Shouldn’t Merkel file sexual harassement charges against Bush? The way she reacts it certainly was unwanted touching. There have been plenty of court cases over less.
Sure, sure. Bush supporters will only say he was joking around. Being friendly. But this is a head of state, in public. Nothing shows respect to other countries and their leaders like groping. Bush has got to have a screw lose somewhere to pull this kind of bullshit.
Here’s one writer’s take:
Every woman will recognize the guy who sidles up and starts “casually” giving you a backrub without even looking at you, because he wants to preserve deniability in case you freak out. Like any practiced groper, Bush stares right past Merkel as she recoils from his touch.
The play fails, but he just moves on, eyes averted, like it’s her problem. (“Oh my God, there’s a hysterical woman displaying inappropriate behavior! I’ll just pretend I don’t notice her egregious gaffe.”)
Yes, our president, the drive-by harasser.
And the Idealistic Pragmatist has a discussion on the cultural implications:
Far from showing his great “love” for the chancellor, what this event really illustrates is Bush’s appalling insensitivity to the fact that not everybody else’s culture is just like his own. In Germany, this will be perceived not as a joke, but as a man showing a woman her place. Don’t look so shocked, Mr. President–there are actually places in the world where you don’t get to massage the shoulders of a woman (and a fellow world leader) whom you barely know. After six long years of hobnobbing with the international elite, I’d think you might have figured that out.
DU Exclusive: The real reason this happened is because the Bush pilot voted against Merkel and decided this was his chance to get back at her for winning. Remember, you read that here, first!
It seems to me that the recent ‘open mic’ and ‘inappropriate touching’ incidents are fairly MINOR and may be getting a lot of attention to draw us away from his total incompetence.
Just look at all the attention these relatively insignificant incidents are getting. Now open your eyes.
#11
smartalix – lol!
Now watch the neocons start squirming “but Clinton this, but Hilary that.”. Talk about liberals whining, neocons whine like a bad water pump in a gremlin!
Bad water pump in a Gremlin?? LOL
This just goes to prove something we already know … our president is a boob.
Although I don’t like Bush & his public stunts always make me laugh,
I think that the reaction we see on the face of the chancelor reflects surprise more than angriness…
To me it looks more like after a long afternoon meeting, things are getting wrapped up, Bush stands up, comes to the back of the chancelor and grabs her shoulders playfully, then runs away.
I see a lot of people who are getting used to Bush’s PR mistakes but IMO there is no reason to call for sexual harrassment on such a bad quality video. I am sure if the video quality was better, that when she looks for Bush on her left (after he grabbed her shoulders) we would see a smile on her face.
John,
I would have wrote “Yugo”, but I’m in a good mood.
He doesn’t have a clue.
Giving a shoulder rub is a grope? Seriously guys, you’re becoming moonbats.
#27 “Giving a shoulder rub is a grope? Seriously guys, you’re becoming moonbats.”
Yeah – and if Clinton would have done it FOX would be pounding on him for a month about how “disgraceful” he was.
The mighty neocon double standard.
Not a grope?
This wasn’t a Hee-Haw convention, this was a meeting of world leaders
In that still frame, he looks kinda like Pat Robertson.
yeah, it is pretty stupid, anyone looked up the definition of grope or harassment?
If that qualifies as a grope then we’ve gone so far down the PC road that there’s no hope for mankind. Was it inappropriate? probably. Groping? um, sorry, but I don’t think so.
I don’t need a dictionary or the PC police to know what “grope” means because I didn’t learn English from Rush Limbaugh. Is the neo solution always name calling (Moonbats) or blowing the PC whistle?
#31 – Mike – Holy crap…you mean Bush did 2000 pound leg extensions?!?!? Wow….that bike riding must really be paying off!
Whoops….I meant leg presses…not leg extensions…. 2000 pound leg extensions WOULD be impressive!
Well, for all you groping groupies out there, the married ones should understand this one, then maybe we can put it to bed. When Laura saw this, I’m sure she took care o’ biness. (kicked his funky @ss).
Meanwhile the Democratic Party is led by the loser who lost to the loser who lost to this loser.
Comment by Frank IBC — 7/19/2006 @ 4:08 am
OK, Frank, I’ll give you credit for that one. A good quip.
The truthyness is that Bush was really sticking a “Kick Me” sign on her back. How many of you people haven’t done the same yourself. You just kind of distract the person and quickly slap it onto their back.
If he had of groped her, don’t you think the German Secret Service detail would have blown Bush to pieces? We know that if it was someone, say Putin, groping Bush, he wouldn’t be enjoying any more vodka. Ever again.
You’re forgetting the Clinton legacy. After teh Kathleen Willey story broke, so-called feminists declared a one-free grope rule. So Bush is in the clear till the next G8 summit. After that, I guess it’s impeachment.
By the way, I messed up earlier. Bush didn’t strangle Putin. It was Alan Greenspan.
Hi peoples,
im from germany and cant understand why he says things like this. Our president (Ms Merkel) sponsored him with 20 million euro the last visit here and a BBQ etc.