That’s the Bild.de headline. You can watch the video there too. Bush walked up to Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, and started giving her a massage. She threw up her arms in self-defense, made a face, and then drew up her hands into angry fists. Bush moved on. Here is how the Los Angeles Times chose to cover the incident.
Bush gave a less formal greeting to German Chancellor Angela Merkel when he encountered her Sunday in the more modern pavilion on the Konstantinovsky Palace grounds where the afternoon meeting of the G-8 leaders was being held.
It was a lesson in body language.
On his way here, the president spent much of Thursday with Merkel in her Bundestag district in northeastern Germany, building on a friendship that began with her earlier visit to the White House, a welcome guest after her conservative coalition turned Gerhard Schroeder out of office last fall. Schroeder’s opposition to the war in Iraq had made him a thorn in Bush’s side.
It’s safe to say the former chancellor never got the treatment Merkel received from the president.
Entering the meeting room, as relayed by a Russian television camera, Bush headed directly behind the chancellor, reached out and, placing both hands on the collar of her gold jacket, gave her a short massage just below the neck.
She smiled.
See. That crazy liberal press is always slanting things to make Bush look bad.
[hat tip to Jessica of feministing]
OT – but Bush just vetoed the Stem Cell research bill.
More here.
omg the LA times downright lied about the incident. That’s not slant that’s deliberate fibbing.
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Oh dear - this little boy was a bit surprised by President Bush. Bush took the boy in his arms and cried a bit along. Oh je - dieser kleine Junge war vom Präsidenten-Besuch ein wenig überrascht. Bush nahm ihn auf den Arm und "heulte" ein bißchen mit.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Here we have a whiny, annoying child who has just expelled a load of shit. And he’s holding a crying baby.
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When German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes over the Group of Eight (G8) next year as president, she is expected to bring her careful and consensus-oriented leadership style and a change in focus to the table.
Merkel, who will also take over the EU presidency in January, 2007 promises to be an opportunity to bring a change of direction to Europe and the world.
Merkel has already said no to Tony Blair's suggestion to expand the G8 to include countries such as China and India.
With (France’s Jacques) Chirac and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair likely gone, she will be in a powerful position in leadership circles.
Different priorities
Chancellor Angela Merkel promises to be a different type of host when she welcomes the G8 next June to the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm. Merkel said she will focus on poverty, and while it is thought she will make energy a priority, her emphasis will be on sustainable, renewable and environmentally sound energy strategies.
Merkel’s focus on poverty and energy security with a nod to the environment should please many of the center-left Social Democrats in her coalition government, say observers. Her credibility within the EU and with the US gives her a leg up.
Russia G8 :: No Unity on Middle-East Crisis
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
bush is a child jack-a**. All he knows is that he can get by with feces like this without punishment of any recourse. What I think would have been the most memorable moment in our history is if she would have reached around and slapped his face, in front of everyone! What a tragic shame and he embarrasses us all with his antics. ;o( I crave some intellectual person to lead us someplace other than down the road to destruction and hypocrisy…
She looked none-too-happy in the video I saw. Of course, GW is the same guy who called Canadian Prime Minister (who I do not like) Steve. You’d think that the leader of your largest trading partner would at least garner a “Mr. Harper.” But, noooo. GW is a bully who obviously feels a need to treat everyone around him like they are under him.
that if any world leader tried to give His Nibs a headful of noogies, they’d have been swarmed by a dozen hulkin’ bulkin’ humorless Secret Service agents before the headlock was complete?
Ridiculous.