Bush exchanges views with young Israelis

JERUSALEM -- Seated under an olive tree with a dozen Israeli students, President Bush was bemoaning the bad rap he gets in the Middle East. Many people believe he hates Muslims, he said, but it's not true.

It was as friendly an audience as Bush could expect in this part of the world, so Henriette Chacar's comeback gave him pause. "I think it comes out that you don't like Muslims because in most of your speeches you tend to relate extremism to Muslims," said the 16-year-old Israeli Arab, who is Christian.

Without bristling, Bush conceded the point.

"Actually, what I say is you're not a religious person if you're a murderer," he replied. "But you're right. I've got to do a better job of making it clear when I talk about Islam I talk about a peaceful religion."

The exchange Friday was part of an unusually frank and lively discussion between an unscripted Bush and a diverse group of young Israelis as he ended a 48-hour visit to Israel. It showed a reflective, self- critical side of a leader in his final year in office, but also a gap in his awareness of the rigid social norms that underlie the region's conflict and reinforce division.
Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-israel17-2008may17,0,2307696.story?track=rss

Oxymoron?

Hey, I didn't write the damn song.

this group was hand-picked and the questions were either provided to these young people or approved prior to the meeting under the olive tree (and there's no symbolism there?). Give it a few days for the truth to come out.

Even as far back as 1999, every town hall and presser has been as highly scripted as possible to avoid embarrassing the chimp'n chief and nobody without Republic cred was allowed in the door.

Granted, he's leaving in nine months, but why would they screw up a good thing at this late date? At least, to this point, they've been able to project the persona of a sane man - no way in hell they're going to go off the reservation and expose the real inCurious George.