Parrish defies calls to quit NATO post ("AMERICANS ARE BASTARDS" CANADIAN MP UPDATE)

The National Post (Canada) ^ | March 6, 2003 | Sheldon Alberts

[MadIvan]

Plans to seek re-election: Canadian Chamber of Commerce urges Chrétien 'to read the riot act' to MPs

OTTAWA - Carolyn Parrish, the Liberal MP who last week called Americans "bastards," intends to seek re-election as chairwoman of the NATO Canadian Parliamentary Association despite a campaign among her caucus colleagues to have her defeated.

Ms. Parrish's decision to defy calls for her resignation as the NATO group's chairwoman came yesterday as one of the country's largest business organizations, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, wrote Jean Chrétien urging the Prime Minister to discipline the Mississauga Centre member of Parliament.

"We believe that it would be inappropriate to make such comments about any leader, nation or people -- all the more so if the nation in question happens to be our closest ally and largest trading partner," Nancy Hughes Anthony, the chamber's president, said in the letter.

"Gratuitous insults have a way of dominating conversations, poisoning the atmosphere and creating mistrust. Incidents such as these are needless political irritants which distract the attention of both countries from dealing with other matters which are of much greater import."

During an interview, Ms. Hughes Anthony said the chamber's board of directors "were appalled by the bad taste and bad judgment" shown by Ms. Parrish and believe the Prime Minister needs to "read the riot act" to other Liberal MPs.

"There was a concern that the Prime Minister should exhibit some leadership, should take this kind of gaffe seriously and should discipline Ms. Parrish in some way or another, which has not happened so far," Ms. Hughes Anthony said.

Ms. Parrish apologized last week to Paul Cellucci, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, after saying on Feb. 26 to reporters: "Damn Americans. I hate those bastards." But she joked about her behaviour on Monday on comedian Mike Bullard's nationally televised talk show and said she "can't even guarantee I won't do it again."

Mr. Chrétien has said Ms. Parrish, who opposes U.S. plans for war in Iraq, is free to speak her mind and considers her apology sufficient.

But several Liberal MPs are campaigning to have her voted out as chairwoman of the NATO Canadian Parliamentary Association in elections on March 26.

As chairwoman of the association for the past two years, Ms. Parrish has led delegations of Canadian MPs to international meetings of parliamentarians from the 19 NATO nations.

The international president of the NATO Parliamentary Association is Doug Bereuter, a Republican congressman from Nebraska.

"She has an absolute right to run again, but she will not get my support," said Steve Mahoney, a member of the NATO Canadian group and MP for Mississauga West. "I think what she has said is an international embarrassment and I don't think anyone like that should be serving in an international capacity."

Mr. Mahoney said his office has been deluged with e-mails and telephone calls from his constituents, Ms. Parrish's constituents and "people all over North America" who remain outraged about her comments.

"They are madder than hell that a member of Parliament would make that statement and then exacerbate it by going on [the] Bullard [show] and making fun of it and saying she might do it again.... I will certainly encourage people not to vote for her."

David Pratt, who chairs the Commons defence committee and is a member of the NATO association, said it would be a mistake to have Ms. Parrish head an international delegation of Canadian MPs.

"If somebody leading the American delegation called Canadians a bunch of bastards, I wouldn't be all that inclined to want to work with that person," Mr. Pratt said.

Ms. Parrish is likely to be challenged for the chairmanship by David Price, the Liberal MP from Compton-Stanstead in Quebec and the association's vice-chairman.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the third major business organization this week to denounce Ms. Parrish's remarks, following the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association. More than 85% of Canadian exports -- roughly $1-billion a day --are sold to the United States.

The chamber said it shares concerns that Ms. Parrish's remarks could have repercussions for Canadian business if U.S. politicians and industry believe they are part of an overarching anti-Americanism within Canada.

"Unfortunately, there is not a high degree of understanding within the Liberal caucus of the economic importance of the relationship and the fact that the political actions have a direct impact on the economic relationship," Ms. Hughes Anthony said.

"Ms. Parrish represents Mississauga; she should look around Mississauga and appreciate the businesses and jobs in Mississauga which are dependent on Canada-U.S. trade before she says that kind of thing."

[MadIvan]

She shouldn't even think such a thing, in my view. But that presumes she thinks at all.

Regards, Ivan

The flag of Canada...before the trouble started.

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[Happygal]

Mr. Chrétien has said Ms. Parrish, who opposes U.S. plans for war in Iraq, is free to speak her mind and considers her apology sufficient.

Aren't you supposed to have a mind before you express it?

[Miss Marple]

Despite all the nasty rhetoric from the left, no one can name ONE comment that the President has made about any of our allies...not one. Yet he is the one accused of being a "cowboy" and ignorant about world affairs.

The left are not only arrogant, they are clueless about basic civility, and are, in fact, stupid.

[MadIvan]

One could, with some justice, have called this a "Hold Muh Beer" moment. Parrish is far too stupid to have the level of responsibility that she does. It is to President Bush's credit that he ignores such childish jibes.

Regards, Ivan

[twntaipan]

You go girl!

[George W. Bush]

Given that NATO needs to be discarded anyway and replaced with a more reliable coalition, I don't care much what she says.

