Still Mum on Presidential Aspirations, Gov. Christie Visits Canada
By David Madden
CALGARY, ALBERTA (CBS) -- New Jersey governor Chris Christie made a three-day trade trip to Canada this week, after a similar visit to Mexico in September. And some suggest those trade missions were geared to do a lot more than promote international commerce.
This week's meetings with key government and business leaders offered Christie another opportunity to demonstrate how he'd handle foreign affairs which, of course, you'd expect from a potential presidential candidate.
During his remarks made in Calgary, he referred to what he calls a "North American model" for the rest of the world to emulate.
"Canada, the United States, and Mexico share a political system, share an approach to the economy, share similar cultural values, share a respect for each other's national sovereignty, and share a belief that freedom and democracy should be offered to people all across the world," he said.
US-Canadian trade amounts to $2 billion a day, but Christie suggests that could go a lot higher were it not for reluctance from Washington -- specifically, the White House -- on the Keystone pipeline project.
"This is not about sending your oil across our land," Christie said. "It's about maximizing the benefits of North America's natural resources for everybody, about allowing markets to function, and about contributing to the prosperity of citizens both in the United States and in Canada."
Christie dodged the obligatory questions about his own presidential ambitions, but his speeches addressed what he said was a need for improved respect from America to Canada.
