Bush Actually Does Something Commendable

[Jeanette X]

I know. I can't believe it either. :/

Source: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBKR5BJS1E.html


Bush Comes to Aid of Secret Service Agent
The Associated Press
Published: Nov 20, 2004

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - President Bush stepped into the middle of a confrontation and pulled his lead Secret Service agent away from Chilean security officials who barred his bodyguards from entering an elegant dinner for 21 world leaders Saturday night.
Several Chilean and American agents got into a pushing and shoving match outside the cultural center where the dinner was held. The incident happened after Bush and his wife, Laura, had just posed for pictures on a red carpet with the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and his wife, Luisa Duran.

As Bush stepped inside, Chilean agents closed ranks at the door, blocking the president's agents from following. Stopping for more pictures, Bush noticed the fracas and turned back. He reached through the dispute and pulled his agent from the scrum and into the building.

The president, looking irritated, straightened his shirt cuffs as he went into the dinner. The incident was shown on APEC television.

"Chilean security tried to stop the president's Secret Service from accompanying him," said White House deputy press secretary Claire Buchan. "He told them they were with him and the issue was resolved."

AP-ES-11-20-04 2029EST

Photos:
http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/se...1&c=images&b=1

[Anonymous]

Of course he did. After all, he is all that is MAN.

I don't really get what's so commendable about making sure one of the guys that's hired to make sure you don't die follows you around instead of getting unjustly shoved by mexicans, but hey, whatever. At least it's an action that he didn't delegate to someone else or avoid altogether like everything else in his life.

Well, save from choking on a pretzel.


Okay, I admit it, I don't like that guy.

[Ronnie Raygun]

Things like this are typical of Bush....

[Zebra 3]

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That's nothing compared to the former Canadian PM who once laid his hands on a protester on flag day. I don't know the details of this Bush BS story, but since the Reagan shooting, the US secret service can be a little over-the-top on foreign soil.

[FS]

I will say that Bush comes across as a nice 'boss' to his closest associates and probably has a friend-like relationship with people like his bodyguards. But I wouldn't really describe this as commendable. Both groups of agents were struggling to do their job and protect people, it could've gotten ugly, and Bush simply had to step in to solve the matter.

[AChimp]

Chretien never needed any bodyguards!

[Immortal Goat]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Raygun

Things like this are typical of Bush....

They sure are. Getting other people to cover his ass no matter what foriegners he pisses off.

Ok, I'll give him this one, though. I mean, they ARE his secret service, and it is their job to protect the scum. Too bad he noticed they were gone, though. THen he would have had nobody to take a bullet for him. He would have to take it himself. Just like he never did during Nam.

[Jeanette X]

Follow-up:http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americ...ner/index.html



Chile calls off Bush banquet after security dispute
Sunday, November 21, 2004 Posted: 12:57 PM EST (1757 GMT)

SANTIAGO, Chile (CNN) -- Plans for a state dinner for President Bush at Chile's presidential palace were scratched Sunday after the United States insisted on security measures that Chile called unacceptable.

The change came a day after Chilean security guards temporarily blocked one of Bush's Secret Service agents from entering an official dinner.

For the Sunday event, the Secret Service insisted all guests -- totaling more than 230 -- pass through a metal detector, a top level Chilean Foreign Ministry official told CNN. U.S. officials did not dispute this account.

President Ricardo Lagos believed the measure was humiliating for guests, the Chilean official said.

Instead, Bush will attend a small dinner of about 20 people in Lagos' private dining room.

Bush's security at the 21-nation summit has been a big story in Chile, where many have complained the security measures are excessive. U.S. officials have said the measures are necessary to protect a U.S. president when traveling.

The Saturday incident was captured on camera and shown around the world.

Bush was posing for photos with first lady Laura Bush in the Estacion Mapocho Cultural Center when he heard a commotion and saw that one of his plainclothes security agents was being forcefully restrained from entering.

Bush reached into a small crowd, where people were arguing and pushing one another, and pulled the agent through the door of center. (Full story)

Bush then turned around, cocked his head proudly at his maneuver and began to greet his hosts.

The White House downplayed the incident as an unfortunate misunderstanding with Chilean security services.

U.S. officials insisted the change in Sunday's dinner plans did not reflect any tension in U.S.-Chile relations.

CNN's Lucia Newman and John King contributed to this report.

[Preechr]

Originally Posted by Walter Simard

...but since the Reagan shooting, the US secret service can be a little over-the-top on foreign soil.

