Bush to partners: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter'

 

It was his final summit with the Group of 8, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia as well as the United States. President Bush, the most senior member of the group, was attending his eighth summit, and for years he withstood pressure to take a firmer stand against global warming.

It was the topic on the minds of summit partners and demonstrators.

His final words to the likes of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

That was the report from the British press, citing "senior sources" who said Bush made the private joke as he was about to leave Japan on Wednesday.

It stunned his partners, according to the Telegraph, which said:

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

The Independent offered this analysis: "His remarks were taken as a two-fingered salute from the president from Texas who is wedded to the oil industry." (Two-fingered? Yes, that's the V-for-victory sign, but in Britain it means something else, too, when the palm is turned inward.)

A White House spokesman responded to our inquiry: "I don't have anything on this for you."

— James Gerstenzang

Photo: Yuri Kochetkov / European Pressphoto Agency

Comments

[Mitch Keenan]

You know, hard to judge the context of the comment without being there or seeing a tape.

Nonetheless, the current environmental state of this planet, the number of plants and animals that are now extinct or near extinction from activities directly attributable to man; global warming, dying oceans and reefs, over fishing, toxic air pollution, increasing loss of rain forest, extreme over-population, poverty, war, plague.

We, as a species, are all responsible for the current condition of our planet. The excesses of the past several hundred years have brought us to an unfortunate place from which it will be more and more difficult to extricate ourselves.

We do need leaders that have the acumen, intelligence and ability to lead us in a direction which may restore some of what we have destroyed and to help us learn and desire to live in a manner that is more inclusive of "ALL" living things and respectful to all this planets inhabitants - that includes republicans and democrats.

Oh Yes, you hair shirt wearing, liberal, emotional "thinking", granola eating, limp wristed, carbon dioxide expelling,air wasting crybabies have it figured out!! After all- President Bush and Vice Presidednt Cheney and Halliburton, Enron and Blackwater executives don't really have to BREATHE the same air or DRINK the same water as we do. They have a secret stash hidden in the bottom of the White House and get together in secret to breathe the special air and drink the special water.
It's all been for OIL!! WOOOooooooo Bush just wants to poison us all and have wars for fun. Why don't you hand wringing, tofu sucking,bottom feeders with Bush derangemnt syndrome move to CHINA, INDIA, ZIMBABWE, DARFUR, and suck down some of their fresh, clean, and enjoy their fee thinking ways.
Foodfuzz

[Mark Woolley]

It seems there is a lot of bitterness in this world right now. Peace is the only answer. Bush is bad. John Lennon had the right idea

[John-for-Obama]

What can you expect from a poorly-educated, non-reading, non-TV-watching dunk? How the Americans can hold their heads up high with an ignorant fool like this in charge is beyond me.

Think, think, think what could have been achieved if the GOP had not stolen the 2000 US election. Mr.Gore would have been President and the world would have had 8 extra years of fighting climate change. All that is lost. Another reason for hanging heads in shame.

McCain will of course be marginally better. But Barack? Now THERE's a wonderful prospect!! Yes we can! So brilliant that we even write songs about him: http://willobamawin.com/

[Smithee]

Absolute piece of trash, this guy. Total, absolute trash.

[souleymane]

It is true - empty containers make the most noise!
How is it, that so many obstinately ignore that our individual and collective wellbeing and survival depend on healthy ecosystems and a healthy planet?!

[American Citizen]

Even if you ignore the OVERWHELMING amount of research that suggests that pollution is nothing to be simply laughed off...

Even if you ignore the tremendous failures of this administration to use concern over global warming to invest in new technologies and industries...

Even if you think this sort of thing is funny in certain company...

Can we AT LEAST agree that it is probably a bad idea to tell the rest of the world to kiss our ass? What benefit does the US get from this sort of behavior? How on earth does this help us on the international stage (you know, something we sort of need to keep us safe, to establish/maintain trade, etc etc etc)???

This guy simply does not get it. I hope the rest of the world knows that Americans don't all share his contempt for...well, everything.

I kind of doubt this ever happened. The British press is worse than the American press when it comes to reliability, and there are no named sources. Most of their newspapers are like our National Inquirer. Not to say that Bush wouldn't have enjoyed doing such a thing.

Hey, why don't we come together on this!

If going green won't help anything in the near future, and drilling for more oil in the U.S. won't help anything in the near future, then why can't we just agree to do both? Obviously oil will run out eventually, and in the meantime we can work towards developing other energy sources. We obviously are in a transition period where neither option is viable in and of itself.

It's illogical to not do a thing, just because it won't help right away. And no one is getting anywhere by ruling out either choice.

And it wouldn't hurt to put in a few more nuclear power plants. If France can do it, why can't we?

[bill]

Hmm, should we be surprised. I hope our foreign friends will please remember that a good half of the country (including myself) didn't vote him into the white house. And the other half was too afraid of the 'evil liberal democrats' (who have been neithter evil nor particularly liberal for quite some time).

[BLF112761]

Whether global warming exists or doesn't exist, land-raping Republicans, evil liberals, yadda yadda yadda - none of these topics are the issue here. What IS at issue is that a world leader - OUR representative in the global village - made such a callous, crude, tactless, ignorant remark. He is a disgrace to the office of president, and to our wonderful country.