Obama Going To Canada For First Foreign Trip As President

[EconomicLiberal]

Source: Huffington Post



WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama plans to take his first international trip to Canada.

Transition aides said Saturday that Obama picked the United States' northern neighbor as his first venture outside the country as president. Aides say they could not discuss the date for the trip or its agenda.

A transition official says aides to the president-elect and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper discussed the trip in recent days. But the official says Obama and Harper themselves have not directly discussed the trip.

Obama meets Monday with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, his first in-person meeting with a world leader since winning election.

U.S. presidents typically use Canada as their first international trip.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/10/obama-going-to-canada-for_n_156837.html

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What will his position be on free trade when he meets with Harper?

[rockymountaindem]

1. Good

I like Canada.

[stillcool]

2. Don't worry about it..

it's not going to get any better. My crystal ball tells me that Obama will do
A) exactly the opposite of what he said he would do..(negotiate)
B) whatever Clinton/Bush have done.
"hope and change, my ass" Is it necessary for me to add this..:sarcasm:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. free trade with Canada is a non-issue

The Canadians have alot more Legitimate grievances pertaining to free trade than we do where Canada/US trade is concerned.

[BlooInBloo]

4. I'm outraged.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Head explosion.

...Obama picked the United States' northern neighbor as his first venture outside the country as president

Obama meets Monday with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, his first in-person meeting with a world leader since winning election.

So he won't be met by a world leader in Canada? Horseshit.

[nolabear]

6. Easy Big Fella

First, Mexican President. Then Canada. Calm down.

[Posteritatis]

7. Not sure what the problem is here

There's no conflict between "met his first world leader in person in the US" and "meeting another one in his first foreign state trip."

Now, granted, I'd take umbrage at Harper being a leader of just about anything these days, but that's getting into nitpickistan.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

16. Going to Canada (first)...met by non-leaders?

[Synicus Maximus]

8. He will still be PE when he meets President Calderon.

His first trip after becoming President will be to Canada.

[applegrove]

9. I hope he tells Harper the days of neocons are so over.

[time_has_come]

10. I know he's got to play nice with Harper for the sake of national relations...

...but wouldn't it be great if he could drop some kind of signal that he's not enamored with Harper's rightwing government?

Perhaps some comment about action on global warming, which Harper has been an obstructionist of.

[Hissyspit]

11. Obama to Visit Canada in First International Trip as President

Source: Bloomberg

Obama to Visit Canada in First International Trip as President

By Edwin Chen

Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama will visit Canada in his first international trip as president, his transition office said.

Obama “looks forward to his visit to Canada,” said Brooke Anderson, a transition spokeswoman. “It will be the first foreign trip of his presidency, underscoring the importance of the relationship between the United States and Canada.”

Canada is the biggest U.S. trading partner, followed by China and Mexico, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Canada and the U.S. exchanged goods worth C$1.67 billion ($1.37 billion) a day in 2008. Canada’s exports to the U.S. have more than tripled since 1989, the first year the two countries implemented an accord that became the North American Free Trade Agreement, or Nafta, when Mexico joined in 1994.

Obama said during the Democratic primary campaign that he wanted to renegotiate Nafta to include more protection for U.S. workers. He has since softened that position. Anderson said no date for the trip has been set. The offices of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama didn’t reveal the agenda for their meeting.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aBCL6T_dnV4E&refer=canada

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. Just an excuse to buy inexpensive prescription drugs for his Mother in Law

Everyone knows that.

[Captain Hilts]

13. That's the tradition. Also first state dinner also. nt

[Hokie]

14. Didn't * go to Mexico and break with tradition?

I seem to remember that Shrub* went there first to visit his big buddy Vincente Fox.

[CatholicEdHead]

15. Step 1 is to work towards demilitarizing the US-Canada border again

Neuter the DHS freaks who want to ID everyone and tighten things up to at their now asinine levels. Remove the needless Passport requirement to cross the border.