Mon Jul 17 2006 9:23 pm
At the G-8 summit, President Bush grabs German Chancellor Angela Merkel from behind and gives her a quick massage before rushing off. Chancellor Merkel is not amused.
While the Middle East burns, our fearless leader is busy with his frat boy pranks. Click here for the video. (A major hat tip to my German friend.)
UPDATED VIDEO AND COVERAGE: CNN has posted a longer, and clearer, video here. (The story is here). In the video, President Bush appears to suddenly speed up, veer right, and go in for the blitz-massage. ABC News also has a story on the incident here. Various local ABC and NBC TV affiliates are also carrying the story. Countdown with Keith Olbermann covers the story on tonight’s show (7/21/2006).
UPDATE: The LA Times reports on the incident in this article. But according to the LA Times, Chancellor Merkel "smiled". I don’t know about you, but it does not look to me like she is smiling. (Hat tip to NegSpin from Daily Kos for providing the LA Times link in a comment from my cross post there.)
UPDATE II: Watch Jon Stewart comment on the Blitz-Massage on YouTube or watch it on my post here.
UPDATE III: Will Femia of MSNBC’s Clicked has picked up on this story. He has analyzed the video and concluded that it was tantamount to a harmless hair tussle (you know, the kind girlfriends give each other! sheesh!):
I clicked a few links worked up about the President groping or feeling up the German chancellor. The still photo does give that impression, but watching the clip on Crooks and Liars, I don’t think I agree. It looks more like he gives her the equivalent of a hair tussle as he walks by. Her reaction doesn’t look like she’s being violated so much as making a somewhat awkward gesture to get him back.
But he can be forgiven for the hair tussle analysis. He does such stellar work when discussing important conflicts in the world too. Check out this bit of informed journalism from the same post:
Speaking of military equipment, "To appreciate the thorny, complex, multi-layered difficulties Israel confronts –from house to house battles to the highest levels of international diplomacy– one needs to understand the rather simple Katyusha rocket Hezbollah shoots at Haifa and other Israeli cities." It’s so weird that with each armed conflict we learn about new missiles. Remember the scud? [Emphasis added by me.]
I haven’t the heart to remind the hair tussle genius that Katyusha rockets have been around since World War II and Hezbollah’s been using them for a long long time. Katyushas may of course be new to Will but I think the rest of the world probably is a little better informed. Weird indeed! Sometimes facts never get in the way of the story.
UPDATE IV: The Blitz-Massage is creeping into mainstream media like a virus. MSNBC covers the power of YouTube in spreading the video. As usual, the blogs get cursory mention. My recollection is that this story was and is being driven by the blogs. I should know - the hits that nearly took my blog down came from the high traffic blogs who really gave the story life. Almost every blog I know is linking to Crooks & Liars for the video, if not the original Bild video.
The article does contain an interesting quote from Professor Larry Sabato:
Larry Sabato, professor of politics at the University of Virginia, agrees that today, public figures have to be more careful in “a thousand ways.” But he maintains sites like YouTube can be revealing.
“If they’re not doing something that’s embarrassing, they have nothing to worry about,” he says. “A president ought to know enough not use an expletive in a fairly open meeting, and almost any male alive today knows that you don’t offer uninvited massages to any female, much less the chancellor of Germany.”
I think I will have to agree with Professor Sabato on this one.
It’s interesting that, much like the Stephen Colbert WH Correspondence Dinner story, this story is being covered by the MSM not directly but rather as a story on the reaction of the blogs, YouTube, etc. to a Presidential embarrassment. I think this is what they call plausible deniability.
angela merkel
george w bush 92 Responses to “President Bush Strikes From Behind”
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July 17th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
This is just about the worst thing he could have done to
1) a German person who is not an intimate friend of many years because this is completely against their cultural norms
2) another business person, in public, in a business setting
2) a world leader from another country
3) a female with whom he wasn’t intimate and with whom he was not in a private intimate setting
4) a female world leader from another country, with whom he is merely a political acquaintence, in public and in a business setting
Why must we endure this fool?
It’s bad enough that he treats the citizens of the US as if he was the plantation owner and the rest of us (who are not his ricxh plantation owner friends) as if our sole function is to work to keep him and his cronies in stacks of cash but we can’t possibly be allowed to know anything about what’s happening in our own government and country.
That he treats other world leaders, most of whom bothered to actually get an education and can claim a measureable IQ, as his personal frat club is a perpetual embarrassment and a cause of great shame.
How can “I didn’t vote for the creep” ever be enough to say in explanation when so many did?
July 17th, 2006 at 10:57 pm
Diana, if any one of us did this at work, we would be sitting in the HR office in a hurry.
July 17th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Condi calls him “husband” when he does that. All the Bush sycophants love that kind of treatment.
They’ll photoshop Babs’ face over her?
:)>-
July 18th, 2006 at 12:38 am
That was not a smile. It was, perhaps, toward the end the kind of expression one adopts when one doesn’t want one’s true feelings visible.
Bush almost looked drunk–or drugged.
Also, BushBoy did not look normal in that video; his facial muscles were flaccid, and he had a sort of vacant look, as if he was totally bored and just wanted to whatever crossed his addled mind.
What do they medicate him with?
July 18th, 2006 at 12:56 am
I think he was tired of all the grown ups using big words at the meeting. So he was walking around dazed and confused. Then he felt the urge to just massage someone. Very odd behavior - especially the look in his eyes as he is doing it. @-)
July 18th, 2006 at 1:08 am
What do they medicate him with?
