Opposition wants Chretien aide's head over reports she called Bush "a moron".
By STEPHEN THORNE
Alliance Party MP Jason Kenney questions the Bush "a moron". (CP /Fred Chartrand)
OTTAWA (CP) - Opposition MPs called on Prime Minister Jean Chretien to fire a top aide Thursday after she reportedly referred to U.S. President George W. Bush as "a moron." "Does one good friend treat another by calling its leader a moron?" Alliance MP Jason Kenney asked during Question Period.
Kenney said Canada-U.S. relations have deteriorated to their lowest level in decades because of the Liberals' "knee-jerk anti-Americanism."
Sigh. Time to wheel out the all-purpose apology form letter:
Indeed, the recent remarks by
[ ] Jean Chretien
[ ] a Chretien Cabinet Minister
[x] Some Liberal flunky
were
[ ] ill-timed
[ ] unfortunate
[ ] insensitive
[x] completely off the Whack-O-Meter
and
[ ] should not seriously affect our relations with our great friends, the Americans.
[ ] a stern reprimand has been placed in his/her personnel file
[ ] enclosed is a complimentary jar of maple syrup.
[x] we'll beat the bitch to death with hockey sticks.
Sincerely,
Canada
P.S. Please don't close the border.
On other fronts: An Edmonton newspaper released a poll last week showing that 40% of Albertans are in favor of at least using the threat of separation for leverage. That's about double the historical average. This again parallels the pattern in Quebec. By 1976, separatist leanings were at 45%, which was when the first Parti Quebecois government was elected.
Heh. That's over a 14-year period (starting from the "Quiet Revolution" of 1962). Albertans made the jump in two months, and it's starting to attract serious attention from some heavyweights in the ruling Conservatives.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Stay tuned.