls or selectively reporting results If you're a regular watcher of cable news shows, can you remember a day when some new poll wasn't presented? Polls open a whole new set of possible biases and manipulations. Polls can use leading questions, a small or unrepresentive sample size, sloppy recording methods, and dishonest poll-takers.
6.Using out-of-context quotes and clips
7.Choosing other poor sources as "evidence"
    a) "Anonymous" or unnamed "expert" sources 
    b) Remote sources or those with questionable credibility
    c) Citing secondary sources that use one or more of the other manipulations techniques
8. Controlling the timing of stories to do maximum political damage  
9.Using "critics say" to express their own beliefs Beware whenever you read or hear the words "critics say". A reporter will often use these words to stir up controversy or to express their own beliefs.  


So when watching the main news channels or reading the papers keep these points in mind.. When you have journalists and news outlets out there who want to set the agenda, you have to examine their reporting closely.  Check other sources.  Listen directly to the words of the candidates and make up your own mind based on those words. Take the media's interpretations with a grain of salt. It's all about how be an informed voter.

Coalition Wiggle Room

Ezra Levant says that even if Michael Ignatieff if loses the election he can still seize power. All Ignatieff needs to do is take a page from the 1985 Ontario election.

 Asking Michael Ignatieff if he’s going to form a coalition with the NDP and Bloc is the wrong question.
Because even if Ignatieff loses the election (as early polls suggest), he doesn’t need a coalition to seize power. He can do what the Liberals and NDP did immediately after the 1985 provincial election in Ontario: Just grab power with an immediate non-confidence vote. No coalition needed, to hell with the voters.
The 1985 Ontario election was won by the Conservatives. They won more seats than any other party — but they still had a minority. Instead of accepting that result, Bob Rae, then leader of the NDP, phoned up David Peterson, the Liberal leader, and made a deal to grab power.
They didn’t make a formal coalition. A coalition is a specific deal where cabinet seats are divided up and more than one party becomes an integral part of the government.
The Liberals and NDP just agreed that, as soon as Ontario’s legislature met, they’d join forces to vote non-confidence in the Conservatives and propose the Liberals should rule with the NDP’s support.
Being lawyers, they called it an accord, not a coalition. But it was a deal. The Liberals promised to implement a series of NDP policies. And in return, the NDP agreed to sink the Conservatives, and keep the Liberals in power for two years.

So there you have it. The question that should be asked of Ignatieff is whether he would do what the Liberals and the NDP did in Ontario in 1985 by agreeing to an accord like Bob Rae and David Peterson did

Remember this too regarding the coalition between the Libs/Dippers/Bloc,it would exclude everyone from the winning party  which would be the Conservatives. Since most of the Conservative seats come from the west, the west would be shut out.  Can you say western separation anyone?

Update: H/T Kate at SDA,  Why Michael Ignatieff Won't Form A Coalition

John MaCallum:Corporate Tax Hikes=Job Losses

Yesterday Roy Green had a very interesting show.  At one point he had Liberal John MaCallum on as a guest. They got to talking about corporate taxes. As you know Liberals want to raise the corporate tax rate back at 18%. It's now down to 16.5%. Anyway, Roy got John to admit that corporate tax hikes would result in "minor job losses."    You see, Liberals want to take the money from the tax hikes to pay for their social entitlement programs.

Fellow blogger Alberta Aardvark has put together a great audio file on the MaCallum statement. Have look for yourself, MaCallum in his own words. h/t Alberta Aardvark

So in a nutshell, Liberals would sacrifice much need jobs that would stimulate the economy for their old tired social programs.   If you want to keep your job, don't vote Liberal, vote Conservative.  They are the ONLY party that will protect and encourage new job growth.

David McGuinty Spills the Beans

One of Michael Ignatieff's soldiers tells us what they really have planned. Watch this. It's all right here for ya in his own words.

Can You Believe The LIberal Leader?

The coalition of the losers that is.  Yeah Michael Ignatieff has finally come out and ruled out a coalition but so did the previous leader, Stephan Dion.  Then you know what happened after that election.  Boom, we had the coalition of the losers trying to overthrow a duly elected government just weeks after the election in 2008.

How can you believe Mr. Ignatieff? He's flipped flopped so many times on so many other issues. He has little credibility anymore.

It's like PM Harper says "The did it before, they'll do it again." 

By the way, the accord they signed in 2008, it's still in effect.

