This morning was watching a news story about Shrub's visit to Canada to try to "mend fences" with both the Canadian government and its people. Yeah right. Good luck Shrub! They said that 48% of the Canadian people now disapprove of the U.S. Which is way up from 8% a few years ago. Thank you George! They interviewed a couple of Torontonians. One guys goes, " I just don't understand how he could be relected when he has made so many mistakes". Neither do I my friend. Neither do I.

[ November 29, 2004, 07:41 AM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

I read somewhere that originally they were going to have him give a speech to Parliament, but they thought he might get heckled (by the politicians)--and this would look bad on us (Canadians), so they cancelled that speech. I think he'll speak at some big dinner in Ottawa instead.

That said, there are apparently large groups of protesters gathering in Ottawa who will heckle Bush at any chance they can get.

Canmark, I would be shocked if he didn't get "welcoming committees" wherever he goes.

But isn't W popular in a few of the western provinces (I don't mean British Columbia)?

To tell the truth, I don't think most Americans care either way what Canada, our largest trading partner and longstanding ally, thinks. Canada, as far as I can tell, has passed under the right-wing radar (unlike France), so there's no ginned up outcry against Canadian's increased hostility to the W Ltd. administration. Canada's refusal to send troops to Iraq hasn't even generated that much outrage.

The only way Americans would really turn against Canada is if there were some public humiliation of or attack against W. Neither of which, I am quite sure, Paul Martin or anyone else in the Canadian government would allow to occur.

Canada didn't survive "under the radar" at all. When Canada declined to send troops to Iraq, the media up here covered stories coming out of Washington about US lawmakers shitting all over Canada for not blindly supporting "W".

Even the c*nt Hillary herself, after 9/11, repeated the rumour that the "9/11 terrorists came through Canada" even after it was proved that they didn't. (the closest they got was Maine). After the war in Iraq started, she continued to talk about the 9/11 terrorists coming through Canada, and how the US needed to close the border. When confronted on it, she very deftly sidestepped the issue.

I beleive it was Santorum and Frist that called for the North American Free Trade agreement to be cancelled because of the lack of support from Canada and Mexico. After a meeting with "W", their rant changed to cancelling the agreement with Canada.

And to say that people didn't know is largely wrong. October 2003 I went to Atlanta for a conference. I was wearing my Roots Canada Salt Lake City Olympic jacket. Riding the subway to the baggage claim, a guy walked up to me on the crowded car, called me a "f**king traitor" in a nice southern voice, and then spat on me.

I don't think we escaped "under the radar" at all..

Add that to Softwood Lumber, Beef, Wheat, Pork. All punative tarriffs that the US has lost on, and you get the impression of a spoiled child punishing someone because he didn't get his way.

That he is making his first trip to Canada, our largest trading partner, at the end of his first term is pretty telling how sincere his intent mend fences is.

I beleive the mending fences about as much as I beleive MIB supports universal healthcare.

This is a photo op only. And probably at the insistance of Rove.

Lk, agreed. To be blunt. I don't even know why he is bothering to go. He should stay out of where he isn't wanted. But, wait, that includes half of America too! eek!

Ive been lucky enough to spend alot of time in Canada (BC mostly) - Bush is about as popular there as ants at a picnic.

Apparently the presumed public demonstrations of outrage have not appeared thus far.....


Canada's reaction to W's visit: ho-hum

I hope everyone speaks to him in French. He will feel like he is hell!

Canada hates our freedom and I hear they have WMD's there....

Oh no. You're wrong. Canada is a nucular weapons free country. <sly grin>

Not that that matters!

Just saw an interview on CNN between Tucker Carlson ( who hates Canada) and that lady in Canada with all the controversy whose name I fogot. The one who stomped on a Bush doll. ( Right on!) Tucker is such an arrogant pompous ass. He sits there and tells everybody "we don't need Canada, Canada needs us", to which the lady brought up " I think the State of California would be pretty dark without us". Tucker Carlson espouses the arrogance of so many Republicans, and it wasn't hard to see why the feelings between our two great countries are strained. For Wolf's part he had to reiterate that our two countries share a long mutual friendship and tried to apologize about Carlson being "tongue in cheek". Too bad he is such an ass. :mad: I forgot to add, he also tried some (stale attempt) at humour, too bad he hasn't any and tried to kid the Canadian guest about how big dog sledding is in Canada. Tucker, just sit down and shut the hell up please.

