Chretienites pick Harper to win?

PoliticsWatch is all ears:

A group of senior Liberals gathered in an Ottawa pub Monday evening for former prime minister Jean Chretien's office Christmas party. Chretien, his former chief of staff Jean Pelletier, Eddie Goldenberg, Sheila Copps and Senator Jim Munson were among the senior Grits in attendance. What was the big topic of discussion at the party? A Canadian Press story reported that it was "hand-wringing over the current state of the Liberals, who are struggling to hang onto a minority in the Jan. 23 election." But sources tell PoliticsWatch that talk also included several veteran Liberals at the party predicting Stephen Harper will be prime minister on January 24. One senior Liberal and campaign veteran predicted Harper would become PM with a minority based on his reading of the polls and past campaign experience. And a couple of other Grits even thought Harper had a chance to win with as many as three seats in Quebec, including Lawrence Cannon in Pontiac and Josee Verner in Louis-Hebert.