So why did Harper break the fixed-election law and call one now?

1. To avoid any fallout from the US Election that might hurt him or influence voter decision (the same in my books!)
2. To avoid flack before we had our 100th fatality in Afghanistan(I know, US friend, Iraq is hell and this doesn't begin to compare, even with the US having 10 times the population of Canada. Smaller country means the deaths feel like losing family...and somehow, when you can count the individual numbers, it makes it seem worse. Enough to scare Harper into an election).
3. Economic reports from the last quarter show Canada is a whisker away from a recession. Harper didn't want to get blamed for that.

Interesting that he called this "snap" election...and then it was found out that he has been doing election fundraising for the past three months. In my own town, the Conservative election signs were out the VERY NEXT DAY after the election was announced. Sorry, this is just a bit fishy...

Some blog posts from cbc.ca:

CANADIANS SHOULD NOT TRUST HARPER!!!!!

A majority government for Stephen Harper would be one of the most negative political events in Canadian history

Even without a majority, he has cut;
funding for minorities
funding for literacy
funding to students
volunteers
museums
arts and culture groups across the CANADA

his government even cut funding to women's groups and … actually went so far as to remove the federal mandate to advance equality for women

$300 million is a lot of money to waste to come to another Conservative minority. Couldn't he take that cash and improve the economic situations for THOUSANDS OF CANADIANS ??

HE IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE "THE GEORGE BUSH OF THE NORTH"
The government has accomplished nothing under Harper. Whenever these so-called conservatives talk about their accomplishments they always start with the GST cut......you know, the one where us ordinary folks save about 4 cents on a cup of coffee. Then there's the $100 a month child care benefit. Would be better to target that money toward the poorest families, but I guess that wouldn't buy them enough votes. Otherwise it's money well spent I'm sure.

Harper says he's tough on crime, but at the same time insists on being soft on guns. Yeah, he's tough. So tough that he condones the death penalty, unfair trials, and torture in foreign jails. And the economy? Like I say, he's eroded our fiscal capacity with all the bitter candies to the point that we've been flirting with deficits. Considering also their disrespect for parliament, the senate, committees, the charter of rights, and the independence of the judiciary, the multiple scandals, the broken promises on income trusts, fixed election dates and the Atlantic Accord, or extending the mission in Kandahar despite troop and equipment shortages, we can't afford having this party in power any longer. Let's not forget their joke of an environmetal policy where they would rather follow developing coutries rather than take the lead.

Canada deserves better than Harper.