Loose Cannons

Issue 

Close relationship

"I've reminded the prime minister ... over the past months that it was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship." — Emperor George Bush II, June 29, at a joint White House press conference with Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi.

White House spin

"[The Supreme Court was] silent on whether or not Guantanamo — whether or not we should have used Guantanamo. In other words, they accepted the use of Guantanamo, the decision I made." — Emperor Bush, July 7, commenting on the US Supreme Court's ruling that his decision to set up military commissions to try prisoners held at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was illegal.

A red (face) in Russia

"In a chilly [G8] summit prelude... Bush said he offered [Russian President Vladimir] Putin some suggestions. 'I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there's a free press and free religion', Bush said at the [joint St Petersburg] news conference, 'and I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia would do the same thing.' Putin, in a barbed reply, said: 'We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, I will tell you quite honestly.' Bush's face reddened as he tried to laugh off the remark." — Associated Press, July 15.

Jenavah's, Jesus Christ's or Dick Cheney's?

"Israel is doing the Lord's work." — US National Review columnist, Larry Kudlow, July 17.


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