Bush Shows Gift Of Gaffe At APEC Summit

[kskiska]

Source: Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Even for someone as gaffe-prone as U.S. President George W. Bush, he was in rare form on Friday, confusing APEC with OPEC and transforming Australian troops into Austrians.

(snip)

"Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction," he told Prime Minister John Howard. "Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit."

As the audience of several hundred people erupted in laughter, Bush corrected himself and joked, "He invited me to the OPEC summit next year." Australia has never been a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Later in his speech, Bush recounted how Howard had gone to visit "Austrian troops" last year in Iraq. There are, in fact, no Austrian troops there. But Australia has about 1,500 Australians military personnel in and around the country.

Upon finishing his speech, Bush took the wrong way off-stage and, looking slightly perplexed, had to be re-directed by Howard to a centre-stage exit.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-apec-bush-gaffe.html

[Spazito]

1. Geez, as hard to believe as it is, he is getting WORSE

He has to be drugged up or something, it is beyond weird, imo.

You should post this in GD as well, I am sure it will get some very interesting responses, lol.

[bjobotts]

28. Stoned again...big deal...It's only Austria. President gets the best drugs.

[wordpix]

73. he was slurring horribly---was it alcohol, tranquilizers or a combo?

Or maybe it was just pRes Dumbass

[spirit of wine]

2. Couldn't we just leave him in Australia

maybe pick up a couple of koala bears for the Washington DC zoo instead, I do not think anyone really would mind, or notice.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. What has Australia ever done to us to deserve that kind of cruelty?

To be honest, I'd let them keep him and not even ask for the koalas in exchange. But damn, I've met some very nice people from there before and I just can't do such a despicable thing to them.

[superkia]

16. Hes harmless by himself, he would get lost somewhere.

Don't forget, it wouldn't help us any because we would still have the same politicians and corporations to continue running our country into the ground. But it would be nice to have someone smarter, I know hes a puppet for the system but he should be smarter than a puppet?

[Spazito]

7. LOL, Don't you mean them "Austrians"? n/t

[ChickMagic]

50. I don't think he said "Austria"

I hear it a lot in Texas. Austraya is Texan for Australia. It sounds like that's what he's saying, but since it's slurred, it's hard to tell.

[Spazito]

53. Seeing as bush is actually a Connecticut yankee and his

Texas 'drawl' comes and goes on command, I don't think it was a Texas thing, I think it was a typical bush screw up, one of the multiple ones he made within hours. The slurring is getting worse too, he is either stoned or drunk out of his friggin skull, I don't know which.

Edited to add:

bush says Australia multiple times and it is clearly Australia and not Austraya, he clearly has uses the 'l' in his pronunciation prior to his troop comment.

[ChickMagic]

55. Since I'm probably older than you

I cede to younger ears. :) He is out of his friggin mind for sure. I picked up on that because while Texans say it in an understated (and understandable) way, his hokey, phony accent emphasizes it.

[Spazito]

56. LOL, I am one of those old(er) DUers too!

I watched/listened to the video again after posting and I can see why you picked up him saying 'Austrayan', it is unclear to be sure. Actually, phonetically, it came out as 'Austrayan' as opposed to 'Austrean'. With bush who the hell really knows, lol.

[Violet_Crumble]

43. Hell, we'd mind a lot...

No-one but our own homegrown idiot John Howard seems to want him or any of that APEC circus here disrupting Sydney...

