Is Ignatieff eyeing Christmas at no. 24?

You have to admire the zeal demonstrated by the big red machine as the nation braces itself for yet another federal election. And if Ignatieff and his strong team of Liberal cohorts have their way, we will all be going to the polls again long before the first snowstorm. This is hardly an appealing thought for those of us still trying to readjust to the end of summer, but as election talk increases on Parliament Hill, the more likely we are to see those all-too familiar posters and placards lashed to every pole and light standard before the first Christmas lights and inflatable Santas take over the urban landscape.

Ignatieff recently unleashed a series of TV ads, in both official languages, that cannot be taken as anything but a preliminary strike against the Harper government and, by obvious extension, the first move in an all-out effort to topple the Conservatives in a fall election. If all goes according to plan, Ignatieff will be able to roll out the Stornoway welcome mat for the Harpers and be happily ensconced on Sussex Drive in time for Christmas.

Under the deceptively simple slogan "We can do better," the Liberals are pushing a multi-tiered message — that Canada can improve its reputation and beef up its presence on the world stage, that Canadians can do better by electing the Liberals rather than Conservatives, and, of course, that the Liberals can do a much better job of running the country than the Harper government has done so far. Yes, we can all do better — and according to some recent opinion polls, the Liberals can do a lot better in the eyes of the Canadian public. This naturally makes Ignatieff's current media blitz all the more necessary and effective.

The first volley has been fired across Harper's bow. We await his reaction, knowing that we could wake up any morning to the smiling faces of local Liberal candidates on every pole in the city.