by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com
October 27, 2004
The Université de Montréal, the Université du Québec a Montreal and an international-relations think-tank had a new dean, albeit for only a day to address a passionately anti-Bush audience yesterday.
and Howard Dean was as welcome in Quebec as the fleur de lis.
Second only to France out of 10 countries surveyed in its support of presidential hopeful John Kerry, the Canadian Province of Quebec rolled out the red carpet.
Dean was in friendly territory. Seventy-one percent of La Belle Province residents, compared with 60 percent of Canada as a whole, would vote for Kerry, if only they could.
Dean was received as a conquering hero in the ballroom of Montreal’s ritzy Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The former Vermont governor sat at the head table sandwiched between Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, and Raymond Chrétien, nephew of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. as Canadian ambassador to the United States, the junior Chrétien publicly expressed his support for al Gore over Bush in 2000.
after correctly assessing that "the vast majority of us" would like to see John Kerry the next President of the United States, Dean pandered to an audience whose mother tongue is French.
"I know the Bush administration makes fun of (Kerry’s) ability to speak French. I find that is an incredible advantage over a president who can barely speak English," he said to laughter and guffaws.
advising the audience that Bush is prepared to steal the election if necessary, Dean added that he expects that the Republicans will try to block many african-americans from voting in Florida.
Why he found time to turn up in Montreal one week before election had nothing to do with his explanation that he was in Canada to offer a sort of advance apology in case the worst happens next week.
Incredibly, the man whose own party decided he was a bit too loose cannon to run for president, accused Bush of petulance: "I’ve often said on my side of the border, and I’ll say on your side of the border, no matter what our differences may be, and there will be some, that petulance has no place in the design of american foreign policy."
Like most Democrats, Dean is ready to fight Bush even after Nov. 2.
"If President Bush wins, he will win with 51 percent of the vote, which means that there are 49 percent of us who do not agree with his policies, 49 percent of us who are embarrassed by the disdain with which he treats other countries," he said.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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