Posted on 05/08/2007 6:19:37 PM PDT by Cornpone
London - British newspapers were scathing on Tuesday about US President George W Bush's blundering welcome for Queen Elizabeth II, labelling him "Dumb Dubya" and saying he has the "gift for the gaffe".
Bush messed up at a ceremonial welcome for the queen at the White House Monday when he spoke of a visit paid by Elizabeth to mark the 200th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from Britain "in 17 - in 1976".
After the queen looked up at him from beneath her wide-brimmed black hat, he winked at her, before turning to the laughing audience and telling them: "She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child."
Britain's media, which has revelled in reporting previous Bush bloopers, claimed that this was among his worst.
The nation's biggest-selling paper, the right-wing tabloid Sun, accused Bush of making "one of his great verbal blunders" while the centre-right broadsheet The Times headlined its piece: "Oops, he did it again."
"On a morning that should by rights have been frozen in time as a moment of pure pageantry, with military marching bands, pipers trucked out in tricorn hats and powdered wigs, and visiting royalty, one can count on George Bush," the centre-left broadsheet The Guardian said.
"The president yesterday once again demonstrated his gift for the gaffe, injecting an unintended sense of levity into the White House welcome for the queen."
'Her majesty's withering look spoke volumes'
This was not Bush's first slip in front of the monarch, the Guardian added.
"When she visited the White House in 1991 during his father's presidency, he said he was the black sheep of the Bush family.
"He then asked: 'Who's yours?' The queen did not reply," it said.
The right-wing tabloid The Daily Mail asked: "Is he winking at One?" and said that Bush could have tried to recover from his initial blunder in several ways.
"But turning to her and giving her a sly wink is probably not included in any book of royal etiquette," it added.
In an editorial, centre-left tabloid The Daily Mirror dubbed Bush "Dumb Dubya," adding: "Her majesty's withering look spoke volumes, giving the watching public and the president a very clear message.
"Which is more than he ever manages."
Of course it was INTENTIONAL!
It was a joke, a giggle, at the queens longevity.
A compliment really.
Who gives a rip? I love our prez. He appears to be forthright, candid and all male.
I was reading about Prince Harry’s girl friend -or ex now I think, because of the girl friend’s mom. Seems the family made enough money to live in the nice part of town. However, the gaffe’s from the mom were unacceptable:
1) seen chewing gum at a horse race.
2) said “pleased to meet you” when introduced to the Queen. (Of course you were. The proper greeting was “How do you do?)
3) something to do with table manners and which fork she used or something trivial. (My mom once drank out of the finger bowl at a fancy party! Thought it was really weak soup!)
Why must we always bow to everyone else’s protocols. How about if we start ridiculing visitors to the U.S. for not saying “Howdy?”
I’ve got an idea. We do the stupid British Royalty bullsh*t when we are visiting them, and they follow American tradition when they visit us.
Quick comments on this non-story:
One, we all know that Bush is a man without majesty — a regular guy who does not, metaphorically speaking, do particularly well in formal wear. In his ceremonial, head-of-state role, he’s mediocre. Gaffes are inevitable with him. C’est la vie. You can’t be everything.
Two, even the majestic Ronald Reagan had a few slips in comparable situations. Even those who seem to have everything aren’t perfect.
Three, don’t trust a liberal reporter’s, or any other single reporter’s, assumption about the Queen’s attitude toward this very minor slip. We just don’t know. It’s equally possible that Elizabeth R. enjoyed kidding the President just a bit. I doubt she is quite the complete stiff that many people undoubtedly assume.
Four, even if the Queen was offended, which I doubt, she had no right to be, and this writer has no right to be.
Five, far more important than a couple of gaffes is that fact that the royal visit, and the White House’s handling of it, was the opposite of a gaffe: It was a classy gesture between two classy (though very different) heads of state. I have no doubt that the Queen loves America and has appreciated her several receptions here over the years, and, in context, that’s what matters most.
Which could all be boiled down to one point for this writer, and everyone who agrees with him: Grow up.
I don’t know if there is a “gay” gene, but there sure is a “gaffe” gene, and the Bush family has got it in spades.
Yeah, that too. Though I wouldn’t condemn the entire British press by any means. Much of it is fairly good.
“One more thing: we resent their continuing deprecation of our president.”
He may be a dunce, but he is still our dunce. Not yours.
This is all I heard about from the liberals at work today. “Did you here about Bush?, did you here about Bush?, did you here about Bush.”
How many times did I here “Did you here about the terrorist who were arrested in NJ?” Zero, nada, zilch.... Shows you what is really important to them.
Proves that he is a man, not a self-serving manikin like his predecessor. Bush, with his wink, is telling the Queen … here is how we do it here in the Colonies, welcome to MY house. ;-)
I finally saw the entire blooper tonight and there was definitely no look of whatever from the Queen...........
Good recovery Mr. Pres and nice smile Mrs. Queen........
It is a hoot.
Here the liberal socialist moonbat press, who have little or no use for Royalty, and in Britain, the labor government barely conceals its disdain for the royals, wanting to get rid of them once and for all and......
SUDDENLY
The MSM drive bys take the tact that President Bush is someone we all need to be ashamed of becuase he does not consider himself bound to British Aristocratic ettiquette? What a laugh! It wasn't too long ago thet the MSM was pilloring the Queen for the death of Lady Diana. What a bunch of propagandizing tool heads!
HEY! Dubyah is a red blooded Texan, and he is the president in his own house. He can wink at anyone he wants to , and they are gonna have to like it.
BJ Clinton would stare at every womans boobs, look down the decolatage of their gowns, salivate over their gloved hands at state dinners, and tried to fondle some while their husband diplomats were not looking. But we heard nothing about that, wonder why?
I like our president winking at the Queen. She likely secretly gets a kick out of it. Leger Majestie, not a thing wrong with it.
Thank you Mr. President for not becoming an aristocratic idol worshiper, curtseying and simpering at the feet of the Queen, like the socialist moonbats wanted you to do.
President Bush passed the true American test.
You and me both, kiddo...
...and for what its worth, I think her reaction was typical of monarchy and that prevented her from busting out laughing...........as I’m sure she wanted to do.
Besides I think the Queen likes our Cowboy. God Bless you President Bush.
I know that you are making a play on an old, old joke but though I disagree with our President on a lot of stuff, he is no dunce. He may not be his best in formal situations but dunces don’t end up the Leaders of the Free World.
I think so too:’)
Barbara delivered that same glare when he first crossed paths with Her Majesty. That was in 1991. Poppy was hosting a state dinner at the White House, and young George -- who wore cowboy boots for the occasion -- had to be seated somewhere close to Virginia. Barbara Bush, in her memoir, said "our Texas son" was not allowed to say one word to the queen to avoid embarrassing the family with an inopportune wisecrack.
Then, to her horror, he let one slip.
According to Pamela Killian's Barbara bio, the queen asked Bush if he were the black sheep of the family and he admitted, "I guess so." To his mother's horror, Bush then asked, "Who's yours?"
Killian says that Barbara stepped in and said, "Don't answer that," while The New York Times reports the queen got in a tart, “None of your business.”
Apparently, the British press, and now others, are accepting this story uncritically even though it sounds absurd. Think about it: Barbara putting down Texas, George behaving in this way, despite the fact that by 1991, he was quite a serious guy, a father of school-aged girls. The portrayal of George is just ludicrous and parodic. But most of all, can you imagine Queen Elizabeth II even getting upset about such a thing, let alone uttering "none of your business"? "None of your business"???
It's insane, and they just throw it around as fact. You also have the story that took two pictures and tried to portray the (horrors!) wink as an assassination attempt.
These Brit lefty journalists are royalists now? Just imagine if Bill Clinton did such a thing. He probably did worse, but nobody cared.
If the royal family lived in the USA they would be residing in a trailer park. (With apologies to trailer dwellers).
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