Another thing, how can the Bloc get in bed with the Liberals after Adscam?  I thought Quebecers  were outraged at that.  After it all took place in Quebec. Go figure!   I guess maybe the Bloc will get into bed with anyone who will meet their bloc mail demands. By the way, Liberals still haven't paid back that $40 million they stole from us yet.

The best way to prevent that unholy alliance from trying to steal power again is to elect  a Conservative majority government because they will try.  Mark my words!

Ignatieff's Stance on Coalition is Still Uclear

Despite what the other media say,John Ivison points out that the statement that Ignatieff made this morning on a coalition is still not clear.  
 A Liberal press release that was sent this morning states that there would be no coalition if the Libs won  the most seats.  It did not say what they would do if  Conservatives won more seats and they came in second.

Mr. Ignatieff said in his press conference on the steps of Parliament Hill that he made the decision to speak out because he didn’t want “to spend 36 days with any ambiguity”.
Yet ambiguity remains. The release is very specific that the no-coalition commitment applies in the event the party that wins the most seats is called on to form the government. It is clear that, if the Liberals are first past the post and can’t gain the confidence of the House, then Mr. Harper would be called on to form the government.

This legitimizes the concept of a coalition, which no-one seriously disputes under the Constitution. But what the statement does not make clear is whether the commitment is unequivocal in the event of a Conservative minority. Could Mr. Harper win on election day and be defeated over his Throne Speech by the opposition, leading to a Liberal-NDP coalition, backed by the Bloc?

So do believe the Liberal leader?  I certainly do NOT!  Don't forget the last time the coalition reared it's ugly head, it was the Conservatives who won the most seats not the Liberals.  Oh by the way Ignatieff signed that agreement and it's still in affect.

The Race is On

Well it seems we're in our fourth election in seven years.  The coalition of the losers decided they wanted to take the current government down some trumped up charges in which the coalition on the committee had the majority.

So here we are.  The polls look pretty good at the on set for the Conservatives,not so good for the Libs.

We already have our first big gaffe even before the writ is dropped.  Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, he won't answer the darn question on whether or not he would enter a coalition with NDP and the Bloc if the Conservatives fail to get a majority.  See here for yourself.



PM Harper has a good record to run on. Amazingly with a minority he was able to get some good things accomplished for Canadians.  Here is just a small sample  of them,

(1) African Development Fund Replenished — Instituted in 1972, the Conservative government replenished the fund as promised at the G20 conference in Toronto in 2010 (Link)
(2) Age of Consent Legislation — Raised from 14 to 16 effective May 1, 2008 (Link)
(3) Agent Orange Compensation Package of $96 Million –$20,000 to all veterans and civilians who lived within 5 kilometers of CFB Gagetown in N.B.when Agent Orange was sprayed over a seven day period in 1966 and 1967 (Link)
(4) Air India Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry — PM Harper apologies to the friends and relatives of all those who died in that disaster (Link)
(5) Apology to Native People — By the Government of Canada on June 11, 2008 for residential school abuses (Link)
(6) Arctic Research Station Announced – The feasibility study started in 2007 was completed in August 2010 with the announcement that it will be built over the next five years in Cambridge Bay, Nanavut (Link)
(7) Auto Theft and Property Crime Bill — Legislation passed that would crack down on auto theft and trafficking in property that is obtained by crime (Link)
(8) Canada Employment Credit — Of $1000.00 (Link)
(9) Child Tax Credit — $2000 for every child under eighteen (Link to all the family tax credits)
(10) China Signs New Initiatives– PM Harper and President Hu Jintao signed a new initiative that built on December 09 Joint Statement — such as re-opening the Chinese market to Canadian beef products (Link)

You can find the rest of them at Sandy's who's done a masterful job at compiling all of them.  

Let's give PM Harper a Conservative Majority at the end of all this!

Ok the Latest Poll is Very Good But.......

The latest Ipsos Reid poll shows Conservatives 19 points ahead of the Liberals. 
CPC-43%
Libs-24%
NDP-16%
Even in battle ground Ontario Conservatives are 16 points ahead of the Libs, 46vs30 points respectively.

Here's where the but comes in.  This poll is fantastic and would give the Cons a majority if the election were held today, but today is not voting day. 

The campaign hasn't even started yet.  Anything can happen on the campaign trail. Conservatives should not take things for granted just because the opposition is weak and the polls look good.

