A Conservative prime minister has launched a stirring defence of universal health care, and lauded Barack Obama in his bare-knuckle political battle to extend benefits to all Americans.
But it's not the current Conservative prime minister.
Brian Mulroney used a speech to 1,500 Conservative supporters to wade where Prime Minister Stephen Harper has steadfastly refused to venture: the bitter U.S. debate over health reform.
The former prime minister drew parallels between Obama's uphill fight to reform health care to his own struggles as prime minister, which may have cost him popularity but benefited the country.
"Political capital is acquired to be spent in great causes for one's nation," Mulroney said Thursday.
"Prime ministers are not chosen to seek popularity.... They are chosen to provide leadership. . . President Obama is fighting for a form of universal health care and is encountering ferocious resistance.
"The attacks on President Obama are often bitter and mean-spirited and his approval ratings, his popularity, are sinking like a stone. Still, he fights on. . .
"Fifty years from today, Americans will revere the name, 'Obama.' Because like his Canadian predecessors, he chose the tough responsibilities of national political leadership over the meaningless nostrums of sterile partisanship that we see too much of in Canada and around the world today."
The vast, crowded hotel ballroom went silent at that part of Mulroney's speech. One woman was seen snickering.
It didn't take long for tongues to start wagging that Mulroney's speech -- which, in 40 minutes, mentioned old Liberal and NDP opponents but never once uttered the name 'Harper' -- was a craftily designed swipe at the prime minister.
Source: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Obviously there is no love lost between Mulroney and Harper, but what strikes me the most about this is Mulroneys inflated ego. He sounds like George W. Bush when he says, " "Fifty years from today, Americans will revere the name, 'Obama.' Because like his Canadian predecessors, he chose the tough responsibilities of national political leadership over the meaningless nostrums of sterile partisanship that we see too much of in Canada and around the world today."
I take it that Mulroney means himself when he says 'Canadian predecessors', which implies that he expects us to revere him in the future, or at least my decendents will revere him. HA! Obviously this jerk wad hasn't changed much in the years since he was Prime Minister.
