Posted on 11/22/2004 7:42:52 AM PST by dead
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush sent tongues wagging this week, planting kisses that to many Americans looked more personal than professional on his two women cabinet nominees.
Condoleezza Rice was given two affectionate kisses on the cheek when Bush introduced her at the White House on Tuesday as the new secretary of state.
Margaret Spellings, the new education secretary, was congratulated rather uniquely on a corner of the lips when she was presented the next day.
"Is there too much kissing going on at the White House?" said USA Today.
Could it be that the born-again Methodist president is adopting "continental" habits, newspapers questioned.
"It was such a ... European gesture for the aw-shucks-I'm-jes-a-Texan president," said USA Today.
The Washington Post cast doubt on this theory however.
"He did not execute the double buss that is used as a greeting throughout much of Europe, organised crime and the fashion industry," said the Post. "There was nothing international about Bush's kisses," it concluded.
But the Post did say that the kisses have become "much discussed".
"While it is common for politicians to hug and kiss indiscriminately on the campaign trail, it is another thing altogether to see the president planting his lips on potential - or current - members of his Cabinet."
New male representatives in the administration have to make do with a handshake and a presidential slap on the back.
But commentators highlighted how Bush may have been in a difficult position as he has known Rice and Spelling a long time.
Rice is a family friend as well as Bush's national security advisor in his first administration.
Spellings moved to the White House as domestic policy advisor after helping Bush when he was governor of Texas in the 1990s.
Agriculture Secretary Anne Veneman is also expected to stand down before Bush's new inauguration on January 20 and the chattering classes are now waiting to see whether the president puckers his lips for her too, the Post said.
AFP
http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&p=News_Comment%20-%20Analysis&i=75770ccd-1709-4d86-acc1-1aa167353cf9
Who would kiss Janet Reno or Madeline Albright? UGH!
I would kiss George - I think he is kinda cute..........
Only if it's Colin Powell he's kissing...
But I baled after about thirty seconds of the two-annoying-chicks commentary.
ROTFL!! The Euros obviously don't understand real affection, and the gentlemanliness of some Southern men.
your comment was the most sane of the first ten I read - juvenile is putting this story mildly.
Perfect post by sweet you.
Just when you think the press can't get any more stupid, they come up with something like this!
Can you even imagine what's in someone's head, after the debauchery of xlinton, who would say these silly things??
These libs are loopy!
Media are truly desperate.
They hate all 61+ million of us.
LOL!
Stupid George W. Bush and his stupid 61.25 million followers beat the pants off the smart guys............hehe
They'll keep losing credibility until not a single person in America takes them seriously.......
I'm still dancing!
Your state did GOOD!
They thought they had y'all in their column.
Dunces. Arrogant dunces.
"Is the President giving his cabinet members too-affectionate kisses?"
How do I get on the cabinet?
True..they're nuts..but they think they're OH SO SMART...and witty, and clever..and they'll keep on losing elections...BTW..his new council..who replaced Gonzales..a long time friend..30 years or more...there was a funny line in the NY Times today..Karl Rove said, after her appointment was announced, that she once "Cruelly turned him down when he asked her for a date in 1980."
The campaign here was absolutely awesome! The Bush/Cheney staffers, the thousands upon thousands of eager volunteers, and most of all the inspiration of the President himself.
I've never been part of anything like it!
Oh yeah, me too!
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