 If we want to hold polls like this Ipsos steady or even improve it can be done. There should be NO stupid mistakes from the war room or the candidates etc. Don't be overly confident. Take one day at a time. It will be a tough long nasty campaign.  Be determined and work hard like we're behind even though we are ahead and  that majority can be won  Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched.

The Possibiltiy of A Coalition of the Losers

The outcome of the election will be either a Conservative Majority or a Coalition of the losers.  John Ivison points out his article the very real possibility of a coalition if the Conservatives don't achieve a majority vote.

It is majority government or bust for the Conservatives in the coming election. The more the leaders of the Liberal party, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois talk, the more it becomes apparent that they are prepared to form a coalition of losers, in the event the House of Commons returns in something approximating its current form.

Jack Layton has been fairly open. We know where he stands. A coalition would be the NDP's only chance with power.

The NDP leader explicitly endorsed a coalition with the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois in his scrum in the foyer of the House of Commons Wednesday. “I have said I will work to ensure the ideas we campaigned on have the best possible chance of being implemented in Parliament. I will reach out to other parties who are willing to work with us,” he said.

Gilles Dueceppe would will do what is best for Quebec.  If it means getting into bed with the Libs and Dippers, he will do it.  

Roy Green asks the question coalition, yes or no.   He is asking the Liberal leader to fess up.

Answer the question Mr. Ignatieff. In the event of a minority Conservative Party election result might Canadians be treated to a rebirth of the Liberal, NDP, BQ coalition?
An on the record “yes” or “no” would be preferred. “Maybe” would be acceptable.
Instead you chatter about voters having the choice to walk through a “blue door” or “red door.” By the way, did you, did any of your associates take note that not once, but twice the first option you offered in front of national microphones and cameras was the “blue door”? Still having the bus towed to Harper Diesel are we?

Can you imagine Jack Layton, Pat Martin, Thomas Mulcair, Libby Davies, Scotty Brison in cabinet?  Gilles Duceppe as defacto Prime Minister?   Heaven help us! That would be the end of Canada as we know it!  That's exactly what will happen if we don't elect a Conservative Majority folks!

Was Jack Layton Bullied To Reject the Budget?

Senator Mike Duffy in an interview on CFRA reveals that Jack Layton was originally going to support the budget until he got bullied into not to supporting it by his Quebec MP Thomas Mulcair.  You have to hear it..  Listen here. and then pass it on.

An Election We Go

It seems inevitable now, we will be off to an election with a matter of days.  The coalition of losers just can't support a budget the seems pretty reasonable to me. Oh well I guess it's up to them.

  Going into an election Conservatives have the advantage.  Polls are looking pretty good, the war chest is in good shape, a weak opposition, a seasoned strong campaigner in PM Stephen Harper and a solid record of accomplishments.

The outcome of the campaign will be either a Conservative majority or a Coalition of the losers.  Can we win a majority?  Yes I believe we can but on the other hand we can't take anything  for granted.  It 's going to take hard work and determination in the ground war to succeed.

If you want a Conservative majority, do whatever you can to help. Donate, volunteer, etc.I know I will be posting as often as I can and I will be donating as well.  I will also be praying for our candidates, volunteers, war room staffers, our leader and those faithfully commit to our blogs.  Praying for strength, stamina, and ultimately a majority government because I have a feeling this campaign will a long very,very nasty one.  The coalition and their media will try to throw everything including the kitchen sink  at Conservatives in order to either hold us to a minority or to win. 

So let's roll up our sleeves friends and get to work.

No Real Pressing Reason to Go to The Polls

 Libluvin' Globe and Mail journalist Jeffery Simpson, scratching his head  thinking that  there isn't any pressing reason to go to the polls this spring.  He even concedes there is NO MAJOR SCANDAL !!!  You hear that opposition coalition? NO MAJOR SCANDAL!!!

Is Parliament more dysfunctional than usual? Is there an economic, political or social crisis? Is there a major scandal? Is there a big defining issue in front of the country? In short, are there objective reasons why it could be argued that Canada needs an election 2½ years after the last one?
The answer to all of these questions is obviously no.

He goes on to point out that only the Conservatives and the Bloc will benefit and doesn't understand what the  Liberals and the NDP are thinking.

Just why the Liberals and NDP apparently want an election is less explicable.

Even with all the controversy surrounding the Conservative government's "so called ethical problems," they are still the most trusted to deliver honest government and nothing has really changed in the latest Nanos poll.

