by Judi McLeod
May 26, 2004
NewsMax.com should replace former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien with current Prime Minister Paul Martin as Queen of Spades in the Deck of Weasels.
Weasel Jean Chrétien’s got nothing on Weasel Paul Martin, who kicked off his election campaign, Sunday with a fervent revival of anti-americanism. Besides, while Chrétien’s long gone, Martin’s still here.
Martin, the Canadian Prime Minister who made it to Ottawa without courtesy of a federal election last December, publicly brands the ideals of his closest opponent, Conservative Stephen Harper as dangerously american.
"I love that we are Canada and we are going to stay that way," were among the first words Martin uttered as he dropped the June 28 Canadian federal election writ.
More UN than U.S., Martin is playing the anti-american card. Last Thursday, he was in Toronto unveiling a $125 million gift for the economically challenged Toronto waterfront that includes a $3.3 million United Nations-endorsed University of Peace campus.
Martin has United Nations clout through UN Secretary-General Kofi annan’s point man Maurice Strong, brought into Martin’s office last December as a senior advisor.
Headed for election under a cloud of scandal from the Liberal sponsorship affair, Martin is pandering to the left-leaning anti-american Canadian cabal.
He’ll have his work cut out for him. almost as potentially damaging as the sponsorship scandal is the Ontario Liberal budget, which came down only days before the Martin election announcement. Ontario Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty who campaigned promising not to raise taxes, raised them in a budget that raised the dander of John Q. Public. That taxpayers are so angry they are calling provincial Liberals the "Fiberals" is the last thing the hustings-bound Martin needed.
Carried on Martin’s coattails are anti-american MPs including Carolyn Parrish of "Damn-americans-I-hate-those-bastards" fame, anti-war-in-Iraq, Canadian Foreign affairs Minister Bill Graham and "Baghdad Beaumier", Iraq sympathizer MP Colleen Beaumier.
Martin’s election time anti-americanism is reminiscent of the 1988 Canadian federal election when Liberal John Turner accused Conservative Brian Mulroney of wanting to americanize Canada with the Canada-U.S. Free Trade agreement.
Down through the decades, Canadian Liberals have taunted Conservatives by accusing them of coveting wannabe american status.
according to Michael Bliss in Tuesday’s National Post, here’s how it works: "If you want lower taxes, then you must want us to be more american. If you want health care alternatives, then you must want us to be like the United States. If you want better relations between Ottawa and Washington, then you want Canadian boys dying in Iraq."
The U.S.’s northern neighbour has been in a one-party state for as long as anyone can remember. The Liberal party has governed Canada most of the time for more than a century, and has won the last three elections without serious challenge.
Martin suffered no real challenge when a Liberal convention more like a love-in brought him to Ottawa last year after Chrétien rode off into the sunset.
From the outset of making it to the PMO, he surrounded himself with strange symbolism. Bono, the Irish rocker, delivered the keynote address at the Liberal convention, and was dragged out again for the election announcement to thank Martin for leading the global fight against aIDS.
Martin, a John Kerry type of Catholic, was sworn in as Canada’s 21st Prime Minister during an Indian smudging ceremony.
as a businessman brought to legendary wealth by Maurice Strong, Martin turned over the operation of his Canada Steamship Lines company to his three sons last winter.
as the Canadian public prepares to fly the Maple Leaf on July 1st’s Canada Day, the ships of Canada Steamship Lines, fly the flags convenience of foreign countries.
How far reviving anti-americanism for his campaign kickoff will take Martin must wait for the outcome of the June 28 federal election.
Canadian voters may remember that Martin campaigned for the Liberal leadership on his capacity to improve, not worsen Canadian-american relations.
Meanwhile, CanadaFreePress.com thinks Martin makes a most worthy replacement for Jean Chrétien as Queen of Spades in the Newsmax.com Deck of Weasels.
The current Queen of Spades, the only weasel in the deck attached to ear phones, looks downright ridiculous.
Shown with his mouth usually agape in media photographs, the catching-flies Martin would look even more so.
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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