BUSH BIRTHDAY BASH JULY 6

Visit to Bush poses tricky task for Canada's PM By David LjunggrenReutersWednesday, July 5, 2006
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Cozying up to political ally George W. Bush could be a dangerous dance for Canada's fledgling prime minister when he visits Washington this week, as he seeks to improve ties with a long-term friend without appearing too close to a leader that many Canadians dislike. Right-winger Stephen Harper, whose Conservatives won the January 23 election, shares many more of Bush's ideals than the previous Liberal government. But Harper only controls a minority of the seats in the Canadian parliament and the government needs backing from opposition parties to survive. "It's like what happens to two porcupines when they're cold in winter. They get as close as possible to each other but not too close so they don't hurt each other," University of Ottawa politics professor Gilles Paquet told Reuters. "Bush is the most unpopular person one can think of, so in a sense he (Harper) also has to reassert things. He will have to find a few unimportant irritants that he can raise there and leave pending, as a way to prove he's not a lap dog."Opinion polls consistently give Bush a rock-bottom rating among Canadians, reflecting concern about the war in Iraq and dislike of conservative U.S. policies on issues like abortion and gay marriage. The two leaders meet in Washington on Thursday -- Bush's 60th birthday -- in Harper's first trip to Washington since the Conservatives took power. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/05/AR2006070500065.html