BY ANY OTHER NAME
Toronto Globe and Mail: Richard Nixon really, really didn't like Pierre Trudeau. Newly released tapes from the early 1970s show the yet-to-be-disgraced U.S. president using the SOB-word to refer to Mr. Trudeau (we already knew he used the A-word) and the B-word to describe the Canadian leader's executive assistant, Tim Porteous. We suppose we should be happy he didn't throw in racial slurs as well. If you believe the investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, he was saving those for African-Americans.
For two great friends, Canada and the United States have often had remarkably prickly relations at the top. In recent times, the syrupy friendship between Brian Mulroney and Ronald Reagan was more the exception than the rule.
John F. Kennedy and John Diefenbaker couldn't stand one another. Mr. Kennedy dismissed Mr. Diefenbaker's fishing exploits; Mr. Diefenbaker got upset about a White House painting that suggested the Americans won the War of 1812. Things improved after Lester Pearson took over -- until he ticked off Lyndon Johnson by criticizing the bombing of North Vietnam. These are people of strong opinions, or so it seems.
No surprise: None of this should come as much of a surprise. Think of North America as just another workplace, complete with water coolers. To which of us has colorful language not occurred as we dissed the mashers in Marketing or the airheads in New Ventures? Why should world leaders be any different?
In fact, we can't help wondering what we'll find out 30 years from now about the warm, friendly, cordial et cetera relationship between George W. Bush and Jean Chretien. Surreptitious taping went out of style in Washington after Mr. Nixon resigned, but you never know. There might be some nuggets lying around. And if Mr. Bush is anything like "The West Wing's" President Josiah Bartlett, he's not above sharing a judgment or two with his senior staff.
Perhaps one day we'll get to hear him grilling David Frum about Mr. Chretien and assorted other Liberals. Or comparing Mr. Chretien to President Vicente Fox of Mexico. Or indicating to someone or other an appropriate place for Canada to put its softwood lumber. Some of it might be puzzling, of course, because Mr. Bush gets a little tongue-tied on occasion. You wouldn't really know what he meant if he called someone a "son of a butch."
Some say his staff has given Mr. Chretien the nickname "Dino." This is said to be short for "dinosaur," but we have a different theory. Remember, the interpreters down there are more St. Tropez than St-Maurice. It's probably just them struggling with the translation of p'tit gars.
Even if we're wrong, and the White House has pretty much written Mr. Chretien off, the D-word has to be nicer than the A-word