Bush To Filipino President: "I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The -- Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House"

President Bush met with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today at the White House. Arroyo was in Washington while her country tries to recover from a typhoon that devastated coastal areas and flipped a ferry carrying over 800 passengers last week. Before discussing aide for the Philippines, Bush couldn't resist beginning the sober meeting with a quip about a Filipino member of his kitchen staff. Read part of the transcript from the meeting and click here to read more about one of the "Philippine-Americans" Bush is referring to. See the excerpt below:

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

Comments

[HotATL]

04:45 PM on 06/28/2008

Now I see why you hardly ever see President Bush on TV. The MSM is owned by big corporatio­ns and they are embarrasse­d by him. McSame doesn’t seem any brighter. I guest we want be seeing much of him either if he becomes president.

[CarlyCorday]

10:48 PM on 06/27/2008

Where's the video? Need the video! Got people to show, undecided folks to convince, and this'll do it! But they are stubborn. Suspicious­. Lied to for so long, they don't know which end of the chimp is the tail, and which the tale! They'll need VID-EE-OHH­H!

Anyone got link to vid of this? I saw it on Olbermann and simply died of bliss, knowing it was finally over, even for the holdouts. ROTFLMHO. Thank you, Governor Bush! Thank you!!

[calpinky]

09:05 PM on 06/27/2008

He tried people. LOL. Let's face it the man never had any grace. He speaks in simple terms for...umm.­..simple folks. His simple speaking style is why he managed to make it to a second term. It's almost over.

[mijnosbig]

04:01 PM on 06/27/2008

Six months, three weeks, and three days left of this eight-year National embarrassm­ent. But who's counting?

[bigdaddyvike]

03:03 PM on 06/27/2008

"Every time I see you, Mayor Barry, I am reminded of my college days"

[Okieborn]

03:27 PM on 06/27/2008

Oh Well,
The Bush Barf Bag has done it again !!
Keep this Jerk in the White house until after Jan 1st. PLEASE !!!

[Wanjiru]

12:29 PM on 06/27/2008

...as they say Jeebus would say...

...forgive him, for he knows not what he is doing (or saying)...

.

[blueken]

11:19 AM on 06/27/2008

And why is the United States image and dollar in the tank? Hmmmmm.

[booker52]

10:01 AM on 06/27/2008

Rude and unthinking­, that would be this President.

[djwfutbol]

03:19 PM on 06/27/2008

Yes, I agree but there is much more to this. Since World War I, Filipinos have been able to enter the US armed forces but, because they weren't American citizens, they were restricted to the service jobs such as chef. As it happens, my wife's father took advantage of the offer, served honorably in WW II and was able to immigrate to the US where he met my mother-in-­law and my wife was born. So, when I ask my children what, to them, was the most important result of the Spanish-Am­erican War, the answer has to be that without it, they wouldn't be here. So, along with W, with the greatest respect and thanks, my hat goes off to the White House cook.

[cobobs]

05:57 AM on 06/27/2008

I would cut Pres. Bush some slack on this one. The story is probably being reported at its edges, without full knowledge of the encounters between the Filipina women that day.

I say this even while in agreement with the comments about how people in countries that have been victims of colonialis­m and imperialis­m would interpret this and that we need a president who knows the world.

[aflyinyoursoup]

12:56 AM on 06/27/2008

This BOZO is a monumental embarrassm­ent to this nation.
Truly the quintescen­tial UGLY AMERICAN!
His surrogate in-waiting­, McNumbnuts will prove to be even worse.

Puleeeeeze­, let's get a grip and do the right thing in Nov.
Obama 08.

[texastornado]

01:21 AM on 06/27/2008

Is this the best the USA has to offer? We're doomed.

[collprof]

12:21 PM on 06/27/2008

No! We are not doomed for now we know. We all need to take a chapter from an old "Who" song. We Dont Get Fooled Again.

[Axolotl]

09:13 PM on 06/27/2008

No, not the best--J. McCain is--and then we are really f ' ed. Oy vay.

[aflyinyoursoup]

12:47 AM on 06/27/2008

The man is truly, "the village idiot"!

[texastornado]

12:22 AM on 06/27/2008

Hey!! Ya'll seen our village idiot runnin around . We cayn't find him nowhere in Crawferd. Here bush comon boy where you hiden.

[Cole]

12:10 AM on 06/27/2008

This comment is a common thing with george! Many times at press/phot­o ops which follow a meeting with foreign leaders he has first stated how he enjoyed the meal as his first comment. His creatue comfort and enjoyment are upfront, first and anything else is just another "Yo Blair"!

Remember his comment to the press following his joint testimoney with his V.P. before the 911 committee, which had no minutes, no written report, no notes allowed, was "I enjoyed myself"!

[GayGrandpa]

11:26 PM on 06/26/2008

I don't know how anyone can condemn another for not having pride in America when we have an idiot like this as President. Anyone with any intelligen­ce cringes. You just want to take a baseball bat to him - what an idiot! His poor parents.

[texastornado]

12:31 AM on 06/27/2008

They spawned him. Shoulda taught him some manners. It reflects on them.

[econdr]

10:44 PM on 06/26/2008

this is disgusting­.

i know so many people that voted for this half wit.
and now they admit it was a mistake, yet they are still voting for john mccain.

there is something seriously wrong with the right...