A day before he announced that Canada would have nothing to do with U.S. missile defence, Prime Minister Paul Martin placed a call to the American president to tell him of his decision, senior American officials told CTV News.

But the leaders never actually spoke that day. And almost a week later, President George W. Bush has yet to return Martin's call.

This is further evidence of Washington's deep displeasure with Canada's decision to opt out of the U.S. ballistic missile defence program (BMD).

CTV News reported Monday that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice deferred a visit to Ottawa in mid-April over her anger with Canada's decision.

The State Department has confirmed Rice had delayed plans for a visit to Canada, but cited "scheduling conflicts," adding that she hoped to go soon.

On Tuesday, Rice had a brief meeting with Canada's Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew. It happened on the sidelines of a conference in London aimed at helping the Palestinians.

"She said of course the United States was disappointed by our decision," said Pettigrew. "But she rapidly said as well, we've got to move on."

The official Washington response echoes the disappointment expressed by U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci over Canada's decision to opt out of BMD.

"I don't understand why Canada would give up its seat at the table, given our history of working together in the defence of North America, particularly at NORAD," Cellucci told CTV News Monday.

White House Spokesman Scott McClennan said during a briefing on Tuesday: "I think our ambassador in Canada has expressed our views as well, and expressed our disappointment, but now we're talking about ways we move forward."

And with this cloud of cross-border tension hovering over them, a group of Canadian parliamentarians and industry representatives made a trip to Washington to promote Canadian trade.

The booth the delegation had set up on Capital Hill to push Canada's cause wasn't much of a draw, but one of the few U.S. congressmen who walked by made an appeal to Martin.

"I am troubled by Prime Minister Martin's decision," David Drier (R.-Calif.) told CTV News. "I hope it is temporary and I hope it is one that will change."

Conservative Party Trade critic Belinda Stronach is among the all-party delegation in Washington. She told CTV News that the BMD issue "does strain the relationship and makes it more difficult. You are on the defensive."

Canadian Senator John Buchanan who was also with the team said:  "My own personal opinion:  I think we made a mistake."

Rice's planned visit to Ottawa is supposed to be a follow-up trip to another meeting -- a summit between Martin, Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox that's expected to take place in Mexico City on March 23.

There, the missile defence issue could again surface.

A Rice visit could still happen this spring, but that hasn't been confirmed.

In the meantime, CTV's Washington Bureau Chief Tom Clark says Rice has "made her point," and that the news leaks about her anger and Martin's unreturned phone call are no mistakes, but rather "examples of finely crafted politics.

"It seems that it's designed to express American anger without any major figure having to say it themselves."

With a report from CTV's Tom Clark