[historian]

49. cant be done

Didnt you read about the Koala Bear protests in the streets of syndey?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. That's our pretzeldent

And no, you can't keep him Australians, though I know you must be dearly wishing you could. I'm afraid he's all ours.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[FREEWILL56]

30. PRETZELDENT

WOW, I like it. This makes him sound like a pimple crator on a teenaged pretzel. I wonder why those terroristic pretzels tried to do him in?:shrug:
Please take him and make sure he doesn't go into politics, but you could put him on a comedy show if you make sure we the people can watch the ass.:hi: :applause: :woohoo: :rofl:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

63. Welcome to DU!

I'm glad I entertained you! Stick around, you'll read a lot of much more entertaining things than I could ever conceive to post by our actually witty DUers. :hi: :D

[FREEWILL56]

71. Thank you for the welcome

but as a former Charlie Rose poster I can usually hold my own and I carry quite a bit of wit myself. I used to love doing battle with the republicon element that was on the forum, but they disbanded it a year or 2 ago. I didn't know how much I had missed those fights until I got into one here on the du concerning stores violating the rights of customers. So far it looks as if I had the last word with post 386 I believe it was.:hi: :hi: :hi: :kick:

[Lobster Martini]

4. Doesn't the Secret Service keep him away from the cash bar?

No wonder Pickles stayed home.

[driver8]

5. Aaarrgghhh! How does a person get dumber??

He is a freakin' embarassment to this country. I am ashamed that this fuckwad is an American, and even more ashamed that he is our "leader".

[calimary]

8. I've never before found myself actually cringing when the so-called president

of the United States goes out in public and "does his thing."

There was always at least some semblance of dignity and elegance and refinement, and the gravitas that automatically comes with that high office.

THIS guy, on the other hand, brings to it all the couth of Larry the Cable Guy at a Chug-a-Lug and Fart contest.

:eyes:

[Bobbieo]

10. The horrible reality of this whole thing is

Bush just doesn't care what he says or where he is. HE DOESN'T HAVE TO and that is the horrible reality!!! There is no way or no one to stop him and he knows it.

[NYC Liberal]

70. From Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt...

to this idiot.

What a sorry state of affairs.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. kikiska, I cross posted in GD with full props to you

I didn't want those who primarily read GD to not get a chance to see this article.

Link to GD article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1751805

[kskiska]

11. No problem, Lone_Star_Dem!

I figured this would show up over there sooner or later.
:-)

[tom_paine]

12. Caligula is stoned to the bejeezus on prescription drugs

Seriously, how much of any given day do you think Lil' Boots Bushler ISN'T drugged out.

C'mon, all he has to do is place a call and they'll bring Herr Monster a goddamned gift basket full of valium, xanax, miltowns, secobarbital and any other of the neat brain peptide adjusters science has come up with to make Bushies FEEL GOOD.

The whole Pharmaceutical Industry is Chimpler's medicine cabinet.

Apparently, this morning, he got a little deeper into the pills than he usually does, but it's been stressful week.

[tabasco]

13. It is an indictment of our society that such an incompetent sits as our chief executive.

How far the great USA has fallen.

Sad days for America.

[wake.up.america]

25. Sorry to say that he is a reflection of all those dummied downed supporters.

[acmavm]

14. He's never been a rocket scientist. Go back a read what his college

professor's and classmates said about him. They all said he was lazy, a liar, crude, cruel, and not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Now it's just getting worse. He'll end up making Raygun look like a MENSA candidate before he's out of office.

[Lionel Mandrake]

69. Raygun knew his camera angles,

but he was a poor judge of character: he fell for Edward Teller's lies about the x-ray laser (and other aspects of missile defense). IMHO Raygun was a mediocre president.

Warren G. Harding was arguably the worst president prior to the 21st Century. Harding was not very bright, but at least he knew he was in over his head.

The war criminal who now occupies the White House (thanks to Diebold and the Supreme Court) is lazy, stupid, and evil. He is worse than Harding in every way.

[aquart]

15. Honing his lecture-circuit comedy act?

[huskerlaw]

17. What a jackass.

I wish I could find this funny. I really do.

[Supersedeas]

45. the Coward of Crawford has a way with words -- Diebold and 33%er's agree

[scarface2004]

18. give him a break. he said visit the 'ostriches' in iraq

not austrians.

[pacalo]

19. This is hilarious...

Upon finishing his speech, Bush took the wrong way off-stage and, looking slightly perplexed, had to be re-directed by Howard to a centre-stage exit.

