Posted on 05/05/2007 11:20:47 AM PDT by Red Steel
WASHINGTON, May 4 — How does George W. Bush, a towel-snapping Texan who puts his feet on the coffee table, drinks water straight from the bottle and was once caught on tape talking with food in his mouth prepare for a state dinner with the queen?
With tips from an etiquette guide, of course — and a little gentle prodding from his wife.
The White House is atwitter over the visit on Monday by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. This is the first visit by the queen since 1991, when Mr. Bush’s father was president. White House aides say the state dinner in her honor is not only the social event of the year, but also of the entire Bush presidency.
It will be closely watched by the social elite for its collision of cultures — Texas swagger meets British prim. Dinner attire is white tie and tails, the first and, perhaps, only white-tie affair of the Bush administration. The president was said to be none too keen on that, but bowed to a higher power, his wife.
“I think Mrs. Bush is thrilled to have a white-tie dinner, and we’ll leave it at that,” Amy Zantzinger, the new White House social secretary, said on Friday as she arranged seating for 134 on a computerized screen behind her desk in the East Wing.
Ms. Zantzinger was not swamped with requests. Anybody who had not already received one of the elegant gold-rimmed invitations (hand-penned by a calligrapher and then engraved) apparently knew that it would be gauche to ask. Still, the exclusivity has created some awkward moments, as when the social secretary bumped into former President Bush, who was not on her list, in the West Wing.
“He was making jokes, and then he said,
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It’s OK if you have your gloves on. (LOL).
Feed her spotted owl, it tastes like chicken.
The authors of this piece seem to have their noses so high in the air, they’d drown if it rained hard.
But I bet they put their feet up on the coffee table at home, too.
Oh, yeah, talking with his mouth full and snappin’ towels, those are always the first things I think of when I think of GWB.
It’s the NYT people. This story was posted yesterday and linked to their subsidiary, the International Herald Tribune, edited and printed in Paris and “enlightening readers by describing the world beyond their everyday horizons”.
Could they be more pretentious or less relevant?
I found the snottiness of the article to be just wonderful ! So very entertaining.
They write about Bush as if he’s some kinda yahoo in THIS article, but then talk about his aristocratic roots when that works against him. His parents were both born into VERY upper-crusty society when that meant something. They moved to TX to avoid all that, but I’d bet ‘Bar’ made sure each of her kids knows what a fish fork is and how to use it.
No mention of the white trash that used to occupy the White House. How did we ever miss knowing that Nancy Pelosi is always elegant? Notice the Queen has the good sense to come to the US only when there’s a Republican president ?
Yessir....I know. :) I LOVE fried okra too. It’s like Texas popcorn. *chuckle*
man I’m hungry..............
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Any son of Barbara Bush does not need etiquette lessons. Bet George and Jeb received plenty at her table, and a few cuffings whenever they forgot their manners!
My, what a snide article. I’m surprised she didn’t say he drank out of the toilet.
“Senator Reid isn’t much of a white-tail-at-dinner kind of a guy”. No, quite apparently, he’s more the “turn tail and surrender” kind of a coward.
Of course President Bush formally bows to the ladies....the Queen and First Lady. I see nothing wrong with good manners and a show of respect for the tradition of others.
See what you did to yourself? lol
oh I do it daily to myself but it forces me off my butt to fix what I want.
Here too. :)
well then let’s kick this up a bit .
NO BEANS IN THE CHILI............in the southwest ,beans are their own show off recipe.
Sorry.....gotta have the beans. Either kidney or pinto. You can have yours on the side.....I have to mix em up. :)
commie
OH!! You did it now!
bet ya butt , awoke the bunk house and saddlin the horses
now...............
say hello to Trigger... :)
Trigger the horse or trigger bang ?
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