bushmouthfull.jpg

Update:  Crooks and Liars has the video. 

It seems that the President of the United States needs a visit from Emily Post. 

While munching on a roll, George Bush had a conversation with Tony Blair about Hizbollah cutting out their "shit."  So much for that born-again veneer…this deciderating and Presidenting is hard work.  (And the fact that the curtain gets lifted from the "moral majority" act for public consumption is just a side bonus, I suppose, since neither Bush nor Blair knew the microphone was on.  And we continue now in the "do as I say, not as I do" Administration…)

Some choice Bush-isms from the conversation:

"See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this [shit] and it’s over," Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll. (emphasis mine — and if you think the description of the President talking with his mouth full, with another head of state no less, is classy, wait until you see the video for the full-on ick.)

Or this gem:

Bush expresses amazement that it will take some leaders as many as eight hours to fly home — about the same time it will take Air Force One with Bush aboard to return to Washington.

"You eight hours? Me, too. Russia’s a big country and you’re a big country," Bush said, at one point telling a waiter he wanted Diet Coke. "Takes him eight hours to fly home. Russia’s big and so is China. Yeah Blair, what’re you doing? Are you leaving."

Perhaps we could get him a geography tutor as well as Miss Manners? And then there is this:

Later, Bush said he felt like telling Annan to telephone Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "and make something happen."

"We’re not blaming Israel and we’re not blaming the Lebanese government," he said.

Yep, it’s all blame the UN and take all the credit for yourself in public.  But who do you think about calling when you can’t get anything done on your own, because you’ve squandered any potential for goodwill around the world by acting like a petulant child, making piss poor decisions and failing to adequately plan or follow through on anything? Yep, that would be the UN. Hypocrisy, thy name is Bush.

And here’s a lovely one:

Bush also said that when he next spoke to G8 leaders, he would keep it brief. "I’m not going to talk too long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long. Gotta go home. Got something to do tonight," he said.

Because, you know, other world leaders just sit around and twiddle their thumbs when Bush isn’t around to give them marching orders and all…they don’t have anything to do with their lives.  Except run their own damn nations and try to salvage what is left of the shreds of treaty obligations and international law and cooperation after five years of BushCo in the world driver’s seat.  (Jeebus.  Some days, it is all I can do to not despair at the low ebb of American influence under the steering of these idiots.  How is it that we all sit here with the entire rest of the world either laughing at the bozo in the Oval Office or so angry with us that it will take years to rebuild the very alliances that kept us secure and strong during the worst of the Cold War.  Five short years…for this.  Blergh.)

And poor Bushie, having to talk with other world leaders about matters as unimportant as global financing, third world development, oil and energy prices, and a crisis in the Middle East…let alone coordination of evacuation plans for foreigners from Lebanon (which is going on as I type this morning, btw)…well, clearly none of that is as important as George Bush getting back to the White House for…what, exactly? A nap? More bike riding? Snuggling with Pickles? 

What’s your guess as to what was more important to the President of the United States than practicing actual, on the ground diplomacy with face-to-face discussions with the world leaders among whom an agreement could be a very powerful means of structuring some attempt at a ceasefire or even, dare I say, efforts toward a long-term strategy for foreign policy initiatives in the future?  Any guesses at all?

Had enough?

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