Toronto Star: McCain using Ottawa as a backdrop?

[tuvor]

WASHINGTON–John McCain says his trip to Canada this week is no "campaign ploy."

But by delivering in Ottawa a partisan message he could deliver in Omaha, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is about to use the Canadian capital as a convenient backdrop in the U.S. election campaign.

It's a move as rare as it is curious.

...

The Conservative government in Ottawa and the Canadian Embassy in Washington are seeking as much cover as possible from the McCain visit, but the optics hurt Prime Minister Stephen Harper and everyone around him. Having the man most Canadians would see as the embodiment of the third George W. Bush term extolling your policies is no favour for the Conservative government.

...

http://www.thestar.com/News/USElection/article/444440

[whistle]

1. Is McCanuck running for PM of Canada now? More confusion on the campaign trail

[rurallib]

2. Can't tell Sunni from Shia, can't tell Canada from US

surprised he gets his shoes on correctly. But I hear he has 2 right feet.

[Labors of Hercules]

8. I'm Canadian and I'm voting for McCain!!

um... when I become an American...

and want to give up my free healthcare...

and want to put oil wells all over my back yard...

and want to join the military so I can visit Iraq for free.

on second thought...

[Canuckistanian]

3. I hear the Tory politicians and business people are salivating over this

There was a note on our local CBC radio program that the McSame appearance is the hottest ticket in town.

I think they're scared as shit of Obama's threat to re-open NAFTA. There are a LOT of people here who don't want that to happen.

[tuvor]

4. Not according to this article, also from today's Star:

Tories get twitchy waiting for McCain

...

By coming to town, McCain is reminding Americans that he champions free trade and that the leaked memo suggested, rightly or not, that Obama speaks out of both sides of his month. That's good for Republicans but not for Conservatives if it also reminds Canadians they are now pawns in U.S. politics.

...

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/444341

(Posted in the Canada forum.)

[Youphemism]

5. That's not all bad...

Most countries have no effect on US Politics at all. Canada shares a long border with us, so there's a bit of influence in the crossover.

I think it's hard for them not to see this as McCain playing their system to his advantage in the campaign -- especially given that he misses major votes because he's so busy, and yet he has time to go there.

The Canadians won't see themselves as pawns in US politics. They'll see themselves as pawns in McCain campaign politics. It doesn't hurt to have Canadians annoyed with McCain.

And I seriously doubt there's any significant upside for him in this visit.

[whistle]

6. Aha yes, the royality ass-kissing fascist tories

[applegrove]

7. Maybe McCain needs some healthcare and that is the real reason he is going to Canada. He's taking

his own advice LOL!:sarcasm:

[gcomeau]

9. Heh...

The Conservative government in Ottawa and the Canadian Embassy in Washington are seeking as much cover as possible from the McCain visit

"Take cover! He's toxic!"