[ November 30, 2004, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: puckman1 ]

Tucker Carlson is the biggest IDIOT on TV other than Shrub. I'm not surprised by anything dumb that comes from the mouth of these two guys.

But there are so many contenders for that title!

Bingo. It's the "either you're with us or you're against us" mentality that pervades certain unnamed political parties here in the US. Don't criticize Bush and god forbid you should stomp on a doll as part of a comedy skit. Resistance is futile.

Of course the US needs Canada. Let's see, according to Tucker Carlson, if we didn't have Canada, in exactly what state of financial disarrat would GM's and Ford's North American operations be? How many US cities would go dark without all that hydro power piped down from Quebec? How high would the price of gasoline go since Canada is our #1 provider of oil? We had better not get thirsty, because Canada has the world's largest supply of fresh water. Crop production, agricultural products, minerals, all items that are vital to our economy, *poof* gone overnight in the Tucker Carlson world. Please, Tucker Carlson is an ass of the first degree.

Aqua. You got it man. Nice characterization of the Repugs. as Borg. "Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated." eek!

Looks like all those disaffected, PEST-afflicted lefties couldn't even make good on their threats (promises?) to leave the USA! And would someone please tell me where Tucker Carlson was appointed spokesman for the GOP, or is even a registered GOPer?

Damn the facts! Full speed astern!

Tucker (foot in mouth) Carlson is one half of the high and righty combo along with Bob Novak who are on CNN's Crossfire tv show.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer web question of the day:
"Do you think relations are strained with Canada"?

currently 73% yes
27% no

Earth to Tucker: get a clue!

How many cities would go dark? Lots of them, almost all of the North East. But then since they're blue states, Shrub and his lackies wouldn't give a damn.

As for the oil and natural gas, well kiddies, THAT all goes to the mid west. Draw a line straight south from Alberta and Saskatchewan, and you will see where our oil and gas goes.

And since they're RED states, maybe I shouldn't give a damn.

As for fresh water, Canada passed a law in parliament a few years ago forbidding the exporting of fresh water of any quantity. Also, in the last great lakes treaty, the US agreed not to siphon off great lakes water to send south.

Although knowing Shrubs actions on treaties, that one's probablya ass wipe.

The US needs Canada, and yes, Canada needs the US.

What REALLY steams me is that Bush came up to mend fences, and what did he do?

He brought up Missle Defense, and the war in Iraq. Most Canadians are against both, and the impression that I got was that in calling for Canada to "support the spread of Democracy", it was a veiled threat for us to "toe the line".

I will die to defend my country rather than have her submit to ANYONE else. The United States of America included.

Isn't it all relative, though? What relationship with the US is NOT strained? Certainly not England. Maybe Australia? But when my friend (a Canadian) travelled to Australia for a year, she heard a lot more anti-American remarks than she heard in (gasp!) Canada.

I just saw genius Neil Cavuto or however you spell his name conduct some interview with some guy on Canada. Cavuto tried to turn it into a 'they can't get over Iraq' thing and how we're gonna have disagreements (yeah, where was that sympathy with France). What I don't think he realizes is that it's not just the Iraq war that's the issue with Canadians.

And now I just saw some piece about how Tom Brokaw is retiring and so that means there's no network news worth watching (i.e. watch us). How classy.

Umm, Tucker dear, the world's most famous dogsledding competition, the Ididerod, takes place in Alaska. I know it's 'tuckered' all the way up there on your map, but I'm pretty sure Alaska isn't part of Canada.

Now I'm gonna go whack a sealpup on my way home to my igloo.

Well, not according to this survey done a month before the election. While the level of support for Bush was somewhat higher in the four Atlantic provinces and three prairie provinces than in Quebec, Ontario and BC, even in the former regions it was no higher than 30%, well below John Kerry's.

