PRESIDENT GHW BUSH AT THE HELM IN KENNEBUNKPORT
Posted on 08/12/2007 1:47:49 AM PDT by Cincinna
The tricolor flag of France flapped in the wind on Saturday afternoon over the craggy seaside promontory known here as Walker's Point. President George W. Bush greeted his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, with a hearty clap on the shoulder. Sarkozy, looking relaxed in a blazer and jeans, kissed Barbara Bush's hand.
And the menu, for what the White House billed "a casual family lunch," most certainly did not include freedom fries.
"We're going to give him a hamburger or a hot dog, his choice," Bush said as he waited for Sarkozy to arrive. He was flanked by the first lady, Laura Bush, and his parents. Looking on were members of the extended Bush clan, including grandchildren who had made welcome signs — "Bienvenue Monsieur Le President" — with pictures of lobsters.
(SNIP)"Do you think he's bringing cheese?" Bush was asked.
"I think he's bringing good will," the president replied.
The visit signaled a new warmth in Franco-American relations, which had grown chilly over the war in Iraq. Sarkozy put it this way: "Even within a family there are disagreements, but we are still a family."
(SNIP)The lunch, attended by Bush relatives, including the president's daughters, Jenna and Barbara, his brother Jeb and his sister Doro, was much more about networking than foreign affairs.
(SNIP) "No I can't," the president said, asked by a journalist if he could say something in French. "I can barely speak English."
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
If the official Chinese news agency is to be believed, Cecilia Sarkozy and the children have sent a polite "non" to the Bush family:
Cecilia Sarkozy called U.S. First Lady Laura Bush Saturday morning, saying that she and her children were not feeling well and therefore would not be attending the lunch, White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.
However, the spokeswoman said, "Mr. Sarkozy is still coming."
If true this appears to be a repeat of Cecilia's mysterious absence at the G8 wives' meeting. It should be remembered that Bush was actually sick himself the day he met Sarkozy at the G8 summit, deciding to receive him in his own room.
Update: It appears Nicolas Sarkozy delivered the bad news in person, adding that "The worst is that it's me who passed it to her." Hmm...
Am I over reacting, or is this really rude and tacky?
The Sarkozys have a 10 year old son, Louis. To deprive him of a chance to be received “en famille” by two US Presidents at their home is disgraceful.
If I were in her place, I would get myself to a doctor, pull myself together, and fulfill my responsibilities.
She says she had an “angine blanche” or scratchy throat. That and “mal au coeur” are standard excuses for the French when they want to avoid a social obligation.
The whole family was waiting for Cecilia and their son. All the Bush grand-kids and great grand-kids stood by. Jenna and Barbara made a very rare public appearance to meet Sarko.
Visiting the Bush family at their home is an honor and a priviilege. At least her husband had the good sense to show up.
Could the Sarko GWB meeting be more serious then first thought and Mrs. Sarkozy decided to keep the children away from such drama?
Gee, why don’t I believe her?
I could be wrong, and I wasn’t there of course, but,...........I think Cecilia is telling a slight fib,.......and she’s rude.
I’m being polite.
Ceci-Lia-r. Typical arrogant, condescending French.
I would hope this is the start of more French venturing to the US. Having studied and traveled in France I have found the French to be quite agreeable once they get to know you. It greatly helps to speak French, but many more French now speak English and we should show them what good and decent people we really are.
CECILIA SOUNDS LIKE THE FRENCH DONNA HANOVER!
More news from FReeper BozPolitics:
Cecilia faces criticism, quick recovery?
Cecilia Sarkozy is facing skepticism and mild criticism after her failure to appear at the Bush-Sarkozy picnic this past Saturday. Not only, it appears, was she healthy enough to sunbathe with Rachida Dati on Friday, but she was actually spotted walking in the center of Wolfeboro in shorts and a t-shirt on Sunday, leading some to wonder how she could acheive such a remarkable recovery.
