Eisenhower, by Geoffrey Perret [Random House 1999] p. 437.
Sua
The Post article offers a quicker time scale (a March meeting between the presidents) and a reasonable way for the information to get out (Estado Sao Paulo columnist is a friend of Cardoso).
This still might have been just a story from Cardoso, told for whatever reason, and whether or not it is true he may still deny having said it for obvious political reasons.
My god, how could anyone watch a Bush press conference and not think that man would utter more idiocies than your average president? My high school principle was a better extemporaneous speaker. If a rabbit could talk while it stared at the headlights of a car, it would probably sound a lot like GWB.
Frankly I was embarrassed the first time I listened to one of his press conferences. He’s obviously an amateur speaker. He stutters, corrects himself midsentence and makes grammatical errors. He also says “nukular”. That alone should disqualify the man for the job. It’s nuclear as in “the nucleus of an atom” not “we’re gonna nuke those russkies!”
Finally. Thank you Washington Post for some actual freaking context. I can completely and totally see Bush saying this while discussing the two countries’ reputations as melting pots. The story finally becomes plausible.
It also explains why no one else picked up on this completely [insert appropriate adjective] incident. Not a matter of the press covering for Bush, but rather, a matter of most members of the press not ever reading a Brazilian newspaper in their lives. Truly a stunning question, if it is true (and it’s looking like it is).
The original Portuguese article located at http://www.estado.estadao.com.br/colunistas/pedreira/2002/04/pedreira020428.html can be “read” with the assistance of Bablefish (Google version).
Here’s a snippet:
etc. etc. The article ends on a forlorn note:
“Of it blacks you have, also”
Maybe W was just doing a Yoda imitation?
Xenophon, I’d say you were perfectly correct regarding David Gregory’s opinions:
From yahoo news http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020603/79/1n0a8.html
It wouldn’t surprise me if DG’s later comment was for political salvage purposes. What was he supposed to say? “Me and the Prez had beef, and wait till the next press conference?” Feh.
And by the way, if this Brazil stuff is true, it’ll be the stupidest perfomance by a President since one choked on a preztel. Oh, wait! That’s the same guy! Bush is like Kenya – he takes the Gold, Silver, & Bronze for asininity!
Hmmm. Well, as a vegetarian I’m precluded from eating crow, but I may need to help myself to a nice portion of Crowfu[sup]TM[/sup].
Fresh crow! Get yer fresh crow here!
Not to harp on PLD, since he was good enough to preempt this – but should we take another look at the Stevie Wonder incident, then?
The Brazil part was withdrawn – perhaps we can do the same for “it’s crap like this”?
[Alex Voice]No, I’m sorry. The correct answer was true. And how much credibility did you wager, Sam?[/Alex]
Bite me, Ace,
The Brazilian article contains precisely the same elements that led to the suspicion that the der Spiegel article was an UL.
As Snopes says - after the discovery of the Estado Sao Paolo article:
Nothing has changed, except now we know where der Spiegel got its story.
Sua
Sorry, Ace, I don’t find that your Gregory quote refutes his comment to Don Imus that he appreciated the humor in the situation (not necessarily a compliment to Bush, mind you). --Nor do I find that the Estado Sao Paolo article adds any confirmation for the alleged comment from Bush.
So… Phil, no need to chow down on the Crowfu yet. Unless you just like the flavor.
I find you develop a taste for real, genuine crow after a while, so maybe the bean curd substitute is the same…
It doesn’t refute Gregory’s quote – I’d say it adds context to them. I’m sure we’ve all laughed at our boss’ lousy jokes. I have a feeling Mr. Gregory is rather wry…
As for the credibility of “Do you have blacks, too?” the source just went from a German gossip column to a Brazilian reporter with possible connections to the Brazilian government. I’d say that’s a net plus for the credibility, no?
And, certainly several levels above complete crap.
-Ace
just a few replies:
“Equally terrifying: the American media did not report the incident. There seems to be an unwritten rule that while it’s ok to acknowledge Bush’s lack of “intellectual curiosity”, any hard evidence of utter stupidity must be covered up.”
“Intelectual Curiousity”
now, i could be wrong, but i’ve always considered “curiousity” as a strong desire to learn new things. Unless im on crack and this is the incorrect definition, then wouldnt the driving force behind asking this question be, by definition, CURIOUSITY? im suprised no one else has pointed it out either.
“My impression is that Der Spiegel is a German equivalent to Time or Newsweek.”
Good impression. Der Speigel is the German equivelant of Time of Newsweek, except better. it is THE German magazine: weekly, like Time and Newsweek, but with another 50-60 or so pages…quality pages, too…in short, this magazine is reliable. But i also agree that its probably an Urban Legend. Heres why: if it was only seen by WHPC, then who the hell could report it? Becasue if it was WHITE HOUSE press corps, they sure as hell wouldnt go and report it to Germany!
“I don’t know much about Der Spiegel either but when you open an article with a statement like “It is said, that, before September 11, George W. Bush thought the Taliban were a Bavarian brass band” I question your journalistic integrity.”
Some key words: IT IS SAID. Thats a pretty common journalistic thing: to quote popular opinion. And while ive never heard that particular thing over here in the states, Germany is totally different.
One last thing:
“It certainly should be common knowledge that Brazil has a large quantity of blacks. I received a mediocre public education and I remember learning things like that in middle school.”
Im at Phillips Andover now, and i dont think i EVER heard that before in my life.
-j
one more:
did it occur to anyone that maybe, and keep in mind this is only speculation, the two were speaking a different language? i mean, maybe bush asked “is the percentage of black people in your country as high as in ours?” and the translator said “do you have blacks too?” (but in portugese…). now keep in mind, were this the case, then the WHPC wouldnt think it too strange…but the portugese press corps would
they could report to europe, and that would get it to der Spiegel.
-j
What does der Spiegel mean anyway?
Der Spiegel = “The Mirror”
Sublime: It’s a faux pas to ask a head of state questions about his country that one could learn from an Almanac or other standard reference.
For balance, I’ll note that a story circulated about one of Jimmy Carter’s Georgia cronies making a pass the wife of a Latin American Head of State / Diplomat. If true, it shows the disadvantages of electing a President without extensive Washington connections.
Just as this story (if true) demonstrates the disadvantages of electing a President who is unseasoned in foreign affairs. Experienced advisors (in foreign policy, not economics, IMHO) are certainly a plus, though they can only take you so far.
Arg again. Experienced advisors are always a plus. I was trying to allude to the fact that Rice et al appear to have a better reputation than Paul O’Neill, etc. do.
A bit of a hijack, but I just wonder how the following managed to slip into what looks to be a prepared speech:
http://www.hypocrites.com/article.php?sid=3486
Now, in a case like this, Bush will catch flack, though, one should hold the speechwriters just as responsible, if not more. After all, it’s a nitpick point, and presidents are probably more concerned with the general message they portray rather than the specifics. That’s why they hire speechwriters. Obviously some writer wasn’t up to date on his 20th century history.