Iggy, are you insane?

Ah here we go again, those kids in Ottawa just can't seem to get along too well, and they want to drag us into their problems.

Not since the great Prorogation anxiety has Ottawa been so worked up over a possible election, this time as the new Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff flexes a few of his parliamentary muscles in a bid to have Stephen Harper's Conservatives toe a more Liberal friendly line.

Ignatieff had put the Conservatives on notice on Friday that he's not against the idea of sending Canadians to the polls this summer, if Harper and his fellow Conservative members don't start seeing things the way that the Liberals do.

To that end he has had a pair of little tete-a-tete's with Mr. Harper in the last few days, with a third little event scheduled session planned to try and keep the ship of state of Ottawa off the rocks for a few more months anyways.

And while we applaud the concept of at least consulting the people this time around (unlike that un- endorsed attempt at wrenching government by the Dion/Layton/Duceppe troika of December) we have to wonder if Mr. Ignatieff has thought this all out very well.

The Liberals are currently riding upwards in the polls, a trend we suspect will continue as the economy remains stagnant and the economic upheaval around the world continues to evolve, it's always better to be the guy with the plan that the guy that has to implement one, and that's the territory that the Liberals hold these days.

As the Harper Conservatives try to spend their way out of the recession, their mis-steps and mis-calculations continue to erode at their base and certainly aren't doing much to attract new voters to their ranks.

Why the Liberals would want to be the government over the next few months is baffling, it would be a wise party that lets the Conservatives continue to suffer the bad news aspect of the troubles ahead, while Ignatieff and his fellow Liberals prepare for battle at a later date.

More importantly, what leader in his right mind wants to be the one responsible for sending Canadians to the polls in those few summer months where enjoyable pursuits can be followed, From June to September, many Canadians spread out across the nation, to visit friends and families, to get away from their homes or just enjoy the sunshine and warm weather.

Needless to say getting away from the job losses, financial worries and gloom over the economy is something that Canadians won't take kindly too if interrupted. Beyond that, sending us to the polls would suggest that the current crop of Parliamentarians just aren't up to the job of keeping things running smoothly for more than two months at a time.

To expect an election campaign to resonate in that atmosphere is just folly, if our electoral turnout is already woeful, one can imagine the precipitous drop in voter participation that will come if we are asked to once again trudge to the polls, that is if we're even in the home riding's during election day.

One would think that the Liberals might be playing a little game of bluff here, bouncing the Conservatives around a bit, but not enough to face the wrath of the voters.

Give it the summer, work out the details in your own plans and let the Conservatives suffer the ravages of economic troubles, then as the fall approaches perhaps then it will be time to ask the Canadian people for their confidence in your ambitions.

If they are seen as responsible and send Canadians to the election booths in the summer, the Liberals may not like the answer they get.

Globe and Mail-- Harper, Ignatieff hash out EI deal in bid to stave off election
Globe and Mail-- Parliament without a cause
Globe and Mail-- Fightin' words from underlings
Globe and Mail-- Playing to the level of his opponents
National Post-- Michael Ignatieff's $300-million election ego
National Post-- Mr. Ignatieff's slow-moving trigger finger
National Post-- Stop this election insanity
National Post-- Harper moves to ease tensions with Ignatieff
National Post-- Common sense has 4 days to prevail
Toronto Star-- Ignatieff, PM play chicken
Toronto Star-- Harper, Ignatieff close in on deal to avert summer election
Toronto Star-- Who's calling shots for Liberals?
Hill Times-- Liberals likely won't defeat governing Conservatives this week
CBC News-- Harper, Ignatieff to meet again after 'productive' talks
CBC News-- Harper willing to talk with Ignatieff to avoid election
CBC News-- Harper to Ignatieff: Don't send Canadians back to the polls