First, here is Canadian politics 101 (no we don't really have talking beavers in Canada)

 

Most Prime Ministers, while respecting American Presidents few have any desire to be like them. Unfortunately, Stephen Harper not only wants to be like President Bush, he wants to be President Bush.

 

 

"Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti said of Amanpour's comments: "Given the choice, it's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than a spokeswoman for al-Qaeda."  CNN had no comment."http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2003-09-14-media-mix_x.htm

Condoleezza Rice asked  t.v. networks not to air tapes of  Osama bin Laden or his al-Qaeda terrorist network for security purposes but   Al-Jazeera Web site gets between two million and 10 million hits a day, 40 per cent of which are by Americans who speak Arabic. But even though the press was critical yesterday, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC issued statements promising not to air al-Qaeda statements live, without a review.http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1011-02.htm; http://www.projectcensored.org/censored_2006/index.htm

step one of the Harper transformation:

Harper trying to controll the press "invariably draws parallels to media relations between the Bush administration and the American press." http://blog.canadianjournalist.ca/blog/_archives/2006/10