Bush fears Canadian Parliament

[KurtNYC]

U.S. President George W. Bush is visiting Canada today, although he refused to speak in Parliament for fear of being booed.

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20041130090539840

Anyone have a better source for this? Last week they were talking about what would happen when he spoke to Parliament. Now we hear he won't go. How did they explain away this change?

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. chicken sh*t

n/t

[flakey_foont]

3. Hey!

that is an insult to chicken droppings the world over!

[RaleighNCDem]

2. He said that he wants to speak directly to the Canadian people...

So he will give a speech in Halifax instead. I believe that this speech is by invitation only though. :wtf:

[KurtNYC]

4. Halifax has some issues with him also

However, at least one Halifax family who hosted Americans during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks told reporters Monday they don't want Bush's thanks.

Prominent Halifax lawyer Anne Derrick and her husband Archie Kaiser put up a New Jersey family for several days after 9/11. Derrick says she doesn't like the idea of her city being used as a "photo opportunity'' for a world leader she says has "blood on his hands.''

"We will not be cheerleaders for his administration's brutal foreign policies,'' said Derrick.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1101820453372_40/?hub=Canada

[BlueEyedSon]

5. Here's a clipping

Mr. Bush hopes to make progress with Mr. Martin on lingering trade disputes Canada over mad cow disease and softwood lumber. He will also travel to Halifax to thank residents there for putting up thousand of Americans in their homes when their flights were stranded there after the 9-11 attacks. But the presidential outreach will go only so far. Mr. Bush has decided not to address Canada's parliament despite assurances that members would behave and listen respectfully. "We did not see the need and, frankly, we didn't want to be booed. There are other, better venues," a U.S. official told the Canadian Press wire service.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110005959

[RaleighNCDem]

7. Halifax definitely isn't welcoming him...

I was watching the international news channel, and they were airing a program called 'The Nation' from CBC. They showed the Australian parliament booing him a while back, and had Canadians voicing their opinions about him in a town hall style format. They feel that the 'thank you' for help with 9/11 is too little too late:

"U.S. President George W. Bush is coming to Halifax to thank us for how we responded to the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Miss Manners I'm not, but I believe "thanks" should come a little closer in time to the good deed. Check with Martha Stewart on her next visitation day, but I think she'd consider three years beyond the grace period."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_robertson/20041130.html

[Kazak]

6. Whatever happened to...

the Canadian War Crimes Tribunal talk that was going around for a while?

*fingers crossed* *visions of handcuffs prancing through my head*

[KurtNYC]

8. That has become an internal battle

Opposition parties are beating up on Martin for "inviting" Bush to Canada. They say it makes the country complicit in Bush's recent actions.

[priscilla_asagiri]

9. Canadian Parliament?

I'm sure it can be explained away as simply "not important enough"... jerks

[11 Bravo]

10. Bush fears everything! That's his problem!

He lacks physical courage. He showed his true colors by using Daddy's connections to avoid combat during Vietnam, and again on September 11th when he earned the timeless nickname "Bunnypants". He is, to put it bluntly, a fucking coward.