The Tao and Fro of Steve

[CHIMO]

Few people realize how much backroom discussion goes on before a Canadian prime minister and a U.S. president meet face to face, and there's even more behind-the-scenes manoeuvring before they actually go before the media together.

These two leaders' aides are running back and forth, finalizing statements, double-checking protocols, making sure everyone's on the same page.

Such was the case last week when Prime Minister Stephen Harper went to Washington to meet with President George W. Bush on, as it turned out, the president's 60th birthday. There were a great many issues on the table. Softwood lumber, border security, North Korea, the war on terror, to name a few.

Deals on some issues went right down to the wire, like when the Prime Minister was waiting in a room just moments before he was to stand shoulder to shoulder before the assembled news media with the most powerful man on the planet.

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It's a hard job!