[Ninong]

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004.

[Reefland]

Oh Bush is a piece of work!

[ricksreef]

oops, the truth slips out!!

[Samper]

Bush is a $hit bag as we say in the military.

[wgscott]

Tongue-twisted Bush is bent on self-harm


By Rupert Cornwell in Washington (The Independent, UK)


06 August 2004



Even by the previous standards of Bushisms, this was one for the ages.


Signing into law a new $417bn (£229bn) defence spending bill, the famously tongue-twisted 43rd President of the United States solemnly declared yesterday that his administration "will never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people".


The gaffe came as President George Bush was warming to his favourite theme of the terrorist threat faced by the US.


"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," he said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."


Steeled doubtless by long experience of oratorical mis-steps by the President, the audience of senior military commanders and the Pentagon's civilian leadership gave no outward reaction.


Mr Bush quickly continued to his wider point, that "we must never stop thinking about how best to defend our country. We must always be forward-thinking."


Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, said the mistake merely showed that "even the most straightforward and plain-spoken people misspeak."


But the American public knew that "this president speaks with clarity and conviction, and the terrorists know by his actions he means it."

[wgscott]

Saudi Prince Gives $127,000 in Gifts to Bush Family Today

[Reefland]

What kind of gifts?

[schrocat]

Saudi Arabia's de facto leader lavished nearly $US130,000 ($A185,000) of fine jewellery on US President George W Bush, his wife, children and top aides in 2003 but the weightiest gift presented to the first family last year came in the form of hundreds of pounds of raw meat, according to documents released today.

While Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's exquisite baubles may have cemented US-Saudi friendship amid tension over Iraq, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner's 136 kg most likely did more to slake the Bushes war-time appetites.

Although valued at only $US1,500 ($A2,140) -- almost 100 per cent less than the total amount of the crown prince's $US128,000 largesse -- Kirchner's meat was arguably the most unusual gift the president received in 2003, according to the State Department's annual list of foreign leaders' presents to senior US officials.

Presented to Bush during an official visit to Washington in July during which Kirchner secured US support for a new international loan program, the lamb was transferred to the General Services Administration, presumably for distribution to government cafeterias or charity, according to the documents.

Unfortunately, there is no record of what actually became of the meat or whether there was any connection between it and the sheep responsible for a 214-dollar grey wool poncho that Kirchner and his wife also gave to the Bushes during the visit.
Under US law, almost all gifts to the president and his top aides -- from the most humble to the most extravagant -- must be reported and either turned over the National Archives or other institutions for display.

According to the documents, compiled by the State Department's Office of Protocol and published in the Federal Register, the single-most valuable item received in 2003 was a $US95,500 ($A136,000) matching set of diamond and sapphire earrings, bracelet and necklace presented to First Lady Laura Bush by Crown Prince Abdullah.

Bush, himself, received a mantel clock "elaborately detailed in silver and gold vermeil" valued at 8,500 dollars from the prince and while the "first family" was listed as the recipient of two Bulgari necklace, ring and earring sets.

Made of pearl and diamonds and diamonds and black onyx -- and valued respectively at 8,000 and 8,500 dollars -- the sets appear to have been intended for the president and first lady's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara.

All the prince's presents -- including two 1,500-dollar gold and silver ceremonial daggers for White House chief of staff Andrew Card and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, a 3,000-dollar horse sculpture presented to Rice deputy, Stephen Hadley, and a 1,500-dollar ivory and gold letter opener offered to Secretary of State Colin Powell -- have been turned over the National Archives, according to the documents.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi -- one of Bush's strongest European allies -- was no slouch in the gift-giving department the 74 pages of records show.

Berlusconi presented the Bush family, Rice, Card and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld with more than $US35,000 ($A50,000) worth of gifts in 2003, according to the documents.

Those included a $US12,000 ($A17,000) wristwatch and $US4,500 ($A6,400) alabaster statue for the president, a $US7,500 ($A10,700) silver and diamond choker for the first lady, a $US7,500 gold and diamond bracelet for Rice and a $US3,000 ($A4,300) watch for Card, according to the documents.

The single most valuable gift given to Bush in 2003 came from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who presented him with a collection of original watercolour portraits of all 43 US presidents bound in a "red velvet book studded with precious gems" worth $US45,000 ($A64,000), they show.


i didn't think they'd get to keep the stuff over a couple hundred bucks though...do they?

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by schrocat

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...&oneclick=true

i didn't think they'd get to keep the stuff over a couple hundred bucks though...do they?

I can't follow your link because I refuse to register on some of those sites for various reasons. Maybe you could post the pertinent part here?

The Constitution prohibits the President of the United States from accepting gifts from foreign powers but there is a huge exception: It is OK to accept gifts if rejecting them would embarrass or offend the gift giver or embarrass the President or the United States. Consequently virtually all gifts are accepted. In recent years (past decades at least) it has been customary for these gifts to be displayed (if appropriate) in the White House or Camp David or even in the personal homes of Presidents while they are in office. President Bush has received an untold number of extremely valuable gifts, including many valuable works of art, some of which are displayed at all of the venues mentioned. It is quite likely that virtually all of those will end up in his presidential library.

Following their term of office, most of these gifts are usually housed in that President's Library. They are all very big on libraries, even the ones who never crack open a book. Some gifts may end up at the Smithsonian.

P.S. -- It is not these official gifts, all of which are logged, that are the problem. "Gifts" can take many different forms. Valuable benefits may accrue to members of a president's family (his sons, for example, in the case of Bush the Elder) or to corporations in which he has a financial interest, either before or after his term of office.

[schrocat]

corrected...excuse the length.
waaaaay to lazy to edit.

[Ninong]

Schrocat,

Thanks for posting the details. Looks like it from an Australian source and yes, that's pretty much my understanding of what happens to official gifts.

[Ninong]

Under US law, almost all gifts to the president and his top aides -- from the most humble to the most extravagant -- must be reported and either turned over the National Archives or other institutions for display.

Yes, but not immediately. The President can delay turning over some items, paintings or sculptures for example, until after his term of office. The government knows exactly where each painting is displayed -- or at least they are supposed to. Since the President entertains visiting heads of state at his personal residence in Texas, it is only fitting that works of art that were official gifts from that country should be on display during the visit.

I really don't know if the First Lady or the two daughters ever get to wear any of that expensive jewelry or not -- but I can probably find out. Anybody know? I know that Nancy Reagan never paid for a dress in her life -- only a slight exaggeration. They were all "on loan" from her favorite designers. Probably a carryover from her Hollywood Academy Awards days -- as a member of the audience only, of course! I wonder if she ever wore any jewelry that was "on loan?" My guess is probably yes but I'm sure it was all returned. I mean that, I'm not being facetious. I have to say that since everybody knows I'm not a Republican.

[schrocat]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Schrocat,

Thanks for posting the details. Looks like it from an Australian source and yes, that's pretty much my understanding of what happens to official gifts.

I seldom read National web feeds anymore, except for humor purposes.
Right now Fox is hailing their "exclusive" which was a report from last Sunday which named the captured individual who apparently was still supplying the Pakistan gov. intelligence.

Fox drones on and on about the info from the "look what we stopped" perspective. Yet ignoring the "someone blew this guys cover and we just destroyed the best intelligence we had so far in the war on terror" angle.

CNN is toothless these days.
NYTimes requires checking up on facts just as much as the other guys.

It's unfortunate, but it seems I have to go to Ireland, Australia, and elsewhere to get fair and balanced news. LOL

[Samper]

Sometimes I just feel like selling off what little prized things I own and walking off into the wilderness.....but that isnt the answer.