***
Last time I checked it was Whiskey and Cocaine….:d
July 18th, 2006 at 1:18 am
[…] I wonder if President Bush was still chewing his food with his mouth open while reducing foreign policy to an expletive (video) as he massage groped (video) German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G8 meeting. He’s an absolute embarrassment to the office of president. […]
July 18th, 2006 at 1:28 am
What do they medicate him with?
***
He self medicated on way too many pieces of “candy” from Rush’s Dittohead Pez Dispenser.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:43 am
Disgusted in St. Louis, that Pez dispenser is positively frightening! :-&
July 18th, 2006 at 1:46 am
Perhaps if you were a bit more up to speed on world affairs, you’d realize that Merkel and Bush get along well and are good friends…Bush actually visited Germany prior to the G8 at the invitation of Merkel…
And, yes, she DID smile at the end of that video. But leave it to the Left to go ape$hit over nothing.
btw, I hear President Lincoln was a fan of the word “damn”…THAT’S OUTRAGEOUS!!!
July 18th, 2006 at 1:54 am
TheTruth, yup, try doing that at your office and see if you aren’t fired for sexual harrassment.
Way to rationalize bad behavior. You really think a hit and run massage on a world leader is appropriate as she is talking with the Italian head of state at the G-8 summit?
Oh wait, you probably think that WMD has been found in Iraq too.
|)
Thanks for visiting. Please return to your pod now. 8-}
July 18th, 2006 at 2:04 am
yeah, sure… they’re sooooo close. that’s probably why frau merkel winced like a scared puppy when she felt his grip on her shoulders.
oh my… leave it to the Right to believe this whole “we’re good friends” bullshit.
greetings from germany, btw.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:06 am
First, without even knowing the full context of Bush’s “massage”, you condemn him as if it’s equivalent to sexual harrasment…amazing. I’ve been in situations very similar if not exactly like that in informal or even office settings where that happens. There’s nothing sexual, derogatory, etc about it…I’ve seen a guy do that to another guy even in an office…there’s nothing sexual or degrading…it’s just friendly gesture. Calm the FUCK down…and get over it.
And again, Merkel and Bush are good friends and YES she did smile at the end of the video.
btw, Iraq DID have WMDs. FACT. The question was never did they have them…but rather, what did they do with them. Your history lesson is now over.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:10 am
Greetings from America to you also.
I lived in Germany years ago…just prior to the Wall coming down.
And STILL the U.S. continues to maintain brutal occupation forces oppressing the peaceful people of Germany. When will the U.S. end it’s illegal military occupation of Germany??
(yes…that was sarcasm…)
July 18th, 2006 at 2:11 am
TheTruth, can’t you guys go more than a couple of sentences without using expletives?
Hmm, if you think its proper diplomatic protocol to massage another head of state in the G-8 summit than you my friend are not thinking rationally.
But I already know that from your WMD comment. Your reality lesson is now over. 8-}
July 18th, 2006 at 2:17 am
And if you think that leaders don’t sometimes use “colorful” language when speaking informally to one another…then you are not thinking rationally.
And as to my WMD comment…I was merely referring to the President’s own comments:
“Earlier today, I ordered America’s armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors. Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons. “
Are you taking issue with this statement?
July 18th, 2006 at 2:26 am
TheTruth, do you actually think after all evidence to the contrary that Iraq had the WMDs that we went to war to destroy? Are you that obtuse? I wont comment further on the WMD issue with you. I refer you to the United States government reports on the matter. I dont have the energy to debate reality with you.
You started this conversation by claiming that I was not up to speed on world affairs, as I recall. How did you come to that conclusion?
For your edification, a meeting at the G-8 summit is not an “informal” setting. There are rather strict diplomatic protocols that apply. You may not know about them. I suggest that you read up on the subject. I am sure the State Department has a handbook on diplomatic protocol that they can mail you on request. Feel free to give them a call.
Failing all else, perhaps you should ask your female co-workers if they believe that this is appropriate behavior. You may also want to inform your HR department at your workplace that you believe that this is acceptable behavior at the office. I would love to hear their response. :-c(:|
July 18th, 2006 at 2:47 am
Don’t try to debate a republitard like “thetruth”. facts don’t penetrate into a republitards head. It’s filled with god and hatred of dark skinned people.
It’s much better to plug them with a bullet really. They are a scourge on the planet and no good will ever come of them. Killing them today will prevent future world wars.
July 18th, 2006 at 3:53 am
It would be nice if we could see the whole video.
July 18th, 2006 at 4:39 am
How could we make it this far, including comments about “if I did this at work,” amongst a bunch of committed lefties, without uttering the name of our last impeached president, William Jefferson Clinton? How is that possible?
And yes, Bush can be clueless at times. But really, on the scale of recent diplomatic faux-paus, wouldn’t Clinton’s lobbing of a single cruise missile at an empty Al-Quaida base in Afghanistan (pre 9/11) be the one to focus on?
July 18th, 2006 at 6:19 am
Jesus H. Christ. This prick first invades the wrong country for 9/11, bombs the hell out of another, then admits it was “bad intellegence,” indirectly raises the price of oil through the ceiling, makes a killing in the process, AND NOW RUBS ANGELA MERKEL’S BACK!
IMPEACHMENT IS NOW!!
(
July 18th, 2006 at 7:16 am
“And again, Merkel and Bush are good friends”
He luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurves her
:d
July 18th, 2006 at 8:22 am
laura will kick him in the nutz when he gets home. if its any consolation….
what a boorish sick fuck you have representing you asll on thw world stage. it gets worse and worse.
(bust arm.. fast one hand typing - i’m a pianist!)
