Actually, at a time when the Middle East is about as unstable as it has ever been and Hugo Chavez is talking about halting Venezuelan oil flow to the U.S., I would say that maintaining a reasonably priced flow of oil from Canada would be something the U.S. should be particularly concerned about - especially since Canada (not Saudi Arabia) is the U.S.'s largest source of imported oil.
Much as I support Bush on most matters, he has perpetuated the U.S. violation of NAFTA and WTO rules with respect to the softwood lumber matter with Canada. And if you don't care about that, then you should at least care that, thanks to Bush and a handful of members of Congress with large U.S. lumber companies stuffing their back pockets, you're paying more at Home Depot and your local lumber yard for softwood products than you would be if the U.S. simply abided by NAFTA. Same result as when Bush bowed to U.S. Steel companies to put tariffs on imported steel - thereby costing U.S. businesses requiring steel (and, therefore, U.S. consumers) a lot more than what the benefit was to the U.S. steel manufacturers.
Bush is a lot of things... some good, some not so good. But he is NOT the free trader that he purports himself to be.
I think the last line of the story pretty much destroys your point.
I think that Bush is just playing hardball with the Canuckistanis. Many people here view Chretien and Parrish as icons for their anti-American policies. Bottom line, in my opinion, 'Screw with the bull, you're going to get horned'. They got what they deserved.
"maintaining a reasonably priced flow of oil from Canada would be something the U.S. should be particularly concerned about "
Write your politicians and tell them to cut off oil exports to the US. Do it.
You and other non-thinking canadians solution to a trade dispute over lumber is to not sell us oil?
Just another in a long, tiring tirade of vintage Canadian whines. Don't threaten....do it. Spare us the drama - because we know that you aren't going to do anything but complain, no matter what......