Bush, Clinton had no idea about new U.S. passport rule

[Newsjock]

Source: Canadian Press

The two men who preceded Barack Obama in the White House admitted Friday they had no idea the United States was implementing a new rule Monday that would require Canadians and Americans to have passports to cross the border.

George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were caught off guard during a 90-minute joint appearance in Toronto – the first ever by the two – when moderator Frank McKenna, the former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., spoke about how Canadians feel slighted by the new rule.

“I'll be frank with you Frank, I don't know about the passport issue,” Mr. Bush told the crowd of 6,000.

“I thought we were making good progress on using a driver's licence to cross the border. What happened to the easy-pass card?”

Mr. Clinton too said he'd only heard about the passport requirement a day earlier, adding that in all likelihood most Americans were completely unaware of it as well.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/bush-clinton-had-no-idea-about-new-us-passport-rule/article1160869/

[pscot]

1. Fucking idiots

We've been sending idiots to the Whitehouse. And the Congress. Of course, that goes without saying.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. I remember having a tough time going to Canada 15 years ago

without a passport. They'd do it but they didn't want to, it was a bastard.

Just shows you how insulated these guys are from the real world.

[monmouth]

3. This is why I'm relieved POTUS goes to places like 5 Guys. Get

out of that bubble once in a while, read DU...LOL.

[Cha]

5. Talk to strangers..

waiting for a burger:9

[alsame]

4. Bush never knew anything even when he was in office. n/t

[onehandle]

6. I had no idea, and Bill is right, most Americans would be unaware of it.

I assumed you've always had to have a Passport.

Thank God for the GENIUSES in this thread that are smarter than myself and two former Presidents.

The things that DUers find outrageous. geez...

[wyldwolf]

8. it makes them feel important and smart

I'd imagine 99.9% of DUers would become stuttering "fucking idiots" if they had to match wits with Bill Clinton.

[zbdent]

7. I can somewhat understand Clinton & Bush, both because of (A), but Bush (B)???

(A) Both have been escorted around the world since 2001 using Secret Service and secure jets ...

(B) - Didn't BUSH SIGN THE MOTHERF*CKIN' THING?

[chicago legal pro]

14. Neither Bush or Clinton signed off on this

It was a change in policy by Homeland Security.

[RedCloud]

9. If we can't trust Canadians, who can we trust?

Viva la revolución mexicana.

[Arctic Dave]

10. As an Alaskan I find it COMPLETELY IDIOTIC!

bush is such a jack ass he doesn't even know what he signed off on. Go figure.

[wyldwolf]

11. Isn't the title a bit misleading?

According to the article, Clinton was aware of it at the time the question was asked.

And I suspect unless the questions were submitted ahead of time, they were caught "off guard" by several questions.

[high density]

12. The Maine press has been talking about this for a year now

Bush can get a passport card if he wants one, but I don't really see the point when compared with a standard passport.

[seafan]

13. Liars, idiots, thieves, enablers. It's hard to keep them all sorted out.

Bush, Clinton not aware of new U.S. passport rule, May 29, 2009



Former presidents give first-ever joint appearance in Toronto



That photograph angers me at a very deep level.




Americans will need passport to visit Canada,Mexico..., April 11, 2005


Canada, Mexico travel rule dropped, January 18, 2006 (No passport, but a simpler "passport card")


New Passport Requirement for Canada, Mexico, etc., January 10, 2007

US Embassy Consular Services Canada New Passport Requirement

All persons, U.S. Citizen or foreign nationals must present a valid passport or alternate approved travel document to enter or depart from the United States by air. Additional information is available below.

.....

Passport Requirement by Land or Sea, effective June 1, 2009

EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2009 Travelers entering the U.S. through a land or sea border must present a passport or WHTI-compliant document. For more information on WHTI click here.
U.S. Passport Card

Effective June 1, 2009, U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials will begin to require that all travelers, including citizens of both Canada and the United States, present a valid passport, passport card, or WHTI compliant document when entering the U.S. through a land or sea border. For more information, click here.
More Information

The general information above applies to both American and Canadian citizens. For more detailed and up-to-date information please refer to the U.S. State Dept. web page linked below.

[hyphenate]

19. ...

>>>>>Former presidents give first-ever joint appearance in Toronto

That photograph angers me at a very deep level.<<<<<



Actually, that photograph is rather revealing. You have to look at the body language to notice. People cross their legs to either exclude or include someone. If you cross away from someone, it means you want to exclude them; if you cross toward someone, you are attempting to set up a dialogue and include them.

Bill Clinton is crossing away from G. Bush. Bush is crossing toward Clinton, and whoever is sitting next to Bush is crossing away from him.

So, in body language alone, Bush is being crossed away from both sides, and is technically being ignored by both sides. I always find that interesting because it's not something that is done on a conscious level.

[melm00se]

27. that's not the best analysis

people can, usually, comfortably cross their legs in one direction (left over right or right over left). if they do cross them counter to their "normal" way, it is difficult to maintain for any period of time. (try it...you'll find that crossing your legs opposite to your normal is rather difficult to do)

[No Elephants]

33. Totally off topic, but people should make a conscious effort not to be

"one-sided" with their bodies. Switch off the foot you tend to step off with, the side of your mouth you tend to chew with most, the side you sleep on, the leg you cross, etc. Otherwise, it's something like lifting weights all day, but only with one arm. Over the years, you'll throw things off kilter.

