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11/30/2004 Archived Entry: "'Like visiting your in-laws'"

Posted by steve @ 11:33 AM EST [Link]

BARELY EVEN RATING A MENTION: Up here in Canada the Bush visit that begins today has the talking heads all a twitter: the protests! the issues! the formal dinner!

Apparently down there in Yankeelandia, the president's visit barely rated even an announcement to the press corps.

Canadians who might be wondering what Americans think of us should ponder no more: Generally speaking, they don't.

Even White House reporters expecting the usual "trip briefing" on Canada-U.S. issues were surprised by what they got: Zip.

"It is quite unusual not to have a briefing," said one senior White House correspondent who called yesterday, wondering if we had any idea why Bush was coming to Canada. (We had to say, sorry, can't help there.)

The best the White House press corps could make of it, she said, is "it's kind of like visiting your in-laws -- you go because it's what you do. It is sort of a perfunctory visit."

I have the same response to every person who asks me about this: We're friends of the United States but since September 11, 2001 we've pretty well told them to shove off almost every time they asked for help. Why should they care about us? We didn't have to send soldiers to Afghanistan or Iraq but we didn't have to be such asses about opposing the United States either.

Read on.

Replies: 2 comments

CNN's Lou Dobbs show did a story on his visit yesterday and featured the lady who stomped on the Bush doll and your prime minister.

Posted by izzy @ 11/30/2004 03:40 PM EST

Ah yes, Ms. Carolyn Parrish. A reprehensible woman if there ever was one.

Posted by Steve Martinovich @ 11/30/2004 04:08 PM EST