No more NATO, no more U.N. to undermine national security and shield terror states like Iraq.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Tell the HO that this American Bastard would not pee on her to put her out if she was on fire. POOOOOOT

[alaskanfan]

I've noticed that the left (no matter what country they are from) tend to characterize President Bush as less than intelligent.

That's fine with me. He will kick their butts again in the next election. I wonder how that makes the libs feel, to have someone so "stupid" continually beat them at the polls.

I heard Sen. Dodd refer to Dubya as a one term president this morning on the news. Add him to the list of politicians not paying attention.

[TonyInOhio]

The flag of Canada...before the trouble started.

That made me chortle. Thanks!

Tony

[Gorzaloon]

It is to President Bush's credit that he ignores such childish jibes.

But I think it would be entertaining to totally close the US/Canadian border to ALL traffic for ONE day, each time one of their people mouths off like this.

It would do little real harm when all the tractor-trailers full of Canadian plywood sit at the roadside for a day, but would make an indelible statement that would cause a lot of reflection and soul-searching.

[MadIvan]

I've noticed that the left (no matter what country they are from) tend to characterize President Bush as less than intelligent.

Except in Britain (with certain exceptions) and Poland.

Regards, Ivan

[Kip Lange]

Yet he is the one accused of being a "cowboy" and ignorant about world affairs.

The cowboy is the good guy. This needs more pointing out. The fact that many Europeans don't get this amuses me to no end. :-) The cowboy mythos grew out of the War of Powder..River? was it?...anyway, back when a bunch of old-style angry businessmen (more irony) brought a bunch of hired guns in quietly (shades drawn) on a train to bust up cattle-rustling, which was rampant, even among the small-time legit cattle owners...anyway, the hired guns went a bit brutal and overboard, and there was a populist backlash against them (Powder *County*? I'll go brush up on my memory of this in a minute :p), and, at least from what I was taught -- with the caveat that we're talking about the building of a mythos here -- the "cowboy" we know and love in Westerns, especially Shane, grows out of that -- the few lone "semi"-outlaw small-time cattle ranchers who stood up to what was basically a thuggish crack-the-skulls-style invasion.

Still, simple point is, I like it when they call Bush a cowboy. Just reaffirms to me that we're doing the right thing. Just that one caveat. I don't mind him being called a cowboy *one bit*.

As for this article...can't help but laugh when I read it. The "opposition" to the U.S. has really begun to get absurdly/sublimely stupid (and I quite enjoy it).

[Kip Lange]

Except in Britain (with certain exceptions) and Poland.

Hrm. So I'm almost covered. 1/2 WASP, 1/4 Pole...then there's that pesky 1/4 Swede. 6 hours every day I have to be neutral about everything. :p

[xp38]

That flag was retired in 1965. There's been troubles for quite a while now.

[CanadianYankee]

I'm an American living here in the Liberal bastian of Ontario and I believe that this incident is just another example of their (liberal)double standards. Here is part of a letter I sent to Parrish that will illistrate what I mean.

....I specifically refer to your comment “Damned Americans….I hate those bastards.”

Frankly your honour, I am not offended by your comments and believe that, living in a free country as we do, we are all entitled to our opinions. You may hate me and my family if you wish. The loss will be yours, not ours. Americans are a tough breed and most are intelligent enough to realize, as I had to explain to my 13 year old who was wondering why someone she had never met hates her, that our country is the envy of the world which will result in ignorant comments from people from time to time. What does offend me however Ms. Parrish is hypocrisy, and the hypocrisy here is blatant for a number of reasons.

Firstly, hypocrisy in the fact that there would have been screams of outrage had you, instead of the word American, inserted Africans, Israelis, Arabs, Indians, Inuit, Jamaican, or any number of other groups or peoples. I would dare say the Prime Minister may well have asked for your resignation had you done so. Had you interchanged one of these groups there certainly would have also been cries for enforcement of Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Public Incitement of Hatred, laws, by the way, which you Liberal Government is quick to say it supports. Rest assured had I or the average Joe made such a statement about one of those groups we would already be in the Don Valley jail. And spare me that this comment was made, as you say, “in a private conversation.” A public figure, in a public place, talking to a group of reporters is not conducting a private conversation.

Secondly, in your half-hearted attempt at an explanation, you state that the comment did not reflect you views on Americans. What??? Let me please remind you of your comment, “Damned Americans….I hate those bastards.” What did this comment reflect your views on, Brits, Russians, DUCKS, RABBITS? I don’t care if you apologize or not for your comment but please don’t insult my intelligence further. Try standing up for what believe for once. At least then your constituents will know where you stand.

[wasp69]

At least the "cunning runt" is out in the open about what she feels as opposed to the dummycrat party.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Its a 4 letter word. ENVY.

[David Isaac]

I would bet that many of them feel the way I did when we were running George H. W. Bush, followed, four years later, by Bob Dole. And both were running not only against someone who was stupid but a felon to boot.

[expatpat]

Jean-Francois Revel, a curmudgeonly titan of French political thinkers, published a book last year titled "The Anti-American Obsession." His thesis: Anti-Americanism today expresses the revenge of a defeated, but still pervasive,....left that never forgave the United States for winning the Cold War and exposing what he calls its bankrupt ideology.

It's not just envy, these people have suffered a terrible loss -- seeing their life-long socialist 'faith' shown to be a fraud and failure, thanks to US conservatives.

First Denial, then Anger...