IF THE MOUNTAIN WON'T COME TO THE MORON

On Camera but Unaware, Bush Displays His Fervor (ELISABETH BUMILLER, 6/04/03, NY Times)

It was not surprising that President Bush would get tough with the Israelis and Palestinians and demand that both get their houses in order. What was surprising, because of an extraordinary mistake by Egyptian television, was that Mr. Bush would be caught unawares on camera today speaking about the Middle East with more bluntness, emotion and religious fervor than had been heard before.

Anyone who has regularly watched Mr. Bush in speeches and news conferences could tell in an instant that he had no idea that his remarks to five moderate Arab leaders were being broadcast for public consumption. He was colloquial, and referred to "Almighty God."

By late afternoon, Mr. Bush's aides acknowledged that the president had not known the cameras were rolling as he spoke. Subsequently, White House transcribers scrambled to record his comments from network tapes.

Speaking the direct language of a politician willing to take a dangerous gamble--as long as the others were, too--Mr. Bush made his comments just after he had spent 90 minutes in an unscheduled meeting with the five Arab leaders, with only interpreters present. [...]

Mr. Bush won good reviews on his performance from Arab leaders, who expressed relief and gratitude that he had at last come to their region. His goal today was to enlist support of the Arab leaders behind Mr. Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, whom he wants to promote as the leader of the Palestinians over the administration's nemesis, Yasir Arafat. In one moment caught by an Egyptian TV camera, Mr. Bush and Mr. Abbas could be seen smiling and talking to each other off to the side of the other leaders and officials.

"By the time the lunch was over, they looked like they were old pals from a long time ago," said a high-ranking Saudi official. "The ability of the president to move from different personalities to different types of people--if it was never tested before, it was certainly tested today." The president, the Saudi official said, had shown his "seriousness" about the process.

Who says Egypt doesn't have a free press? Posted by Orrin Judd at June 4, 2003 12:37 AM