Fortunately the protests against the President's policies were peaceful, and Carolyn Parrish spared everyone further embarrassment by keeping her distance. I'm certainly no fan of Mr. Bush, but he deserved to be treated with courtesy. He showed a sense of humour (OK, let's make that humor since he is American ) with references to the fictitious Jean Poutine, people waving at him with all five fingers displayed, and having eaten Alberta beef with no ill effects. And his thank-you speech in Halifax yesterday seemed quite heartfelt and genuine, even if it was three years late. I noticed openly-gay MP Scott Brison giving Mr. Bush what appeared to be a warm welcome. While trade issues and the subject of missile defence remain contentious, he did suggest that the ban on Canadian cattle may soon be lifted.

Although nothing of real 'substance' was accomplished during the two-day visit and I don't think Canadians are any closer to embracing the President's vision and philosophy, his visit certainly didn't do any harm and may have generated some goodwill, at least in the short term. The fact that he visited Canada so soon after being re-elected, after not being here at all during his first term, sends a positive signal.

The only positive thing I heard from him in all his comments were about getting the NHL up and running again. On that one issue we can agree.

You know the real reason he went to Canada? To keep Americans from going there for a few days because he knows those who hate him do not want to be where he is!

Toronto Globe & Mail: A Very Canadian Protest

On W and his visit, one Canadian's assessment, which was met by loud cheers: "This isn't a President. This is a homicidal maniac."--Michael Mandel, Lawyers Against the War

Dear Dumbya,

Please leave. Go mend fences at your pig farm in Crawford.

Love,
Canada

Lawyers Against War? HAHAHAHAHAHA you've got to be kidding me! That has to be the funniest thing i've seen since... Well, that band playing tour of washed up has beens trying to get lurch elected.

Raze, as usual, thanks for my chuckle of the day!

Partial transcript from that show (printed in the Toronto Star).

Canmark, I didn't know you and your fellow Torontonians were a big time dogsledders. Hmm... using Tucker's logic that must mean that all the residents in Dallas must be out there herding cattle.

[ December 12, 2004, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

An when we've worked up a sweat dog sledding, we go to a big communal igloo and f**k like rabbits.

Didn't ya know that's what us godless heathens do?

And slings with the fur on them are especially popular during our 8 months of winter

And then there's this one, which ran in Chicago's Sun-Times during Bush's invasion...umm, I mean visit, a few weeks back. It amazes me that this guy, despite the purple prose, can hold a job as an opinion columnist. It also proves to me that mind-boggling ignorance will rarely stand in the way of people offering their opinion on a given subject.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/steinberg/c...ws-stein01.html

On the subject of American cluelessness, Tucker Carlson being a willful example, when it comes to our neighbors to the north.

This is a page off a site for a Canadian chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. It tells a tale that supposedly took place at Pennsic War, an annual gathering of about 10,000 members of the organization from around the world.

Thanks for the laugh, but I have a feeling that even in east bumf**k Arkansas, they can't be THAT gullible.

Lk, believe it, unfortunately. frown

Then I had a good laugh.

It also reminds me (okay, I have no clue how it popped into my mind, but it did. But then I survived the 1970's) of an expression that a college buddy of my dad used to say. He was a farmer in West Virginia, and every couple of years, his wife and "younguns" as he put it would come up for a visit.
One expression he used a lot was "holy snapping arseholes".
It wasn't until I was in my 20's, and thoroughly indoctrinated to the gay life, that I would really really question that saying, and why HE would say it

I have no problem believing it at all. Pennsic is one of the wildest parties in NA. Storytelling, puns, jokes, and pranks abound. Thousands of college students descend on Pennsylvania in August looking for two weeks of Riotous fun! Absolutely ANYTHING Goes.

BTW - the unofficial motto of the SCA Pennsic War is "If you can't get laid at the Pennsic war, then you can't get laid at all"

Rob

Unofficial?

Reminds me of a song.

Looks like I'm not the only one calling for trade retaliation using Oil and Gas.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968350116795

Editorial: Hardball and Softwood

In a nutshell - If the US Commerce Dept is gonna play hardball, I agree with the writer. Retaliate with Oil.