President Obama paid a visit to the Canadian parliament today to deliver a speech before the House of Commons, the first time a U.S. President has done so since Bill Clinton spoke in 1995.
He was greeted enthusiastically; indeed, some might say like a rock star.
Obama was greeted and interrupted frequently by sustained standing ovations and cheers as he entered the House of Commons, shaking hands with cabinet ministers as he took his seat, and throughout his speech.
He was introduced by Trudeau, who paid tribute to Obama's time in office by saying the world has learned from him -- not by virtue of his executive orders, but by his example.
From the New York Times live blog, referencing President Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto:
Both leaders are warning against following politicians peddling what they describe as false populism and "demagogues" with easy answers to hard problems. Obama says "there aren't a lot of short cuts" to solving global problems.
The leaders spoke Wednesday at a news conference after a meeting of North American leaders in Ottawa, Canada.
Much of the conversation was about the political trends behind the rise of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Great Britain's decision to pull out of the European Union.
Pena Nieto stood by his previous comments comparing Trump's rhetoric to that of Hitler and Mussolini. He says the end result in the 1940s was "tragedy for mankind."
It's nice to see President Obama so well-appreciated, even if it is in another country.
