Bush has bad day at Sydney Opera House

[JODO 2]

Bush has bad day at Sydney Opera House

By TOM RAUM,

Associated Press Writer1 hour, 33 minutes ago

President Bush had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at the Sydney Opera House.

He'd only reached the third sentence of Friday's speech to business leaders, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, when he committed his first gaffe.

"Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit," Bush said to Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Oops. That would be APEC, the annual meeting of leaders from 21 Pacific Rim nations, not OPEC, the cartel of 12 major oil producers.

Bush quickly corrected himself. "APEC summit," he said forcefully, joking that Howard had invited him to the OPEC summit next year (for the record, an impossibility, since neither Australia nor the U.S. are OPEC members).

The president's next goof went uncorrected — by him anyway. Talking about Howard's visit to Iraq last year to thank his country's soldiers serving there, Bush called them "Austrian troops."

That one was fixed for him. Though tapes of the speech clearly show Bush saying "Austrian," the official text released by the White House switched it to "Australian."

Then, speech done, Bush confidently headed out — the wrong way.

He strode away from the lectern on a path that would have sent him over a steep drop. Howard and others redirected the president to center stage, where there were steps leading down to the floor of the theater.

The event had inauspicious beginnings. Bush started 10 minutes late, so that APEC workers could hustle people out of the theater's balcony seating to fill the many empty portions of the main orchestra section below — which is most visible on camera.

Even resettled, the audience remained quiet throughout the president's remarks, applauding only when he was finished.

A logistical glitch added to the woes.

APEC security workers would not allow the members of the media who travel in Bush's motorcade to enter the Opera House along with him. This even though the journalists allowed into the president's entourage are extensively screened and guarded by the Secret Service, which has more stringent security standards than about any operation in the world. And even though they always accompany him into public events.

As a result, while Bush spoke, the traveling media cooled its heels outside the landmark Opera House, shooting pictures and watching boats in the harbor.

[Sister Fracas 5]

The president's next goof went uncorrected — by him anyway. Talking about Howard's visit to Iraq last year to thank his country's soldiers serving there, Bush called them "Austrian troops."

Austrian, Australian.....same thing....

[Ban Hammer 13,622]

The president's next goof went uncorrected — by him anyway. Talking about Howard's visit to Iraq last year to thank his country's soldiers serving there, Bush called them "Austrian troops."

Austrian, Australian.....same thing....

it's hard to tell with the accents anyways

[Sinergy 3]

wow, he must have been out of "im an adult so i should act like an adult" pills that night

Its amazing how emptyheaded he is and still president.

[Marilyn. 340]

[Jasman0717 9]

Oh Georgie, what are we going to do with you Where is Dan Quayle

[almaty 19]

bush is a f##king embarassment to this country.,.....a clueless.. cry baby..son of a ######..................

outside of that, probably a good guy to drink a beer with

[tonyr7 0]

austrian,australian, same thing?

fair suck of the sav mate

who's bloody leg do you think your pulling?

pull your head in ya dropkick and give yaself an uppercut ya drongo

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

outside of that, probably a good guy to drink a beer with

I bet his secret service staff are looking forward to the election, so that they won't have to deal with him hotboxing them in cars and on Airforce 1. His idea of a practical joke no doubt - even if the punchline is 8 years old.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Bush has bad day at Sydney Opera House

...

Then, speech done, Bush confidently headed out — the wrong way.

Taking the wrong exit is bound to be his trademark. Remember this one?

[jodee 30]

lol...Fair suck of the sav,..I have not heard that in a long time,....Gotta love the slang downunder,....

[Sister Fracas 5]

austrian,australian, same thing?

fair suck of the sav mate

who's bloody leg do you think your pulling?

pull your head in ya dropkick and give yaself an uppercut ya drongo

hehehe

It's a good thing I've watched enough Neighbours and Home and Away to get the drift...

[pedroh 21]

austrian,australian, same thing?

fair suck of the sav mate

who's bloody leg do you think your pulling?

pull your head in ya dropkick and give yaself an uppercut ya drongo

yo no speako el australian..

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Bush has bad day at Sydney Opera House

...

Then, speech done, Bush confidently headed out — the wrong way.

Taking the wrong exit is bound to be his trademark. Remember this one?

That sums up his entire presidency.