(Canadian PM) Martin won't go to Reagan funeral - Globe and Mail

[Screaming Lord Byron]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040608.wxelecreagan08a/BNStory/specialDecision2004/

Ottawa — Prime Minister Paul Martin decided yesterday not to go to Washington to attend the state funeral of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, two days after his letter of condolence raised eyebrows about whether he is distancing himself from the United States during a hard-fought election campaign.
"Let's say a lot of ambivalence came through," a U.S. official said yesterday of the statement issued on the weekend by the Prime Minister's Office. "It seemed to underscore things somewhat." The letter referred to Mr. Reagan as one of the most influential leaders of the past 50 years, and stated that he "helped lay the foundations" for the end of the Cold War and much greater co-operation between East and West.

But it was largely observational in tone, steering clear of the kind of rhetoric employed by leaders such as French President Jacques Chirac, who lauded the 40th president as "a great statesman who will leave a deep mark in history." Canada will be represented at the funeral by Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson.

"I think the world will understand that we have an election going on and that the Prime Minister's international commitments have been quite extensive already," Liberal spokesman Steven MacKinnon said yesterday.

How soon until Bill O'Reilly invades!

[bobthedrummer]

1. Good, I also will not be attending...

bwahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Screaming Lord Byron]

2. Me neither. I have a prior engagement at Burger King.

[tekriter]

4. I am having a garage sale...

and then a nice soak in the hot tub.

[terrya]

3. Why should Martin go?

Given the treatment Canada has received from the United States the past three years, why SHOULD Martin feel obligated to go to the funeral? I don't blame Martin one damn bit, actually. Politically, it is the right thing to do.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. When you put it that way...

I wonder how many other leaders will follow Martin's example? Shame that Chirac was representing France at the time. The one Frenchman in all the country that would have supported Reagan...

[Screaming Lord Byron]

6. Martin has a cast-iron excuse, an election on June 28th he may well lose.

Otherwise, I suspect he would have gone.

[talleyJudy]

8. forgive my 'senior moments'

I must be having one right now, but terrya, could you refresh my memory as to how the US has been treating Canada for the last three years?

[Spazito]

12. Canada has been having to listen to the US ambassador to...

Canada interfere with the internal affairs of Canada which is totally disrespectful. He tried to tell us how to spend our monies, told us we must put more money into our military, he took our Prime Minister to task, verbally, for not supporting the US in their illegal invasion of Iraq. Ambassadors do not do things like this on their own, Celluci was acting on behalf of the bush admin.

When US planes killed 4 of our troops on the ground in Afghanistan, it took bush a week to even acknowledge that it happened, never mind apologizing for it.

Those are only two of the myriad of insults the bush administration has carried out re Canada but we are only one of many, many countries bush has pissed on so it is no big deal in the end.

[AspenRose]

18. Our relationship with Canada right now SUCKS

and it's heartbreaking to this American (with Canadian familial ties).

[newyawker99]

13. Hi talleyJudy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Spazito]

7. You can bet our own ass-kissing Canadian style repub...

Brian Mulroney will be there. He and Reagan were BEST buds and Mulroney, when he was Prime Minister, instituted the same economic policies as Reagan and nearly bankrupted up.

I am glad Martin isn't going and he better not kiss bush's ass while at the G8 either. 80% of Canadians despise bush and Martin needs some of the votes of that 80%.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

9. Mulroney to deliver eulogy for Reagan - Toronto Star

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1086646213238&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724

WASHINGTON—Brian Mulroney will deliver a eulogy Friday at Ronald Reagan's presidential state funeral, the first here in more than three decades.

Mulroney received a call from Nancy Reagan some weeks ago as the former president's health began to deteriorate, asking him to speak. The request is a nod to the close ties between Mulroney and Reagan while the two men led the neighbouring countries.

Mulroney called Nancy Reagan about 30 minutes before her husband's death Saturday. The former president was 93 when he succumbed to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

The Mulroneys and Reagans together are remembered in Canada for their controversial rendition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling'' at the so-called Shamrock Summit in Quebec city on St. Patrick's Day in 1985.

[Spazito]

10. I remember that sorry spectacle, the singing episode...

it totally disgusted me. Mulroney had come close to ruining this country and there he was on stage kissing the ass of a President who's economic policies Mulroney copied.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

11. That's how Mulroney got his big break, though.

When he was a kid, he used to get paid to sing songs to a wealthy American pulp-company owner. He's been singing to rich Americans ever since.

[daleo]

15. I wonder if this will affect the Canadian election

I have to think, the less that Mulroney is in the news the better for Harper. And conversely for Martin and Layton, every reminder of Mulroney is a boost for them.

[AspenRose]

17. I KNEW lyin' Brian would be there!

:puke:

[TrogL]

14. Martin didn't know Raygun

at least professionally at the time. Mulroney (for better or worse) is already going.

[Lisa]

16. G-G Clarkson outranks the PM anyway ...

And representing us at state funerals is in her job description. They are doing this by the book, and if political pundits want to complain about it, tough bananas! If Brian M. wants to attend -- heck, if he wants to sing at the wake -- that's up to him. He's a private citizen now. (Thank heavens.)

If I had to choose between the D-Day Memorial and Reagan's funeral -- I would do as Paul Martin did, no question. Even if I agreed with Reagan's policies.

[Jim Sagle]

19. I'll be taking a shit that morning.