Looks like the Bush Administratoin
considers Canada's incoming conservative PM one of "the help".
Stephen Harper may have run on a promise to improve relations with the United States, but the incoming prime minister showed there will be limits by crisply rebuking the White House's man in Ottawa over comments on Canada's Arctic sovereignty.
As he wrapped up his first news conference since winning Monday's election, Harper made a point of admonishing U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, who told a forum at the University of Western Ontario that "we don't recognize Canada's claim" to northern waters and that "most other countries do not recognize their claim."
"The United States defends its sovereignty. The Canadian government will defend our sovereignty," Harper said. "It is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States," Harper said, only a day after taking a 15-minute congratulatory phone call from President George W. Bush.
Two obvious points: 1) It didn't take long for the US to piss off the incoming government, and 2) even the incoming conservatives realize that sniping at the Americans is good domestic politics.