Gaffe overshadows Bush visit

[sabra]

Source: aljazeera english

<snip>

But, despite optimistic comments that there could be a deal on a Palestinian state by the end of the year, an off-the-cuff remark about checkpoints threatens to overshadow the trip.

"You'll be happy to know, my whole motorcade of a mere 45 cars was able to make it through without being stopped," Bush said after being asked about the 30-minute journey from Jerusalem and Ramallah.

"I'm not so exactly sure that's what happens to the average person."

Bush was forced to travel by car to meet Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, in the West Bank after his helicopter was grounded by bad weather.

The journey took him through an Israeli security checkpoint and within sight of the separation barrier.

Bush said that he could understand why Palestinians were "frustrated" by the checkpoints, but they were necessary to "create a sense of security for Israel".


Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A197001F-06FF-407C-918B-8A1B2E2D7C1E.htm

[Webster Green]

1. He sure has a strange sense of humor..

Why is this hoax of a presidency allowed to continue?

This is nuts!:crazy:

[rodeodance]

3. kinda like the time he looked for WMD's under his desk!!

[Kikosexy2]

32. He has like...

10,000 police security around him...is he bitching and moaning?...Where's Hamas when you need them?....

[customerserviceguy]

42. You really want President Cheney?

Imagine the crap he'd get away with if Chimpy were offed by Hamas, it would make the so-called Patriot Act look like mere suggestions...

No, thanks!

[Kikosexy2]

50. No don't want Darth...

Dickie either...but hopefully Congress will move quick and impeach his fat ass before he assume the president's role...or his ticker gives out..Dick Cheney must....croak!...

[LisaM]

2. Oh, well that's a first.....

NOT.

Why does he have a freaking 45-car motorcade? That seems a bit excessive.

[Fresh_Start]

4. extra point question - what % state visits did Bush not have gaffe

really tired of the same performance....

[Bicoastal]

5. SERIOUSLY--can't he go ANYWHERE without saying something STUPID?!

:banghead:
:banghead:
:banghead:

[sabra]

7. or doing something stupid:

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/11/21/bush2_wideweb__470x358,0.jpg

[4_TN_TITANS]

29. Bwahahaaha.....

What a day of laughter when that pic from the locked door appeared. Of course, I then wanted to cry. Remember the photoshop someone did of him in a cell gripping bars with that expression? :rofl:

[ixion]

8. why, no, he can't

it's just who he is. Everything he touches turns to sh*t, and every word out of his mouth is either a 'gaffe', at best, or a lie, typically.

[LeftishBrit]

49. No.

No wonder he never went abroad before he was president; his dad and other handlers probably didn't want to have to deal with all the complaints!

[Atman]

6. ALREADY? Has he even been there 24 hours yet?

Seven more days to go...yikes.

.

[bigscott]

9. we will be at war

before he leaves

the man is a fucking retard

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. He is clueless and an idiot too boot. Which is how his handlers like it.

Al Jazeera's David Chater in west Jerusalem said that the remarks were extraordinary given the pain and humiliation that is caused at the checkpoints.

"I remember once in Hawara, one of the checkpoints outside Nablus, and I was doing the story of a family who lost their main loved one ... he was a cancer patient and he was told to get out of his car and walk across the checkpoint, and that killed him," he said.

"That's the experience that most Palestinians have of these humiliating checkpoints ... it was very much in bad taste and was a joke that will not have gone down well with anyone in Gaza or the occupied West Bank."
..........................

Sadly, he lives in a cocoon and will never be aware of what's really taking place beyond his sheltered, silk coated surroundings.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. This one sentence defines his entire life:

"I'm not so exactly sure that's what happens to the average person."

This statement applies to the "average person" worldwide as well as here in the US. He doesn't know and he doesn't care. He is totally lacking in empathy, which accounts for many of his inappropriate remarks.

[truth2power]

17. There is no wiring in his brain for empathy...

It's part of his illness. Sometimes he tries to fake it, but it comes off as being awkward, because he is trying to express an emotion that he has no way of experiencing.

edit> deleted extra word.

[xxqqqzme]

28. He learned by example....at his mother's knee.

I believe she is the current titleholder.

[JuniperLea]

25. Best Post on DU ...

Possibly EVER! It does indeed sum up his entire life!

[Ignis]

33. It's our 2008 version of GHW Bush's encounter with...

Supermarket checkout scanners! What'll they think of next?

[jayfish]

12. "Bad Weather" Huh?

I took the liberty of checking yesterdays weather for Jerusalem and things looked pretty good to me. ...dry and partly cloudy with winds under 9mph. Hmmm...

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/pastweather/hourly/ISXX0010?stn=0&when=010908

[Paulie]

13. Bad wind

* had gas and the pilots were done with the "pull my finger jokes" from George...

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

35. ?

and I was so wishing this weather caused him to miss the sunrise.