July 18th, 2006 at 9:25 am
paul… must you use such vulgar language…………
July 18th, 2006 at 9:53 am
[…] Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying » President Bush Strikes From Behind […]
July 18th, 2006 at 9:53 am
in the next election, could we please stand up and protest the fraudulent elections like our friends to the south did so the likes of bushwon’t be around to embarrass us any futher?
July 18th, 2006 at 9:54 am
[…] Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying » President Bush Strikes From Behind […]
July 18th, 2006 at 9:55 am
[…] Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying » President Bush Strikes From Behind […]
July 18th, 2006 at 10:35 am
Actually, the LA Times got the “she smiled” info from the German site with the video. On the right side of that page are the photos and the caption for the 6th one ends with “Merkel takes the surprising dear attack with humor, smiles.”
(Ok, that’s a Babelfish translation, so TIFWIW.)
July 18th, 2006 at 11:01 am
I’m getting into this late.
Nice cross posting (C&L, etc)Mr Mash!
Mr TheTruth, In the video pictures above, please mentally remove The Great Leader and insert the previous White House occupant - Bill, Rhodes Scholar, Clinton. Would you all on the right be as willing to “Calm the FUCK down…and get over it.”? I really don’t think so.
An intimate gesture of this sort IS reserved for private settings, places where no cameras are allowed. That our President can be so tone deaf speaks volumns about his thinking. He does not understand that there is a time and place for these things. To treat a world leader as an inferior in this way is sadly typical of his behavior.
And yes , he is treating her as an inferior. From the video, does he ask if it is OK? Does he stop when she reacts badly? Are his actions distracting from her business at hand with the Italian PM? The Italian PM by secondary action is reduced in status as well since his discussions are interupted.
Diplomacy is a delicate art, not to be successfully played at by a Dandy.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Bush is fried. He’s either drinking, smoking pot, medicated, or something. His behavior is altered.
Watch his gibberish at the G8, especially the bizarre stuff about how long the plane flights to various countries are. If you take out the comments of the other leaders (because they actually sound intelligent, not like drunken bar talk) and just read what Bush says, he sounds just like someone who is more than half looped.
“Gotta go home. Gotta do sumthin tonight. Get ona plane. Go home. It’s a long flight. How long is your flight? That’s a long flight.”
This is the kind of mindless bar drivel that drunks who can’t shut up drone on with. They just keep running their mouths, totally disconnected from the social and body clues of the people around them.
Watch his body language at the table with Blair talking over his shoulder. Bush is sitting, almost slouched back in his chair, like a guy at a barbeque on his fourth or fifth beer, chomping on his food with his mouth open, and making minimal effort to intelligently keep up his end of the conversation.
Watch the body language of the other leaders and the way they react to him. They act very constrained and controlled around him, maintaining a public facade of geniality while holding back from actually being engaged with him. Meanwhile, his social modus operandi is to overuse forced jocularity and pretend intimacy to convey a relationship that does not exist.
This is typical behavior with drunks and addicts. Ever had one lean all over you and tell you what a great friend you are, etc., while they are totally oblivious to the fact that you are trying to maintain distance?
When he walked up behind the German leader and started giving her an unsolicited shoulder massage, her body tightened up and she actually winced. She wasn’t enjoying that, she was enduring it. Before that he was wandering aimlessly around the room while the rest of the grown-ups are trying to conduct business.
Watch the press conference where Bush couldn’t stop talking about the pig roast, it was the same thing. It didn’t matter what anyone asked him, he just kept saying whatever his addled brain was looping on, in this case, a pig roast. Typical stoned behavior.
It reminded me of the time he went to Canada and couldn’t get off the subject of one of the Canadian Prime Minister’s staff member’s mouth! “You’ve got a purty mouth.” Not once but several times. “You’ve sure got a purty mouth.” And, “Your mouth is prettier than my Scott’s mouth.“ (The poor guy’s name was Scott.)
This is not normal behavior. Watch him closely sometime when he’s having trouble staying coherent and you can see his eyes come in and out of focus. He does it at the table when Blair is speaking to him and he’s looking out across the room as he chomps open mouthed on his food.
This is someone who is either altered, stoned or has taken a one-way trip to crazy town.
This is a distinct change from Bush’s speech and behavior at other times. In fact, radical changes in his behavior and speech can be seen by watching him when he is unscripted. Sometimes he’s coherent, other times he looks like staying coherent long enough to get a sentence out is almost beyond him, (these are the times he gets mean-drunk angry when anyone dares to question him), and sometimes he is just off-the-wall bizarre.
The man is plastered, stoned, or medicated. This goes a long way to explaining how he is so incredibly disengaged from disasters and their destructive effects, he is too out of it to relate.
There are bizarre rumors of a personal portable toilet for Bush to use when overseas, (to prevent foreign analysis of his excrement)
http://www.rense.com/general72/fexc.htm .
Normally I would blow them off as some of the wilder of conspiracy theories, but watching Bush’s actions over the last week I can’t help but wonder, what would they do to hide it if it were true? What lengths would they go to in order to keep the appearance of functionality? Who could or would step up and do anything about it? These are not people willing to part with the power they have granted themselves, and that’s an understatement. And with Bush at the top of the chain, who is holding anybody accountable?
Hell, they’re trying to give him even more unlimited power than he’s already taken.
