Bush the Masseur

[mrsv98]

he's not sexist... he's having fun with a friend. he's an informal person and he's joking around. if bush saved the planet from an alien invasion of martians you'd criticize him for being anti-martian.

How do you explain that he only does this to Chancellor Merkel, a woman, and no one else. He clearly is inappropriate in the way he treats female v. male leaders. He and Blair are good buddies but you have never seen him do more than shake hands or maybe, put an arm around Blair's shoulder (and I am only saying that in the interest of fairness, I have never seen it). It is deeming and rude.

 

[Lanshark]

I wonder why Putin didn't get a neck rub. He always seems a bit tense to me.

 

[3princesses4us]

Was that supposed to make sense?

It was clearly unwanted physical contact, I don't get the impression that he and Chancellor Merkel are close enough for him to walk up and give her a shoulder rub.

I still agree with my FIL that the only reason he's so "close" with "Condi" is that they have a "special" relationship.

Wow! This post was so inappropriate on so many levels- congratulations! First of all, the anti-martian post does make sense that's why some people are laughing about it.
Secondly, your phrasing makes it seem like he walked up and grabbed her breasts! Lighten up.
Lastly, I don't even know what to think about the Condi remark except that you must have proof of their special relationship. Care to share?
And the irony is I'm willing to bet you are a Clinton fan- the most notoriously inappropriate President to women we've ever had or will have...

 

[katerkat]

I wonder why Putin didn't get a neck rub. He always seems a bit tense to me.

He looks pretty relaxed here!
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/07/06/putin_explains_kissing_childs_stomach/

 

[toto2]

Secondly, your phrasing makes it seem like he walked up and grabbed her breasts! Lighten up.

I agree that this strory is more funny than anything, but it has to do with what is appropriate for ma world leader to do , especially toward another world leader , and not what is happening between two consenting adult.

 

[MzDiz]

At least Monica was into Bill. The poor Chancellor has the same look on her face that someone has when they're about to step in a steaming pile of dog doo.

 

[3princesses4us]

Agreed Toto. I doubt he'll be giving any more impromptu neck massages to leaders of foreign countries but I don't think it was creepy or the stuff of sexual harrassment lawsuits.

 

[binny]

FTR everyone calls Dr Rice Condi.

The reason I know this is my friends sister is her personal aide and they go to White House events. I asked her about that familiarity a long time ago and she said that when they ( my friend) met her the first time she insisted that they call her Condi, that everyone did.

I dont think this act was nearly as innaproriate as you are making it out to be. I think he intended to be friendly but maybe it was not taken in that spirit. Big deal.

A&J

 

[Kendra17]

How do you explain that he only does this to Chancellor Merkel, a woman, and no one else. He clearly is inappropriate in the way he treats female v. male leaders. He and Blair are good buddies but you have never seen him do more than shake hands or maybe, put an arm around Blair's shoulder (and I am only saying that in the interest of fairness, I have never seen it). It is deeming and rude.

Treating her differently because she's a woman doesn't make him sexist nor is it demeaning (I think this is what you meant). I realize this might open a whole can of worms that I'm reluctant to open. But, in case you had not noticed, men and women ARE different. They are not the same. They interact differently. This is why he probably did NOT do this to Blair's shoulders. Men and women interact differently. Two women interact differently. Two men interact differently. That's not sexism-- it's just the way things are.

Did you catch the link I provided before? Merkel clearly likes Bush. Unless she complains, well, I don't think it's anything at all. They are friendly. And, if you watch this entire video, not just the shoulder squeeze, you'll see that they are friendly.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4372463076604414221&q=merkel+bush

This is just all about Bush bashing, as it always is, all the time. This isn't that it's completely inappropriate that he gave her shoulders a squeeze. They shared smiles and a kiss earlier in the day (catch the video link I pasted), and they are friends. He did it in public because there's nothing at all to be ashamed of. Merkel LIKES him (yes, as hard as that is to believe for you!) and she is glad to have the relationship with Bush/the US that her predecessor did not.

 

[jocon]

I was surprised how long it took for the Bush Apologists to try to change the
subject to Bill Clinton.... You guys are slippin!

 

[AllyandJack]

Would it make a difference if she liked it? If the video showed her smiling and enjoying it, would that make it OK? The guy isn't a mind reader. How many of us have been hugged and touched by people and it was unwelcome? Some people are touchy-feely and they take the chance that the recipient doesn't like it. As long as they don't try to get a grope in after you let them know it's unwelcome, it's just a miscommunication.

