After Netanyahu, Does Obama Have Harper in His Crosshairs?

Veteran Canadian journalist Lorrie Goldstein can’t help but ask:

One wonders if U.S. President Barack Obama will campaign as vigorously to defeat [Canadian] Prime Minister Stephen Harper this fall, as he did, unsuccessfully, to defeat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in that country’s recent election.

During the Israeli election, the Obama administration and the president’s political advisers did everything they could to defeat Netanyahu, including anonymously leaking information to the media to damage him, a tactic they have continued following Netanyahu’s victory. (…)

On top of all that, some of Obama’s senior campaign strategists were on the ground in Israel, working with the opposition parties to defeat Netanyahu. (…)

When it comes to Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, like Netanyahu, is a political conservative, considerably to the right of Obama.

Harper’s staunch support of Israel — he has replaced Obama as Israel’s strongest defender and ally in the West — can’t have made Obama happy.

Another significant irritant in Canada-U.S. relations has been Obama’s refusal to approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta’s oilsands to U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast, which has put Harper and Obama at loggerheads. (…)

As for what Obama might be thinking, our media have reported some of his campaign operatives are already working with the Liberals and NDP to help defeat Harper and the Conservatives in October’s election.