So if the coalition gangs up and brings this current government down, they will do so at their own peril. To that I say then bring it on so that we can elect a Conservative majority  government and stop this whole nonsensical shenanigans that the coalition have been engaged in ever since the Christmas break so that real work can get done for real Canadians.  

So Stephen Harper Can't Be Trusted According to Iffy

PM Harper calls the RCMP immediately upon hearing of allegations that a former aid might have been involved in influence peddling after the aid left the PMO and Iffy says he can't be trusted. Huh?  

The influence peddling allegations against a former senior staffer in the Prime Minister's Office raises serious questions about whether Prime Minister Stephen Harper can be trusted, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Thursday.
Harper's office called the RCMP Wednesday after hearing aide Bruce Carson allegedly promised First Nations bands and companies access to the prime minister in exchange for money.

Iffy should think before he engages mouth.What he says doesn't make sense.  Is PM Stephen Harper perfect? No of course not, nobody is.  Are these allegations serious?  Yes, that's why he right away upon learning of these allegations and remember these are only allegations did the right thing. He called the police to sort out the matter. That's what he should have done. He didn't try to hide it. He didn't send this former aid off to be an ambassador to some small obscure country far away.  It means he has no tolerance for such things and will not put up with them. Can PM Harper be trusted?By taking these actions, I think so!
If you read the comments under the article I have referred to above you will see most of them not very favorable to Iffy.  He will have a hard time trying to convince the public in my opinion.  Iffy should be careful, the Liberal record doesn't help his argument.  Canadians have not forgotten Adscam and other not so kosher activities by the Liberals.

The Prime Minister's Remarks Taken Out of Context

Oh the howls of outrage from the usual suspects again. This time a  remark that PM Stephen Harper made during a press conference in Surrey B.C. David McGuinty, Liberal MP, attacked the PM accusing him of using the Japan tragedy for "cheap partisan purposes."

His remarks Tuesday were immediately blasted by a senior Liberal MP, who accused the prime minister of using the Japanese tragedy for “cheap, partisan purposes” and that the disaster has nothing to do with the decision Canadian MPs will soon make over whether voters should go to the polls.

The thing is McQuinty took the remark out of context. PM Harper was responding to a question from a reporter on how the tragedy in Japan could possibly affect our economy.  Here is what the PM actually said.

“Well, we’re obviously looking at all those things very carefully,” he said. “Our first concern, in fairness, is with all of those people who have lost their lives, and obviously all of their families and literally at this point, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who are homeless.
“So our first concern as a government is anything we can do to help Japanese authorities with this crisis.”
As for the wider implications of the disaster, Harper said the global economic impact remains unknown. He said he didn’t think there would be any “immediate economic impacts” on Canada, although he noted that the stock market took a hit.
“All of these things should remind everybody, should remind everybody in Canada and should remind all the parties in Parliament that the global economy remains extremely fragile,” said Harper.
“It does not take very much to make us all — not just in Canada, the United States all around the world — to make everybody very worried about what’s coming next in the economy.
“We’ve been through a difficult time. It’s getting better. It’s still quite fragile. So I don’t want to predict how that’s going to unfold. I think the Japanese will find their way of coping, but the fact of the matter is this should be a wake-up that we cannot afford to take our focus off the economy and get into a bunch of unnecessary political games. Or, as I said, an opportunistic, unnecessary election that nobody is asking for.”

 Turn this around. Who is using the PM's remarks for "cheap partisan purposes?"  David McQuinty, listen to yourself!  Aren't you being partisan?

If We're Going to Have an Election, Let's Get It Over With

We may know for sure within the next couple of weeks whether or not we will be going to the polls.  I don't see what  the Liberals or the NDP for that matter have to gain from going now.  Both are not doing that well in the polls.  There is no Iggymania sweeping the land. His approval ratings have been lower than the previous Liberal leader.  Jack Layton has been having health issues.

The last few few weeks the opposition have hammering the government on faux scandals that that public doesn't really care about. According to a former Liberal strategist if the Liberals think they'll gain traction campaigning on ethics they should think again. In fact the economy is foremost on Canadians minds.

One, the top-of-mind issue for Canadians is the economy. It always is. I consequently don’t see how we Liberals can ignore the economy in a 36-day campaign. I understand the desire to avoid talking about an issue that is a Conservative strength. But the economy is the 600-pound gorilla in the room. Ignore it at your peril.