July 18th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
[…] From Americablog via Dr. Strangelove: What the hell is up with this guy? He’s the president for pete’s sake? Most of you women can sympathize with the situation Germany’s Prime Minister found herself in today–trying to politely fend off the inappropriate behavior of a colleague except in this case, the colleague is the President of the United States. Watching this video is like watching a bad sexual harassment training video except it stars the President of the United States. Imagine her embarrassment at having a fellow world leader committ such a breach of etiquette in front of an assortment of other world leaders. Talk about a lack of respect–its beyond belittling. […]
July 18th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Mash, lucky me, I did get ‘in’ tonight. It was inappropriate even if they are on friendly terms. Not even in a sexual way, but you’re in front of cameras, and ahm , microphones (SHIT), you know.. a little decorum goes a long way..(now if he only would not talk so much, even if he says he hates it when others do, he really ought to minimize his words, or stick with the speech!)
Ingrid
July 19th, 2006 at 12:18 am
[…] I have good news, bad news and more good news. The good news is that many people who normally do not visit this blog visited here in the last 24 hours since I posted about President Bush’s Blitz-Massaging of the German Head of State. The bad news is that I suspect a large percentage of those who attempted to visit received a "Service Temporarily Unavailable" message. My shared web server at my ISP reached its maximum concurrent user limit and started rejecting requests. In the last 24 hours, this blog successfully received over 20,000 hits due to Mr. Bush’s G-8 antics. I apologize to the rest of you who were not able to receive content and to those who got through and were subjected to extremely slow performance. […]
July 19th, 2006 at 12:20 am
Ok, the server is back to normal. Comments should be working just fine now.
>-
July 19th, 2006 at 12:39 am
Ingrid, sorry…your comment went into moderation. Its been a wild ride today with the server getting overwhelmed. Thanks to the rest for the comments.
I guess diplomatic protocol is not what it used to be in the Age of the Decider. :d
July 19th, 2006 at 2:16 am
The hell?
July 20th, 2006 at 5:25 am
I can’t understand what all the fuss is about. I’d just love George to do that to me in public. If only he would be more demonstrative with me.
Of course George can always count on me for any special needs.
…..John Howard
:-”
July 20th, 2006 at 7:44 am
I have something to say to “TheTruth”. Think Bush is so great as a so-called conservative? Then why did he sign the IMBRA law that is now under restraining order from a Democrat judge? The IMBRA law says that it is a privilege and not a right for Americans to meet foreigners.
Look it up on Google.
But leftists here need to look at themselves here as well: The IMBRA law was written by the Democrats.
Oh, and the kicker? If you are incensed about the idea of Americans losing their right to meet foreigners…how about if I told you that this specific law attacks only the customers of socalled mail order bride websites?
Ahhh. You can relax now right? Those Americans shouldn’t have rights should they? Bunch of losers even if they average $60K per year.
Never mind the necessary Supreme Court decision that it is a privilege and not a right to meet foreigners (right of assembly only applies to Americans meeting each other).
Americans are stupid because they think too much and try to be so “progressive”. That is why Putin could give a boy a raspberry on the stomach in public and his poll numbers shoot through the roof where a 1 second prank by an American is considered harrassment.
Bush needs to be hounded for “sexual harrassment” in the neck massage case if only so he and Republican males recognize how mentally sick the whole idea is of making such accusations. Because the whole idea of persecuting males who use international dating websites is exactly the same thing (IMBRA law).
Now in regard to Iraq: The #1 reason for the Iraq War was to rekindle the rivalry between Shiites and Sunnis by irreversibly giving Mesopotamia back to the Shiites. The #2 reason was to take huge Iraqi oil revenues out of the hands of cocky, arrogant enemies who funded terrorists. The WMDs were reason #4 and they concerned mostly the Libyan nuke program funded by the oil mentioned in reason #2.
All the proof you want about the Saddam-funded nuke program in Libya is available. The best leftists can say is that it was only a coincidence that the Libyans surrendered the program to British negotiators 2 days after Saddam was captured. They say the capitulation was the result of 2 years of painstaking negotiations, not about Bush’s cowboy ways. Oh yes, of course.
July 20th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Ladies,
Don’t you know there’s a war on.
It’s not as if he’s blown up Merkel’s country and killed 100,000 of her countrypeople.
Hillary
July 20th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
[…] Boy, I get back on my meds just in time to have the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy (VLWC) all up in arms about Our President giving German Chancellor Angela Merkel a shoulder rub. The Tennessee Guerilla Women and Doctor Strangelove go on and on about it. They call it a “grope” and use still photographs to document Chancellor Merkel’s extreme displeasure at the gesture. She kind of shrugs and throws his hands off the way she’d throw off a robe before getting into the boxing ring to thrash someone. […]
July 20th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
This series of posts certainly proves beyond doubt that some people would defend Bush no matter what he did.
I suppose, if he pulled a pistol and fired on the protestors near his “ranch”, he’d be justified because “they were asking for it”.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
I do not know if they are friends (I don’t care as it is irrelevant in this setting), but in corporate American, he would be in the HR office for counseling, receive a written reprimand, and agree to sensitivity training or resign his position. We can debate if this SHOULD be the case, but currently it is the standard corporate position following such behavior and he SHOULD REFRAIN from such behavior.
The real issue is that there is no longer public debate about politics in America; we have two screaming camps chanting empty one-liners, drowning out attempts by moderates and intellectuals from the left and right to hold public discourse.
Personally, it is 914 days and counting; perhaps then a new Congress and the new President will attempt to address the real issues we face as a nation. One of the big issues will be picking up the tab for the current administration’s (I include the Congress in this mess too) spending.
July 20th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
You guys are too funny.
Its just some really bizarre behavior. What freaks me out about the video is that Mr. Bush is not even smiling - he looks kind of lost.
The friends argument is kind of strange (although I give those who are trying to defend it credit for working very very hard for the cause).
I guess the issue here is one of propriety in a formal setting. Plus the sexual harrassment video we sat through at work a few weeks ago gives this specific example of a man coming up behind a woman in a meeting and giving her a massage as something not to do.