[Botany]

14. I knew a Palestinian years ago @ college

He told of the pain and anger he felt as he was treated as a second class person
in the land of his birth ... and his father's birth ..... grandfather's birth and on back
for generations.

For bush to joke about what is a daily torture and shame to so many Palestinians
as he is there for "peace" shows just how out to lunch he is.

[Hulk]

15. Whenever I hear some jack-off try to persuade someone else that bush is NOT an idiot, I want to....

...bitch slap the idiot. It's like denying gravity. It's like saying, "see, we really can breathe under water if we just try." LUNACY!! You can argue some things, but you can't argue that we have a total f*cking idiot sleeping in the White House. HE IS A MORON!!

[TacticalPeek]

16. His remedial advisers have tried for seven years to explain the world to him,

to no avail.

[pacalo]

18. He never misses an opportunity to brag about how he is "above" the little people.

If there's any justice, I hope he will be haunted through many personal epiphanies about how much he is despised when he leaves the White House. Think about it: there's no place on this planet that he could go to escape hatred toward him; the boy king would have to go into virtual seclusion.

[307 MMS]

36. 2%

That's why the family owns 2% of Paraguay...with their own private army. Think Nazi escaping to SA after WWII. He's outta here.

[Arkansas Granny]

38. I can't see any reason for him to stick around here. I don't think

there will be many opportunities for him to earn any money "speechifying" and frankly, once he's out of office I doubt that even Republicans will have much use for him for fundraising. He'll be more like an albatross hanging around their necks.

[pokercat999]

46. Actually there are many corporations that will be "paying

off" Georgie and his admin buddies for all their "good works" while in office. The real answer is to watch those corporations and those that hire him should be BURNED TO THE GROUND! Figuratively if not literally.

[Judi Lynn]

44. Paraguay is the natural place for them, since dictator Stroessner protected Nazi butcher Mengele

when he fled there after the 2nd World War. Just the place you'd expect to find these new Nazis, if they have to take off to hide from the consequences of their crimes against humanity outside the U.S.

Everything they do seems to be by design.

[Javaman]

19. once again, he* out does himself*.

what a fucking moron*. does he* even understand what he* says?

[Algorem]

20. let them eat cake

and drive cake cars through cake streets in cakeworld

[BrklynLiberal]

21. It would have been a shock if he did NOT do something to look like an ass on this trip.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. Propaganda.

"You'll be happy to know, my whole motorcade of a mere 45 cars was able to make it through without being stopped," Bush said after being asked about the 30-minute journey from Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Beyond the Chimp intellect to provoke and emote.

[nadine_mn]

23. Bush is my hero

Imagine...being able to be that moronic, be "leader of the free world", and still be alive

he is stupid, has money and influence and because of Cheney...no assasination attempts

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

24. Raise your hand if you're surprised he fucked up.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? :shrug:

[madamesilverspurs]

26. Can anybody 'splain

how this creature, whose only known accomplishment is mastery of FUBARedness, is allowed to insinuate himself into a photo-op for any event that discusses peace? At least they didn't let him prance around in a flight suit!

[Ian David]

27. Wow. That should manage to piss-off both Israelis AND Palestinians. Heckuva job again! n/t

[benld74]

30. ONCE AGAIN, All TOGETHER NOW,,,,,

DUMB ASS

[Lisa]

31. "I'm not so exactly sure that's what happens to the average person."

Guess what, George? It's not. My boss has tried to drive through that area -- he found it very difficult and narrowly avoided being shot by security forces at one point ("frustrated" being an understatement)-- and he's a white American academic.

[montana_hazeleyes]

40. It's just sickening how full of himself this clown** is.

" The average person"?!?

What the hell has he ever done except get born into a rich, powerful family for him to think he's any "better "or "higher up" than anyone else. He was handed this position he's in on a stolen silver platter. And as we know, he really thinks he deserves to be where he is.

If he was not born into wealth, he probably couldn't handle a job washing dishes. And the world sees the truth. Oh, what an embarrassment he is for us wherever he goes!

[rockybelt]

34. What an ass-hole nt

[damntexdem]

37. In this case, Dubya is upstaged by Gaffe.

What a nice change from his usual experience of being upstaged by Idiocy.

Somehow, though, Good Sense and Reason never seem to have anything to say in his presence.

[laylah]

39. Why am I NOT

surprised? He is a complete and total idiot! :silly:

[DLnyc]

41. the Chimperor is an idiot and Olmert is an idiot for being seen with him

I hope Israelis throw Olmert out of office over this.

The picture from the OP is beyond dumb--it's sickening.

[radfringe]

43. bush visits alway have gaffes...

what would really be news is bush having an event with no gaffes

[susu369]

45. And the photo..no words needed

[humbled_opinion]

47. Look Bush is on Gaffe after another but please

Consider the source this is an Aljazeera report... PLEASE... some perspective ...:bounce:

[yurbud]

48. this is like his dad's grocery scanner gaffe--both show they are out of touch with '

''the little people'' (anyone who doesn't have servants to take care of things like that).