Bush blunders along

[faceless]

Bush confuses Austria with Australia as bin Laden joker crashes party
7th September 2007

American President, George Bush, confused Austria with Australia and then suffered further embarrassment when an Osama bin Laden impersonater crashed his £65 million 'ring of steel' security. The US president started off his day of disaster when he thanked Australian premier John Howard for visiting 'Austrian troops' in Iraq, but there are no Austrian troops there, although Australia has 1,500 military personnel in the region.

He continued his blunders by then confusing the organisations of APEC and OPEC. Talking at a business forum on the eve of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Sydney, Mr Bush also told Mr Howard: "Mr Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit."

As the audience laughed, the US president corrected himself and joked: "He invited me to the OPEC summit next year." Australia has never been a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

His day got worse when an unrepentant comic crashed through his 'ring of steel' security at the summit and said bungling police were lucky it was just a joke. Police said the prankster could have been shot by snipers yesterday when he was part of a fake motorcade that breached security at the meeting of members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group.

As part of the stunt - organised by satirical TV news show The Chaser's War On Everything - three cars flying the Canadian flag, with one carrying a man dressed as Osama bin Laden, were waved through two police checkpoints. Apparently the motorcade stopped voluntarily only a short distance from the US president's hotel. Only when the Osama character got out of the car did police realise their mistake, rushing to arrest 11 people.

The show's producer, Julian Morrow, denied the joke was irresponsible and said 'lucky it was us and not al Qaeda'. The team face up to six months in jail for the stunt, which left police bosses fuming. Security protecting world leaders at the summit cost £65million. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the team was fortunate not to have been targeted by snipers. "I'm very angry that this stunt happened. It was a very dangerous stunt. We have snipers deployed around the city. They weren't there for show - they mean business, that's what they were there for."

A statement from TV company ABC said the Chaser team members were wearing mock 'insecurity' passes, which expressly stated it was a joke.

Bush's gaffe is the latest in an increasingly long line of 'Bushisms'. Here, we look back at some old favourites...

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

"I'm the master of low expectations."—Aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003

"There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."

"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe."

"I don't have the foggiest idea about what I think about international, foreign policy."

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It's funny and scary at the same time!

[Skylace]

It really is. Especially all that money being spent on security being an absolute waste. That's why I don't think we are any safer today than we were before 9/11.

[faceless]

I find it more scary that the most powerful buffoon in the world doesn't even know what country he's talking about - if it had been some tiny country it could maybe be forgiven, but Australia?!

[Brown Sauce]

[Skylace]

[alan1254]

George Bush, Im sure he reminds me of someone?

[SpursFan1902]

He is just shameful. I am embarrassed to say he is the President of my country (notice I did not say MY President - I DID NOT vote for him). I am just counting down the days and try not to listen to him too much. It is almost as painful as listening to that pagent girl explain why most Americans can't find the US on a map (which I find hard to believe...)

[archie_f]

The really scary part about this "intellectually challenged" guy is that HIS is the finger on the nuclear button and so HE has the power, theoretically, to determine the ultimate fate of the whole on mankind ! THIS POSSIBILITY IS TRULY THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES !!

[major.tom]

At least Homer Simpson is lovable, if flawed.

I found the obvious lie to cover his OPEC/APEC slip more troubling. It shows he's just flying by the seat of his pants and will say just about anything no matter how ignorant he is of the facts. One of the articles I read earlier mentioned explicitly that the U.S. isn't a member of OPEC either, making the cover story even more absurd. One non-OPEC member inviting another non-OPEC member to an OPEC conference?!?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opec

[faceless]

[alan1254]

this is the man who spent nearly all the first 8 months of his presidency on vacation or at camp david , and only showed any interest in the job on sept 11

[archie_f]

That this moron was elected twice by the American voters -with the help of voter rigging as we know now- must surely reflect the caliber of candidates standing for the presidency of the USA. That he is an embarrasment to Americans is not in doubt. Even as a non-American I cringe at his frequent verbal faux pas. I would suggest that any candidate for this powerful position should undergo a basic literacy test, an IQ test and a psychiatric evaluation. Because politicians have never honoured promises made during their election campaigns, maybe a lie detector test should also be compulsory.
Future generations of Americans may be spared another president who cannot think and speak at the same time! GOOD LUCK!!

[Mandy]

Since this is a $1 billion election, it is the money doing the talking .. and therefore it isn't about the character of the politicians which will likely count, but who can raise most money. It helps (by around 6% margin) to have the owners of the vote counting computers on side.

[alan1254]

it kind of remindes you of 'the great communicator' Ronnie 'Homer' Reagan

[Twirley]