Jeb in Phuket: "Who are you?" "Jeb Bush." "Good for You."

[BurtWorm]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/01/05/powell_bush/print.html

"I am his little brother"
Jeb Bush and Colin Powell have some humbling moments as they begin their tour of the tsunami disaster zone.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Jonathan Watts



Jan. 5, 2005 | PHUKET, Thailand -- It was one of the few moments of light relief in what has otherwise been a week of heart-rending loss, ghoulish encounters with death and heroic self-sacrifice. The scene was Phuket's town hall, which has become the polyglot headquarters of the huge international operation to recover bodies and support the survivors of last week's tsunami.

The stage was set by dogs that checked the building for explosives and Secret Service agents, easily identifiable by the wires coiling down from their earpieces as they cased every room several hours before the principal U.S. actors arrived to seize the international limelight.

The comedy was provided by the visiting governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, who might reasonably have expected at least a celebrity's welcome, if not a hero's. But even though he is the brother of the most powerful man on Earth and came bearing news of a $350 million U.S. contribution to the $2.5bn international relief effort, nobody seemed to know who he was.

"Who are you?" asked one slightly bemused Australian consular official as the large-girthed U.S. stranger pumped his hand.

"I'm Jeb Bush."

"Oh, are you a relative of the president?" said the interlocutor, jokingly.

"Yes I am. I am his little brother."

"Oh," came the reply. "Good for you."

The confusion was understandable.

The volunteers at the visitors center in the town hall have been working long hours in fraught circumstances for more than a week. Bush was just one of a long stream of visitors who have come through the doors on life-and-death missions....

[BurtWorm]

1. Jeb wasn't the only American to feel awkward

"Jeb Bush was not the only senior U.S. official who appeared to feel awkward. Secretary of State Colin Powell came close to damaging his reputation as the Bush administration's leading diplomat when he walked into the room, strolled to the U.S. desk, shook the hands of the people working there and then walked straight back out again. It was only when he was downstairs that an aide suggested he "might like" to meet the volunteers from some of the other countries, too. Reminded that he is part of an international relief mission, Powell promptly turned on his heels once again and marched back up the stairs to belatedly press some non-American flesh."

[ewagner]

2. Excellent!!!!

Jeb needs to know he is of little consequence!

[Stephanie]

3. large-girthed U.S. stranger!

[Cha]

6. jebby looks like he livin' a little high off

the hog.

Hope they don't plan on runnin' that shithead in 2008!

[flordehinojos]

i have heard it said that he is planning to run in 2006 against BillNelson

our currently Democratic Senator from Florida. Martinez (a die hard cuban asshole beat democrat betty castor for Bob Graham's seat). WE DON'T NEET TWO ASSHOLE REPUBLICAN SENATORS AS OUR SENATORS HERE IN FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cha]

19. Oh Great! FatFuckFace in Washington..

D.C..jebby would be one of 50 instead of the head asshole of Florida..I don't think he could take it.

[MisterP]

18. I thought that was his bro for a few seconds:

he looks exactly like George, except with a turkey neck and a face compressed to the size of an orange

[pnutchuck]

4. Unless they're going to put on some laytex gloves and start

helping, they should stay the hell out of the way!! These people are under enough pressure and everyday is hard, tear wrenching work!

[izzie]

16. I am with you on this. They should have just stayed in the USA

I guess they held up traffic and the whole thing. Last thing these countries need is a King for the day .

[spanone]

5. They should get the f*ck out of the way.

[politicaholic]

7. Where I come from a Jebush is a dung hut held together with snot.

Or is it fish eyeball soup with a touch of disentary?

Oh, I forget.

[NV Whino]

8. Phuck Jeb Bush n/t

[Stephanie]

9. They're already running PR stories about how he's not doing it for the PR!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050104/ap_on_el_pr/tsunami_jeb_bush_1

Tsunami Trip Raises Jeb Bush's Profile

Tue Jan 4, 3:32 PM ET

By RON FOURNIER and ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON - Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has emphatically ruled out a 2008 bid to replace his brother in the White House, but his profile-raising tour of tsunami-wrecked countries has rekindled talk of a third Bush presidency.

[BurtWorm]

14. What a humanitarian.

Visiting the tsunami-wrecked countries AND emphatically ruling out a 2008 bid. :eyes:

[Oversea Visitor]

10. The Bush

name is not respected in this region. He should be running back home anytime soon.

[KlatooBNikto]

11. Another conversation I can imagine happening goes like this:

Thai Official: Who are you?
Jeb: I am Jeb Bush.
TO: Is that your real name?
Jeb: Yes.
TO; Who is that other guy with you?
Jeb: His name is Colin Powell.
TO; Is that his real name.
Jeb: I think it is.
TO: Is either one of you related to Neil?
Jeb: Neil is my younger brother.
TO: Why is he not here? The entire red light district of Bangkok was expecting a "surge" in business.We could have financed our entire tsunami relief efforts if Neil spent a couple of months here.
Jeb: I will go call him right away.
TO: If you get him over here, there may be a commission in it for both of you guys.

[imax2268]

12. LOL...who are you...?

I'm Jeb Bush...I'm the one who stole the election for my brother in 2000...

What the fuck is he doing there...?
Maybe he should take some of the "billions" that Florida got and give it to those countries...

[indigobusiness]

13. Jeb seems preoccupied in spinning the pr...

Everything I've heard him say seems self-serving.

[elehhhhna]

15. That "Who are you?" will get them bombed by 2009. Bank on it.

[maxsolomon]

17. they'll know who he is in 2008

when he is installed as the next president in the bush dynasty.

he'll be the one between george & noelle.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

20. "Beg pardon, I didn't know the US had a royal family"

Asswipes.

[Ilsa]

21. All that money in the * family. Have they donated $1 million yet?

They certainly are stinking rich enough.

[slutticus]

22. "Good for you."

LOL

[Moderator]

23. BurtWorm

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
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copyrighted news source.

Thank you.

DU Moderator