Bush still in the bubble: greeted with angry protests in Canada, and chose to not see them

_{Keith Olbermann examines Bush's visit to Canada}

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
by Chad Rubel 

His trip didn't last long. He received high security. Dined in a private area of a restaurant. Walked to his speech through an underground tunnel from the hotel to the convention center. Gave a speech where no media was allowed, no recordings or photographs either.

But we hear that George W. Bush actually was in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to give a speech, where people lined up to pay $400 for lunch and a chance to hear Bush speak in person.

There were protestors. The national 200-300 estimate is probably low, since MSM outlets usually undercount these gatherings. The Calgary Herald, owned by the conservative CanWest outfit in a conservative city, estimated the protest crowd at 400. And to be fair, if Bush had spoken in Toronto or Montréal, the numbers would have been considerably stronger.

But the ones who showed up were angry. There was a shoe theme, among others, after all, it's not every day an alleged war criminal comes to your city. And there were four arrests, belying the typical laid-back Canadian stereotype.

Picture galleries of Bush protests in Calgary

CBC

Calgary Herald

In the speech, Bush railed against isolationism, not realizing the irony that the only way he could be in what is the safest city for him outside the United States was to completely isolated.

The contrast between President Obama's February trip to Ottawa -- the warmth, cheering, and impromptu purchase of souvenirs and baked goods -- and yesterday's Bush speech in Canada is a further reminder that the world has an interest in who our president is, and they weren't happy over the last eight years.

For those who are still hoping for a Bush arrest overseas, there is good news. This tryst to Calgary is the first of at least 10 speeches in Canada, Asia, and Europe. Despite ignoring Canadian law that would normally make Bush inadmissible to Canada (allegations of war crimes on top of his DUI), he was able to get in and out without incident, this time.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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