Bush Gaffes His Way Toward More International Ridicule

President Bush concluded his final G8 Summit today. Here's his parting shot:

"Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter!"

I am not making this up! And the Telegraph reports: "He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock."

Oy. Remember how earlier today Rudy Giuliani said that the Europeans hearted Barack Obama because he fuels their anti-American sentiment with all his insistence that American's learn other languages? And I said, "Know what's really reinforced feelings of anti-Americanism? President Bush and his policies!" Well, thanks for making my point for me, Mr. President. Though I needn't have waited until this morning, because the G8 Summit has historically been a venue where Bush has had great success making the other plutocrats in the G8 laugh at us.

Via ThinkProgress, here's another highlight from this week's Summit. I think everything Rudy Giuliani had to say today about how awful Obama is to encourage learning other languages just comes to life:

As the New York Times's Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports, Bush had a bit of a language mishap when speaking to "one of his best buddies in Europe," Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi:

"Amigo! Amigo!" Mr. Bush called out cheerily in Spanish when he spotted the Italian prime minister. "How you doing, Silvio? Good to see you!" Later, the president wondered about his former Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin. "Did Putin come to see you since I saw you?" he asked Mr. Berlusconi. (He had not.)

Matt Yglesias provides a handy little map of the world for Bush's advance team for the next time Bush travels to Europe to represent America, which, naturally, we hope is never.

It's not the first embarrassing moment for the White House, who earlier this week circulated a press kit that included a bio of Berlusconi that described him as ""most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice." Kinsley gaffe!

And these are just this year's highlights. Remember this "hot mike" incident of 2006? Bush was recorded complaining, "I'm not going to talk too damn long like the rest of them. Some of these guys talk too long." Then he badgered a server for a Diet Coke, noted profoundly that "Russia's big and so is China," and thanked Tony Blair for a sweater he gave him. Blair finally turned the microphone off before Bush could mention just how badly he wanted to cut Kofi Annan's nuts off.

And who could forget that time Bush tried his best move on German Chancellor Angela Merkel?

Really. The only person I can think of who's come off worse in front of the Germans is Basil Fawlty.

Comments

[texastornado]

Actually he finally said something truthful. The problem is that he thinks it's funny.

[UnbiasView]

I do too, he should have taken this stance with wacky environmentalists from day 1 and a lot more people may have still had respect for him.

Too bad in politics, people don't speak the truth until they are on their way out.

[newpantaloons]

Huh?

[enlighteninglad]

Wh..wh..what's up now? Wacky environmentalists are the cause of all America's ills now? God forbid we have a decent and clean country to live in. Do you want no environmental laws at all? Go to China and see where that leads. A most polluted country. Why? No respect for their citizenry's health and NO environmental standards. Go ahead, go to Beijing and choke on their air a little while. Drink some of their water. Might make you appreciate what those wacky environmentalists have done for America. Or would you rather revise your statement?

[youknowwhat]

When history looks back on this era to see what happend to this country. They'll watch a few clips of Bush and say that explains it.

The conclusion that they'll come to is that the American people sure were stupid. They were stupid twice!

[319]

youknowwhat, you meant to say half of the American people were stupid twice! I didn't vote for the prick and, neither did millions and millions of other Americans.

[CindyKay]

Yeah I Agree with You .

I knew better than to Vote for that Sorry Sack of S--- !

I Frankly have not Recognized this so called Administration , I Recognize Only that We are Under the GWB Dick-Tater-Ship . He should be in Jail.

[metalpipe]

You said it. It scares me only to know that the odds are 50/50 I'm standing next to someone who voted for this guy. Freaks me out sometimes.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Me neither. I still have my Kerry/Edwards sticker on my car so no one would ever, ever think I voted for Idiot Child.

[youknowwhat]

Yes, I stand corrected.

[Tommygun264]

Obama owes Bush something nice, like a muffin basket. Better yet - a case of beer. The card attached should read, "Thank you George, keep up the good work. I want you beside me every day on the campaign trail - I'll pretend not to want you there, but you stick with me no matter what I say". Then he should sign the card "Your friend, John McSame".

