VICTORIA - The B.C. Liberals were keen to get into the fall session of the legislature, believing they could capitalize on a favourable run in the opinion polls and a troubled Opposition party.

It hasn't worked out that way….

The second week of the session began with the NDP's well-orchestrated expose of the Liberals' shabby, partisan handling of child booster seats for needy families.

This one came fully illustrated -- all those beaming Liberal MLAs, Premier Gordon Campbell included, handing out booster seats in a series of cheesy photo opportunities.

The bad impressions were compounded by two days of disastrous responses from the cabinet member in charge of the file, Linda Reid, minister of state for child care.

She fumbled. She stumbled. She half denied it all, telling reporters there was "no story here."

She had her own colleagues shaking their heads, wondering why she couldn't just say "we were wrong" and move on….

The Liberals did it all….

That paints a far less flattering portrait of the B.C. Liberals than the self-satisfied image they have been promoting in their speeches and publicly funded advertising.

Too soon to say which image will stick, which will fade.

But two weeks into the session, the New Democrats have already raised doubts about the B.C. Liberals' ability to cruise, unmolested, to a third term of government.