Via NealeNews comes the CP story Bush chided Harper, urged him to demonstrate support for missile defence.
...George W. Bush scolded Conservative Leader Stephen Harper for his silence on missile defence and asked him to help secure Canadian involvement in the U.S. plan, The Canadian Press has learned.
The U.S. president used his trip to Canada late last year to bluntly voice irritation with Harper's enigmatic position on missile defence, sources on both sides of the border say.
One U.S. official described Bush's reproach to Harper as: "Please don't play partisan politics with this."
...Harper didn't deny being pressured by Bush last Nov. 30 during their half-hour meeting. But he said it appeared someone had misled the president about Conservative policy.
"It was clear to me at the outset of our conversation that the president had been misinformed about our position," Harper said in an interview.
The politics of this are pretty interesting. After the Conservatives allowed to motion to seperate Foreign Affairs and International Trade to fair the Liberals don't trust them on Missile Defence. It is a good guess that they are afraid of passing a motion only to have the CPC, NDP and BQ team up to block it and leave the Liberals as the only part for BMD. I would love to see them court the progressive vote with that.
...Another Conservative offered a far blunter explanation for why a military-friendly and staunchly pro-U.S. Official Opposition is suddenly mute on missile defence: it makes Liberals sweat.
"Let's see them govern and make a decision for once, instead of relying on us."
Now two party leaders who previously supported missile defence - Harper and Martin - are entangled in a cautious dance with nobody's feet moving and everyone's eyes glued to public opinion.
...The controversial project has also divided the governing party and is expected to overshadow the Liberal policy convention next month in Ottawa. The party's youth and Quebec wings plan to table motions against BMD.
"We know we're going to get destroyed (on missile defence) at the convention," said one senior Liberal.
That kind of hostility had Liberal brass hoping they could use the Conservatives to carry a symbolic vote on missile defence in the House of Commons.
With the support of his foes, the prime minister could then sign on to missile defence shielded against attacks from rivals, especially from Harper.
Martin has been frustrated by Harper's
refusal to play along - so frustrated that during his own meeting with Bush, the prime minister tried blaming his opponent for the missile defence standstill, according to one account.
One of Bush's interlocuters said Martin told the U.S. president he had shown Harper a "proposal" for missile defence that the Conservative leader refused to support.
Conservatives say they were told of Martin's complaint to Bush. They say Harper has seen no formal proposal and are accusing the prime minister of misleading the president.
