Premier defends Bush
The week's news at a glance.
Ottawa
An aide to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien resigned this week after telling a reporter President Bush was “a moron.” Françoise Ducros, the premier’s spokeswoman, reportedly criticized Bush for soliciting support for war in Iraq during a NATO gathering in Prague. “What a moron,” she said. Opposition leaders lambasted Ducros, and worried aloud that her blunder would worsen already testy relations between the White House and Ottawa. “This is not a silly comment,” said Jason Kenney of the Canadian Alliance. “This is a serious diplomatic faux pas.” Chrétien refused Ducros’ resignation once before accepting it, but stressed that he didn’t share her assessment of Bush. “He is a friend of mine,” said Chrétien. “He is not a moron at all.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff