Bush's Gloved Handshake a Slovak Faux Pas

[truthpusher]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050224/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_wardrobe_malfunction_1

Bush's Gloved Handshake a Slovak Faux Pas

45 minutes ago White House - AP

By WILLIAM J. KOLE, Associated Press Writer

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - It was a firm presidential handshake. But technically speaking, since he didn't take off his gloves, President Bush (news - web sites) didn't press the flesh when he greeted top Slovak officials.

And that was an apparent violation of protocol in Slovakia, where leaders always shake with bare hands. The wardrobe malfunction caused a stir Wednesday night in Slovakia, where Bush's arrival for Thursday's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) was shown live on national television.

Deana Lutherova, an expert in Slovak manners and protocol, said Bush's failure to remove his black leather gloves when greeting the country's president, prime minister and other dignitaries was unheard of here.

Bush kept the gloves on even when shaking hands with the Slovak leaders' wives. First Lady Laura Bush also remained gloved at Bratislava's airport Wednesday night, when the temperature was just above freezing.


story: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050224/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_wardrobe_malfunction_1

[NewHampshireDem]

1. On some level, I'm sure the Slovak's appreciated it ...

It takes quite a bit of scrubbing to get the smell of monkey feces off your hands.

[Career Prole]

2. Strikes me as common courtesy, but what do I know?

I'm just a blue-collar working slob. :shrug:

[Maple]

3. It's a faux pas anywhere

It's always been courtesy to remove the glove when shaking hands. It's just like removing sunglasses when talking to someone so they can see your eyes.

[PartyPooper]

26. I believe Junior learned this "etiquette" from Queen Elizabeth II.

It's my understanding that no one ever shakes Her Majesty's bare hand...and, the Queen always wears gloves to ensure the proper protocol is observed. (Have you ever seen her in public without gloves?)

[NYC]

45. Women don't have to remove gloves to shake hands.

Men do.

[burrowowl]

41. You would have thought that

his bluestocking mother would have taught him manners. Also, I never knew a cowboy who didn't take off his gloves to shake hands (and I have know many). Bu$h is really uncouth to boot. Cheney weres a parka to a formal ceremony. Who do they think they are!?

[annabanana]

50. these are calculated dis's...

they show contempt on purpose........

[Wilms]

4. They added the Dept. of Homeland Security

What they needed was a Dept. of Etiquette.

[okoboji]

38. remember the movie

Protocol.... with Goldie Hawn

there was a person in the U.S. government that was in charge of Protocol.... so yes, the movie is fiction, but maybe we actually need this becasue of the boy wonder

[knitter4democracy]

5. It wasn't even cold.

Come on--just above freezing?! Take the gloves off, ya dip! That isn't just a Slovak thing--it's most cultures. Be a man and take the gloves off! Jeez Louise!

[LiberalFighter]

19. Cowboys don't take their gloves off

[knitter4democracy]

35. Yeah they do!

They do if they're meeting a horse for the first time, shaking a woman's hand, or shaking a powerful man's hand and it's not on the range but in town. ;)

[LiberalFighter]

39. Sorry... I'm talking about dipsh*ts cowboys

He thinks he is a cowboy
He thinks that cowboys would work on his fake ranch
He thinks that he has a ranch

[Ilsa]

40. Exactly. He just owns some land. n/t

[knitter4democracy]

43. LOL!!!

*snort* That's really funny. He is a really bad fake cowboy.

[Zenlitened]

6. It's a violation of protocol anywhere there are people who have manners.

I mean, that's just rude pretty much wherever you are, isn't it?

Nice to see the AP picking this story up. No, it's not the biggest issue we face, but I'm ready to apply the "What if it was Clinton?" standard to everything these days.

[Mr_Spock]

7. Stupid ass monkey-pres - he's stupid and hated throughout the world

Those folks were looking for something to criticize him for - any do you know why? Because he is unversally hated - the stupid monkey-boy retarded chimp (sorry retarded people & monkeys).

[rzemanfl]

8. I wouldn't shake that bastard's hand if he wore an oven mitt. n/t

[Lisa]

10. I might consider touching his gloved (or even ungloved ) hand if ...

... I were wearing a full biohazard suit with this on top of it.

[Lizzie Borden]

9. Please go to Yahoo and DU this.

The man is such an ASS! Removing the glove is just common courtesy. Bush is common (though I'm sure he doesn't think so ) but he certainly is anything but courteous. I swear that about 20 times a day I say, "That Idiot!" :mad:

[NinetySix]

29. Doesn't matter how much money your Daddy has...

...you can still be a redneck.

