Posted on 08/05/2003 7:42:11 PM PDT by admiralsn
Author of Sask. 'President Shrub' memo resigns
Canadian Press
REGINA — An internal government memo referring to U.S. President George W. Bush as "President Shrub" has cost a 24-year veteran of Saskatchewan politics his job.
Ted Bowen, an NDP researcher who wrote the communique and accidentally faxed it to the media last week, has resigned his position with the party, officials in the caucus office confirmed Tuesday. There were no details released at Bowen's request, the party said. He declined to comment on the memo.
Bowen, 60, is originally from Texas and pointed to his roots as an explanation for the nickname. He had been with the New Democrats since the late 1970s under then-premier Allan Blakeney.
The memo dealt with a petition campaign the government started to help open the U.S. border to Canadian beef in the aftermath of a mad cow scare that has crippled the cattle industry.
The subject line of the note, sent to all government members of the legislature, read: "Re: Petition to President Shrub." The memo explained that "shrub" is American political writer Molly Ivens's dismissive nickname for Bush.
The gaffe, which made headlines across the country and appeared as a top story on the American political Web site the Drudge Report, prompted apologies from the highest levels of the provincial NDP, including Premier Lorne Calvert, who called it "just plain dumb."
The Opposition Saskatchewan Party said the unintentionally public memo has become an impeding factor in reopening the border.
On Tuesday, Bob Bjornerud, an opposition member of the legislature, said the government handled the situation the right way, but the damage is already done.
"You have to feel badly for the employee, but on the other side of it, the government has a job to do here and they certainly have not helped the cause for farmers and ranchers by letting a comment like that out," Bjornerud said.
"There is never a good time for a comment like this, but it could not have come at a worse time."
A single case of mad cow disease found in an Alberta cow last May has put a halt to virtually all Canadian cattle exports, dealing a devastating blow to the entire beef industry.
The Saskatchewan memo is the latest in several high-level Canadian insults to Bush and Americans that cattle industry representatives say are not helping their cause.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien's former press secretary, Francoise Ducros, was forced to resign last November after being overheard calling Bush a "moron."
Earlier this year, Liberal member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish was overheard saying, "Damn Americans, I hate those bastards."
Chretien was also criticized for negative comments he made to reporters while flying to Europe about the U.S. economy.
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