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But these are precarious instances throughout the border, and never even his calming presence supplies a lot consolation
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OTTAWA — The voice recorders are turned off in our interview with David Cohen, when a U.S. embassy spokesperson corrects the file: Canada-U.S. commerce is $2.6 billion a day, not $26 billion as the brand new ambassador to Ottawa has mistakenly stated.
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Cohen is mortified, like a quiz contestant who has simply flubbed a simple query on his specialist topic.
The owlish 67-year-old media business government and Democratic fund-raising veteran clearly prides himself on his command of element. He arrives within the interview room within the fortress-like U.S. embassy in Ottawa armed with just a little black-ring binder that incorporates encyclopedic reams of knowledge, in addition to mini-profiles of his interrogators — myself and colleague, Ryan Tumilty. An article within the Washington Put up from 2012 referred to as him a “wonk rock star.”
A lawyer by coaching, Cohen practised in Philadelphia and served as chief of employees to the mayor, Ed Rendell, within the Nineties. Later, he joined Comcast, the large American broadband Web, cable TV and film firm, the place he acted as its chief dealmaker in Washington and, in his phrases, a “consigliere” (trusted adviser) to its senior administration.
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However he’s in Ottawa principally due to his hyperlinks to Democrat royalty. In 2011, he hosted a marketing campaign fundraiser for Barack Obama at his house, elevating US$1.2 million.
Cohen has identified President Joe Biden for nearly 30 years. “I knew him socially initially and supported him in all three of his presidential campaigns (1998, 2008 and 2020). I do know Jill (Biden’s spouse) effectively and I used to be extraordinarily near Beau (Biden’s oldest son, who died in 2015). So, I’ve identified the household for an especially very long time,” he stated.
From Canada’s viewpoint, that’s vital. Cohen makes clear not solely does he converse on Biden’s behalf however he’s additionally a conduit to the president’s ear with Canadian issues.
In his e-book, The Artwork of Diplomacy (written together with his spouse Vicki), Cohen’s predecessor, Bruce Heyman stated Canada’s relationship with the U.S. is the envy of the world however was systemically “poisoned” by Donald Trump. “Belief and honesty” had been eroded by “lies and intimidation,” Heyman stated.
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Cohen has been charged with restoring that belief. But, on the commerce entrance a minimum of, the environment stays charged on points starting from electrical automobiles to softwood lumber and the entry of dairy merchandise.
Cohen stated he would characterize the commerce relationship as being “open, pleasant and enormously productive,” however that disagreements are inevitable. “The best way to check the standard and power of a relationship isn’t whether or not you have got disagreements, as a result of you’ll have disagreements. But it surely’s the way you deal with them. Are you going to be civil…and work your approach by them? Ever since my arrival (in December), there’s one commerce dispute that you can have raised — potato wart in P.E.I. — and that’s been labored by.”
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He stated the U.S. has expressed its “excessive unhappiness” on the Canadian place on the shortage of entry for American dairy merchandise, however stated even in that case, the U.S. has not exercised its choice to impose retaliatory tariffs.
On vitality, Alberta’s embattled premier Jason Kenney was in Washington earlier this month, testifying earlier than a Senate committee that, within the wake of the Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the U.S. determination to cancel Russian oil imports, the White Home had reached out to Venezuela and even Iran, however not Alberta.
He additionally agreed with Republican legislators that the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline had added to prices and provide chain issues.
Is the U.S. serious about rising vitality hyperlinks to Canada, I requested Cohen.
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He stated America is “all the time serious about preserving and increasing that relationship.” However, he stated, “the first coverage goal” is to realize internet zero emissions by 2050.
“The main disagreement I’d have with Premier Kenney is that there isn’t a short-term benefit that Canada can present to the vitality disaster as a result of there’s simply not sufficient capability in present pipelines to meaningfully transfer the needle on oil provides from Canada to america. It’s perhaps 300,000 barrels a day.
“Sure, there could also be curiosity in increasing the connection. However, given local weather change imperatives, america isn’t actually out there for increasing its dependence on fossil fuels. We’d have much more curiosity in increasing our hydro-power relationship with Canada and increasing our entry to cleaner energies.”
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Kenney additionally talked about that the U.S. must be extra lively in defending present infrastructure, together with Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline, which the state of Michigan is attempting to shut over environmental issues.
“Of all folks, Premier Kenney ought to perceive the dynamics of the Line 5 dispute,” stated Cohen. “That may be a dispute involving the state of Michigan, not america of America… Now does that imply we’ll by no means get entangled? No. Does it imply we’re not listening to it? No. However primarily, it’s a dispute between the state of Michigan and Canada and Canadian pursuits. Premier Kenney could be upset if the Canadian nationwide authorities had been to turn out to be concerned in Alberta disputes.”
Maybe the largest hazard to the bilateral relationship was highlighted in a report this week by a College of Ottawa activity power on nationwide safety, which warned about “democratic backsliding” within the U.S. that would turn out to be a supply of menace and instability. The authors, College of Ottawa professor Thomas Juneau and former nationwide safety adviser to the prime minister, Vincent Rigby, urged the Canadian authorities to rethink its relationship with the U.S.
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Cohen stated he acknowledges the menace to democracy arising from populist actions. “On a world foundation, that’s one thing that must be of concern to democracies world wide, not simply in america, however as Canada skilled with the trucker convoy, right here too.
“However I’m a glass half-full sort of man. I believe america stays the strongest democracy on the planet. I believe in President Biden, we have now the proper chief to have the ability to defend democracy, not solely in america however world wide.
“On the finish of the day, I simply consider that democracy is such a demonstrably higher type of authorities than anything on the market; that it’s going to prevail over autocracy and chaos. You will notice some effervescent up of these kinds of points however we’ll in the end prevail in our democratic construction and democratic values in america, in Canada, and among the many democracies of the world.”
The message is considered one of reassurance — that the period of lies and intimidation is over, and that belief and honesty are the modus operandi as soon as once more.
But, such is the precarious nature of the Biden Administration, not even a relaxing presence like Cohen can present a lot consolation.
Because the skies start to bruise south of the border, even probably the most optimistic Canadian policymaker would possibly need to attain for his or her raincoat.
• Electronic mail: [email protected] | Twitter: IvisonJ
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