According to Obama, the Guinness in Ireland is much better than the stuff they sell in the U.S.
It was a happy occasion Monday during President Obama's hasty visit to Ireland to see what is deemed his ancestral hometown of Moneygall and stop by Ollie Hayes' pub for a pint.
Yes, during all the official hoo-hah in Dublin the president's motorcade had a limo problem that paralyzed its movement briefly, driving the security folks crazy for a few minutes (See full video below) because a POTUS is not supposed to be exposed to unsecured public like those who videoed the accident.
Thousands had waited hours in Moneygall (Pop. 298) to see the Dunham descendant and Obama worked the crowd's perimeter several times. Obama is a beer fancier and has flown in some favorite Chicago brews at times. And remember when he tried to patch up that confrontation between a Cambridge cop and professor? That wasn't a Tea Summit.
Monday it's what happened inside the Moneygall pub that may not go down too smoothly with the American distributors of Ireland's world-famous Guinness.
The president got to reminiscing good-naturedly about a previous encounter with the tasty liquid.
"The first time I had Guinness," Obama said, "is when I came to the Shannon airport. We were flying into Afghanistan and so stopped in Shannon. It was the middle of the night. And I tried one of these and I realized it tastes so much better here than it does in the States."
Oops.
Then the commander-in-chief blithely added: "What I realized was, is that you guys are -- You’re keeping all the best stuff here!”
And now the video.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Photo: Pool, Getty Images
Ooops!
Everything in America is better-- even the stuff we import!
Posted by: The Derider | May 24, 2011 at 09:45 AM
Barack Hussein Obama is doing his best to cover-up his other 'roots'.
Posted by: Vis8 | May 24, 2011 at 10:01 AM
In the pic it appears that Michelle is chewing the Guiness. I'm definitley not a Guiness fan but it's not so bad as to have to hold back from spewing it out.
Posted by: Peter | May 24, 2011 at 11:37 AM
"We were flying into Afghanistan and so stopped in Shannon." I don't see the logic of stopping in Shannon on your way from Washington (I suppose) to Afghanistan, but I think that's Guiness-speak.
Posted by: Peter | May 24, 2011 at 11:41 AM
@Peter: Shannon is a not so secret stopover for US military flights on the way to/from the Middle East. Traditional refuelling stop.
Posted by: PT | May 24, 2011 at 12:21 PM
"I don't see the logic in stopping in Shannon on your way from Washington to Afghanistan"
The world is round, not a cylinder. Flights from Washington to Moscow fly over the Arctic Ocean.
Posted by: The Derider | May 24, 2011 at 12:52 PM
If it was the first time he had a Guinness how did he know it was better in Ireland? He's so stupid he can't even lie correctly.
Posted by: Brian | May 24, 2011 at 01:22 PM
The US Armed Forces have been using Shannon Airport for the last ten years and beyond as a stopover on the way to operation in Central Europe, the Middle East and beyond. ...does it make sense now?
Posted by: Daniel | May 24, 2011 at 01:29 PM
Peter...the flight into Shannon enroute to Afghanistan was probably when he was a Senator...gov contract flights routinely fly to Shannon enroute to the Middle East...shorter route, with more opportunities for refueling enroute...as far as the Guinness being better...I too have had a pint in Shannon, and it's almost indistinguishable from the draft and bottles we can get in the US...this is typical of Obama...Europe is superior to the US in his worldview...high speed rail, socialist redistribution, supporting a Palestinian state is all Euro-world-view stuff that most Americans reject...
Posted by: CO Defender | May 24, 2011 at 02:25 PM
Americans suffer, while Obama campaigns around the world, looking for his white ancestors. He keeps his black relatives hidden from public and drinks beer in public too much. Is Obama ever sober? No wonder he thinks there are 57 states and signs a guestbook today as 24 may 2008. America can't afford this man another term.
Posted by: Yo | May 24, 2011 at 02:42 PM
Fits in well with the 57 states and this being 2008.
Posted by: Jen06 | May 24, 2011 at 03:03 PM
This POTUS is an insufferable,pompous, dumb jerk. He talks too much and usually says something stupid or just flat out lies. God help us.
Posted by: LarryG | May 26, 2011 at 01:55 PM