Bush back to face his European critics

[struggle4progress]

<snip>
In 2002, at the end of a long swing through Europe, he arrived at the Elysee palace visibly tired, called President Jacques Chirac "Jack", and mocked a member of the White House press corps who attempted the courtesy of asking their host a question in French. The performance left the French stunned by Mr Bush's resemblance to his Texan cowboy caricature.

<snip>
France's anti-war lobby is divided over protesting about Iraq during the D-Day anniversary. A rally has been called for tomorrow evening at the Bastille, but the organisers are not expecting a mass turnout.

The opposition Socialists have called on people not to protest out of respect for the D-Day tribute. Pierre Moscovici, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, said Mr Bush's visit should not be used as an excuse for "anti-Americanism". He said: "We have shared values and a long friendship with the United States. We should absolutely not think that Bush and America are one and the same."
<snip>

No one has forgotten Mr Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice's terse summary of America's policy to the European opponents of the Iraq war: "Forgive Russia, ignore Germany, punish France." And the dismissal of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" - by Willie, a character on the Simpsons cartoon show - has also left its wounds.
<snip>

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/06/04/wbush04.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/06/04/ixworld.html

[Miss Authoritiva]

1. Apparently, Bush is as gracious as he is articulate.

n/t