Signs of a spring election bloom in Ottawa

This is from CTV. It seems that the Conservatives are anxious for an election as is Dion but the Liberal party as a whole including the bosses Ignatieff and Rae may feel differently. The Liberals may want to wait until the fall and also hope that they will win some by-elections that will see Rae in parliament.
They hope that the public will ignore the constant vacillation and lack of leadership that the Liberals have shown at every turn. They also hope that Harper will make some serious errors before the fall election and that the economy will turn sour. As is often noted, governments usually defeat themselves. Given the weak unprincipled Liberal opposition this is quite fortunate for them. There is no way that they could win on their own merits.

Signs of a spring election bloom in Ottawa
Updated Sat. Feb. 16 2008 10:19 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
A top Liberal says the Senate will likely pass the Tories' omnibus crime bill by March 1.
That's the deadline given by Stephen Harper's Conservatives in a bill passed earlier this month. If the Senate doesn't pass the bill it could trigger an election.
David Smith, a Liberal senator and the party's campaign co-chair, said it's not likely that his party will take down the government over the crime bill. But that's not stopping talk of a possible spring election. The signs -- figuratively and literally -- appear to be everywhere in Ottawa.
The Tories have already printed their posters. The main plank in the Conservative platform: they have the strongest leader.
"It clearly defines the difference between Stephen Harpher and Stephane Dion," Conservative Party Spokesman Ryan Sparrow told CTV News.
It's not just posters. The Tory war room is up and running, and there is a lot of space for more troops once the battle call is sounded. There's even a high-tech studio waiting to beam their message across the country.
Although neither he nor his party appears to be as prepared, Stephane Dion is said to be anxious to trigger a campaign by defeating the budget in early March.
But many Liberals are urging Dion to wait. They argue that four by-election races -- that include high profile Liberals Bob Rae and Martha Hall-Findlay -- in mid-March will give the party momentum. A slowing economy could also hurt the government.
"(The Prime Minister) may want an election earlier but just because Mr. Harper wants an election doesn't necessarily mean we have to provide him with one," says Liberal MP Scott Brison.
David Smith says the Liberals' aim is to get rid of the Conservatives, and more time will help, even if it means the Grits will have to abstain on the budget.
But as Liberals ponder what to do, Conservatives are kicking into high gear. On Sunday, they'll launch a pre-campaign attack on Dion, saying all the spending promises he's made would drive Canada back into deficit budgets.
With a report by CTV's Roger Smith in Ottawa