But not before a veteran White House correspondent seized the opportunity to ask Bush whether there had been any new message in his speech. Apparently misunderstanding the question, he bristled and asked, "Haven't you been listening to my past speeches?" before turning away.

[Lisa]

27. I hope someone has video of this -- it'll go nicely with the "China exit door" moment

Classic Dubya.

[Whoa_Nelly]

20. How do you spell George Bush? F-U-C-K-E-D U-P D-R-U-N-K

[RamboLiberal]

21. Saw Bill Clinton on Larry King last night

Every time I see the Big Dog I want to cry to see that this country once had an articulate, thinking, smart president and didn't appreciate what they had!

Now we have this embarassing doofus!

[LuckyLib]

35. Saw him interviewed by Dave Letterman and called my SO to come in to hear

an actual intelligent, coherent, complete sequence of thought that a listener could follow. We both shook our heads, nostalgic for Bill.

[Myrina]

75. ... Bill who said 'the surge is working' on NPR the other day?

:eyes: He's been drinkin' the BFEE Kool Aid, man ...

[Colorado Progressive]

22. What a goddamned doofus. Woohoo us!

Is it just me or is it really embarrassing to read any news involving the turd actually speaking to anyone else?

[Ilsa]

41. I know what you mean. He isn't "our" president, but still, he's

like a hated abusive relative, so it is only natural for the rest of us to be embarrassed by him. Why doesn't someone handle him?

[goclark]

60. Didn't Condi make the trip as his date?

Isn't she handling him? :sarcasm:

[yorkiemommie1]

23. He does us proud, doesn't he?

:sarcasm:

[Lugnut]

24. Oh brother

I don't know why he's allowed out in public let alone allowed to speak. :eyes:

[Lasher]

26. No Junior, this is the place with the kangaroos, remember?

Somebody hide the football.

[nickgutierrez]

29. A message for our Austrian... uh, Australian friends:

We're not all that stupid. I promise.

[trusty elf]

31. MORON ERROR

[Baby Snooks]

32. Funny and then not

It is very disconcerting to realize that the world laughs at a man who at the same time frightens everyone.

[dmr]

38. Isn't that the truth

Welcome to DU!

[truthisfreedom]

33. "But aides say his folksy style has helped endear him to Middle America."

There is NOTHING endearing about bush. WTF is "Middle America"??? The technicians who stole the vote for him?

[historian]

48. well ..................

What does that say about middle america???90% of those cretin cant eve find their own country on a world map!!

[Doctor_J]

57. What an insult to middle America

That's a big reason why I have such contempt for red staters.

[Lisa]

61. it's contemptible, isn't it -- the Bushies laughing to themselves ...

... as they pretend to be speaking for "regular folks". What bets Bush does "redneck impersonations" when he thinks nobody is watching?

I'm from a blue-collar, socially-conservative part of Canada -- I know many Americans who come from the "heartland" -- and I resent the ugly caricature created by Bush's backers. I read books! I have a graduate degree! And it hurts to see any part of the country being made into a nasty, bigoted stereotype.

[Andrushka]

34. VIDEO!

Truly cringe-worthy stuff (and that's just Howard):

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200709/r174778_662791.asx

(you may have to paste into Windows Media player etc. open URL option)

[mogster]

39. He (Bush) sounds drunk

Really, I think he sounds drunk, it's a slur in his voice.

[wordpix]

76. "Aushralian ship"--- can't state a sentence without looking at his notes

"troopsh"

[Lisa]

77. does this show Bush's botched exit? Help -- I can't play it on this computer!

Can anybody confirm? Thanks!

I'm trying to see whether this CNN clip works -- I know that this segment did have him being stopped by PM Howard.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2007/09/07/moos.bush.bad.day.cnn

[clixtox]

36. USA's unesteemed embarrassment of a pretzeldent...

may or might not be the dumbest, crudest lout in the countries short, often sordid history of leadership but he certainly is the most moronic since accurate visual depiction became possible. His empty-headed communication style and obvious lack of respect for his hosts, wherever he goes, will be shown regularly, and forever, as a lesson in how we lost our way as a nation.