But, what do I know. Mr. Bush is our first President with an MBA. Obviously he knows all about corporate culture and how to behave in public! :-”
July 20th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Each and every person dismissing and discounting this behavior needs to look at
the pictures one more time. Do you recognize fists when you see them? Do you see the fists of the Chancellor of Germany? Bush has been very fortunate that none of the people he has grabbed in public have reacted in dramatic fashion to his outrageous behavior. I expect him to start taking out his penis and shaking it at people next.
July 20th, 2006 at 10:10 pm
What in the world was he thinking? As a world leader - he was way out of line. I didn’t mind hin saying S**T on an open mic, but this was bizarre.
I wonder what the missus said about this one?
Phil
http://www.what-a-world.com
July 21st, 2006 at 12:35 am
I think we can basically conclude that it’d be best if we all learn to keep our goddamn hands to ourselves be they at G8 or be they killing innocent people
>-
July 21st, 2006 at 6:09 am
Is the German chancellor a man or woman? It’s hard to tell!
July 21st, 2006 at 11:01 am
Thanks TheTruth for setting everyone here straight. I don’t see a backrub at all, and yes, regardless of what you all think you see, the German chancellor is smiling. The “backrub” lasted all of maybe 1 second. This was merely a slightly informal “hello” from Bush to a friend.
Yes, maybe he should have just greeted her with the ever-so-popular handshake, but I find it hard to believe that nobody here has ever been greeted by someone in this manner. I suppose most of you were ok with Clinton getting a quick little BJ in the oval office from his intern. I guess that looked much more presidential to the world stage. Quit crying about abosolutely nothing, you big babies.
(:((
July 21st, 2006 at 1:36 pm
[…] Later in the day, Condi had some more pressing issues to attend to. Like make sure to see the President’s speech to the NAACP in person (Don’t they have cable at the State Department?). But maybe the Decider-in-Chief needed a bit of guidance from his nurse-maid-in chief Condi (or Second Spouse). Or someone to keep an eye on him, to make sure he didn’t make any inappropriate gestures. […]
July 21st, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Do you people have anything else better to do with your time then talk about the president. He is the only reason this country has any morals. If people lie you were to take over this country would fall apart!
July 21st, 2006 at 5:04 pm
It’s a FRICKING neck rub!!! Nothing intimate that required a “private” session. Good grief if the Chancellor was male everyone would be saying Bush is gay! FIND SOMETHING REAL TO WORRY ABOUT. This is even more stupid that the Clinton oral office event!
July 21st, 2006 at 5:19 pm
To MASH
After reading all the comments I had to post one specifically to you. There have been more and more events of documented WMD devices being found in the area of the war. Just last month we learned, from both sides of the media , that at least 500 canisters of nerve gas have been found. Each canister could easily take out an entire town.
GW is a man, a human man, and just like Clinton, he is going to make stupid mistakes. ALL of us do. This may have been a POLICTIAL mistake, but it was not a human one.
July 21st, 2006 at 5:24 pm
hmm…very strong opinions here defending the neck rub.
Sara, that’s a rather broad statement. President Bush is the only reason this country has morals? What about all the moral people that live in this country? If it wasnt for Mr. Bush, they would go astray? Wow, that’s quite a statement.
I see that some people see a “neck rub” while others don’t see anything at all. For those who think there is nothing inappropriate about it, feel free to put your words into action at your work place. Better yet, tell your HR department you intend to rub your co-worker’s necks and get them to tell you there is nothing wrong with it. Feel free to come back here and tell us how it went and whether you are still employed. Would love to hear back from you. :d
Is it just me or is it wholly inappropriate for a world leader to massage the neck of another world leader at the G-8 summit in the middle of a meeting with another world leader?
(now excuse me while I scratch myself)
July 21st, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Matt says:
Um? I have read the report that you are referring to. Feel free to read my post on the topic here. If you are drawing wild conclusions like “each canister could easily take out an entire town” you are fantasizing. Allow me to quote from the US government report on the matter:
Would you care to retract your patently false statement?
Deal in facts, not wild speculation about WMD. I know there are some who still WANT to believe it. If the truth wont convince you, nothing will.
July 21st, 2006 at 6:27 pm
that dude sucks
July 22nd, 2006 at 12:47 am
to sara and The Truth , Lazarus, and all other Republitards who’ve obviously swallowed the cool-Aid, your all clearly suffering from the cult of personality disorder that afflicted the Germans during WWII. This type of crap from “Our Fearless Leader” just demonstrates what a zoned out addict he is. No-one believes your pathetic excuses for his stupidity and inappropriatness. He’s a disgrace as a world leader, an enemy of democracy, and anyone who voted for him even once let alone twice should be branded a traitor to this great country. Us “Lefties”, liberal democrats, and other ” undesirables” will no longer tolerate you proto-fascist neocons running this country into the ground. We will fight you all and we will crush you all!
July 22nd, 2006 at 1:03 am
He had a great desire, but the sanctions and inspections had gutted the programs that the 1st war didn’t destroy. True, he had some limited success with long range delivery systems and attempted to retain the trained talent required to restart programs, but the CIA report essentially says that they found no smoking guns – they may still, but as of the 2004 report the WMD were no to be found.
I am certain that if solid evidence of WMD existed / was to surface that W, Dick, and Karl would go to great lengths to inform the American electorate! It would certainly get wider circulation than a few urban myths floating around the Internet.
LINK (NOTE: edited by Mash to fix formatting)
(Who can you trust if not the CIA?)
