One of Canadians’ apparent points of contention with President Bush is that it has taken him four years to make a trip across the norther border. You can get a little sense of that just from the front page of their major news site.
Here’s what CNN is running regarding President Bush’s speech this morning:
President Bush is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, today giving Canadians a belated “thank you” for helping Americans after the 9/11 attacks. When the United States closed its airspace after the terrorist strikes, more than 200 airliners were diverted to airports across Canada, where stranded travelers were welcomed into homes.
And here’s what the CBC is running (emphasis added):
U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in Halifax on Wednesday to thank Atlantic Canadians for opening their doors to stranded Americans after the Sept. 11 attacks three years ago.
You do have to wonder what the point is in giving a “thank you” speech three years after the fact. Another excuse to talk about the “war on terror,” I suppose.