Oh it’s 1, 2, 3, 4,
What are we fighting for?
Don’t ask me why it’s time to take a stand
Next stop is Newfoundland

In all this talk of the War Powers Resolution that will now allow George W. to make up for past mistakes made by Daddy, another righting a past wrong is being overlooked.

Giving the President special powers will allow him to make up for Polk’s Folly.

President James K. Polk failed to add Canada to the idea of Manifest Destiny, depriving our brethren of the north from all the advantages of being one of us for almost 160 years.

Since the days of Polk, our hands have been tied in our pursuit of expansion to the north by the whole idea of not going to war to seize territory.

We no longer have to wait for the horde of Mounties attacking from the frozen north. We can now go after them without being provoked.

This isn’t all about us, Canada will see huge benefits from being the upper U.S.

To show our sincerity, instead of adding more stars to the flag, we could add 12 little maple leafs (how many of you were even aware there is a new province called Nunavut?) and a single fleur-de-lis for our new compatriots in Québec.

We’d welcome the Canadian Provinces by change our name to the United States and Provinces of America.

But what about the language thing?

Yep, there are areas of Canada that predominantly speak French, but there are areas of the southwest that speak Spanish and we’ve been managing for years.

The advantages of expansion are huge:

• LaBatts and Moosehead no longer taking up space in the import beer isle. They can sit right there besides Coors and Budweiser.

• Canadians could start paying full fare for health care just as the Good Lord intended.

• Great Lakes -- All ours

• Kids in school who stumbled over the spelling of Connecticut will now get a chance to try and spell Saskatchewan.

• Liberals will have to look for some other place when comparing death from guns.

• It’s been more than 40 years since we added any states, adding undue hardship to the flag manufacturer industry.

• The dream team in basketball looks as if its days are numbered. But our dream team in hockey will be unbeatable.

• We can add movie box office sales from Canada to domestic gross totals.

• Neil Young will no longer feel like an outsider when CSN&Y have reunions.

• The Tragically Hip (We know none of you have ever heard of this group, but we’re betting that’s because they are foreigners.)

• People looking for the web site for United States and Provinces of America (USPA) will accidentally enter the website for Unites States Postal Service (USPS) and suddenly decide to send a package to Aunt Edna in Duluth.

• Cigars from Cuba

• Tommy Chong (born in Edmonton) might get the parts now going to former partner Cheech Marin (born in L.A.)

• Flying domestic to Toronto.

• We can finally end the embarrassment of Ben Cartwright of Bonanza fame being a foreigner.

• Curling

• More maple syrup.

I know it isn’t all positives. It could mean more visibility for Celine Dion, but that’s a small price to pay to not have to listen to Oh Canada at sports events.

There is one minor problem with this whole plan: 63 elements on the blue background of the flag fail to organize well. But even that works out in our favor.

We will go to an eight by eight grid by adding the 64th state to the United States and Provinces of America: Cuba.