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Ear to the Ground

Bush’s Royal Blunder

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Posted on May 7, 2007
bushqueen
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Oops-a-daisy:  Judging by these before-and-after shots of Bush’s gaffe, a sudden chill might have hung in the air during an otherwise pleasant spring day on the White House’s South Lawn.

President Bush managed to commit one of the biggest possible no-nos, taken straight out of the Book of Things Never to Say to Women, when lauding Britain’s visiting Queen Elizabeth II (she’s the one wearing the hat) at the White House on Monday:  He insinuated that the queen is older than her actual age.


The Examiner:

After pointing out Queen Elizabeth II had dined with 10 U.S. presidents, Bush said she helped America celebrate its 200th birthday in “177 ... 1976,” which drew laughter from the crowd of 7,000 invited guests.

The queen apparently was not among those who were amused.

“She shot me a look only a mother could give a child,” Bush said, after glancing at the monarch.

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By Jim Goodson, May 8, 2007 at 5:43 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

There is an old-southern saying that no matter how the Republicans try to clean him up, you cannot make a silk-purse out of a sows ear.

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By Trigger finger, May 8, 2007 at 5:34 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had someone in our white house who could represent the USA and greet the Royal family with a little class and grace, someone we could be proud of. Instead we have an ass grabber who would more likely than not, puke in the queen’s lap if she were to get close to him. It doesn’t embarrass him, but he and the rest of his crime family does embarrass all the rest of the intelligent citizens of this country. (That includes everyone else)

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By THOMAS BILLIS, May 8, 2007 at 4:38 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Lord B I could not agree with you more.You have to admit to those of us who knew that George Bush was a chimp in a suit that rubbing it in the face of those who voted for him has some fiendish pleasure.
I will admit that finding people who will admit to voting for him is getting harder and harder.Even Laura when asked said “it is a secret ballot for a reason.”

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By Dale Headley, May 8, 2007 at 1:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

George Walker Bush is an IDIOT!

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By Dan, May 8, 2007 at 1:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I don’t believe this.  There is no way Bush knows the date America became independent.

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By Lord B, May 8, 2007 at 1:03 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Honestly, this is “much ado about nothing.”  It’s another typical Bush gaffe of which we are all accustomed to. It seems Truthdig tries to elevate any potential for controversy by featuring it on the front page of the Truthdig Web site when really there is no controversy. This is par for the course for W. He’s a botcher of the English language and an ignorant country boy. He’s not qualified to be President but then the American electorate has shown it does not care about electing “qualified” Presidential candidates. Again, when it comes to Bush, look no further than those Americans who expressed their political support for this man both in 2000 and in 2004. Therein lies the grave problem facing this nation…

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By Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, May 8, 2007 at 8:16 am #

RAE,#68667, So what?  Why do you care about English Royalty and their pomposity?  If all you have to do is to be looked at, you should be good at it.  Isn’t is absurd that the two of them make a spectacle of themselves partying in public for the press while their young subjects are dying in Iraq?  And you know what else?  You and I footed the bill for this buffonery and I bet it was outrageous.  LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!! GOD BLESS THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!

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By mojo, May 8, 2007 at 3:15 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Oh that is just so UNCOOL.  The guy is socially awkward.  He’s just plain BACKWARD. In other words. . . After seven years in Washington he’s not yet cosmopolitan. (Crawford’s unfavorite son) What a buffoon !  Maybe now he’ll buy the DVD “The Queen” so he can watch it in the White House home movie theatre where he can snack on pretzels (and beer) with all his mindless war-mongering buddies and “study” British culture.

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By GW=MCHammered, May 8, 2007 at 3:05 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Bush = (di)Nero

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By vet240, May 8, 2007 at 12:02 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I’ve long suspected that baby bu$h is the product of an abusive child-hood. I can imagine how his parents felt when he came along after Jeb. Too bad Jebs chances at President have been scuttled by the antics of his ignorant, lazy, non-reading, non-working little brother. How else can you explain his deceitfulness and pig-headedness.

With our situation as produced by the Repudlicans and the bu$h dynasty, we probably won’t last as long as Great Britain has.

You can bad mouth the Monarchy all you want, the proof is in the performance.

Long live the Queen and her country. True democracy is still thriving there!

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By QuyTran, May 7, 2007 at 11:34 pm #

She looks exactly like a big fat old sow !

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By Elizabeth J. Young, May 7, 2007 at 11:27 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I suspect that the Queen was not nearly as upset at the obvious verbal slip regarding dates as the press made out.  What was more insulting was George Bush’s “joke” he used to cover up a natural verbal slip.  Making her out to be a witch of a mother is not likely to make any woman happy.

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By QuyTran, May 7, 2007 at 9:40 pm #

Hey Queen, do you know “WHO KILLED PRINCESS DIANA AND HER UNBORN BABY ?”

Godamned royal family ! Go to hell !

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By totallyclips, May 7, 2007 at 8:27 pm #

the insult was probably deliberate, we are dealing with a child here after all, to paraphrase Churchill, never, in the annals of history, have so many been so appallingly led by so few for so long.

Information without transformation is just gossip.

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By Rrrandy Wurst, May 7, 2007 at 8:13 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

George Bush, our 43rd president, will be remembered in history as Numero Uno in the following categories:
1. Most juvenile
2. Best language butcher
3. Most bull-headed (sorry Teddy!)
4. Least concerned w/ public or international opinion
5. Least concerned w/ environment (tied w/ Reagan)
6. Most adept at leading the world to Armageddon           (thus coining a new conception of “world leader”)
7. Most supportive of the oil industry
8. Most supportive of the military-corporate complex
9. Most dominated by his self-selected vice-president
10.Worst practitioner of foreign policy.

Clearly more could be added to this list.  I, Rrrandy Wurst, 4th party candidate for president, welcome you to add to this list either here or at wurstwisdom.com.

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By RAE, May 7, 2007 at 7:51 pm #

I hope no one really expected GWB to make it through a formal ceremony WITHOUT appearing like a rube from the backwoods.

“Plain spoken” he might be - but the BIG difference is WHAT is spoken, not how “plainly” it was delivered.

Queen Elizabeth has not only attended more state occasions and dinners than any other person living, but has GIVEN more of them than anyone else. You won’t find her making any “gaffs.”

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By Mar Del Zur, May 7, 2007 at 7:42 pm #

No, really, he isn’t a complete fucking idiot…he’s just “plain spoken”...

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