We Get To Borrow Biden For 48 Hours…

No one else on Medium will give a darn out this, so I thought I’d step forward and say that in Canada it’s a pretty big deal so I’d bringing it to your attention.

President Biden is visiting Ottawa for two days.

It says a lot about friendship that we can treat our relationship so casually. We in Canada do not get upset when our longest-standing friend has other things to do. We understand that. For 150 years, we’ve guarded freedom’s wall together.

Well, except for that little misunderstanding in 1812 when an America president sought to gain popularity with a trumped-up invasion. It didn’t last long.

The there was Trump himself…but we don’t talk about Ted Cruz either. Let it slide.

Trudeau and Biden will talk about the joint Ukrainian strategy and “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the US-Canada partnership and promote our shared security, shared prosperity, and shared values,” said a U.S. press secretary.

Canada has announced $3.8 billion in spending to help upgrade NORAD and has recently purchased F-35s, but its overall percentage of GDP spent on defense remains well below the 2% asked of NATO members.

President Biden will address the Canadian parliament, where I am sure he will appreciate the advantages bestowed on a country by having three or four parties instead of two. One thing I am happy about is that with pressure from the NDP, Trudeau’s Liberals will be implementing free dental care into our free health care system. About time!

(And before anyone says :yes, but you pay for it in taxes”, let me add that we pay about one-third of what our American neighbours pay, and the level of care is much higher. Take taxes over profits.)

First lady Dr. Jill Biden — who is accompanying her husband in Ottawa — will also take part in additional events with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the prime minister’s wife. Maybe they will talk about the Fox News plan to build a wall between the countries, by which Canadians assume they mean a privacy hedge. Those can be pretty.

And my son is a Test Pilot flying into Ottawa from Goose Bay, Newfoundland, today. Maybe they will pass in the airport. Go Joe! Autograph time!