Bill Clinton: “Prime Minister and Mrs. Chretien, Ambassador and Mrs. Chretien, Ambassador and Mrs. Blanchard, ladies and gentlemen: Let…”

“Prime Minister and Mrs. Chretien, Ambassador and Mrs. Chretien, Ambassador and Mrs. Blanchard, ladies and gentlemen: Let me begin by thanking the Prime Minister for his generous words and by thanking Prime Minister and Mrs. Chretien and all of our Canadian hosts for making Hillary and me feel so at home here today in our first day of this wonderful visit. We all have so much in common, so many roots in common. I couldn't help thinking, when we shared so many jokes in the Parliament today and so many good laughs, of all the things I might have said. One of the things that is most fascinating to Americans about Canada is the way you blend your cultures. I understand, now that we've come across the river from Ottawa to Hull, everything is first in French and then in English. And I'm trying to accommodate to all this. And I thought about a true story that I would share with you. One of the members of our official party today came all the way from Georgia, Mr. Gordon Giffen, who's sitting out here, but he was born in Canada. And you should know that Georgia, in the heart of the American South, has a Lieutenant Governor named Pierre How- ard. He was very self-conscious about running with a name like Pierre in the South. And in desperation one day, he said, ``Well, you have to understand, Pierre is French for Bubba.'' [Laughter] And you all know that I come from Arkansas.…”