(Canadian) PM aide called Bush a moron: report

OTTAWA -- Opposition MPs called on Prime Minister Jean Chretien to fire a top aide Thursday after she reportedly referred to U.S. President George W. Bush as "a moron." Officials in the Prime Minister's Officer were investigating. "Does one good friend treat another by calling its leader a moron?" Alliance MP Jason Kenney asked during question period.

Kenney said Canada-U.S. relations have deteriorated to their lowest level in decades because of the Liberals' "knee-jerk anti-Americanism."

The remark was reported by National Post reporter Robert Fife from Prague, where NATO leaders, including Bush and Chretien, are meeting. Fife quoted a PMO official as saying "What a moron." He did not name anyone.

The report came out of a comment by Chretien's communications director Francoise Ducros, overheard complaining in a private conversation that Bush was using the NATO summit to beat war drums against Iraq.

Chretien tried to douse the controversy, saying the remark was inappropriate. Bush is "a friend of mine," Chretien said.

"He's not a moron at all, he's a friend. My personal relations with the president are extremely good."

In Ottawa, Industry Minister Allan Rock said "if such a thing was said by a person in a position of responsibility, it's completely unacceptable."

"We have a valued relationship with the United States, this is a sensitive time," he said. "We should be emphasizing how much we value that relationship and we should be very careful at this very sensitive time."

Tory Leader Joe Clark said the U.S. president "was slandered by a senior official with the prime minister at an international conference."

"They should not be playing cute about it," he said. "They should be making a direct apology to the United States government . . . and they should be identifying that person and sending that person home immediately."

CTV reporter Craig Oliver said the remark was made in a conversation with a reporter in a media room but Fife called it a briefing.

"This is a briefing room. There's a couple of reporters here, it was a briefing. I wrote it down."

In Washington, a State Department official whose area of responsibility includes Canada said he hadn't heard about the remark. In any event, he said: "We have no intention of going anywhere near it with a 10-foot pole."

The controversy came on the heels of comments by Defence Minister John McCallum that Bush should mind his own business when it comes to Canadian defence policy.

McCallum made the remarks after Bush chided some weaker members of the western military alliance for not spending enough on their armed forces. Bush didn't single out any countries by name.

"I would not urge the president of the United States or the U.S. Ambassador (Paul Cellucci) to do my job - to ask for more defence spending," McCallum said.

"I think that is a Canadian matter, I think that a number of Canadians were a little bit ticked off. . . . So while Mr. Bush may be asking for what I'm asking for, I'm not asking for his help."

Cellucci wouldn't comment on McCallum's remarks, but said Thursday it's his job to "respectfully articulate" U.S. policies and interests.

NDP Leader Alexa McDonough was smiling.

"One thing I've learned in 23 years of political life is that you should try to separate between the person and the office - but sometimes that's pretty hard to do," said McDonough.

"I guess there's a lot of people who have had harsher things than that to say about the president of the United States, particularly based on his recent performance."

The National Citizens Coalition said the prime minister should fire Ducros for what it called a "disgraceful" comment.

"The United States is Canada's best friend and closest ally," said coalition vice-president Gerry Nicholls.

"Blatant anti-American attitudes should not be tolerated among government officials."

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