Eloquent He Ain't: Day 7

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, here are Bush's beautiful, poignant sentiments regarding slaves:

"It's very interesting when you think about it, the slaves who left here to go to America, because of their steadfast and their religion and their belief in freedom, helped change America."
-7/8/03, Dakar, Senegal

According to blogger Roguejew, who posted this picture, "Real Africans Love George W. Bush". He is the author of today's bonus quote:

"Why do Africans in Africa love G W B, but African Americans despise the guy? Perhaps he has done more for Africans in Africa than the American Africans in America has? Where is P Diddy and Snoop Doggy Dog, Danny Glover, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the rest of the Afro Americans when Africa needs them? Oh yeah, their to busy hating on G W Bush instead."

Snap.

Eloquent He Ain't: Day 6

This morning's post is the education edition, in a fun question-and-answer format:

Q: "Is our children learning?"
-during the 2000 presidential campaign

A: "As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured."
-9/07, told to NYC schoolchildren

Eloquent He Ain't: Day 5

"I like the idea of people running for office. There's a positive effect when you run for office. Maybe some will run for office and say, 'Vote for me, I look forward to blowing up America.'"
-3/05, Washington D.C., about the Middle East elections

Eloquent He Ain't: Day 4

Four more days! Four more days!

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves."
-9/21/03, Washington, D.C.

Eloquent He Ain't: Day 3

Tonight's farewell speech was without verbal calamity, so once again I'll reach into the vault:

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."
-Rochester, NY, 5/24/05

Eloquent He Ain't: Day 2

Exactly three years ago today (think he's learned anything since?):

"I think... tide turning... see, as I remember... I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of... it's easy to see a tide turn...did I say those words?"
-Washington D.C., 1/14/06

Eloquent He Ain't: Day 1

In this final glorious week of the Bush presidency, I'm starting to get a bit sentimental. After all, who can forget when the lovable oaf coined the term "misunderestimated" (which he revived in his final press conference this week), when he proudly announced "Mission Accomplished" (only slightly prematurely), or when he fell off his Segway (which is, by design, virtually impossible)?

He took "faux-Texan-cowboy-who-was-actually-a-Connecticut-born-college-cheerleader" to new heights and made it into such a marketable political brand that Americans were gullible enough to go for yet again after his first round of screw-ups should have taught them otherwise. (Again, in all fairness, John Kerry was a veritable bore.)

So to commemorate this final seven days of a true American dynasty, I shall pluck from my "Out of Office Countdown" calendar that I received from my grandmother last Christmas some of my favorite Bush memories. (Nobody knows you like your family, right?)

So turn on Sarah MacLachlan's "I Will Remember You" and grab a bag of pretzels, because without further ado, day one...

"The march to war hurt our economy. Laura reminded me a while ago that remember what was on the TV screens--she calls me, 'George W.' I call her, 'First Lady.' No, anyway--she said, we said, march to war on our TV screen."
-Bay Shore, NY, 3/11/04