Like a gutted, rabid hyena that still thinks it can lead the pack

Damn, steve!  Face reality.  You are only a leader in your own mind.

Looks like the man who would be king will be voted down this week.  Watching Duceppe, Layton, and Ignatieff yesterday and today, I think harper will face a very different election this time around.  The disgust from the opposition is real and whether intentional or not, the three parties seemed united on their lines of attack.  Layton came across a little softer still adding that things can change if harper is open to modify the budget, but even he adds that there isn't much hope.  That he didn't sit on his decision to oppose the budget is very telling.

That harper has presented a budget that is more of an election platform most likely drove away any doubts the opposition may have had.  steve knows he would have faced a non-confidence vote on contempt of Parliament and wanted to shift the focus of an election to the economy and some bull-shit tid-bit for nearly all budget.

The handful of items to the  elderly, to children, to green projects were, as Layton pointed out, so feeble that it is clear there's no real commitment there.  Pleasing business groups and corporations keeps their support and the chance of donations rolling in.

harper made no effort to meet the other parties to seriously discuss a budget that would fly - like minority governments should, and that's a pretty clear sign that steve wants the government to fall on his terms.

Then he can say things like this:

“Let’s be clear about what the Opposition is opposing and what they would toss away. All things – by the way – that they claimed to support: An increase in the income of Canada’s most vulnerable senior citizens; the reintroduction of the Home Energy Retrofit program to reduce home heating costs; an innovative transition-to-work program for our Canadian Armed Forces Veterans; extensions to work-sharing and the targeted initiative for older workers; an incentive to retain the volunteer firefighting services that are so critical to rural communities; and powerful encouragement for doctors and nurses to locate in rural areas.

Anyone with a brain knows that these things - and more - can still be put in a budget after the CONs lose power.  Another party could add such measures while freeing up money by canceling ridiculous projects related to prisons and by canceling the F-35 deal in favour of a better researched alternative.

And another party can put real accountability legislation in place.

steve wants an election on his terms.  Everything always on his terms.  Time for the opposition to work together and get rid of the rabid hyena so that we can address some of the issues Canadians are concerned about.  Five years of governing for harper's personal goals is enough.  The Canadian government needs to be returned to the Canadian people.