Canadian MP Calls Bush 'War-like'; Says She's 'Dumbfounded' By Election Results

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
November 5, 2004

Just months after describing Americans as "idiots," liberal Canadian legislator Carolyn Parrish declared that she was "dumbfounded" by President George W. Bush's victory in this week's U.S. presidential election.

"I guess it's a reflection of the profound psychological damage of 9/11," Parrish surmised, commenting that Bush is a "war-like man" who should not have been reelected.

Referring to the United States directly, Parrish added, "That country is completely out of step with most of the free world."

Talon News reported in August that Parrish described the leaders of the United States as "the coalition of the idiots."

Moments after making the derogatory remark about Bush and all Americans, Parrish denied that she said the word "idiots."

"I don't mean Americans are idiots," Parrish immediately replied.

Explaining what she meant by calling Americans "idiots" at the time, Parrish said Canada could not join the United States in the war in Iraq because they do not believe in it and would not want to appear to give them approval.

"The world respects Canada," Parrish commented. "If we were to join this [coalition with the United States] then it will be giving credibility to what they're doing."

Last year, Parrish was forced to apologize when she said she "hates those bastards ... damn Americans" during the "heat of the moment" in the months before the Iraq war began.

Parrish's comments this week were considered so far to the left that even liberal Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin described them as "clearly unacceptable."

"She speaks neither for the government, nor does she speak for the caucus," Martin told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

He made a more direct response to Parrish's comments in a speech following his visit with Bush this week.

"As I sat and spoke with President Bush about his dream of launching a mission to Mars ... I thought to myself: Wouldn't ... it be ... great if we could get a Canadian on board? If a Canadian could be sent tens of millions of miles into the dark void of space," Martin said in his speech. "And as we all as a nation watch on television and together say aloud: 'Bon voyage, Carolyn Parrish!'"

Stephen Harper, leader of the Conservative party, said Martin needs to separate himself from Parrish and her propensity for making outrageous statements that embarrass Canada.

Parrish defended her comments in a statement Thursday afternoon by stating that they "are in the best traditions of free speech and independence of thought."

Martin had issued a warning to Canadian legislators about making any incendiary comments following the announcement that Bush had won reelection in the United States.

But Parrish said she never got the message, but announced that she would have ignored it anyway.

This is not the first time a Canadian official has come under fire for comments about Americans.

Francoise Ducros, spokeswoman for former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, was fired in 2002 when she called President George W. Bush a "moron."

Comments to Prime Minister Martin regarding Parish's remarks can be addressed to pm@pm.gc.ca.