Bushspeak Update, Second Half of 2008

QUOTABLE QUOTES

Bushspeak pickings were slim as the final days of the eight-year imperial presidency of George W. Bush wound down and he made a concerted effort to rewrite history’s view of him. The number of Bushspeak quotes continue to be small as "the days dwindled down to a precious few." With W gone. we venture to predict that, in Richard Nixon’s immortal words, it won’t be long before we’ll regret "we won’t have him to kick around anymore.” For those keeping track of President Bush's malapropisms, here are more examples to add to your collection:

THE FREE MARKET
"I've abandoned free market principles to save the free market system." Washington, D.C., Dec. 16, 2008.

OTHER VOICES
"People say, well, do you ever hear any other voices other than, like, a few people? Of course I do." Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2008.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION
"So I analyzed that and decided I didn't want to be the president during a depression greater than the Great Depression, or the beginning of a depression greater than the Great Depression." Washington D.C., Dec. 18, 2008.

ON HIS FATHER
"He was a great father before politics, a great father during politics and a great father after politics." His comment on his father, George H.W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008.

THE BIBLE
“I've been in the Bible every day since I've been the president." Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008.

DANCING
"Yesterday, you made note of my—the lack of my talent when it came to dancing. But nevertheless, I want you to know I danced with joy. And no question Liberia has gone through very difficult times." Speaking with the president of Liberia, Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2008.

WATER QUALITY IN AFRICA
"I want to share with you an interesting program—for two reasons, one, it's interesting, and two, my wife thought of it—or has actually been involved with it; she didn't think of it. But she thought of it for this speech." Washington D.C., Oct. 21, 2008, discussing PlayPumps International, which hopes to install 4,000 pumps so children can enjoy clean water in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CREDIT THAW
"This thaw took a while to thaw [he meant freeze]; it's going to take a while to unthaw." Said at an economic roundtable held at Alexandria, La., Oct. 20, 2008.

THE OCEAN
“I didn’t grow up in the ocean. As a matter of fact, near the ocean. I grew up in the desert. Therefore, it was a pleasant contrast to see the ocean. And I particularly like it when I’m fishing.” Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2008.

THE BAILOUT
"Anyone engaging in illegal financial transactions will be caught and persecuted.” Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2008.

HURRICANE IKE
"We’re fixin’ to go down to Galveston and obviously are going to see a devastated part of this fantastic state.” Houston, Texas, Sept. 16, 2008.

“The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there’s a lot of prayer—prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I’m one of them." Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 3, 2008.

THE OLYMPICS
"I'm coming as the president of a friend, and I'm coming as a sportsman." Said about his trip to the Olympics in China, Washington, D.C., July 30, 2008.

THE ECONOMY
"There's no question about it. Wall Street got drunk--that's one of the reasons I asked you to turn off the TV cameras--it got drunk, and now it's got a hangover. The question is how long will it sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments." Speaking at a private fundraiser, Houston, Texas, July 18, 2008.

"The economy is growing, productivity is high, trade is up, people are working. It's not as good as we'd like, but -- and to the extent that we find weakness, we'll move." Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008.

A MAGIC WAND
"I think it was in the Rose Garden where I issued this brilliant statement: If I had a magic wand -- but the president doesn't have a magic wand. You just can't say, 'low gas.'" Washington D.C., July 15, 2008.

THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
"And they have no disregard for human life." On the brutality of Afghan fighters, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." George W. Bush’s parting words to Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy, at what was his final G-8 Summit. He punched the air and grinned widely as the British prime minister and French president looked on in shock. Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008.

"Amigo! Amigo!" George W. Bush’s attention-getting call in Spanish to Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi at the G-8 Summit. Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008.

"Should the Iranian regime--do they have the sovereign right to have civilian nuclear power? So, like, if I were you, that's what I'd ask me. And the answer is, yes, they do." Asked while talking with reporters in Washington, D.C., July 2, 2008.

WEIRD STATISTICS
"Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." Said in Fourth of July address to new citizens, Charlottesville, Va., July 4, 2008.