Parading this daft, vacuous, imbecile internationally is an affront to every citizen of the USA and reason enough for impeachment!

[Mojambo]

37. Bush, SKorea leader spar over Korean war

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070907/ap_on_re_au_an/bush

Sounds like a rather uncomfortable exchange. Somewhat uncontrolled.

[Ilsa]

40. Oh. get real. It isn't a gift It's a curse.On us and the the rest of the planet. nt

[doxieone]

42. He must be severely jet lagged... but it raises an issue...

He might be on the road for a full breakdown.

His support system is nothing now. No Fredo. No Turd Blossom.

His wife can't be happy with his "date" with Rice through all of this.

US plane carries nuclear bombs over US....

Iraq... OBL.... yada yada

President Cheney anyone?? Bush is ready to have a heart attack himself.

[Violet_Crumble]

44. Someone should get Bush this t-shirt from Austria...

They were in every touristy souvenir shop I got dragged into when I was in Vienna....

[jody]

46. Bush really is a Texas Post Turtle.

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to former Texas Governor George W. Bush and his elevation to the White House.

The old Texan said, "Well, ya know, Bush is a 'post turtle'."

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a "post turtle" was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road, and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."

The old man saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain, "You know he didn't get there by himself, he doesn't belong there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just want to help the dumb shit get down."

[historian]

47. They should have let him fall over the edge

Why did the australians steer him away from certain disaster? Let the idiot fall; he would probably have screwed that up as well.

[Javaman]

51. Alzheimer-in-chief*. nt

[Summer93]

52. Alcoholic/Addict/Brain Damage

Looks like the signs of an alcoholic/addict who sustained brain damage. He repeats the same jokes over and over and HE laughs at them each time as though they are new to him.

The audience "gives him some slack" because they can see that he has imbibed more than he can handle.

Rinse, Repeat ad nauseum

[daleo]

54. It would be funny

If it wasn't for the fact that this man controls the U.S. military.

[SlowDownFast]

58. "several hundred people erupted in laughter"

Great.

A pretext for bombing Australia...

[FREEWILL56]

72. Australia?

Don't you mean Austria?
Enjoy:
http://www.markfiore.com/animation.html

[Megahurtz]

59. Hahahahaha!

:7

[Arugula Latte]

62. What a stupid little prick

Jesus Christ, how f!@#king moronic can he get?

[Pachamama]

64. Gawd George W. Bush is such a stupid, uneducated, moronic Asshole!

Sorry, that's about the nicest thing I could think of after reading about what he did!!!!


AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!! :puke:

Gawd, I just want that idiot to just be gone and never have to read about him embaressing us or anyone else......How, how could we have ended up with such a Moron as the Commander in Chief and President of the United States? (I know, I know, but it still is just like a bad nightmare for me....)

[Nutmegger]

65. "And I'm proud to be an American!"

:patriot:

[knitter4democracy]

66. I think he was attempting a joke.

He paused before he said it like he does whenever he thinks the next thing is funny. He was having problems saying Australia right, though. Slurred it a bit too much.

Did anyone else think it sounded like a Rotary Club meeting?

[Andrushka]

68. But even if he was,

it backfired.

See Australia in this list?: Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

(They are the OPEC nations - who knows why Howard would have been inviting * to one of their meetings... unless they BOTH were completely f'ed up on *'s stash)

[MasonJar]

67. Please cut off his traveling budget; he is too embarrassing. When

will this end?

[Myrina]

74. Drunk as hell, no doubt ...

:eyes: What an embarassment!

[NastyRiffraff]

78. My god, he looks and sounds worse than ever!

Did you see him walking to the podium on that video? He looked like he was just dragged, unwillingly, out of bed.

I don't know about the "off the wagon" rumors, but something is very, very wrong with him. (Other than being an evil dumbass).