US Ambassador Paul Cellucci says

[achtung_circus]

in his address to the Ontario Cattleman's Association today that

"America doesn't enter into treaties when it has no intention of abiding by the provisions of the treaty"

It was the biggest laugh of his speech.

[tuvor]

1. Dammit, hasn't he quit yet?

:mad:

[Canuckistanian]

6. Yeah, it seems like he's been 'leaving' for a year now

When does he actually fuck off?

[achtung_circus]

7. He said he's out on March 18

He also said he liked salmon fishing on the Restigouche. I was looking forward to some farmer being mad enough about the border closure that there would be nasty questions asked. No such luck. All were polite.

[HEyHEY]

2. Sounds like more ammo for the legal cannon

[Maple]

3. I hope they weren't all

eating lunch at the time!!

[elare]

4. Did anyone say the words

"softwood lumber"? I'm so sick of that ass preaching to us about what we should be doing and how we should run our country. Can't they just send him home?

[achtung_circus]

9. No preaching today.

And the cattlemen are so eager that the border open to cattle less than 30 months that they were publicly polite. Border scheduled to reopen on March 7th. We'll see.

Although there was lots of softwood lumber whispering, and one loud comment about the countervailing tarriff the hog producers are currently paying.

[elare]

11. Softwood lumber ...

strikes very close to home with me. My husband is just finally back to work after being laid off for a year and a half (he works in the softwood industry). How many times does the WTO and the NAFTA panel have to rule against the U.S. before they give it up and drop those stupid tariffs?

[achtung_circus]

12. How many consecutive challenges have there been

against the "State Trading Enterprise" called the Canadian Wheat Board? About 10 and counting. All thrown out by NAFTA & WTO. The Americans vary the wording a little and start from scratch. Trade is only "free" when the rules are slanted in their favour.

[tuvor]

14. Not to mention pay back our $4 billion dollars in tarrifs.

Can you imagine if we had $40 billion of the US's money and refused to release it? Same thing.

[elare]

15. $4 billion

and rising daily (just on softwood tariffs if anyone is wondering).

I imagine we'd be getting slammed to the ground if we tried tying up $40 billion of their money.

[Canuckistanian]

5. LOL, thanks, I needed that....

Been reading way too much serious stuff today.

[whistle]

8. The Canadian audience laughed at him I hope, let see one...

...lonely cow 30 months ago is found on a slab at some U.S. slaughter house and is said to be infected by mad cow disease. On that flimsy evidence, Bush suspends all agreements concerning the importation of Canadian beef until a few weeks ago, even though no other cases of diseased cattle were ever discovered in Canadian herds throughout that period.

We consumers in America are blessed with a doubling of beef prices at the retail level, have millions of dairy cattle, slaughtered and dumped into our food chain, effectively raising milk and dairy prices by 40%, while the beef we are buying tastes like rancid cheese. If you don't believe me, go to Canada and order a big steak or a thick hamburger, there is a big difference. Oh, and those millions of dairy cows that have been dumped into the human food chain were feed special hormones and steroids to increase milk and butter production as well as growth hormones to mature them faster so as to produce milk sooner. Only in America folks!

[achtung_circus]

10. BST Bovine SomatoTropin (sp?)

illegal in Canada, supposed to increase milk yield and therefor profits, but it turns out that it burns out cows so fast that any potential increases in efficiencies are outweighed by the cost of replacing cows.

[whistle]

13. Any applications in pro baseball or football?

[achtung_circus]

16. Only

if you want a lactating quarterback.