Is the Conservative government perfect?  Heck no!  But the mistakes they've made may be stupid but not worth going to the polls over.
 
Why not wait a few days for the budget?  Liberals probably know that it will be a relatively good news budget and don't want Canadians to hear it.   So that leaves Jack Layton.  He's  in a conundrum.  What will he do?  The NDP have been on the government's case over so called "ethics" issues too but on the other hand what if the Minister Jim Flaherty has put in help for low income seniors that Jack has been asking for.  Will he end up saving Iffy?

There has been so much acrimony in parliament since the Christmas break maybe a spring election might be what the doctor ordered.  Now is a good chance for a Conservative majority. A majority government is always more stable and that is what is needed to make some of the hard decisions that are going to have to be made in the near future. 

If we're to go to the polls, bring it on! 


 

The Toxic Atmosphere on Parliament Hill

I like many  have been appalled lately at the behavior of  MPs on the Hill who are supposed to be "Honorable Members." Well they haven't been so honorable the last few weeks.  It has developed into what L.Ian Macdonald describes as toxic.and it's mostly over procedural stuff that most Canadians outside the Ottawa bubble care little about.  Yes the government needs to be held accountable but the focus should be on the issues that affect the everyday lives of regular Canadians.

The Conservatives are no angels either. Please pay attention! Yes even though so far none of this muck has stuck and the polls look good, it's no time for the Conservatives to go into stupid mode and get arrogant and cocky.because you never know what may happen.  A little bit of humility might be in order.  The public responds more positively to humility.  Arrogance turns people off. 

What to about it?  Well maybe an election would be the solution to sort things out, I don't know but it has to be a majority either way. Either a Conservative majority or a majority with the Lib/Dipper/Bloc coalition. 

BTW. These goings on in Ottawa pales in significance compared to what's going on in Japan today with horrific earthquake and tsunami. My heart and prayers are with the Japanese people today. 

While Jack is Away, Two of His MPs Go Ballistic

WOW!!!  While NDP leader Jack Layton is in the hospital recovering from major hip surgery, two of his MPs go ballistic.  Are these two guys trying emulate Charlie Sheen or what? First you have Pat Martin having a meltdown while bullying a female Conservative MP.  Candice Hoeppner did great job standing up to him by the way. She conducted herself very classy.  Just imagine if it were a Conservative white male acting like this towards an NDP  or a Liberal woman. On the eve of International Women's Day to boot.  That's  even more disgraceful. Pat Martin needs to publicly apologize to Candice Hoeppner for his unacceptable behavior.

Then you have Thomas Mulcair losing it when being interviewed by QMI journalist Brian Lilley. Lilley was asking him if he was after the bosses job.  Jack better watch his back.


What are these two thinking?  It's not the way you would want an "honorable member" to act. They are a disgrace to Parliament.

Just imagine if it were a Conservatives  acting like this.  Well, there would be hell to pay and rightly so.  It would be the lead story in every news outlet as well with cries for resignations.  Both these MPs are in serious need of professional help for anger management in my opinion. We can only hope they will hear an earful from their constituents and their leader.

Spring Election Campaign As Early As This Week?

Will we be plunged into an election campaign before the scheduled March 22 budget?   Apparently there are rumors floating around we could be as early as sometime this week.  The Libs are contemplating bringing forth a snap non confidence motion. NDP MP Joe Comartin makes a good point.

Mr. Comartin reacted with surprise to news of the possible Liberal motion, and put forth an unusual explanation when he said it was unlikely Mr. Brison would get a chance to move his motion. Mr. Comartin said MPs do not expect Mr. Milliken to release a decision on the dispute over the cost of the crime bills until after the March 22 budget.

"The speculation around the Hill is that Peter is going to hold off as long as possible, which means he won't rule next week and the week after that is a break week, the budget comes down on the 22nd but he won't rule before the budget," said Mr. Comartin.

Asked why Mr. Milliken would take the unlikely position of basing his decision on an impending federal budget, Mr. Comartin replied: "If it's obvious that the budget is going to bring them [the government] down, because all the motion [Mr. Brison's] does is move it over to committee, the motion is kind of irrelevant given that you're going to have an election intervening."

Nik Nanos believes the voters are not going to buy into this. 

Pollster Nik Nanos was shocked when he heard of the possible scenario in an interview with The Hill Times. He said there is little chance an arcane Parliamentary battle over MP privilege would stick with voters.

