Thanks for the lead on the link, J.  

Two things that leapt out of this National Post piece: 
1. Post-Khadr, THREE separate, recent polls suggest Liberals have a fairly strong lead over the Conservatives and even moreso, not surprising, over NDP.  
Howcum?
2. Nothing to do with Khadr.  One of the three (Abacus) "credited the state of the economy for the Liberals’ strong showing, with 68 per cent of respondents saying the economy is growing."

Well, of course.  Khadr has a teeny, tiny affect on the average household. The economy, though, oh, yeah.  That's the big one.  Economy A-OK?  Liberals and PM are A-OK. No wonder the Conservatives are screaming about the Rolling Stone cover.  They are desperate for any perceived weakness, no matter how ridiculous it makes them look.