Tough Guy Preznit Bush is afraid of hecklers

The White House is leaning against having President George W. Bush address Parliament when he visits Ottawa, citing fears the U.S. president would be heckled during his speech.

No final decision has been made, but those involved with the planning of the visit (Nov. 30 and Dec. 1) want to avoid pictures on U.S. network television of a president being booed or shouted at as he embarks on a second term seeking warmer ties with allies who had cooled toward his administration.

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Oh heavens, no. Can't have that. A U.S. president being booed?! Are you mad?

The haggling over a potential speech is a sign of the wariness with which the White House views Ottawa after a series of rebukes from north of the border during the Chrétien years — and the damage done by MP Carolyn Parrish (Mississauga-Erindale), who was expelled from the Liberal caucus this week by Prime Minister Paul Martin.

Parrish has promised to hold her tongue if Bush speaks in the same venue where former New Democrat MP Svend Robinson famously heckled then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan in 1987.

NDP Leader Jack Layton also promised his caucus would be respectful if Bush spoke.

Yeah, well, I guess that's one better than the time he refused to speak to the EU Parliament if he weren't guaranteed a standing ovation.

The U.S. president will travel with First Lady Laura Bush, the White House said.

But it has not yet been decided yesterday whether outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell or his successor, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, would accompany Bush.

Let me take a wild guess.