President crams for first white-tie dinner - What an embarassment

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/05/MNG23PLQOG1.DTL

How does George W. Bush, a towel-snapping Texan who puts his feet on the coffee table, drinks water straight from the bottle and was once caught on tape talking with food in his mouth, prepare for a state dinner with the British queen?

With tips from an etiquette guide, of course -- and a little gentle prodding from his wife.

<snip>

In July 2001, the Bushes had lunch with the queen at Buckingham Palace. "He didn't drink water out of his bottle," said Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary, who was there.

(By Fleischer's telling, Bush once did drink water out of his bottle at a U.N. lunch, prompting Colin Powell, then secretary of state, to give the president a gentle hint by pouring water in his glass.)

If he has to cram, then cram. Don't announce it to the world.

he thinks everyone loves him. Dyslexia makes the "approve" poll say 82%, you know.

at least I didn't get that from the article.

;)

and at the U.N.

And its not as if he was raised poor and doesn't know any better. He acts that way because he feels he's entitled to it.

The picture of him grabbing President Hu of China is crazy. I have a customer who is
an engineer and goes to China and he said that touching of others in China is considered
very rude.

George W bush the unelected A.D.D. President.

That's grounds for an elbow to the nads.

.... to an Israeli leader.

* Where he rubbed on Merkel.

The look on Merkel's face is so universal for women who feel that they are being
"touched" by somebody they don't want.

If I had been in Chancellor Merkel's situation...well, let's just say Junior ought to be damn glad I wasn't. I can't stand having my neck/shoulders grabbed by ANYBODY, let alone that wad of scum. :grr: A friend grabbed my neck as a joke once and I damn near broke his arm, acting only from reflex - coupled with the extreme distaste I feel for that jackleg of a "president," I can only imagine what I might've done to him.

:evilgrin:

Anybody who is raised to respect other people already knows how to act in most situations and it has nothing to do with income level.

Not just to America.

He's as dangerous to world relations as Idi Amin.

There are worse faux pas he could make - and has, but I've never heard of the water out of a bottle bit.

Does anyone really pay attention to that?

I'm sure the U.N. representative from some drought-striken nation is thankful to have water at all.

I think that's the point

he thinks being a rude ill-mannered ass is fine because the rules don't apply to him.

One can only hope he won't follow Poppy's lead by puking in her lap.

jump start something between his ears.

...blueblood pomp and circumstance. My guess is that he really does know all this ceremonial crap, coming from an elitist family, and the WH is putting out this story to "folksy him up." Not a bad PR move, really. It sounds like the premise of a Disney Channel original movie.

:rofl:

NGU.

Portraying a bloodthirsty warmonger born to the smarmiest of ruling class families as a good old boy - a rough-hewn Davy Crockett or something - Ugh, it's disgusting.

" Cram it, Cram it, Cram it up your Poop Chute"

a rough-hewn good old boy instead of a bloody freaking warmonger. King George and Queen Elizabeth deserve each other,
they're both to the manor born and absurd..

He went to the poshest private schools and he has no table manners? WTF are they kidding?

he knew, but forgot or drank it out of his brain.

It's like inviting my cousin to dinner and not knowing which fork to use.

IIRC, this is at least the second state dinner that they have used the Clinton china.


FWIW, here is the Reagan china.

...spoons, forks and knives. Soylent was served in orange, yellow, pink and green. The corpse of Charlton Heston was brought into the dining room clutching a 1776 musket with his stiff cold fingers wrapped around the stock and barrel.

Just like the Reagan years.

I do not recall where I read it but it was years ago and I guess his parents had to say some thing to the Queen about how bad he acted. She as always carries it off in great style. Maybe she is like her mother who said that you have to earn your keep in this world and the Queen has put in her 40 hour week over the years. I think Bush has a little different plan for his duty in this world.

and a five (not four!) course dinner. Hope they all have fun yet realize they are beside the point.

Elizabeth bores me. She and Bush deserve each other.

If this would be all that was "wrong " with the moran I wouldn't be concerned. I honestly don't care what that queen person thinks. There are so many bigger problems. I would be ok with someone whose etiquette was less than ideal if they were in other ways literate, respected science and reason and was someone who was actually intelligent and qualified for the position they hold.

...the Queen never wanted to have dinner with the Clintons. Then she would've seen what class is!

How do you know that to be true and can you tell me how you know?

...she's pretty free to refuse what she wants to refuse. She can always beg off because of her age.

*sigh* maybe he'll learn how to eat a diner roll

...by landing a fucking helicopter right in the middle of it.

at Buckingham Palace"

Guess she did want tea & cookies with the Clintons.

Everybody has to stop eating when the queen finishes? :wtf:

It would be one thing if this was at her house, but it's not; why should Americans have to follow arbitrary English rules in our own White House?

(Edited to repair malfunctioning smiley.)

she's the guest of honor -- when Bush visits the British Embassy for the reciprocal dinner, it will be the opposite.

A handler's nightmare :rofl:

We're sick and tired of King George II.