Spring Election? Or not?

A few interesting tid-bits from this morning's papers:

1) Reuters reports that, while Harper is royally cheesed at opposition stalling on crime and accountability legislation, he won't be the one to call an election over it:

"Some opposition parties are saying this showed we should have an election -- well they can force an election any time," Harper told a gathering of business leaders in Oakville, west of Toronto.

But why not? On the standard political calculus, "tough on crime packages" are a Tory strong point, and earlier in the year Harper was willing to force an election anytime the opposition so much as coughed funny.

2) At least three papers of The Sun Chain, official downmarket blow-horn of the Canadian Conservative movement, are running identical editorials today trashing the idea of a Spring 2007 election, and blaming the opposition in advance if one should occur:

A spring election would be the third federal trip to the polls for Canadians in four years. So where are the calls from the pundits demanding that the opposition politicians make Parliament work? Where are the dire warnings that the Liberals will be punished for toppling Harper's minority and forcing Canada into another "unnecessary" election?

So what is happening here? Have the Tories looked at the latest polls and decided that they better shut up and keep their heads down and see if they can't baby this whole mess along through and beyond the next budget? Perhaps, but Duceppe apparently fears a Lib recovery in Quebec, and seems determined to bring down the Tories come Spring. Or have the Tories just decided to duck and cover and hope that when they inevitable no-confidence motion comes, they come out looking innocent?