[Carnacamarna]

Funny. I just saw that episode of Fawlty Towers last Saturday.

[newpantaloons]

Have to inject some lighthearted commentary here (otherwise, it's soooooooo sad), but Fawlty Towers was such a masterpiece! If you want to laugh, watch it and not our idiot president.

[InfinteShibumi]

Well. Sigh....At least he didn't throw up his (18 course) dinner.

[AliHajiSheik]

He HAS to be back on the sauce. Nobody can act this boorish and idiotic sober, can they?

[MsLiz]

Brain damaged.

[metalpipe]

Spiritually blank.

[demfriend]

All of this to remind us of just how badly the world has to see us for electing this fool! But why oh why does the woman he groped Angela Merkel listen to him about Obama?

[HypocrisyAlarm]

Really. If he'd done the same in a corporate environment, he'd probably have been dismissed for sexual harassment. (Sarcasm:) Great place, America. (Not sarcasm:) I don't miss it a bit. There are yet places where " . . . of the people, by the people, for the people . . . " is still the basis of government, unlike America.

[southafrica4obama]

bush please... oh

[hugs4u]

Bush once again shows the world he is a babbling bungling buffoon.

[icemilkcoffee]

Goodbye to the class clown!

[Thinkingclearly]

Can we stop payment on his paychecks from now till January?

Just can't wait till that wondrous wit of John McCain takes his place! I'm sure Fox News will have absolutely no coverage of this.

Frankly, behind his cocky little smirk, I feel like he's thinking - "hey - nobody likes me no matter what I do - so I'll do whatever I like - and screw 'em"

[OtayPanky]

You can't even satirize this kind of thing with a Bush imitation.

It simply stands entirely on it's own.

[RobinSeattle]

Sending Larry the Cable Guy to this meeting would have been less of an embarrassment than Bush. Jesus, this guy is a nightmare out of a Li'l Abner cartoon.

[DRaymond]

Here is the weird thing. Every other president in my life if it was reported that they said something like that 'goodbye from the world's biggest polluter' line would have been greeted by shock, disbelief, or suspicion that it was a hoax. With Bush we just groan.

How can anybody not regard this man as a terrible president?

[Allocator2008]

"Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter" - come on guys, that was supposed to be FUNNY! It is funny, and politicians who don't have a sense of humor don't deserve to be in business.

[V4Vigilance]

Ever notice how often right-wing a$$holes have to explain that something "was supposed to be FUNNY"?

Why is that?

[Maury66]

oh yes....quite humorous.....he's a laugh a minute....the life of the party....a real hep cat....

[freethink]

Yeah, about as funny as looking for WMDs in his closet while our troops are being blown to bits by IEDs in under-armored HumVees and insufficient body armor. Who's the fool, allocator2008?

[319]

Allocator, I wish he was a comedian. But unfortunately, he is the president. It's not his job to be F'n funny! He is supposed to represent this country with dignity not like a drunken fratboy at a mixer. Wake th F#$% up.

[blaqntelligence]

You can keep your "funny" and give me intelligent, thoughtful, inspirational, intelligent, gracious, a leader, intelligent, intelligent, intelligent...........
I equate bush, and all like him, to the drunken relative who insists on answering the door on Thanksgiving.

[JimMan35]

I've been wondering for several years if little George started hitting the sauce again somewhere near the end of his first term. His speech is more slurred that it was when started out. He has always had trouble pronouncing any word with more than one syllable, but lately it's ALL a big much.

I once had a friend whose husband worked for the Reagan administration and his report was it was all that staff could do to keep the public from realizing that President Reagan had lost his memory long before that term ended and was basically napping his way through that second term.

I am wondering if Shrub is living in a constant hangover through his second term. I'm really wondering about this. And this stupid behavior with world leaders makes me wonder even harder. Geez, when will this guy leave already? It's starting to hurt, all this wondering!