July 22nd, 2006 at 8:29 am
C’mon already….it cracks me up people are making such a BIG deal out of this….
i am by no means a bush fan and i did NOT vote for him….i think he’s an idiot and should be a good ole boy on a cattle ranch somewhere NOT running our country….and i think he’s all but ruined US credibility with global leaders….
but the fact he said the “S” word and what they are calling an “impromtu massage” cracks me up!! first of all it was NOT a massage!! people are WAY too uptight…he was obviously squeezed her shoulders and stopped a moment as he was passing by but this hardly constitutes a massage!!!
lets try and remember for a moment that regardless of the fact that they are world leaders, they are still human - not gods- with human interactions and human quirks of personality….
it is obvious from the tape that as he was passing by, he stopped, said hi and squeezed her shoulders…this would implicate he is at a certain comfort level with her to be sure…but how anyone can interpret it as a massage is comedic to be sure…and if you look at the Chancellor, she is obviously smiling and not offended…and raises her hands as she jokes back with him…i’ve seen this in plenty of business meetings in big corporations before and no one started crying “unwarranted massage! help!” …when it comes down to it, they ARE in fact people hanging out waiting for a business meeting to start…
give me a break…this is another case of political correctness gone wrong and the media is just looking to poke fun at bush they’ll find ANYTHING….trust me, Bush gives us PLENTY of reasons to question his sobriety and credibility…do we really need to focus on silly, inconsequential things such as this??
i’m still rolling off the chair in laughter….a massage? come on!!
they ARE after all, sitting around waiting for a business meeting to start…
July 22nd, 2006 at 8:36 am
The Truth … you still believe Iraq had WMDs. You are even more stupid than Bush. Say no more.
July 22nd, 2006 at 8:57 am
The Truth … If you think the word “damn” is outrages, wait till you hear the word “asshole”. You are one childish naive brat.
July 22nd, 2006 at 4:35 pm
Come on, folks! It was obviously the sexy way she was dressed that caused the problem. He obviously was so taken by her that he couldn’t keep his hands off of her. Is that HIS fault! Earlier in the video, the Italian PM is obviously set off by her, too, because his arms are flailing when he was looking and talking directly at her. Maybe it’s her hair? Even Putin looked amused and maybe a little sorry he hadn’t gotten in on the fun. As for the assumption that a U.S. President needs an unsauced brain, haven’t we all learned the truthiness of the Wizard of Oz by now?
July 22nd, 2006 at 9:03 pm
912 days… It is not a liberal nor conservative issue, but rather the thoughtful vs the faithful.
“There will be no legacy for Mr. Bush. I don’t believe his successor would re-enunciate the words he used in his second inaugural address because they were too ambitious. … So therefore I think his legacy is indecipherable”
Buckley: Bush Not A True Conservative In Exclusive Interview, Buckley Criticizes President For Interventionist Policies
Stamford, Conn., July 22, 2006
LINK (NOTE: Edited by Mash to fix formatting)
July 22nd, 2006 at 10:12 pm
I just wanted to say that I read every single comment and although most of them were quite funny, none of them managed to make me laugh like I did when I read this:
Metatechnocrat Says:
July 22nd, 2006 at 12:47 am
to sara and The Truth , Lazarus, and all other Republitards who’ve obviously swallowed the cool-Aid, your all clearly suffering from the cult of personality disorder that afflicted the Germans during WWII. This type of crap from “Our Fearless Leader” just demonstrates what a zoned out addict he is. No-one believes your pathetic excuses for his stupidity and inappropriatness. He’s a disgrace as a world leader, an enemy of democracy, and anyone who voted for him even once let alone twice should be branded a traitor to this great country. Us “Lefties”, liberal democrats, and other ” undesirables” will no longer tolerate you proto-fascist neocons running this country into the ground. We will fight you all and we will crush you all!
LMAO!!! The voted for him twice part was just priceless! Congrats on making the Bengali Fob laugh like that! =))
July 23rd, 2006 at 11:49 am
:((That way we’ll be 100% sure that all the world hates America with such a disgusting baby-president.
(
July 23rd, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Not that massaging Ms. Angela is proper, but imagine if Bush did it on Blair or Putin. It would not like nice, would it?
July 23rd, 2006 at 4:10 pm
[…] Ever since President Bush executed his blitz-massage on German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G-8 Summit last week, the blogosphere has been abuzz with what it all means. Predictably there are two camps in this debate. The liberal blogosphere and thinking people believe that this was highly inappropriate behavior from a world leader in the formal surroundings of the G-8. Mr. Bush’s defenders, most of the wingnutosphere and the Fox-WSJ commentators, believe that this was appropriate behavior amongst friends or that Clinton did it too so it must be ok. […]
July 23rd, 2006 at 5:55 pm
You mean that the commentators at FOX (Frustrated Old Xenophobes) News Network are trying to tell us the W has Bill’s morals? LOL… 8+ years of hunting and they drew less blood than the VP hunting Quail (now if Danny boy were to volunteer, then we might have a sporting event). I anticipate that when history finally reviews this administration there will be many who have much to answer for…
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:00 pm
I think these guys have a secret crush on Bill Clinton. Its about time they confessed to their man-crush. I am sure we in the left would be quite understanding.
Come on you wingnuts, follow the rainbow…you know you want to. :d
July 24th, 2006 at 3:44 am
This isn’t about left or right, up or down.
This is about the President of the United States acting in a highly unprofessional manner while in a professional setting, and making his nation look bad in the process. He is an embarrassment, and one I can’t wait to see out of the Presidency, never to return.
July 24th, 2006 at 6:45 am
As a German I perceived this action as highly inappropriate.
And from the pictures of her facial expressions I (German) conclude that Angela Merkel (German) did so, too.