My neck hurts. I wouldn't mind if Bushie rubbed my neck right now. So what if he's the President? He's not very "presidential" - he never was. Neither was Clinton. That was his big appeal. He's a regular guy. That video of him slobbering all over Monica in her cute beret was all over TV....but, she liked it, so I guess it's OK. That was Lurch's...I mean Kerry's....downfall - he didn't come across as a real person.

Hey, Bushie....you can rub my neck. Save me some $$ on a chiropractor.

 

[eclectics]

I'm sure he meant no harm and in his mind he probably thinks he's being fun, but somehow he just never seems to pull off the "informal" act. He always comes off looking a bit foolish. Ronald Reagan could pull it off, Bush can't.

 

[Saxsoon]

I find this so hypocritical of the left it is scary. Making fun of Bush for just giving someone a shoulder rub. You are calling him a creep when your hero Slick Willy just did a lot more without cameras around.

Hmm rubbing someone's shoulders, cheating on one's wife.

 

[TheBellhop]

"Get the &@#$ offa me!"

 

[TheBellhop]

I find this so hypocritical of the left it is scary. Making fun of Bush for just giving someone a shoulder rub. You are calling him a creep when your hero Slick Willy just did a lot more without cameras around.

Hmm rubbing someone's shoulders, cheating on one's wife.

Who said it was from the left side?

 

[Free4Life11]

I find this so hypocritical of the left it is scary. Making fun of Bush for just giving someone a shoulder rub. You are calling him a creep when your hero Slick Willy just did a lot more without cameras around.

Hmm rubbing someone's shoulders, cheating on one's wife.

What in the hell does Clinton have to do with this? Yes I think Bush is a creep. Guess what, I voted for him. Some people just have to make every damned thing political.

 

[AllyandJack]

I'm sure he meant no harm and in his mind he probably thinks he's being fun, but somehow he just never seems to pull off the "informal" act. He always comes off looking a bit foolish. Ronald Reagan could pull it off, Bush can't.

He really does. Anytime he uses a big word, he looks so proud of himself. Then, there are the birds that always seem to be chirping behind him in every speech he makes. He's a doofus. That doesn't mean he's a sex offender.

 

[Kendra17]

Hey, Bushie....you can rub my neck. Save me some $$ on a chiropractor.

 

[Kendra17]

he probably thinks he's being fun, but somehow he just never seems to pull off the "informal" act. He always comes off looking a bit foolish.

He comes off looking foolish only because there are a bunch of cameras and a bunch of reporters just WAITING to catch him doing something-- anything-- they can spin and make look either foolish or negative or both. Part of his charm, I think, is his complete lack of pretention.

I haven't seen a clip that really gauges her reaction after. . . it shows her hands go up in the air. The only clip that shows any reaction at all is the one I found (with the ludacris music) that, I think, actually shows the beginning of a smile on her part. That's what it looks like to me.

The fact is, the media has spun this thing, labeled it as a cute soundbite (pres. grope), and intentionally don't show her reaction to the squeeze as he walks by (only when she put her hands up).

The only thing I really see is now that Merkel and Bush have a good relationship-- better than Schroder and Bush. So, all you Bush-bashers can stop griping about how all of Europe hates us because of Bush. It certainly looks like our relationship with Germany has improved. Doesn't that make all of you feel a bit warm and fuzzy now?

 

[jocon]

He comes off looking foolish only because there are a bunch of cameras and a bunch of reporters just WAITING to catch him doing something-- anything-- they can spin and make look either foolish or negative or both. Part of his charm, I think, is his complete lack of pretention.

I haven't seen a clip that really gauges her reaction after. . . it shows her hands go up in the air. The only clip that shows any reaction at all is the one I found (with the ludacris music) that, I think, actually shows the beginning of a smile on her part. That's what it looks like to me.

The fact is, the media has spun this thing, labeled it as a cute soundbite (pres. grope), and intentionally don't show her reaction to the squeeze as he walks by (only when she put her hands up).

The only thing I really see is now that Merkel and Bush have a good relationship-- better than Schroder and Bush. So, all you Bush-bashers can stop griping about how all of Europe hates us because of Bush. It certainly looks like our relationship with Germany has improved. Doesn't that make all of you feel a bit warm and fuzzy now?

Suuuure......Blame it on the media....excuse me....the left wing main stream media....give me a break. I don't even know why I bother with this Bush stuff. The 35-40% that is his base will for him no matter what. It's so scary that people can so blindly follow one party or person.