Still More George W. Bushisms: Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican (Paperback)

by Al Franken (Foreword), Jacob Weisberg (Author) "I'm the master of low expectations..." (more)
Key Phrases: Saddam Hussein, The Washington Post, New Jersey (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
As Franken gleefully points out, Slate editor Weisberg has found a true gravy train, discovering enough previously uncollected nonsensical utterances by President Bush to fill a third volume. The president may have begun watching what he says since the publication of the first two volumes; Weisberg has to return to the 2000 campaign trail to fill out this collection. At least one statement, substituting "plowed" for "proud," raises the question of a presidential speech impediment, but that excuse won't get the self-proclaimed "master of low expectations" out of any of the other verbal missteps recorded here for posterity.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

"There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."

With signature remarks like these, it's hardly surprising that George W. Bush's malapropisms have become renowned around the world. Editions of Bushisms have become bestsellers in Germany, France, and Italy, and they remain as popular in the United States as ever. Jacob Weisberg, faithful scribe, here presents the best of the latest crop:

"There's only one person who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids upon the death of their loved one. Others hug but having committed the troops, I've got an additional responsibility to hug and that's me and I know what it's like."

"I'm the master of low expectations."

"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (October 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743251008
• ISBN-13: 978-0743251006
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #541,104 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Straight From the Horse's Mouse, June 28, 2007

By	!Edwin C. Pauzer (New York City) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

After reading this short book of Bushisms, it's hard to believe that the President of the United States could have so many neurons and synapses misfiring in his noggin. After all, this is the man who has his finger on the button, that's if he can remember the code, or recite it correctly.

This is the man who followed his mother's suggestion to always use a thesaurus so he would never use the same word twice. It's unfortunate he could not recognize a homonym and instead wrote, "The lacerates came streaming down her face." (It makes you wonder how Mr. Shortcircuit could have ever gotten into Yale without having had his grandfather on its board of trustees.)

I have given this only three stars because the calendar of Bushisms offers far more verbal stumblings and gaffes than this provides--365 to be exact. At only eighty-three pages, it is funny but does not contain the best of Bush, the bonehead. Even though I paid very little, I don't think it was worth the S & H.

This book is neither for republicans, nor Bush suppporters, nor English teachers. (Yes, I know.)

As our president said, "I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer querstions. I can't answer your question."

You just can't make this stuff up!

And this is straight from the horse's mouse.

41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't know whether to laugh or cry, May 13, 2004

By A Customer

Make no mistake about it. Apart from a few flubs, this is not a book of mere malapropisms, nor would the first-rate journalist Jacob Weisberg have compiled it if that's all it amounted to.

No, to the careful reader, this book offers insight into the frighteningly simple mind (and shallow character) now in charge of decisionmaking on vital matters of war, diplomacy, the economy and the environment.

For example, is this a man who cares to learn anything about environmental protection in the Arctic?

..."the explorationists are willing to only move equipment during the winter, which means they'll be on ice roads, and remove the equipment as the ice begins to melt, so that the fragile tundra is protected."

Sure, you'll laugh, and laugh hard, but the question all Americans should ponder after reading this book is: how did someone of this caliber come to power in the world's greatest meritocracy? Where is the accountability of the university powers-that-be who admitted W. to Harvard and Yale? Why was much of the U.S. press and public in 2000 so oblivious to Bush's SCANDALOUS lack of preparation for the highest office in the land? Where was the examination of his character back in 2000, when Bush made it a leading campaign issue?

This is the book Kafka urges us to read: a book that "bites and stings" with implied rebuke: how did we let this calamity (this president of both breathtaking stupidity and impoverished character) happen?

52 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Seldom is the Question Asked, Is Something Wrong with Him?, September 12, 2004

By	Neocons_R_Idiots - See all my reviews

I used to laugh at Bush's verbal gaffes too, but seldom is the question asked, is there something wrong with the man? Has he fallen off the wagon? Is his brain fried? Mine would be if I kept up the party-boy lifestyle I had as a college undergrad until I was 40. Think about it, wouldn't your brain be toast too after decades of alcohol and possibly cannibus and poppi abuse? Consider, in the August 2004 timeframe alone, Bush: > stammered some hysterically incomprehensible gibberish about tribal sovereignty to a group of native american journalists. Though it doesn't make for a good Bushism "sound byte" his incomprehensible, rambling, ad hoc answer was funny (there's a Quicktime video of this on the web...) Until you realize how remarkabley unprepared he was. His reply to a straightforward soft ball question also was offensive to native americans, who can actually be heard gasping in the background when his answer implied that native americans were "given" their sovereignty by the US government. > Actually, really, said, "Our enemies will never stop seeking ways to harm our country and its people, AND NEITHER WILL WE!" durning a press conference where he signed a $400 billion plus dollar military appropriation. Doh! > Last but not least, made a mega-freudian-faux pax on the campaing trail in front of thousands when he said something to the effect that... "we must not stop OB/GYN doctors from spreading their love of woman across the country." HA-HA-Huh?! Bear in mind, these >all occured around a one month period<! Also consider that these gaffes come from professionally prepared, written speeches in most cases! All's he has to do is read off a frigg'n sheet of paper! Now, even if Bush was articulate there's a thousand reasons why I wouldn't vote for him. In fact, this will be the first presidential election I absolutely plan to vote in, I embarrassingly admit, ever! This administration has been an unmitigated disaster for this country. However, making its way up the "reasons against" column in terms of relative importance is the concern about the man's mental stability, and past substance abuse issues, as evident in these all too frequent "Bushisms". Is the guy mentally fit to be the leader of the free world? It's not like the list of Bushisms is half-a-dozen. There's enough material here, literally, for a book! These so-called "Bushisms" are symptomatic of far greater problems, at least to me, at this point. In fact, they explain a lot.