Opinion: President Bush: the malaprop gift that keeps giving

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

George W. Bush, unlike Barack Obama, never will have to worry about getting criticized for putting too much emphasis on the eloquence of his words or the smoothness of their delivery. If further evidence was needed, the president offered some this afternoon.

Bush convened a photo op at the White House, featuring himself and Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno. One of the leading U.S. commanders in Iraq, Odierno has been nominated by Bush to serve as vice chairman of the Army.

Bush praised him as ‘a man who was [in Iraq] when times looked grim and a man who observed firsthand progress that was made as a result of the surge.’

Then, according to the White House transcript of the gathering, the president had this to say: ‘And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq.’

Thank you, Mr. President.

--Don Frederick