Adam noted this a few days ago, but at the time I could only rely on some bad links to foreign papers.
Now Dubya’s latest gaffe is available in translation. From the pages of Der Spiegel, our President’s amazed inquiry to the President of Brazil, “Do you have blacks, too?”
Notably, nobody in the Presidential Press Corp has repeated this particular question.
In fairness to Dubya, though the cover page at GWBush.com calls this “the President’s 2nd grade level of general knowledge of the world,” I daresay that 95% of Americans have little idea of the ethnic makeup of Brazil (and probably on 50% realize they speak Portuguese, not Spanish).
Still, one would hope that the President of the US would be either (a) a bit more informed, or (b) a bit more … well, polite. Or discreet about his lack of knowledge.
50% way too high. Maybe 25.
I want to be a jelly donut.
Your women are very interesting.
I wish I spoke latin so I could communicate with latinos.
2 presidents and a vp.
Can you list more? I am sure there are dozens of good ones.
The first is the “classic” JFK misquote in Berlin. Different from Dubya’s case because he was making an effort to talk in their language, which earns him Brownie Points.
Not sure about the “women” comment.
The Latin one is falsely attributed to Dan Quayle (see Snopes).
I’m not sure of the exact quote, but how about Mr Personality Al Gore inventing the Internet. Thanks Al!!
That’s another one that sounds better in sound byte than the actual interview. Snopes has more detail. Not that it paints Gore in any marvelous light, but it’s not quite as goofy and self-serving a matter as it’s painted to be by his political foes.