Your Local News

BOOK FOR OBAMA: U-S PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S TRIP TO OTTAWA LAST WEEK WAS A MEMORABLE ONE FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

February 23, 2009

U-S PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S TRIP TO OTTAWA LAST WEEK WAS A MEMORABLE ONE FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

AND AMONG THEM... A LOCAL AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN.

HERE'S NEWSWATCH'S MAX WARK.

PKG

ARTHUR MILNES/AUTHOR-HISTORIAN

"I JUST FEEL FOR THIS NEW YOUNG PRESIDENT HAVING THESE EXPECTATIONS

REPORTER

HE WASN'T IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL FOR THE HISTORIC VISIT, BUT A PART OF HIM WAS.

IN FACT A COUPLE OF PARTS TO BE MORE PRECISE.

A BOOK LIKE THIS ONE, A BOOK HE EDITED WAS GIVEN TO THE U.S. PRESIDENT, THE GIFT WAS DELIVERED COURTESY KINGSTON AND THE ISLANDS M.P. AND SPEAKER OF THE HOSUE PETER MILLIKEN.

MILNES

"I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS A CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL FOR PETER BECAUSE WE'LL ALL JOURNALIST AND ACADEMICS HERE BUT, THANK YOU TO SPEAKER MILLIKEN, A VERY KIND THING TO DO.

AND I SHOULD ALSO LET YOU IN ON ANOTHER SECRET WHICH IS OBAMA GOT TWO COPIES BECAUSE BOB RAE, I WAS HAVING DINNER WITH HIM A WEEK OR SO AGO AND I MENTIONED THAT I WAS HOPING THAT SPEAKER MILLIKEN WOULD GIVE THE PRESIDENT A BOOK WHEN HE WAS ON PARLIAMENT HILL BUT YOU NEVER KNEW SO MR RAE SAID HEY ARTHUR I'LL HELP YOU TOO I'M MEETING WITH HIM AT THE AIRPORT SO SOMEWHERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE TONIGHT THERE'S TWO COPIES OF OUR BOOK WITH THE PRESIDENT, VERY COOL.

REPORTER

MILNES HAS RUBBED ELBOWS WITH A NUMBER OF POLITICAL BIG-WIGS DURING HIS TIME INCLUDING PRESIDENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS AND YES HE'S HOPING TO ADD OBAMA TO THAT LIST.

MILNES

"IT'S NOT EASY BUT -- AS YOU MIGHT KNOW I SPENT A FEW YEARS WITH FORMER PRIME MINISTER MULROONEY ON HIS MEMOIRS AND MR. MULROONEY, HAVING THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING SO CLOSE WITH A WORLD LEADER -- THEY READ THEIR MAIL AND I LEARNED A FEW THINGS SO STAY TUNED, I'VE NEVER MET A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE OVAL OFFICE SO THAT'S ON THE AGENDA -- I'VE BEEN TRYING FOR A WHILE AND SO WE'LL SEE.

SO PRESIDENT OBAMA IF YOU'RE WATCHING, JUST GIVE ME A CALL.

Return to News