Since I know quite a lot about German culture I’d guess that my interpretation is at least of /some/ significance, compared to quite a lot of opinions of people who have absolutely no clue about German culture and behaviour.
GWB and Angela Merkel meeting naked in the sauna would have been more appropriate over here than this.
And please bear in mind that the view on the relationship Merkel - Bush we have in Germany is more like this:
www.faz.net, picture from carnival in Cologne
Now imagine how strange it seems if gods own chimp starts messaging your countries chancellors neck, which in this way is not a guesture of friendship but more a guesture of dominance.
k2r
July 24th, 2006 at 7:06 am
… Angela Merkel ate my link because I didn\’t vote for her in the last elections.
I tried to link to this picture:
Click for image
[Edited by Mash to fix formatting]
July 24th, 2006 at 10:40 am
Some of you are Republican haters and that seems pathetic that you cant accept some people have different ideas. But its not like Bush got a blow job in the oval office lord knows that was apropriate. Good work guys catching Bush starting wars with a back massage. Where would we be without you?
July 24th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Getting blow jobs in the Oval Office isn’t appropriate. Neither is molesting other heads of state. Clinton did what he did consentually. It’s clear from Merkel’s body language that she feels surprised and harrassed by George W. If Bush did the same to me I’d sock him one. As a woman I would find that sort of public molestation repulsive and demeaning. As an American I find it embarrassing. To everyone: I’m sorry that we have enough idiots in the U.S. to elect such an arrogant, rude, moronic and tyrannical President(twice).
July 24th, 2006 at 7:52 pm
Little things can have a big impact upon perception. I shall assume for a few moments that all actions are benign and exactly what they appear to be. Still some behaviors would be inappropriate in some circumstances. If you do not agree, then:
1) Give your HR officer a quick squeeze of the shoulders
2) Show up at your HR office reeking of the night before and in yesterday’s clothes
3) Fart in your HR office and the brag about eating beans – belching is extra points
4) Comment upon the physical attributes of your HR officer
5) Show up for your next job interview wearing a torn tee shirt, jeans, and bare foot
6) Ask for a shooter to chase the wine at your next communion
7) Fail to stop for a police officer and/or quickly move your hands after stopping
8) Asking your mom to pass the f**king potatoes next Sunday afternoon
9) Ask your dad to see any videos that he and mom made during your conception
10) Serve Smithfield ham at the next summit seeking peace in the Middle East.
I am not saying that Mr. Bush groped the Chancellor, just that he failed to consider his responsibilities as President and permitted a personal reflex (I’ll assume benign, but ill considered) to overcome the social requirements of the political setting (much like eating with your mouth open in front of anybody).
This is not morals; it is self restraint to avoid self-injury and embarrassing your supporters and those whom you represent in the world. It is good judgment!
July 24th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
I’m with Tim.
>-
July 25th, 2006 at 11:55 am
How great is it that the right’s favorite defense of Bush’s many gaffes is “well Bill Clinton did something very similar!” MOST of us learned by 2nd grade that “well, Billy was doing it TOO!!!” is not a defense…in fact, that is usually translated by the teacher as “I am a whiny, weasel-like brat who tattles on others to make myself look better.”
In short, get a new president or a new catchphrase. Clinton has been out of office for 6 years and counting. A VERY VERY LONG six years at that.
And oh yeah, ancient, rusty and empty (from leaking) canisters of mustard gas are what passes for WMDs now? Get a grip on something other than straws.
July 26th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
I am sorry if I confused you as I did not intend Mr. Bill as an excuse but as a comparison that when some complained about Bills indiscretion it was met with its ok and not a problem but any little thing Bush dose is a major travesty, Personally In (And I will admit) My limited knowledge of either situation neither has acted in the best manor.
July 26th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
It’s funny, no matter what Bush does, it all ends up turning into an argument over what was done in Iraq.
You know, what you liberal cool-aid drinkers never seem to get is, BUSH WAS RELYING ON INTELLIGENCE THAT SAID THAT SADDAM HAD WMD. Do none of you remember KERRY AND CLINTON SAYING THE SAME THING? Everyone thought he had weapons. Authorization to use force in Iraq was approved by 77 senators, including John Kerry and Billary! You like to keep pointing out that we didn’t find any weapons. Ok, fine, so where did they go? He definately had them, and he definately defied weapons inspectors and thumbed his nose at multiple UN resolutions. I am glad we have a president that puts the security of this country ahead of his own popularity. You libs should as well.
July 26th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Yes, Lazarus, and some libs (including Lieberman) continue to swallow the Kool-Aid that GEORGE AND DICK MADE. Even the “go along to get along” Brits saw that “the intelligence was being fixed around the policy.” In short, you’re taking libs to account for BELIEVING A LIAR. Not a great defense for the Administration there! The president sees a LOT more in-depth intelligence information than ANYONE else outside the NSA/CIA, and many people made the mistake of giving Bush the benefit of the doubt. A mistake they certainly won’t make again!
It’s one thing to believe a lie in the absence of facts to support it; those who continue to believe in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary are either 1) insane or 2) tragically dumb.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
I agree WMD in Iraq are off topic; so do a Google search for the CIA’s report on WMD in Iraq and read it. As the official government analysis, it is as close to reality as we will ever get on this topic. I predict, however, that like many such studies in the past that there will always be those who claim some sort of cover up for political reasons.
The bottom line for those whom won’t do the research:
Do not wait with baited breath for the WMD. Diplomacy, containment, sanctions, and time destroyed what little the 1st Gulf war did not touch.
