An Olympic Hockey Bet for the U.S. and Canada

By Alex Kingsbury, Washington Whispers

The U.S. ambassador to Canada and the Canadian ambassador in Washington have a bet on the outcome of the Olympic hockey contest next month in Vancouver. "The U.S. has the best goal tending, Canada has the best defense, and the Russians have the best forwards," says an excited Gary Doer, Ottawa's representative in the nation's capital. He's installed a jumbo digital clock outside the Canadian Embassy counting down to the start of the Olympics. His optimistic crystal ball shows a gold medal game between the United States and Canada in both men's and women's hockey. "In the end, the U.S. will have 20 gold medals, Canada will have 20, and the deciding factor will be the hockey finals," he says.

• Check out our gallery of Whispers political caricatures.
• Want your Whispers first? Check out U.S. News Weekly.