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Tuesday, November 22, 2005

I guess trying new things is too Clintonesque
Posted by Jill | 10:21 AM

Jesus H. Christ, are THESE the people we want to have determining our place in the world?

For the president, it was a rare moment of fun on an otherwise dreary overseas trip. In five years in the presidency, Bush has proved a decidedly unadventurous traveler, an impression undispelled by the weeklong journey through Asia that wraps up Monday. As he barnstormed through Japan, South Korea and China, with a final stop in Mongolia still to come, Bush visited no museums, tried no restaurants, bought no souvenirs and made no effort to meet ordinary local people.

"I live in a bubble," Bush once said, explaining his anti-tourist tendencies by citing the enormous security and logistical considerations involved in arranging any sightseeing. "That's just life."

The Bush spirit trickles down to many of his top advisers, who hardly go out of their way to sample the local offerings either. A number of the most senior White House officials on the trip, perhaps seeking the comforts of their Texas homes, chose to skip the kimchi in South Korea to go to dinner at Outback Steakhouse -- twice. (Admittedly, a few unadventurous journalists joined them.)


Now admittedly, I'm not a terribly adventurous traveler, but much of that is because we can only really get away once a year, and frankly, that time is better spent recharging my batteries because I'm so compulsively busy the rest of the year. But if you have a chance to travel, to see parts of countries that most people never get to see, and do it in a safe, comfortable manner, wouldn't you jump at the chance to take it all in?

Not the Bush gang -- no, they want the entire world to be like Crawford, Texas, only with more chain restaurants. And maybe that explains how they got us into this mess.
(Hat tip: ShakesSis)
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