As French papers point out, this is by no means the first time Cecilia has gone missing without much in the ways of excuses. After all, she did not even vote for her husband in the second round of this year’s presidential election. In all honesty, I can understand how an afternoon with Laura Bush may not seem so riveting to a woman who seems to enjoy hanging around with Gaddafi, but she will have to understand that while her haphazard ways are not wrong in themselves, they may eventually put Nicolas in rather awkward positions.
What’s her major malfunction ? Did Nic marry a moonbat ? She keeps this crap up and maybe they should head off to divorce court.
He’s evidently not wearing the pants in this relationship. I would think his adversaries would be having a field day with this one.
Too bad she’s raining on President Sarkozy parade, but then again perhaps we don’t understand the French culture and need to be enlightened. In the USA the President’s wife has become more influential than perhaps in Europe.
If I remember correctly, Blair’s wife also had a “problem” with President Bush’s family as well, or perhaps our President’s policy.
If Mrs. Sarkozy did not want to socialize (no pun intended) with our President and his family she should have feigned illness in Paris and stayed in France with their young son.
I'm far more interested in Sarkozy and what HE does than I am in his wife...but then, Australians are like that. If our Prime Minister's wife didn't show up, we wouldn't even notice!
Mrs. Sarkozy is a piece of work.
Wow, what a lack of discretion on her part, to bow out of meeting is one thing, to then become conspicous by cavorting about town is quite another.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/sheryl_gay_stolberg/index.html
NEW YORK TIMES
NATIONAL
A Quiet Weekend in Maine With Family and Presidents
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Sarko is a great example for the Republicans. After years of being sick of Chirac, the French Conservatives found a guy who speaks the truth on a regular basis with no poll watching.
Then, he won the Presidency in a landslide with all the media portraying him as a fascist...
so is it any wonder that the NEW YORK TIMES would offer up a hit-piece using his wife?
I’m reminded of an English flat bottomed boat.
punt1 (p¾nt) Nautical. n. 1. An open, flat-bottomed boat with squared ends, propelled by a long pole and used in shallow waters. —punt v.
punt2 (p¾nt) Football. n. 1. A kick in which the ball is dropped from the hands and kicked before it touches the ground. —punt v
punt4 (p¾nt) n. The indentation in the bottom of a champagne or wine bottle. [Perhaps from punty, iron rod used in glass blowing, probably from French pontil, from pointe, from Old French.
so is it any wonder that the NEW YORK TIMES would offer up a hit-piece using his wife?
Standard MSM garbage or “poubelle en francais”
Sorry, I don’t speak french. ( I can barely speak english, LOL!)
MSM garbage, that I do understand, specially from THE NEW YORK TIMES.
The NY Times article is hardly a “hit” piece.
Cecilia Sarkozy is the French Donna Hanover.
She didn’t even come out to vote for him in the 2nd round of the Election, and stayed away from the big victory concert. She rude, arrogant, spoiled and ill-bred.
The American Press has been very kind to Cecilia, taking her lame excuse at face value.
The French press and bloggers have been less charitable.
Calling her mal-elevee, the French equivalent of trash, and ridiculing her for appearing fresh and robust in T shirt and shirts parading through the streets of Wolfeboro the very next day, as well as the day before.
The French are rarely rude, but they know bad manners when they see them.
They are pleased with the welcome that Sarko has received, and they do not blame him, they blame his spoiled brat of a wife.
Cecilia supposedly called Laura Bush to cancel less than an hour before the scheduled lunch. She should have done everything possible to be there. If she had a child with a sore throat she should have hired a nurse to babysit while she went to Maine. It was less than 100 miles, less than an hour away.
Credit to Sarko for going on alone. To be greeted by the entire Bush family, parents, Jeb, Doro, all the grandkids, including the twins, who were excited to be visited by the French President.
How sad and embarassed Sarko must have felt.
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