And this guy's the poster boy.

[golden voyages]

46. Done.

Presently 4.29 with 50 votes

[tsuki]

11. Don't these guys travel with protocol officers anymore?

[rzemanfl]

13. If you made I career out of knowing what proper behavior was,

would you travel with Bush?

[tsuki]

54. Point taken. I guess I wouldn't travel with Cheney either.

[CottonBear]

14. That is my question?

I suppose * and Pickcles don't need one just like they don't need a French Chef at the White House. Pickles said "we like spicy food and BBQ." Well hell, so do I but you don't serve that at a goddamn state dinner.

[KittyWampus]

49. They Don't HAVE State Dinners. There Have Only Been A Small

handful and those were before 9/11.

At least Reagan entertained world leaders and so they could get together and attempt to work things out cordially.

[fortyfeetunder]

53. A grand total of 4 state dinners in the first 4 years

That was what Pickles said in her MSNBC interview.

[LiberalFighter]

23. Guy from Manpower wrote proper etiquette in different countries book

The book was geared towards business executives doing business in other countries.

Probably about 20 years ago

[NinetySix]

30. Protocol? What's that?

Oh, you mean like Jeff Gannon! I hear he's a really good protocol! (costcha 1200 bucks, though.)

/lame Bush accent

[Sabriel]

42. I believe you're thinking of "outcall" n/t

[louis-t]

12. So much class, too bad it's all low.

What an embarrassment.

[Fridays Child]

15. Could this be connected to the bruises?

Just wondering.

[Bombero1956]

16. what, take my gloves off

and git germs from some feriner? Never!!!

[KamaAina]

17. Oh cripes, is he morphing into Michael Jackson now?

Hey, at least that way he'd be on trial... :evilgrin:

[Beetwasher]

18. This Was OBVIOUSLY DONE ON PURPOSE

It was deliberate. The question is why?

They knew this would be an insult. No way they couldn't have known.

So it's on of three things the way I see it:

1. He didn't take them off because he was hiding something.
2. He didn't take them off because he was afraid of something
3. They did it to puroposely insult them for some reason.

[VegasWolf]

22. You forgot, 4. Bush didn't take them off because he is God. n/t

[MrSlayer]

20. This man has zero social grace.

He's a pig. What an embarrassment.

[NYC]

21. The article is rated 4.30, but has only 28 votes.

Its current average rating is 4.30 with 28 votes.

It is American etiquette. He had no excuse.

[0rganism]

24. Bush to Putin: "Pull my finger!"

We're lucky W hasn't been using joy buzzers and fake prosthetics for a gag.

The next Democratic president faces a real challenge in rebuilding the international relations the GOP loves to tear down.

[mcar]

25. Just voted this up

What a classless ox! First Ticky Dick and his snowsuit at Auschwitz, now this. I am embarassed for all of us.

[snippy]

27. The White House will claim that the Slovak government requested

that Bush and the Joker keep their gloves on to protect them from the harsh Slovakian winter weather.

[WhiteTara]

28. * and cheney are two peas in a pod

the evil one wore a PARKA to a state funeral while all the
other heads of state wore somber black coats! Yikes! THese
guys are our leaders?

[Kimber Scott]

31. Didn't these people have to go to Charm School before they were let out

and about in our name?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

32. Maybe he confused Slovokia land Slovenia again?

:shrug:

[BrotherBuzz]

33. Well, the upside was the boor didn't pick his nose...

[oasis]

34. Quit picking on der Fuhrer, they should be glad he took the time to meet

them. He sets the standards.

[borlis]

36. This just proves one thing.

Money can't buy manners or class.

[Zerex71]

37. What a statesman.

This is what we send abroad? Dave Chappelle as Rick James muddying Charlie Murphy's couch had more class!

What a #@&$&!@$ imbecile.

[FormerOstrich]

44. Another interesting tidbit from the article.....

emphasis and side notes are mine......


Bush and Putin hoped to keep their joint appearance focused on their agreements and close ties. One curious, rambling query gave them something to unite around — irritation with their questioner.

"The regimes in place in Russia and the U.S. cannot be considered fully democratic, especially when compared to some other countries of Europe, for example — for example, the Netherlands," the Russian reporter said, his preamble taking so long that Bush pursed his lips in apparent impatience.

He then asked Bush how the "great powers that have been assumed by the security services" in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks square with democratic values.

"We could probably talk at length," the journalist said.

Bush clearly wasn't interested in that. He offered a brisk retort that democracy is doing just fine in America. A little defensive there George??

