A big event in Canada today

[ontellen]

As if anyone stateside cares. President Obama visited Ottawa today to huge crowds cheering him on. He has an approval rating here of 81%.

He was greeted at the airport by our Governor General, Michelle Jean, had a meeting with her at the airport. They have similar backgrounds - she was an imigrant from Haiti who came to Canada and made it in Quebec broadcasting and has since been appointed to the position of the queen's representative in Canada.

He then took a motorcade to Parliament where he met Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He walked in and greeted Harper but then they both went out to greet the thousands gathered on Parliament Hill to greet him.

They then had a private lunch followed by a press conference. He thanked all the Canadians who went south to campaign for him in the latter days leading up to the election.

He then made a surprise stop at a bakery where he bought maple leaf shaped cookies with red icing for his daughters. He even had Canadian money to pay for it.

He then headed back to the airport where he had a 35 minute visit with the opposition leader Liberal Michael Ignatieff - likely to be the next Prime Minister and much more aligned with Obama's views.

Thank you Mr. President, we were honoured.

[a1mamacat]

I posted about it this morning, Mom.

I don't think anyone was interested

[minimetoo26]

We're afraid of getting jumped if we post in a thread that's even tangentially political...

[ulysses5019]

Is he eligible to be your PM. That's if the POTUS thing doesn't work out.

[peacock2121]

I posted about it this morning, Mom.

I don't think anyone was interested

Is Canada the 51st state yet?

[peacock2121]

We're afraid of getting jumped if we post in a thread that's even tangentially political...

Afraid?!?

well





maybe

[MarleysGh0st]

We're afraid of getting jumped if we post in a thread that's even tangentially political...

This is true. The political commentators have been relatively quiet this week.

Sorry if we made you feel ignored, Saucy!

[silverscreenselect]

I wonder if it's too late for us in the US to trade him for someone of equal value, like the backup goaltender from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

[sunflower]

I wonder if it's too late for us in the US to trade him for someone of equal value, like the backup goaltender from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Or some banana laffy taffy?

[nitrah55]

"honored" sounds like a bigger deal when you spell it with a "u."

[ghostjmf]

So Ignatieff will win? Good! May your prediction come true.

I was following the Liberal party leadership thing way-back-when, & thought Kennedy would have gotten the "young fresh face who excites voters" votes. (Very much an Obama-ish candidate.) Whereas Ignatieff was definitely thought of as kind of an old-style academic/politician. And one who'd lived in the States for years at that (gave up his University job to get back into Canadian politics), so was getting points off for it. Dion was definitely a compromise (who got the block votes thrown his way by Kennedy's group & that other guy, big in Ontario politics I believe, whose name I can't come up with at the moment without Googling, which would of course be cheating! Mike something?). And not the right one, by the result of the last election.

[Jeemie]

They have similar backgrounds - she was an imigrant from Haiti who came to Canada and made it in Quebec broadcasting and has since been appointed to the position of the queen's representative in Canada.

That's not similar in the slightest to Obama's background, save in a most superficial way.

[Jeemie]

I wonder if it's too late for us in the US to trade him for someone of equal value, like the backup goaltender from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I don't know- the US might have to throw something else into the deal to make it equitable.

Maybe George W. Bush, too?

[ontellen]

I think the one ghost is thinking of is Bob Rae. He was premier of Ontario back in the 90's. He and Ignatieff were college roomates and he was there for the meeting with Obama. He would have been my choice for leader but ANYONE would have been better than Dion.

Please don't try to trade anything for Bush. Just let him slither away never to be seen again. And that goes triple for Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove etc.

[Bob Juch]

I wonder if it's too late for us in the US to trade him for someone of equal value, like the backup goaltender from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I don't know- the US might have to throw something else into the deal to make it equitable.

Maybe George W. Bush, too?

Bush and five loonies will get you a plate of poutine.

[Jeemie]

I wonder if it's too late for us in the US to trade him for someone of equal value, like the backup goaltender from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I don't know- the US might have to throw something else into the deal to make it equitable.

Maybe George W. Bush, too?

Bush and five loonies will get you a plate of poutine.

SOLD!

I LOVE poutine!

I think I was separated from Canada at birth...I was meant to live there.