I don’t think it would be too strong to consider those against the mission to be moral cowards for wanting to leave the afghans to their fate, and weaken and expose our country in the process.

Lets go to electorate, and see if they also deem the Liberals to be inveterate appeasers as well.

You meant the interview he gave the day AFTER the liberals already stated publicly they would not bring him down over this?

"Dion has been all over the map on this…"

Dion has said he wants the combat mission to end in 2009, and wanted a rotation to a less dangerous area. He has maintained that position.

Your argument is not strengthened by relying on false statements to support it.

We all know Harper could extend this mission without a vote. If he feels this strongly about it why doesn’t he take it out of the House and extend the mission himself? If his only concern was the mission he would not worry about a broken promise. He would not risk an election he could lose.

In the news today this was reported:

"A source, in an interview with CP, called the motion a "Manley-minus" — meaning it will call for an extension of the combat role but will not mention other recommendations pertaining to humanitarian aid, diplomacy and more open communication from Ottawa."

If that is true they are making it easy for the liberals to vote together to defeat this motion.

First - if you depend on the news for reliable information, you are in trouble. Second, Harper has been stating for well over a year, the Afghan mission is a matter of moral responsibility and one he would stake his political postion on. If you remember the interview he gave before the vote last year on extension to 2009, he was quite clear that he considered it a matter of confidence. He hasn’t changed his mind on this issue - Dion has been all over the map on this because his caucus is all over the map on this. He has two choices - tell Canadians how the Liberal party will vote and suffer the backlash within caucus or call a free vote and let things fall where they may. If there is an election is is because Dion mishandled this issue. No one can honestly accuse the Conservatives of being unclear on where they stand. No one can honestly accuse the NDP or the Bloc either. It is time for the Liberals to stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about he people of Afghanastan and what is in their best interests.

Dion may prove me wrong and pull off an upset, but I doubt it.  But either way it will have less to do with a burning hatred or love of this government than it will the execution of the campaign itself.