Bush going to Canada

[Dimmauk]

Bush to give speech at private event in Canada

By LORI STAHL / The Dallas Morning News
[email protected]

Former President George W. Bush's first confirmed speaking engagement since leaving office will take him from Crawford to Canada.

Invitations to the event, billed as "a conversation with George W. Bush," say that the former president will "share his thoughts on his eight momentous years in the Oval Office" during a March 17 speech in Calgary, Alberta.

The event is not open to the public, and organizers declined to say whether Bush will be paid a fee. A spokesman for the newly formed Bush presidential office in Dallas declined to comment.

But the Canadian firm organizing the lunch has paid sizable fees to Lance Armstrong, Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell and Alan Greenspan. Former President Bill Clinton was paid $150,000 for a March 2006 speech in Edmonton, according to a Canadian newspaper.

Political experts say the speech may be a safe and lucrative way for Bush to venture out.

"He's probably accomplishing the first thimbleful of money back into the old coffers, as he said he was looking forward to doing, but he's careful not to go too far before an audience where shoes might be thrown," said SMU political science professor Cal Jillson. "It does sound like he's not going to play without a net for some time."

The event is likely to be one of a number of events featuring Bush in the coming months, both domestically and abroad, say those close to the former president.

But others say the former president may not wander too far.

"People have been speculating as to whether he would feel emboldened to travel outside the U.S.," Jillson said. "This barely counts."

Andy McCreath, co-owner of Tinepublic, declined to say how many invitations were sent out to the speech or the ticket prices. He expects about 1,500 to attend.

Can Canada just keep him there?

[Null]

I hope it is as epic as his HBO special the other night.

[Takedown3]

canada doesnt want him

[Dimmauk]

I hope it is as epic as his HBO special the other night.

I watched that the other night. It was funny sometimes.

[Dimmauk]

Canadian Lawyers Seek To Ban (Or Prosecute) Bush For His Role In Authorizing Torture

Former President George W. Bush’s first post-presidency speech will take place on St. Patrick’s Day — March 17 — in Calgary, Alberta. Although organizers have declined to say if Bush will be paid, he once boasted that he hoped to make “ridiculous” money on the lecture circuit once he leaves office.

But instead of greeting Bush with open arms and (potentially) wads of cash, activists and human rights lawyers in Canada are hoping their government will greet him with handcuffs — or at the very least — bar him entry in to the country. In fact, Vancouver Lawyer Gail Davidson said the government has an obligation under the law to ban Bush from entering Canada because of his role in supporting torture:

Davidson says that because Bush has been “credibly accused” of supporting torture in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Canada has a legal obligation to deny him entry under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The law says foreign nationals who have committed war crimes or crimes against humanity, including torture, are “inadmissible” to Canada. “The test isn’t whether the person’s been convicted, but whether there’s reasonable grounds to think that they have been involved,” says Davidson.

Davidson is correct; Bush has been “credibly accused” of supporting torture. Earlier this year, Manfred Nowak, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, urged the U.S. to pursue Bush and Donald Rumsfeld on charges that they authorized torture and other harsh interrogation techniques. Indeed, Bush himself said last year that he was aware of his advisers’ discussions on torture and recently admitted that he personally authorized waterboarding Khalid Sheik Muhammad.

Davidson sent Prime Minister Stephen Harper a letter last month asking that the government “either bar Bush from Canada, prosecute him once he arrives, or have the federal attorney general consent to a private prosecution” but she has yet to receive a response.

If (or when) Bush is granted entry, Calgary activists will be waiting. “We want to give him the welcome that he deserves — which is we want him to go back to the States, or we want him arrested,” says organizer Collette Lemieux. “It’s very important that we keep the pressure up. …We have to make it clear that there’s accountability,” she said.

Davidson’s law firm sought to bring torture charges against Bush during his visit to Vancouver in 2004 but the Canadian government “used a claim of diplomatic immunity” to block them. Nonetheless, Davidson is determined to bring Bush to justice. “It’s now a matter of public record that Bush was in charge of setting up a regime of torture that spanned several parts of the globe and resulted in horrendous injuries and even death. Canada has a duty,” she said.

[Stumblingdrunk]

My initial response to the first post was, "I wonder if this is an attempt to get him out of the country to have him prosecuted for war crimes"

would be kinda nice......

[Beckwin]

if they pulled it off, America would be Canada's Pants, even if just for a day.

[Dimmauk]

if they pulled it off, America would be Canada's Pants, even if just for a day.

If we dont have the balls to do it, do you think Canada does?

[Skjie]

Certainly not in Alberta. Alberta is Texas' little buddy.

[Brill Weave]

Late at night on the shores of Wisconsin you can hear the Canadians skating across the river to steal our cheese.

[TheShadyMan]

You live in Wisconsin, Brill?

[Brill Weave]

No. But I've heard the terrible terrible stories.

[Olo401]

I read someplace that some Canadiens were building a shoe cannon especially for Bush's visit.. seriously.

[Wintermute]

I read someplace that some Canadiens were building a shoe cannon especially for Bush's visit.. seriously.

A cannon? It would be too slow, and we know he can dodge shoes no problem.

You'd need at least a shoe gatling gun and hope that the increased rate of fire would cause him to get tired and trip up whilst dodging.

[Dimmauk]

I also heard aboot the shoe cannon, and also heard people are donating shoes for ammo.

[Man0warr]

People need to step off Bush's nuts, he's not president anymore leave the old dude be.

[Ksandra]

People need to step off Bush's nuts, he's not president anymore leave the old dude be.

no thanks.


hopefully we can find an excuse to not let him back in.

[Dimmauk]

People need to step off Bush's nuts, he's not president anymore leave the old dude be.

Which means no more diplomatic immunity.

[Cephius]

Which means no more diplomatic immunity.

Actually former Presidents can and often are protected by the Secret Service, and thus I believe still have diplomatic immunity as a traveling ambassador for the country.

[TheShadyMan]

Just because the Secret Service is supposed to protect Bush doesn't mean they will.