BUSH SEEMS TO WANT TO RUN CANADA'S AFFAIRS

President George W. Bush must have his eyes on becoming prime minister
of Canada when his second term, if he's re-elected, is over.

I get that feeling because whatever happens here, somebody in the Bush
administration seems to have a comment.

Vancouver recently opened the country's first safe injection house for
drug addicts.

The U.S. drug czar is upset.

He's also upset with our marijuana laws.

The Bush administration has also done more than comment on our defence
spending, prescription drug costs and do we have to mention Iraq?

Yet, if Canada criticizes the U.S. they get some upset. So here's my
bit to smooth over relations.

An open letter to George W. Bush President of the United States of
America, Washington D.C. Zip code unknown.

Dear George,

You recently announced that another $87 billion or so is needed to
rebuild Iraq.

As a Canadian with a pretty decent health care system maybe that money
should be spent on the millions of Americans who have no health care
coverage whatsoever.

Or it could be used to clean up the environment, if your business pals
let you. Or it could be used to lower prescription drug costs for
seniors or it could be used to make schools safer and hire more teachers.

I'm sure you and your advisers get the picture.

George, (if I can call you that) I do hope you don't send troops into
our country to "straighten" us out.

Canada does have oil, trees and resources your country needs. I know
you haven't visited Canada recently and haven't invited Jean Chretien
to your Texas ranch. (Are you afraid he might track mad cow onto your
spread?) So to make up for that, I'm inviting you to Brandon for a
coffee.

My treat, but your staff will have to pay for their own.

We could talk about weapons of mass destruction, a bailout for the CFL
and whether or not Osama bin Laden bathes.

I look forward to your response.

Yours in neighbourliness,

John L