Finally, I question the assumption that the current administration has made the US more secure or the world a safer place (You can never prove we have selected the optimal path at each decision point – in this case perhaps if the 2nd Regan administration had not abandoned the Mujahideen insurgents when the Soviets pulled out, who knows?). Something a well considered and multi-faceted foreign policy and continuous efforts at alliance strengthening can do for us.
July 28th, 2006 at 4:56 am
There is to much here to reply to. Do you people acually watch the news or read papers. There were weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq a long time ago. Hence the United Nations Inspectors. Our President is fighting for freedom for our country, and to liberate other countries, but no one wants to give this man credit. Get off his back, he did nothing wrong. Angela Merkel of Germany was surprised by President Bushs two second message, but when she realized who it was she smiled. People are making it out to be more than it was. This is the President of Our United States, he is working for all of us regardless of your political view. We are all human. I can’t even imagine how this man or any other president, imperor, prime minister, or whatever sleeps soundly at night, knowing that their whole country, nation, is totally in their hands. I’m sure these people being presidents and such have their moments when they cut loose with all out profantity. Could you do what they do?. Are you so egotisical to think that you are so much more superior that you could do such a better job than what these people are trying to do. If so why are you not running this country or any other country for that matter?
July 28th, 2006 at 10:34 am
“Working for all of us,” Cindy? I guess you’re not 1) an unwed single mother; 2) gay; 3) poor and/or a minority; 4) a sufferer of Alzheimer’s (not sure about that one), Parkinson’s, or (fill in disease here); 5) an AmeriCorps volunteer; 6) a high-school-age person; or 7) basically ANYTHING but a millionaire CEO. This is the most divisive president in history who doesn’t even PRETEND to be out for everyone, only his far-right hyper-aChristian base. Talk about drinking the Kool-Aid!!! [-(
July 28th, 2006 at 3:11 pm
Mandrake you are so off it’s truly sad. I feel sorry for you. Since Bush took office, federal anti-poverty spending — including Medicaid, food and nutrition programs, housing, earned income tax credit and child credits, plus other programs - has increased 42 percent. This is nearly double the rate of increase under President Clinton.
Half of all minority households are homeowners, an all-time high.
Small businesses owned by women rose 20 percent over five years while the number of all U.S. businesses rose by 10 percent.
Black-owned businesses are up by 45 percent, Hispanic-owned by 31 percent.
Not to mention the fact that President Bush has elected to put more minorities in high level cabinet positions than any president, EVER.
Do a little research before you start slinging the Kool-Aid around.[-x
July 28th, 2006 at 3:15 pm
Lazarus, I am with you - the American people love George W Bush - all 35% of them. \:d/
July 29th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
So… Cindy… you will not call HR or freak out the next time some dude touches you at work (possible & maybe even plausible… you cannot object based upon you line of defense)? Again, I do not care if they were/are friends… it is inappropriate behavior (please… no Clinton retorts as they are irrelevant, unless we really are in a school yard).
Again, read the CIA report and not some source with a transparent agenda (can you feel the drudgery?)… the few items that have been found were some rockets and some rockets with severely corroded warheads that had/did contain some traces of chemical weapons (best estimates are that they were left over from the Iran/Iraq war and lost in the bookkeeping [very possible… Hell, in spite of assurances, I anticipate that we could find as much in MD]). No nuclear… No biological… and NOTHING that was a direct and immediate threat to us (unless you want to complete something that your daddy didn’t when your entire professional career is a result of being your daddy’s son – is Dr. Freud in the house?)…
The bottom line:
1) The back rub was unprofessional
2) The assumptions behind invading Iraq were flawed
3) The administration ignores information that it does not want to hear
4) Rabid Bush supporters will drink the cool-aid
5) True conservatives have issues with many Bush policies.
6) It is yet to be demonstrated that W’s policy choices have made us safer,
July 29th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
So Lazarus, why bust on Bill Clinton?
The traditional conservative agenda (not W’s as he cannot claim to be a true conservative) had more traction and gained more ground under his administration than any since Taft…
August 7th, 2006 at 11:47 am
Mash,
Bush’s current low poll numbers are mostly the result of high gas prices - something he really has no control over - and the Iraq war. I don’t think you could argue that the economy is doing pretty good, 4.8% unemployment, low inflation, etc. Like I said earlier, I believe this president puts the security of this country ahead of his poll numbers. He did what he thought was right, regardless of whether YOU agree or not. **== **== **==
Tim,
The only reason I brought Clinton up is because of the way this “backrub” baloney was being treated. I simply felt that Clintons “issue” was a little more worthy of worldwide embarrassment. :”>
August 30th, 2006 at 12:45 am
HEY Captain Mandrake I have my own political opinion too.
Yes, maybe I was being naive or stupid by saying the president was working for all of us, but then again for you to say that I’m
not working for all of us is just a stupid statement. By the way I was a single mother, but, I have a boyfriend and between the two of us we have seven children, my grandfather does have Alzheimer’s, and we do have four teenagers. I don’t give a damn about gays rights and the president is catholic, which I am so not. Where you get this hyper-aChristian base crap is beyond me. What makes you think that this is the most divisive president in history when all president have expressed their opinions and disagreements. No president is ever going to have the ability to satisfy everyone. But thats the good thing about living in The United States you can say whatevers on your mind.
January 5th, 2007 at 7:59 am
Today, German chancellor visited Washington DC and had a news conference with Bush. In the end of conference Bush comment was: “No back rubs”!
January 5th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I noticed that Merkel had an embarrassed smile on her face after Bush’s remarks. It’s got to be insulting to Germans to have to hear Mr. Bush talk about backrubs to their chancellor.
|)
April 21st, 2008 at 12:07 am
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