Bush's unexpected squeeze of the German chancellor has the Internet howling (funny)

SF Gate ^ | 7/18/06 | Carla Marunucci

[pissant]

It's not exactly "Presidents Gone Wild!" but for the normally staid Group of Eight Summit, a video of President George W. Bush sidling behind German Chancellor Angela Merkel and delivering an impromptu neck rub is, well, as wild as it gets.

The scene, captured by a Russian TV camera, hit the Internet like a summer wildfire Tuesday, and it may be most memorable for the German chancellor's reaction. Bush applies his hands to Merkel's shoulders and neck while she's speaking with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi; the chancellor hunches her shoulders, then throws her hands up to stop the unexpected massage with a wan smile -- and an expression which can best be translated as "Ewwww."

While the incident didn't get a lot of play on major TV media, it was just one of the Bush G-8 gaffes that garnered considerable space in the blogosphere from London to Los Angeles.

Bloggers on sites like truthdig.com expounded at length on the U.S. president's now-famed open mike incident in which Bush let slip the "s-word" while talking with British Prime Minister Tony Blair; it wasn't so much the potty mouth as the president speaking with his mouth full that horrified many international critics.

[LibWhacker]

You can substitute any other Democrat and the reaction would be the same

Okay, you must be talking about "I have lust in my heart" Carter, or maybe the philandering JFK? Exactly which pervert democrat are we talking about here?

Maybe you meant some generic, hypothetical, non-pervert democrat? BWAHAHAhahahaha... Gives us a break! There is no such animal.

[Kaslin]

This is from yesterday's Grpvine with Brit Hume

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Pelosi Calls Out President Bush

Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is calling on the president to immediately declare that the U.S. will start bearing the costs of evacuating its citizens from Lebanon, instead of charging them, saying, "A nation that can provide more than $300 billion for a war in Iraq can provide the money to get its people out of Lebanon."

But the policy requiring citizens to pay commercial fare plus a dollar for government evacuation was encoded in the 2003 Foreign Relations Authorization Act. That law was approved by the House and the Democrat controlled Senate in 2002. Pelosi herself voted for the measure.

[MikeA]

Exactly. After these American and European liberals fell in love with the most ridiculous joke to ever hold the White House, Bill Clinton, they have no standing whatsoever to judge nor mock President Bush.

[Hot Tabasco]

You just don't do that in the business world.

Actually it does more often than not and no one complains except folks like you. Fortunately you are in a really, really, really vast minority..........

[Sir Gawain]

Wrong.

[retMD]

Besides, people pay perfect strangers to give them massages all the time and it's considered a luxury.

Yes, and the key is that the person asked for the massage. If I saw someone do this in a meeting in my place of business and get this kind of reaction, I'd tell them to cut it out. A second episode would result in disciplinary action. It's unprofessional in a meeting, *especially* in front of cameras. It would be different where a few colleagues were just sitting around chatting.

Look at the video - she was not pleased. And from what I've heard from a German national on another board, it was perceived as even more culturally inappropriate in Germany. Any German nationals reading this want to comment?

[Jorge]

Yes, and the key is that the person asked for the massage. If I saw someone do this in a meeting in my place of business and get this kind of reaction, I'd tell them to cut it out. A second episode would result in disciplinary action.

So you're saying that if the reaction wasn't negative, and the recipient liked it, you would be fine with it?

It was a simple gesture of kindness, granted some people will find it inappropriate while others don't mind at all.

I don't know of anyone who would force a shoulder massage on a person in public after they objected to it.

You're really over-reacting IMHO.

I've had some women give me surprise should massages on the job in front of others, and though I really wasn't comfortable with it (they're married women) and I didn't think it was appropriate...I didn't turn into some uptight prude over it, like some of the posters on this board.

[LK44-40]

It is inappropriate.

Exactly. Your whole post...exactly.

Bush's embarrassing demeanor at the G8 shows that he spent too much time whacking brush back at the ranch and has no idea how civilized people conduct themselves at serious events.

NYT story yesterday had him petulantly telling his "buds" that he was in a hurry to leave the meeting because he "has something to do." As in, "gotta quit wasting time with you people and get back to the WH and see what's for supper."

He behaved like a moron.

[LK44-40]

Yeah. If this isn't nipped in the bud; next thing we'll see is middle-aged senior officials having sex with junior staff members, who are barely out of their teens.

I have seen several posts along the lines of yours in the last couple of days.

I do not believe that being critical of Bush's boorish behavior in anyway implies an acceptance of the far more outrageous conduct of Clinton to which you refer.

I do not accept that any presidential behavior short of BJs in the office is now okay. (And I do not mean to suggest that this behavior of Bush is remotely in the cagegory; I would never have thought of the comparison myself.)