"I live in a country where decisions made by government are wide open and people are able to call people to me to account, which many out here do on a regular basis. Our laws and the reasons why we have laws on the books are perfectly explained to people," he said.
What in the hell did he just say? People are able to call people to me to account? Many out here do on a regular basis? Many out where? In Russia? Our laws and the reasons why are perfectly explained? Yep, I'll declare what's to occur and have someone explain to everyone.

Putin, staging his own defense of Russian democracy, took all the talk about the Netherlands to heart.

He said it's unproductive to compare which country is more democratic. Then he couldn't resist a little dig.

"You have cited a curious example, the Netherlands," Putin glared. "The Netherlands is a monarchy, after all."

[llmart]

47. How many times can I say this?

These people are freakin' embarrassments to our country. I had to take an international business course one time and we spent an awful lot of time learning what was and was not acceptable behavior in different cultures around the world. And this idiot supposedly went to and ivy league college and has a masters and he never learned the basics? Does the term "Ugly American" come to mind every time these goofballs travel abroad?

Please wake me when our country can once again become one led by a first family with class and dignity.

You would never have seen President Clinton doing this.

[ikojo]

48. Recall that the Nazis (whom Bush's granddaddy supported)

considered Slavs to be just one or two rungs above Jews on the racial hierarchy, thus it is no surprise to me that Bushie would not want his "pure white" flesh to touch the hand of a Slavic leader.

Bush continues to be an embarrassment to the US. Imagine the hew and cry had Clinton not removed his gloves and pressed the flesh when shaking hands. Talk radio would still be going off about it.

[JoMama49]

51. * Once Again Puts His Foot in His Mouth - or in this case his hand!

Dontcha think they might school these people a little on foreign etiquette before turning them loose over there?

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1151&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050224%2F1702713060.htm&sc=1151&photoid=20050224WHT219D

[Richardo]

52. Goddam hillbillies...

I grew up in the DESERT and I know that it's impolite to shake hands with your gloves on. :eyes:

[ernstbass]

55. Shrubya is one big faux pas!

[SharonRB]

56. Bush's Gloved Handshake a Slovak Faux Pas

Looks like the protocol office fell asleep on the job.


By WILLIAM J. KOLE

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) - It was a firm presidential handshake. But technically speaking, since he didn't take off his gloves, President Bush didn't press the flesh when he greeted top Slovak officials.

And that was an apparent violation of protocol in Slovakia, where leaders always shake with bare hands. The wardrobe malfunction caused a stir Wednesday night in Slovakia, where Bush's arrival for Thursday's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown live on national television.

Deana Lutherova, an expert in Slovak manners and protocol, said Bush's failure to remove his black leather gloves when greeting the country's president, prime minister and other dignitaries was unheard of here.

Bush kept the gloves on even when shaking hands with the Slovak leaders' wives. First Lady Laura Bush also remained gloved at Bratislava's airport Wednesday night, when the temperature was just above freezing.

Go here to read more:

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1151&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050224%2F1702713060.htm&sc=1151&photoid=20050224WHT219D&ewp=ewp_news_0205slovak

[lebkuchen]

57. Also, the first name basis stuff is strictly Crawfish, TX

European and Asian leaders do not call other leaders by their first names. For Bush to do so shows a general lack of etiquette, understanding and concern for other cultures.

[AlCzervik]

58. Bush has cooties, those people are better off with him being gloved

[chickenscratching]

59. wow!

bush not understanding/knowing any etiquette? what a bunch of hoopla...
(is that how you spell hoopla?)

[Seeing Red]

60. In Slovakia, a Dr Strangeglove thing (Our master statesman strikes again)

First the press conference, now this ... this sucking-up-to-europe trip is going GREAT!

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1033103.cms

[AZCat]

61. The obligatory Strangelove pic (including the glove)

[CottonBear]

62. This one reporter really pissed off * & Putin

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1033103.cms

...snip...

Bush and Putin hoped to keep their joint appearance focused on their agreements and close ties. One curious, rambling query gave them something to unite around — irritation with their questioner.

"The regimes in place in Russia and the US cannot be considered fully democratic, especially when compared to some other European countries, for example the Netherlands," the Russian reporter said. Bush wasn't interested in that. He offered a brisk retort that democracy is doing fine in America.

more...

I saw the reporter (a heavy-set, blonde guy) make this statement on the NTV Russian nightly newscast on C-Span. This guy has cajones! We could use him over here! It was the question after the one about the firing of journalists in the US. You should have seen the look on their faces. Putin was not happy.

[leveymg]

63. Charm Offensive. n/t