Stephen Harper proved again yesterday that he is an extremely competent performer on the world stage. He is very good in the international arena and demonstrated, as did Obama, during the press conference that he has a mastery of the complex policy challenges, environmental, economic and foreign, that were thrown at him by the media. For me it was also positive to see the President echo what the Prime Minister has been saying about the importance of getting China and India fully engaged in global environmental initiatives. The Harper malcontents in the environmental movement always seemed to forget the logic of that argument when they went after the PM on Kyoto.
Certainly, I don't want to be smug, as that is something best left to the Liberal Party, but it was pleasing to see all that opposition nonsense about Harper's relationship with Obama being poisoned as a consequence of some misadventures during the American primaries be blown to smithereens. When the Toronto Star editorial board says a Conservative PM did okay then I will call the opposition out for crying wolf on bilateral bitterness. Both Harper and Obama demonstrated they know how to play in the big leagues - good on them for that.