Posted on 07/20/2006 9:07:21 PM PDT by notes2005
NEW YORK - An impromptu back rub that President Bush gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel is now massaging millions of funny bones.
A 5-second video and series of photographs recently posted on YouTube.com and various blogs show Bush surprising Merkel at the G-8 Summit by quickly rubbing the back of her neck and shoulders. The chancellor immediately hunches her shoulders, throws her arms up and grimaces, though she appears to smile as Bush walks away.
The video has been one of the most popular clips on the Web and spawned countless remarks on the particulars of etiquette for world leaders. Coupled with Bush's use of an expletive at the summit and a U.S. senator comparing the Internet to a "series of tubes," the incident reveals anew the power of the Web — and YouTube, specifically — to beam embarrassing political gaffes around the world.
Larry Sabato, professor of politics at the University of Virginia, agrees that today, public figures have to be more careful in "a thousand ways." But he maintains sites like YouTube can be revealing.
"If they're not doing something that's embarrassing, they have nothing to worry about," he says. "A president ought to know enough not use an expletive in a fairly open meeting and almost any male alive today knows that you don't offer uninvited massages to any female, much less the chancellor of Germany."
Many writers saw a sexist aspect to Bush's back rub. "This isn't a Sigma Chi kegger, it's the G-8 Summit," wrote blogger Christy Hardin Smith on Firedoglake.com.
(Bush was actually in Delta Kappa Epsilon. Another Web 2.0 truism: Blogs are not always friendly with the facts.)
Earlier this week, Bush was recorded using the s-word while discussing the Mideast with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. An mp3 of Bush's line, posted by The New York Times, has been a popular download — ranking two spots ahead of Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" on The Hype Machine, a Web site that charts the most-linked audio tracks by blogs.
No one need remind former presidential hopeful Howard Dean of the political ramifications of the Web — nor Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record) of Alaska.
The 82-year-old Republican, chairman of the Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation, has been parodied mercilessly by bloggers after referring to the Internet as a "series of tubes" and for mistakenly calling an e-mail "an Internet." A music video for the "DJ Ted Stevens Techno Remix" is currently playing on YouTube.
Like Bush's closed-door G-8 meeting, a speech by Stevens was once unlikely to reach many people. But now sites like YouTube can strike anytime, anywhere.
Even when you're getting a massage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?vgeFCRNOWni4&searchBush%20Merkel
She probably thought it was Bubba.
That is why she smiled afterwards and lit up a cigarette.
LOL.
Hows that for spin?
I guess it's better than Putin kissing a little boy on the stomach. WTF is wrong with these guys?
You only have to worry, if you care:')
You only have to worry, if you care:')
I'll tell you now, any chance he had at a third term are doomed now.
All kidding aside, I think the massage thing was bigger than it seems, Merkel is still on shaky ground and that image was patronizing to her, it will probably be used by the left in Germany to belittle her status as a strong leader.
The "highlight" of this article is this backrub thing, but notice how quickly they toss in the swearing incident, trying to lump it all in as "Bush's gaffes".
One of the most liberal people I know told me when Bush swore about Syria, it was the first time he really considered Bush president!
(Bush was actually in Delta Kappa Epsilon. Another Web 2.0 truism: Blogs are not always friendly with the facts.)
This whole tempest in a teaspoon is silly, but whatever. I just want to add that there's not the slightest sign in that comment from Firedoglake.com that Christy Smith was trying to specify the frat that Bush pledged.
I think Katheryn Willie might have a difference of opinion on what a "grope" is, yet they try and associate that term with this action.
If the leftist idiots have nothing more substantial to whine, moan and bitch about than this...(and they don't)....
LET them waste their time bleating about non-issue crap like this. Hell, it's less than four months before the election and THIS is all the idiots have left to talk about? No Cheney indictment. No Rove frog-march. No Bush impeachment. No zip, zilch or nada.
Ahahahahaha! I love it! Another huge DemRat election loss coming up.....as history repeats itself.
A friend of mine met GW at frat party in college. She was amazed at how friendly and kind he is in person. He had many reasons to be aloof, yet he was moving around the room asking various people if he could get them a drink, something to eat, etc.
Although she's always been a liberal, she voted for him twice - on the basis of his warm, friendly appeal. She says he's a real southern gentleman with no hang-ups.
The same libs who had rationalized Clinton's Lewinsky-job think this is inappropriate?!!
Merkel's "grimace" and seemingly involuntary upthrust arms struck me as more the reaction of someone who is highly ticklish.
Yeah, President Bush is such a sexist (and racist too)!
That's why he has the most diverse cabinet of any U.S. President.
Much ado (doo-doo) about nothing.
.
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Just kidding.
Yeah that's it . She's doomed now .......
He held hands with a Sheik does that mean he is gay? He kissed Rice does that mean he cheats? It was not a back rub it was a "How Ya Doing Dude" He treated her like one of the Guy's just like liberal women want.
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