The Anchoress

Apparently the UK Times spent some additional time listening to, and clarifying, the open-mic’ed conversation between President Bush and PM Blair, and there are a few interesting differences to what we’d read earlier:

Old Transcript:
Bush: Who is introducing the trade
Blair: Angela (Merkel, the German Chancellor)
Bush: Tell her to call ‘em
Blair: Yes
Bush: Tell her to put him on them on the spot.

New Transcript:
Bush: Who is introducing the trade?
Blair: Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor
Bush: Tell her to call me.
Blair: Yes.
Bush: Tell her to put me on the spot.

Interesting…Bush willing to be the “bad guy,” put on the spot so that the “trade thingy” Blair is concerned about can go through? Pretty cagey - if this translation is correct, Bush is thinking, “hell, I know these sumbitches hate me, so let Angela put me on the spot, and we’ll all get what we want…”

The other interesting correction to the transcripts…

Old Transcript:
Blair: What does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if we get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way…
Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is sweet
Blair: He is honey. And that’s what the whole thing is about. It’s the same with Iraq

New Transcript:
Bush: With mouth full of bread Yeah.
Blair: Look — what does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine. If you get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way
Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is struggling.
(Previously, Bush was quoted as saying: “He’s sweet.”)
Blair: He’s had it.
(Previously Blair was quoted as saying: “He’s honey.”)

“He’s struggling…” “He’s had it…” Quite different from “honey” and “sweet.”

Just interesting, is all.

(And btw, just as an aside, that one-second shoulder-squeeze by Bush? He should have kept his hands to himself - that’s always the smarter thing to do - but I think Merkel’s reaction had more to do with not expecting a the squeeze than her feelings of being “violated and almost raped” as some hysterics are carrying on.)

WELCOME: Wizbang, Betsy and The Corner readers! While you’re here please look around. Today we’re also discussing the incredible story Classical Values is unearthing re the disappearing source, and the possibly disappearing editor of one of blogdom’s most anti-Bush sites. We’re also talking about how PJM Media seems to be finding its feet, and some of the nightmarish effects of ESC and Fetal Stem Cell experiments on Parkinson’s patients. I also have a rather too giddy round-up from yesterday. I was a more relaxed than usual, due to a Guinness in the heat.