John Gibson took over and after thanking Canada through Ambassador McKenna for sending extra oil during the disaster, Gibson then added, "You kind of embarrassed us..the Vancouver Search & Rescue team showed up in St. Bernard's Parish before uh..any of the American Search & Rescue teams. We appreciate the help but ya know you're not supposed to embarrass us".
It gets worse.
McKenna appeared to be slightly taken aback by Gibson's statement, chuckled and went on to assure his host and the American public that it was not Canada's intention to embarrass the U.S. but to "help our neighbours".
At that point Ambassador McKenna went on to provide a detailed list of aid being sent to the Gulf region including three Canadian warships laden with supplies but Gibson again interrupted McKenna mid-sentence with an outrageous suggestion.
Gibson asks, "You know uh..Ambassador McKenna um..uh..uh..you know..just lemme uh..have you..uh..lemme address one thing. Uh we know that there's lots of people in Canada on the left side of the political spectrum who don't like George Bush. Is there any..any part of this..big Canadian help designed to..maybe embarrass the President?"
Ambassador McKenna deserves credit for maintaining his cool at this point in the interview and immediately assured Mr. Gibson that nothing could be further from the truth adding, "This has got nothing to do with George Bush, nothing to do with our relationship which is excellent by the way. This has got to do with the fact that we have been neighbours and friends for hundreds of years. You have come to our aid when we've been in trouble and Canada wants to be with you when you're in trouble. It's as simple as that".
The entire article appears on the Halifax Live media website; the link is http://www.halifaxlive.com/artman/publish/embarrass_130905_123.shtml
The news clip itself is available at http://mms.tveyes.com/Playlist.asp?StationID=130&ClipDateTime=9%2F9%2F2005+8%3A48%3A35+PM&Term=Canada&inframe=False
and the transcript is available from the Fox News website (edited for word whiskers - 'um', 'ah', etc.) at
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,169120,00.html
Looks like I'm gonna have to write a shittygram to Fox News. I understand they're looking to get CRTC approval for broadcast in Canada; the way I feel right now I'd say "Fuck no!" Think I'll go write some letters...
ETA:
Here's the email I've sent to Fox News. They'll probably ignore it, but I feel better for having written it:
First, Mr. O'Reilly, as a journalist, needs to get his facts in order before he starts sounding off on the air. He didn't have them in order - his interpretation of Canadian aid as "Two helicopters, 32-person rescue team, medical supplies" is well off the mark, considering the aid that was sent and in some cases, turned back. Fortunately it was corrected on the air by Mr. Gibson, but he shouldn't have had to do so.
Mr. Gibson wasn't much of a prize, either. FEMA ought to be embarrassed, and if Mr. Gibson's concern is for the US's image over the speedy provision of assistance to the disaster area, then he bloody well ought to be embarrassed too. And if Canada's political spectrum happens to be generally more socialist than the US, so what? Is the US afraid that folks in Louisiana will somehow get communisim cooties or something from the supplies with the figurative maple leaf stamped on them? Personally, I happen to think Dubya needs all the public humiliation he can get, given the apparent foot-dragging and lack of acceptance of responsibility at the top of the command structure, but that's one man's opinion.
Fox News seems to have a track record of belittling Canada, and I'm getting tired of it. I don't know the status of your application to the CRTC for broadcast rights in Canada.