U.S. President George Bush called prime minister-designate Stephen Harper on Wednesday to personally extend his congratulations on the Conservative leader's election win.

"They had a very good conversation," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, adding that Bush "looks forward to working with him."

However, McClellan didn't offer further comment on whether any specific issues came up during the chat.

On Tuesday, the White House issued its formal congratulations to Canada's next prime minister, but Wednesday's phone call marks the first time the two leaders have spoken to each other since the election.

The call occurred before it became public that Frank McKenna, Canada's ambassador to the United States, resigned his position.

Analysts have suggested Harper may guard against appearing too friendly with Bush, whose administration is unpopular with many Canadians.

Though Canada's shift to the right is believed to be welcomed by the Bush administration, Washington is also proceeding cautiously to avoid appearing overly excited about the Conservative victory in Canada, after years of strained relations with the Liberals.

Still, the White House maintains American officials enjoyed a "very good working relationship" with Martin, McClellan said. "We are looking forward to working with the new government and building upon our strong relationship."

What that relationship will entail is yet unseen.

During the election race, the Liberals launched an advertising campaign designed to paint Harper as a fanatic backed by American right-wingers.

Harper once wrote flatteringly of the "calibre and experience of the Bush cabinet," charging "the Canadian equivalent is an embarrassment" in contrast to "even the worst American cabinet in recent years."

But more recently, he has promised to get tough on the softwood lumber dispute, while limiting anti-American rhetoric.

Harper, who supported the American-led invasion of Iraq, has also said he'll reconsider Canada's position on the Kyoto accord limiting greenhouse gases and the decision not to participate in Bush's ballistic missile defence plan.

An analysis in The New York Times published Wednesday suggests Harper's election victory may indicate Canadians are "trying to debunk the prevailing political wisdom of recent years that their progressive-minded nation was drawing further and further away from the United States."

However, the newspaper cautions that analysts have warned it may be too soon to draw such a conclusion as Harper was awarded a slim minority government.

The conservative Washington Times, meanwhile, said the election didn't deliver a far-reaching right-wing mandate but does "open doors for more neighbourly and more grown-up relations."

"The only sure positive is that the shrill anti-Americanism and the crescendo of Canada-pillorying from the United States should diminish in the coming months as the new government takes form," the newspaper said in an editorial.

After walking his nine-year-old son Ben and seven-year-old daughter Rachel to school on Wednesday morning, Harper was to be briefed on his new responsibilities as prime minister of Canada.

Harper refused to take questions from journalists during the staged photo-op, suggesting he'd have plenty to say during a scheduled news conference on Thursday.

The U.S. ambassador

David Wilkins, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, said he phoned Harper on Tuesday night to congratulate him and pledged "willingness to work closely with this country and his government."

In response to a reporter's question, Wilkins said he wouldn't give any advice on how Canada can work better with the United States.

As to his statements during the campaign, "my purpose on making those comments was to make sure we were not a campaign issue," he said.

In a Dec. 13 speech to a meeting of the Canadian Club in Ottawa, Wilkins said the relentless attacking of the U.S. during the campaign could raise doubts about the strength of the two countries' friendship.