President Obama is receiving sustained criticism from Republican senators, from conservative media and from many Cuban-Americans, for his efforts to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, and to bring about the eventual end of the U.S. economic embargo. But he has strong allies in Canada's Conservative government, which has otherwise taken a more aggressive approach to such issues as Vladimir Putin's Ukraine adventures, and to supporting the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- than a) one might expect Canada to take; and b) the Obama Administration.