Bush might not address House. Advisers want to stay clear of heckling

[AnIndependentTexan]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1100904610254&call_page=TS_News&call_pageid=968332188492&call_pagepath=News/News&pubid=968163964505&StarSource=email&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes

Bush might not address House
Advisers want to stay clear of heckling
Ottawa official vows `utmost respect'
TIM HARPER
WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON—The White House is leaning against having President George W. Bush address Parliament when he visits Ottawa, citing fears the U.S. president would be heckled during his speech.

No final decision has been made, but those involved with the planning of the visit (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1) want to avoid pictures on U.S. network television of a president being booed or shouted at as he embarks on a second term seeking warmer ties with allies who had cooled toward his administration.

The haggling over a potential speech is a sign of the wariness with which the White House views Ottawa after a series of rebukes from north of the border during the Chrétien years — and the damage done by MP Carolyn Parrish (Mississauga-Erindale), who was expelled from the Liberal caucus this week by Prime Minister Paul Martin.

[lateo]

1. Moral coward.

Chicken shit little punk.

[Stephanie]

2. The Coward of Crawford

The spoiled little prick.

[w4rma]

3. He'll have to go speak in front of the Saudi ruling family then (nt)

[glarius]

4. Whether he speaks before our parliament or not he will be booed and

heckled in the demonstrations in the streets....I suppose your media will do their best not to cover any of that, but you can be sure the demonstrators will be in Ottawa and other Canadian cities also....:)

[BiggJawn]

6. Stuff in greetings and salutations for us while you're at it, OK?

Give him a real WARM welcome, and you're right. The Murkan propaganda mills won't cover it.

[glarius]

7. I'll be sending him venomous vibes!

Not to you guys, mind you, just to the moron Bush!

[BiggJawn]

10. Thanks!

:D

[goclark]

11. Oh Canada..We Love You!

[walldude]

19. We appreciate it

you know when we go out and protest we are hidden from sight, hopefully he'll actually see you..

[Poiuyt]

5. Why doesn't Bush just import a preselected audience?

Or he could put cardboard cutouts in all the seats of Parliment.

Isn't it wonderful having a president who is so hated he can't even speak in Canada?

[glarius]

8. When Clinton came here he was very loved and had cheering crowds!

Clinton treated other countries, including mine, with respect. He also knew a great deal about our country and when he spoke before parliament he got lots of applause (and laughter for his humour)!

[distantearlywarning]

9. He could make the Canadian Parliament sign a loyalty oath.

But maybe that comes later. After the invasion and institution of martial law.

[dweller]

12. he's a moron

and the Canadians have known it all along.

dp

[jayctravis]

13. But Georgie, you have a mandate!

What does the big, bad, President of the (mostly) You Ess of Ay have to fear from those godless, socialized medicine peddling Canadians?

One would *think* that they would treat the problem rather than the symptoms, but I'm in a blue state -- what do I know?

[Javaman]

14. Oh how the world loves us...>high sarcasm

[DieboldMustDie]

15. Maybe they'll only allow in MPs who sign loyalty oaths.

:shrug:

[DemBones DemBones]

16. All I have to say is. . .

GO, Canada!

:yourock:

I remember when Nixon was Ike's VP and he traveled to South America, where his limo was egged and spat upon as he rode in a motorcade. I've forgotten the city, am not even sure of the country, where this occurred. But it was reported in the American press, albeit as an example of anti-Americanism.

I remember the newspaper photos and think I even saw film footage on television news, even though news was only broadcast once a day, in a half hour program. I probably saw the photos first in the newspaper and then in "Life" magazine. (Those who remember the war in Vietnam will remember the photos of that was in "Life," particularly the one of the young girl running screaming down the road, naked, on fire from napalm dropped by U.S. troops, on orders from their superior officers.)

"Why wouldn't they love us? We're the good guys!" has always been the naive reaction of our press and government, and of many Americans as well.

[grasswire]

23. he was nearly assassinated in Peru

It's a story largely forgotten. The press rallied 'round him after he returned to the U.S.

[DemBones DemBones]

26. I didn't remember that! I'll have to look it up online.

I remember the eggs and the spitting and shouting at him. Peru. . . I'd have guessed Brazil but I knew I'd get it wrong. I was 11 or 12 when it happened. I remember people felt he'd been treated unfairly, and I don't know why there was so much animosity expressed against him there or if Tricky Dicky had done anything to really deserve it, at that time in his career.

Actually, I DO know why there was so much animosity; the U.S. has pissed off other countries for years. I read "The Ugly American," a book my father felt was important and truthful, when I was 9 or 10. We were stationed overseas then, seeing a lot of U.S. mistakes and missteps firsthand. A lot of the mistake and missteps are due to not understanding that people in other countries have different cultures, different ideas, different values, and don't want to adopt ours wholesale.

"The Ugly American" addressed this problem circa 1955-56 and if you read "Imperial Hubris" in 2004, you see that the problem still exists.

[malmapus]

17. Canadian friends welcome him...remember his favorite treat is pretzels

So give him plenty please :-)

[Cadence]

18. They are always extremely afraid

of heckling. On the campaign trail, the people that went to the rallies had to sign their lives away declaring loyalty before they would let them in and if anyone did get in that asked a question that was unsavory they were quickly escorted out by the secret service and arrested for trespassing.

For being such tough "bring it on" guys they sure are afraid of even simple questioning.

[Gemini Cat]

20. Morally bankrupted little coward.

What an embarrassment he is!

[pinniped]

21. Good, I hope every country on the planet gives this sum bitch...

warm greetings.

[opihimoimoi]

22. They should follow Sweden 3 yeares ago and MASS MOON him

[Be Brave]

24. He has absolutely nothing to worry about.

US network television will not show any negative scenes of the war president. If it were Clinton, yes. Bush no.

[in_cog_ni_to]

25. He was to speak to the British House of Commons and canceled that too.

He's a damn coward. He can't handle adversarial situations. NO ONE can tell him he's wrong about ANYTHING. Just ask Paul O'Neil.

[progressivebydesign]

27. He pulled that shit in England, also.

Remember when he refused to speak? He did not want to be heckled.. so they rigged something smaller up for him. WTF is wrong with that man???

[glarius]

28. He knows the USA media would HAVE to cover his speech in parliament

and there would be no way of shielding the American public from the negative reaction from either our parliament or the British parliament...The U.S.A. media does not cover the large crowds who came out in London or will in Ottawa to protest him!