[LK44-40]

Does the writer mean like Billy Jeff who couldn't make a decision unless he had his toelicker do a poll in how the people felt about a particular situation. Billy Jeff was never a leader. President Bush is a true leader

I am seeing a lot of this, "Well, at least he is not Clinton defense."

He has sunk a long way to need this defense. Those determined to defend him, however, have a tough task. His conduct at the G8 was moronic...appropriate for a frat house or a locker room.

[maine-iac7]

Looks more like a mock neck wringing - in jest

[marajade]

He ain't her boss.

[MiniCooperChick]

I wouldn't criticise Clinton for that. It's totally harmless.

Of course, his hands would have been further down, and in front!!!

[maine-iac7]

"Here’s a link to five seconds of choppy video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUTwaSPcGno&search=merkel

---

Thanks for the link. Looking at it, it's obvious that isn't a neck rub = just a glancing, playful "wring your neck" in response to something she said....

Sorry, folks, nothing inappropriate here... more Freepers and others should know better than to swallow as whole cloth any interpretation from the rabid left. Think and examine first. Geeeze... but his use of the s-word was in context and appropriate.
So when do the dems start impeachment proceedings?

[Sam Ketcham]

Not the PC thing to do, but less than Bill Clinton would have done. Then again, Clinton "may" have better taste in women.

[maine-iac7]

YOu post:
If this were a Democrat President - especially one with the initials WJC - this board would be afire with condemnation. I sense more than a little hypocrisy here.

This looks way too "frat boy" to me
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Just for you, and any others who may be as dense, I repost my last post.

---

"Here’s a link to five seconds of choppy video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUTwaSPcGno&search=merkel

---

Thanks for the link. Looking at it, it's obvious that isn't a neck rub = just a glancing, playful "wring your neck" in response to something she said....

Sorry, folks, nothing inappropriate here... more Freepers and others should know better than to swallow as whole cloth any interpretation from the rabid left. Think and examine first. Geeeze... but his use of the s-word was in context and appropriate.
So when do the dems start impeachment proceedings?

[maine-iac7]

You post: "I didn't expect to see him doing that either.

I would expect to see Bill Clinton do something like that."

---

Get grip Freeple!
Once again, I will repost my post....geeese
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Here’s a link to five seconds of choppy video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUTwaSPcGno&search=merkel

---

Thanks for the link. Looking at it, it's obvious that isn't a neck rub = just a glancing, playful "wring your neck" in response to something she said....

Sorry, folks, nothing inappropriate here... more Freepers and others should know better than to swallow as whole cloth any interpretation from the rabid left. Think and examine first. Geeeze... but his use of the s-word was in context and appropriate. (Indeed, it would be appropriate here - even for an old great-granny like me - to say: "Stop this Sh*T!")
So when do the dems and you knee-jerk judges start impeachment proceedings?

[maine-iac7]

you post:
Thanks for letting me know I can come rub your wife's shoulders at a business meeting and it's "no big deal". If this were Clinton doing the same thing, your reply would be different. So transparent.

---

Get a grip Sir Gawain.
Don't you have a steed to shoe?

for others who might be fooled into this misdirection sh*t, I once again post:
&&&&&&&&&&
"Here’s a link to five seconds of choppy video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUTwaSPcGno&search=merkel

---

Thanks for the link. Looking at it, it's obvious that isn't a neck rub = just a glancing, playful "wring your neck" in response to something she said....

Sorry, folks, nothing inappropriate here... more Freepers and others should know better than to swallow as whole cloth any interpretation from the rabid left. Think and examine first. Geeeze... but his use of the s-word was in context and appropriate. (Indeed, it would be appropriate here - even for an old great-granny like me - to say: "Stop this Sh*T!")
So when do the dems and you knee-jerk judges start impeachment proceedings?

[LK44-40]

Think and examine first. Geeeze... but his use of the s-word was in context and appropriate...So when do the dems and you knee-jerk judges start impeachment proceedings?

Yea, those who critize his moronic G8 behavior are not thinking...we are just sheeple following the rabid left. Only those with your view are "thinking." /sarcasm

Well, I will give you this: You must truly be doing quite a bit of thinking to rationalize and explain his boorish behavior. But then his camp followers are very practiced at fiesty defense. Personally, my head would explode if I had to try to find so many ways to justify his behavior.

[maine-iac7]

Just try to do the same thing at a business meeting. I dare you.

How many posts now have you pontificated on this misdirection interpretation?

You're getting downright frothy over it. Take a chill pill, Sir Gawain...go brush down your steed...or clean his hoofs or something you can do to occupy what seems to be to much time on your mind