Oops. Darn, that hurt. Oh well. Back at it. If you don't know, don't pay no nevermind.

Poor judgement to put that last sentence in the first post. Sorry.

The link did not work for some, so, here is the text, less the first sentence. I could not copy it without getting a pic in it and screwing it up. The first sentence just says that Garge is into a new word, "genuine".

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Bush, in interviews before the Cancun meeting Thursday, said he wants to prove to Canadians that the United States "genuinely cares" by working to resolve tough issues like softwood lumber and plans to require new security cards at the border.


And while it's unclear exactly what he'll propose, analysts say all the goodwill boosts chances for some breakthroughs in the coming months.


"I honestly think he wants to renew the relationship with Canada and he sees the Harper government as the vehicle to do that," said Scotty Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian American Business Council.


"You've got to suspend cynicism and take him at his word. It's an enormously positive step."


And not really all that surprising, said Charles Doran, a political analyst at John Hopkins University who specializes in bilateral issues.


"He just needed a counterpart he could trust. There wasn't much ground for interaction before."


More like friction. Ties with the two previous Liberal governments were clearly strained by Iraq and Canada's decision not to join Bush's missile defence plan.


But they hit a low point with Martin's pointed criticism of American environmental policy and Liberal television ads during the election campaign that were widely viewed here as anti-American.


And while Bush made a point this week of saying he got along well with Paul Martin and Jean Chretien, it's clear he's viewing Harper as the best bet to help him with a big image problem in Canada.


"It's a vital relationship but it's also one in which there is a certain skepticism about the United States," he admitted.


"I will do my very best to find common ground and, through my relationship with the prime minister, convince the people of Canada that we genuinely care about our friends and neighbors to the north and will work to resolve different issues in an above-board way that is mutually beneficial."


In a roundtable session with journalists, he emphasized that he's not resentful about some "harsh words" that have characterized relations in the past few years, acknowledging that Canadians have every right to their own opinions.


"Part of the problem that we had was because of my decision to go into Iraq," he said.


"The government of both countries didn't agree. And I understand that. War is terrible, it's an awful thing," he said in remarks released Tuesday by the White House.


"I bear no ill will whatsoever and I understand the strategic importance of being close to our friends."


Bush's outreach to Canada comes at a low point in his presidency. He's facing record-low approval ratings, increasing anger among Americans about the Iraq war and global grumbling about a host of issues like how the U.S. treats prisoners in the war on terror.


That makes working closely on continental issues with Harper and Mexico's President Vicente Fox all the more appealing.

The three leaders will focus this week on the Security and Prosperity Partnership, an extensive accord on continental co-operation in security and economic matters.

"He very much looks forward to this trip," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, who mistakenly referred to Harper as Martin a couple of times during Tuesday's daily briefing.

Harper's sit-down with Bush will allow him to push some of Canada's biggest pet peeves, including the softwood battle and U.S. plans to require a passport or other secure document at land crossings by the end of next year.

On Tuesday, Harper said he's not certain there will be progress on the touchy trade front and he'll vigorously defend Canada's interests, even if it means continuing litigation.

Softwood negotiations ended last summer after the U.S. refused to abide by a free-trade ruling in Canada's favour. Unofficial talks apparently were going fairly well but were stymied by the Canadian election campaign.

"We were close to getting it done at one point," said Bush, who acknowleged that the bitter battle had provoked ill feelings north of the border.

"I'd like to get the issue solved. I've told our folks that. Let's work hard to bring this issue to conclusion. . . . My strong signal is, yes, let's get this behind us."

But, said Bush, the Canada-U.S. relationship "is much deeper than softwood lumber," and he predicted there would be other trade tiffs to take its place.

"It's just very important to be in a position to have a relationship such that we can work through these problems."

Meanwhile, tourism and business groups fear a new PASS card being developed in the U.S. is too costly and will severely impede visitors and commerce.

"I'm pretty confident that if we work closely, we can develop . . . a card that can be dealt with on a scanning device," said Bush.

But he suggested that he doesn't favour the option of using enhanced driver's licences, promoted by many groups on both sides of the border.

"We have found in our own country that driver's licences aren't necessarily a secure document," he said. "Document forgery is a significant problem for our country, primarily for people coming in from the south."
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Genuine Garge and the olive branch. Right... and I am extra virgin.