Laura Bush's happy face shtick falls flat in the Middle East

[Scurrilous]

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/053105Ticker/053105ticker.html

<snip>

"In the 1963 movie musical "Bye Bye Birdie," Dick Van Dyke urged a gloomy Janet Leigh to "Put on a Happy Face." George W. Bush could well have taken Van Dyke's advice by putting on a happy face for the inhabitants of the Middle East last week.

The hypocrisy of Laura Bush's charm offensive in Israel was underscored with her rant to reporters in Jericho on Sunday: "As you can tell from our day here, this is a place of emotion, everywhere we went, from the Western Wall to the Dome of the Rock to here."

No kidding. Too bad that her husband and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not think of that when they fooled around with the emotions in Israel, Iraq and and neighboring countries since September 2000. Especially, Bush's invasion of Iraq has antagonized Muslims worldwide because the administration attacked with no essential reason, neglected to assess the risks, refused to guard hospitals and other facilities, failed to seal the borders, killed numerous civilians and tortured and humiliated prisoners."

<snip>

"How dare you come in here! Why your husband kill Muslim?" one Muslim shouted at her when she visited the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. "You are not welcome here," another cried, as reported in media accounts.

On ABC News, a man interviewed in Cairo summed it all up thus: "I think it is some kind of propaganda."

By Monday, even Laura seemed to comprehend that her role as George's "happy face" got her nowhere fast in the Middle East when she was asked if she inspired goodwill in Muslims. She was quoted in The New York Post: "Well, I hope so. You know, who knows? I mean, I don't know."

[opihimoimoi]

1. Its been THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.......ever since returning

[NJCher]

2. isn't this just a typical myopic republican strategy

Sending out Laura. Good grief. That barely even works here--let alone when dealing with another culture. These people are so freaking ignorant it makes my head hurt.


Cher

[bemildred]

3. I considered it an indication of desperation.

Of being completely out of ideas. Or possibly, that it was
considered that she would not be harassed on her rounds in the
way any of the more prominent Shrubites would.

[11cents]

4. I'm surprised

Here I'd figured that Middle Eastern people love a good horse masturbation joke.