Frank McKenna's Mission

He has landed on big-city op-eds pages, popped up on cable news gabfests and likes to publicly release letters he has written to those who would harm Canadian interests or spread disinformation. He has used his political background to speak the language of lawmakers and his comfort level with U.S. culture and history to take the Canadian message to the regions. But perhaps most importantly — and with much less notice — he has shaken up the bureaucracy at Ottawa's imposing headquarters on Pennsylvania Ave. And not everyone there is thrilled about it. He holds morning "war room" meetings, moves on issues without waiting for any perfunctory nod from the Prime Minister's office and runs the embassy like a CEO. But has he made a difference in bilateral relations, having quickly moved beyond the more buttoned-down style of career diplomats? "He's living in a netherworld between politics and diplomacy," says one insider, "and so far it's working. He's taking risks and we're moving the ball forward. "He's getting much more notice in Canada. Is he being noticed here? Frankly, no. But when he does get noticed, he gets good reviews." http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1119131409511&call_pageid=968332188854

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