c/o New York Times
You have to appreciate the set dressing that went into Barack Obama’s visit to Parliament Hill today. Centre Block was awash in flags and stage lighting. It did provide some impressive shots. Most notable was the PM/Prez Presser in the Reading Room of Centre Block. In an innovation instituted by the Harper Conservatives, they have used the doorway as the backdrop in an attempt to simulate the better known East Room setting of the White House (notable for the long hallway the President walks towards the podium). This is a 180 vantage point from previous governments that used the west wall – notable for its historic murals – as the backdrop instead.
However, two facts struck me. One, to make this happen, Harper had to lock down the home of Canada’s government. Beyond necessary security measures, Harper had to freeze hallways simply to keep sightlines clear. Secondly, it seemed a little desperate. That every hallway in the Canadian Parliament was adorned with American and Canadian flags was a bit of unnecessary overkill. The truth is that you are hard pressed to find even a Canadian flag in these halls on a common day. A great hew and cry arose when former Speaker of the House Gil Parent ordered a second Canadian flag be paced next to his chair in the House Chamber to offer some symmetry (current Speaker Peter Milliken has reverted to only one flag to his right). Today, there was literally no side view that did not include an American and Canadian flag. Too much. Too eager. Too obvious.
See full scenes of the day here.
You know, I was thinking the same thing. “Look at all those US flags. What’s up with that?” Overkill for sure, but if their intent was to remind Americans Canada’s an ally, mission accomplished.