[Uncle Joe]

37. Reading their body language from that photo, I believe Bush is getting more out of it.

Bush is open, both arms on the rests, Clinton is more closed in leaning away from Bush.

Bush called Clinton his brother, and I heard faint sounds of the "The Hollies" in my head, Bush is obviously enjoying the stimulus package, bailout, public relations tour.

Bush Sr. has said that Clinton was like a son to him, so who say's we don't have a third political Party? We have the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and the Party that plays both ends against the middle.

[ConcernedCanuk]

24. Bush got $300,000 for that one appearance - Barack gets $400,000 a YEAR

.
.
.

not much wonder that Bush is laughing

[No Elephants]

32. So did Bush when he was President. Barack will do great financially when

he's out of office.

What's your point?

[Bragi]

15. Clinton's become a disgrace

I am appalled that Clinton would participate in a PR event like this, the sole purpose of which is to try to rehabilitate Bush from his well deserved ignominy.

One reporter said of this tawdry event: "it was like watching former major league ballplayers get together for a charity softball game. Except, in this case, the proceeds were mostly going to the guys on stage, who both pocketed stipends well into six figures to sit around in comfy chairs and shoot the breeze about what it’s like to be the most powerful person on earth."

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/05/29/can-i-see-your-passport-mr-president/

Clinton's appetite for cash has become seemly. He doesn't seem to care anymore what he has to do to get it. What an embarrassment he has become.

[Mithreal]

18. Some day it will be Obama and Bush sitting together. eom

[marybourg]

16. And the so-called Patriot Act has made obtaining a passport

a bear. I've been struggling to get mine for 8 months and I'm an American born child of American born parents, but what used to be considered a birth certificate is no longer considered a birth certificate and obtaining a better one is difficult under the patriot act if you don't know exactly what your parents filled out 50, 60, 70 years ago. You must convince the authorities that you are you, and if you don't know the right information on a document you've never seen, you may not be you, under the "patriot act". All I can say is if you don't have a passport and think you're going to need one within the next year, apply now, especially if you're a woman who has, or has not, changed your surname. Apparently either one is suspicious.

[47of74]

20. My mom suggested it to me last year

So I went and got one late last summer even though I didn't have any plans to go anywhere at the time.

At least for me it wasn't too difficult. I filled out the passport application, got the photographs (which look God-awful by the way), and filled out the paperwork to get a certified copy of my birth certificate. I went to the recorder's office and she was able to process my application. I think at the time they were quoting about four weeks but I think it only took about half that for the passport to arrive.

I'm glad now I went and got it last year because I'll be going to Italy in August.

[No Elephants]

34. Cool. Have a great time. See, mom does ALWAYS know best. (Now, please tell that to my son!)

[24601]

22. And the State Dept requires a "certified" birth certificate, not

just a notorized copy. We just went through this with our kids - ages 15 & 13. Even though thy had passports before, the procedures to prevent parent abductions required both of us to appear together to sign the applications.

[hyphenate]

17. Even the smartest and brightest politicians

probably aren't aware of the ruling, because there are other things going on in their minds. Since politicians carry diplomatic immunity, they have no barrior to them crossing borders. And that, BTW, is extended to past presidents.

And I would think that almost everyone who travels frequently would know and have taken measures to get them through the borders they cross.

There is no reward to knowing every single rule, law or declaration that has been passed, and for first-time travelers across the border, I'm sure accommations have been reached.

[24601]

23. Speculation, but I'll bet both get to keep diplomatic passports n/t

[wyldwolf]

29. this entire thread is speculation and mindless frothing at the mouth

[JayMusgrove]

21. Bush and Clinton have put in their 8 years, and do not have the

problems of the common man or woman.

Why would this be an issue? We know they were both total failures from the day an 8 year old wished Clinton would be a good President, Clinton failed and gave away our nation to the most disastrous 8 years I have ever seen, just because he couldn't keep his penis in his pants.

Bush, never excelled in school, or college, and continued the tradition all the way through 8 years of sheer disaster for the economic, business, and military world, fighting wars that were meant to show his penis was bigger than Saddam's, and all of this is history.

Does the fact that these two minicule penises have no sense of what is going on in the world have any relevance?

NO! This is what you get when you think politicians are anything other than penises.

Some are satisfying, some are disappointing, some are just plain smelly disasters. ANY woman knows this!

[opihimoimoi]

25. Paranoia is not good, causes unnecessary worry

we are killing ourselves from worry

The GOP has everyone scared like rabbits chased by Ann Coulter

[aquart]

26. AND IT SUCKS!

We had eight years of being one of the more deranged, paranoid nations currently on the planet.

[TheWatcher]

28. They Play Dumb. We Keep Buying It. Nothing Ever Changes.

America.

Fuck Yeah. :eyes:

[Algorem]

30. please.they're above all that.

[Q3JR4]

31. So how can you be the man in charge and

still not know what the hell the organization that's under you is doing?

You'd think that the various governmental departments would pass that information up the chain of command and you (the president) could do something about it.

Q3JR4
Does not buy it.

[No Elephants]

35. Who cares whether they knew or not? If you're leaving the country, check first. The end.

[chascarrillo]

36. You realize they left the country when they said they didn't know, right? The end.

[No Elephants]

38. Of course I realize that. Duh. They didn't have to check. DU'ers do. What's your point?