It's not just on foreign soil... Unfortunately for those of us in the Atlanta area, Georgia's recent shift toward the GOP has increased the number of executive visits, which effectively blockades the city traffic, further screwing up the motion of one of the most difficult cities in the country to navigate...

Daddy Bush took WAY more risks with public appearances than Dubya. Bush the younger obviously isn't as oblivious to public opinion as many seem to think.

Originally Posted by Chojin

...After all, he is all that is MAN.

"Good! Use your aggresive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you..." [/geeky] :D

[Ronnie Raygun]

"It's not just on foreign soil... Unfortunately for those of us in the Atlanta area, Georgia's recent shift toward the GOP has increased the number of executive visits, which effectively blockades the city traffic, further screwing up the motion of one of the most difficult cities in the country to navigate..." - preech

I work and live in ATL.....it's NO BIG DEAL...And his visits have not increased....this is NOT a swing state...He doesn't have to visit that often...

[mburbank]

I'm sorry, I think AL you guys are getting spun and missing the point.

This story is being played like Bush stopped a fight. Commendable. And up to that point, true.

But you are all missing the fact that Bush stopped the fight by pulling his guy PAST Chillean security into the the place they didn't want them to go.

Bush is IN Chile. It's their country and their security. If their was a missunderstanding, stop the fight and either A.) Wait for the missunderstanding to be cleared up, or B.) go in without your secret service or C.) make it clear you won't go in without your secret service. ALL of those possabilities recognize Chiles sovereighnity.

Ignoring official Chilean security agents concerns and simply dragging your guy past them is very very bad and just what the rest of the world already thinks we're like.

Put the shoe on the other foot and think how it would play in the press.

President of Chile arrives for state dinner. The secret service stops his security agents. A fight ensues. The President of Chile steps in, pulls his man away from our secret service and escorts him into the state dinner.

Do you think for an instant we'd let that happen? Would our press say, Jeeze, that Chilean President is a real MAN! The hell!

We won't even let Cat Stevens in our country.

I'm sorry, this is just another instance of W assuming he's president of the world and not just the USA.

Now maybe you don't agree. Fine. But at least recognize this is what it will play like to much of the rest of the world. We once again displayed our contempt nd superiority.

[FS]

I don't know, Max. I'm not a citizen of Chile, but personally I felt Bush deserved a small apology from the Chilean(?) secret service and/or officials for the misunderstanding. It seemed kind of amateurish to not know that these guys were his entourage.

I suppose there's something to be said for leaving security in the hands of the country you're visiting to show some trust, and it may be considered not-done to bring your own security to official business. But then, if there's one guy a lot of people would like to see dead...

The fact that he actually stepped in to take care of things, I think, didn't have so much to do with contempt as with W seeing his buddy slash employee - let's call him 'Bob' - getting in a pushing match and helping him out.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

This is clearly the distinction between Bush and Kerry. I mean come on, Kerry would've waited for some UN approved global test or something!! HA HA HA!

No?

:capital

[Preechr]

Originally Posted by Preechr

Presidential Candidates court Georgia more aggressively these days, not just Dubya. "These days" as in since the eighties...

Secret Service security practices have greatly increased since the eighties, and not just in foreign countries. That was my basic point.

Dubya seems to have tighter security than his Dad did, and not just in foreign countries.

[mburbank]

You handle your own security, but you don't SUPERCEDE the host countries security. We would never, ever, ever, ever let any other country do anything like that.

Whatever their reasons for stopping our secret service guy, you wait there until the problem is resolved.

It's the height of arrogance to say; "Our security concerns must be obeyed. Your security concerns are immaterial."

Am I the only one who sees it this way? To me this is SO imperial America.

[AChimp]

I see it your way, Max. Bush should have stopped the fight, but refused to budge until he was allowed in with his guards, not dragged him through. When you're in another country, you have to respect their rules first.

I imagine that the Chileans are getting pretty insulted by how they're getting treated at this conference, by everybody it seems. Paul Martin turned down an invitation for a private meeting with the Chilean president because he wanted to watch the Grey Cup. :/

On the other hand, he did it with a lot of handwringing and apologies. A party at the Canadian embassy had already been planned for it, and the meeting offer was kinda last minute.

[Zebra 3]

- For Clinton's state visit to Canada, all security issues were negotiated ahead of time with an understanding while it's allowed to pet the Mounties' horses, under any circumstances there'll absolutely no crazy cowboy trick shooting permitted.

[center:bfe5385245]- Ottawa's Top Eyesores: #3 US Embassy -[/center:bfe5385245]