Voters are more interested in the day to day bread and butter issues.
Keith Beardsley says it smacks of desperation on the part of the Liberals and believes it could backfire on them especially with Jack Layton trying to recover from hip surgery that he had just on Friday.

Such a move reflects the desperation of the Liberals to try to get back into power at any cost and it would appear to the public to be exactly what it is –  a self-serving attempt that has none of the interests of the public in mind.
Most Canadians are also smart enough to know that forcing an election is a means for the party to solve its leadership woes. Either Ignatieff will win or he will be gone. Helping the Liberals find a leader won’t attract votes

                            **********************************************

There is also the Canadian sense of fair play. To force an election campaign while NDP leader Jack Layton  is on the sidelines recovering from a hip operation (not to mention the after-effects of prostate cancer) would not be seen in a positive light.  If I was the NDP I would be playing up the party’s attempts to win concessions from the government  and playing down Layton’s recovery speed. At least that would highlight that — unlike the Liberals, the NDP is in it for Canadians.

Liberals are playing with fire.  If they go ahead with this plan even if the other opposition parties play along with them, they could come to regret it.  It will play in to the Conservative narrative "He didn't come back for you"

For the Conservatives what a gift this would be. It would prove beyond a doubt that their attack ad line on Ignatieff — “He didn’t come back for you” — is 100% correct.

I don't know why the Libs are so hot to go into an election with their poll numbers the way they are. They only reason I can see is to get rid of their leader asap. Oh, yeah, as far as polls, they'll bring up Kim Campbell vs Chretien numbers.and Paul Martin vs. Stephen Harper numbers. They are underestimating PM Stephen Harper,he's no dummy.  PM Harper is no Kim Campbell and Michael Ignatieff is no Jean Chretien. Neither is Stephen Harper no Paul Martin and Ignatieff is certainly no Stephen Harper. Both Kim Campbell and Paul Martin conducted lousy campaigns. I'm sure PM Stephen Harper has learned from their mistakes and his own for that matter and will make an effort as not to repeat them.  The opposition will have an uphill battle.

Why can't they wait until the budget?  It's only really days away anyway. Voters are no dummies either.  They will see through this and punish the Libs or who ever that will initiate this.  If this is the way they want to play, bring on the election. Mark my words, Liberals will come to regret it. 

Well, What Ya Gonna Do Jack?

Election speculation started with Iffy last December and has been going on ever since.  Libs say they're not going to support the budget that's expected to be presented around March 22.   The Bloc are going to vote against it unless their blackmail demands are met.   It all comes down to Jack Layton and the Dippers.  Will they or won't they?  The ball is in your court.
I suppose it all depends on the polls and Jack your numbers are not looking too good these days especially in the latest Ipsos poll.
It has the CPC at 43%, majority territory, Liberals at 27%,rather stagnant, and NDP down to 13%.  Jack would certainly lose seats so why would he want to pull the plug? 
This poll is nothing for the Liberals to write home about either.  In fact it has some Liberals feeling like they need a head transplant.
Will he, won't he, will he, won't he?  I guess we'll all be wondering and waiting with bated breath until that vote comes down and we actually see what Jack and his party will do.

Tough Guy Eh?

Well Lawrence Martin, Liberal cheerleader, muses  today about the Iffy Waffle's "vision" and "toughness."  Martin compares Iffy with John Kerry and Michael Dukakis. Of course Iffy out right rejects that presumption.

Openness, democratic reform, equality of opportunity. In the Ignatieff view, it’s bold stuff. Others, pollsters included, don’t find it striking enough to change an image that needs changing.
When I raised the comparison with the Americans, he jumped in. “I’m not John Kerry. I’m not Michael Dukakis. I’m prepared to fight. The idea that I’m going to go through an election campaign as some kind of Boy Scout is a serious underestimation of who you are looking at.”
He said it with some anger. It was a good sign.

 Oh,yeah, he's such a tough cookie isn't he?  Remember these fighting words?

"If you mess with me, I will mess with you until I'm done," Ignatieff said Saturday.

Or these?

"After four years of drift, four years of denial, four years of division and discord -- Mr. Harper, your time is up."

He always makes these pronouncements then backs down. Iffy's waffled so many times he's lost his credibility.  Is it any wonder voters would choose "none of the above"  over the Iffy Waffle?