Wednesday, July 23, 2003

GW BUSH ON SAFARI

GW Bush’s mid-July 5-nation trip to Africa: 360 minutes in Botswana, 195 minutes in Uganda, 15 minutes at the Slave House on Gorée Island in Senegal, and three nights in a luxury hotel in Pretoria, South Africa.

All of this according to Richard W. Stevenson of The New York Times. And unexpectedly encountering an elephant and elephantette at a game park in Botswana, “Potus threw his cap over his face to shield himself from the impending coitus (which never materialized).” [Stevenson quoting Newsday correspondent Samson Mulugeta.] Believe me, I read it on The New York Times site, 12 July 2003. What would students of iconography make of such a Symbolic Republican elephant? Does anyone have a photo? USIA has one from a few moments later.



A week later Bush was making jest of this in campaign speeches in Dallas and Houston. According to Reuters [18 July 2003]

“It’s great to be home,” Bush said and noted that it was his first trip back to his home state of Texas since returning from Africa. On a safari in Botswana, he and first lady Laura Bush were surprised to see elephants attempting to mate right in front of them as the cameras clicked.

“That’s where we learned a lot about our party’s mascot,” Bush said.

Bruce 1:55 AM

---

 

Thursday, July 10, 2003

DEALING WITH IRAQ “PERSON BY PERSON”

This is at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/07/20030710-3.html


For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 10, 2003

President Discusses AIDS Initiative, Iraq in Botswana
Remarks by President Bush and President Mogae of Botswana in a Photo Opportunity
Gaberone International Convention Centre
Gaberone, Botswana

11:43 A.M. (Local)





...

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, let me start with Iraq. Having talked to Jerry Bremer, the man in charge of the civilian operations there, he believes that the vast majority of Iraqi citizens are thrilled that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power. Secondly, there's no question we've got a security issue in Iraq, and we're just going to have to deal with person by person. We're going to have to remain tough.

...


But when this was reported in the press, it was cleaned up. The International Herald Tribune, for example, has it as “we’ve just got to deal with it person to person.” [11 July 2003, citing ‘news reports’] The White House audio tape ends with the speeches, omitting questions and answers in the transcript.

Bruce 6:33 AM

---