Bush spent only 15-mins visiting the P.O.W./M.I.A. Command in Vietnam, unlike Clinton . . .

[bigtree]

Unlike Clinton, Bush Sees Hanoi in Bit of a Hurry

November 19, 2006

On Saturday, Mr. Bush emerged from his hotel for only one nonofficial event, a 15-minute visit to the Joint P.O.W./M.I.A. Accounting Command, which searches for the remains of the 1,800 Americans still listed as missing in the Vietnam War.

. . . the Vietnamese have barely seen or heard from Mr. Bush. He spoke at his first stop, Singapore, promising that “America will remain engaged in Asia.” But the response was tepid — the invited audience somehow missed several of built-in applause lines — and one senior Singaporean diplomat, declining to be quoted by name, said there was little in the speech “that his father didn’t say to us 15 years ago.”

Here in Vietnam, what has been missing, at least so far, are the kinds of emotional moments of reconciliation that marked Mr. Clinton’s visit. Mr. Clinton took the two sons of the missing airman, Lt. Col Lawrence G. Evert, to a rice paddy in Tien Chau, a tiny town 17 miles northeast of Hanoi. There, they searched for remnants of the colonel’s F-150D Thunderchief, which crashed during a bombing run in 1967. Scores of nearby villagers joined in the effort, and the soil gave up the airman’s bones.

There will be none of that for Mr. Bush, but he plans to highlight the new Vietnam on Sunday and Monday at its stock exchange in Ho Chi Minh City. Then he moves on to Indonesia for a few hours to meet “civic leaders,” something he did three years ago in a stopover in Bali.

But Mr. Bush is not staying overnight in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, which Washington has portrayed as a critical test in the struggle to promote moderate, democratic Islamic states. The Secret Service said it was too dangerous, so he will spend the night in Hawaii.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/world/asia/19vietnam.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=a400a7e15e8e80f6&ex=1164085200&pagewanted=print

[fasttense]

1. How telling

Clinton went there and looked for the bones of missing POWs. Bush goes there and visits the stock exchange. Bush was just paying homage to his god - money.

[Skidmore]

2. * is so hated the world over he cannot venture out.

If you said "boo" to him, you'd probably have to peel that chicken off of the ceiling.

[Historic NY]

3. Difference in leadership........

its funny the President who got out of going mostly because of his smarts spends more time there. The President whose father used all kinds of connections to get him a plum National Guard position couldn't wait to leave. I guess its that compassionate conservatism, which is just another set of code words to go "f" yourself. It a shame that the POW/MIA issue is still a hot button between our two nations and is still highly active that "Dim Son" just breezes right through. The stories & pictures on the wire yesterday showed just how aloof he really is. 15 minutes for people who gave up thier lifetime, 15 minutes for people looking for closure, 15 minutes, why even bother to travel there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2749929

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

4. But he waved to them

Stephen Hadley says Bush gives great wave.

[XOKCowboy]

14. My head almost exploded when I read that!!!! Here's the quote..

In 2000, tens of thousands of Hanoi’s residents poured into the streets to witness the visit of the first American head of state since the end of the Vietnam War. Mr. Clinton toured the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature, grabbed lunch at a noodle shop, argued with Communist Party leaders about American imperialism and sifted the earth for the remains of a missing airman.

On Saturday, Mr. Bush’s national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, conceded that the president had not come into direct contact with ordinary Vietnamese, but said that they connected anyway.

“If you’d been part of the president’s motorcade as we’ve shuttled back and forth,” he said, reporters would have seen that “the president has been doing a lot of waving and getting a lot of waving and smiles.”

He continued: “I think he’s gotten a real sense of the warmth of the Vietnamese people and their willingness to put a very difficult period for both the United States and Vietnam behind them.”

He's been getting a lot of waving and smiles??? :wtf:

[gratuitous]

15. Were the Vietnamese waving their whole hand . . .

Or just a finger?

That's just so out there, it's almost like a Daily Show parody. Bush has "gotten a real sense" from speeding past people, waving and being waved at. Mr. B-School Efficiency strikes again.

[opihimoimoi]

5. EWWWWWwwwwwwww Shrub is coming to Aloha Land? Ewwwww

Damn..

[bigtree]

7. Hide your valuables

Lôlô Kanapapiki

[opihimoimoi]

8. Ai, E ka Haole Poopakiki,,,,,ekahi lolo kanaka

[bigtree]

9. lol

Kanaka pale kanawai

[opihimoimoi]

10. EH...Mahea oelo pa e ai??? whea you wen learn Hawaiian? Very good you.

Come, we go eat laulau and poi

[bigtree]

11. I have friends

I want very much to be where you are. My wife too.

[opihimoimoi]

12. Very good friends ya got...

Come, we go fishing....eat,drink,smile,laugh....

[bigtree]

13. Hiki nô!

I'm there friend . . . I'll just grab my shorts and a mug :7 :toast:

[opihimoimoi]

18. Eh??? Mahea you stay, Pupukea??

[bigtree]

19. uh uh, only dreaming. I'm 40 minutes from D.C.

my wifey was born in a taxi on Oahu. You near there?

[opihimoimoi]

20. On Kaneohe Bay where there are only a few PUBs...so clean our air

no stink Pub crap to pollute the atmosphere...some day you come we go party and laugh at the Pubs...

:beer:

[radfringe]

6. too dangerous being amongst the thongs :hehhehheh:

[XOKCowboy]

16. The article just gets better and better...

Here in Vietnam, what has been missing, at least so far, are the kinds of emotional moments of reconciliation that marked Mr. Clinton’s visit. Mr. Clinton took the two sons of the missing airman, Lt. Col Lawrence G. Evert, to a rice paddy in Tien Chau, a tiny town 17 miles northeast of Hanoi. There, they searched for remnants of the colonel’s F-150D Thunderchief, which crashed during a bombing run in 1967. Scores of nearby villagers joined in the effort, and the soil gave up the airman’s bones.

There will be none of that for Mr. Bush, but he plans to highlight the new Vietnam on Sunday and Monday at its stock exchange in Ho Chi Minh City. Then he moves on to Indonesia for a few hours to meet “civic leaders,” something he did three years ago in a stopover in Bali.

But Mr. Bush is not staying overnight in the world’s most populous Muslim nation, which Washington has portrayed as a critical test in the struggle to promote moderate, democratic Islamic states. The Secret Service said it was too dangerous, so he will spend the night in Hawaii.

Is that telling or what? * is visiting the Stock Exchange in Vietnam. Then a short meeting in Indonesia and hightailing it out of there back to Uhhmurika 'cause ya can't trust them Islamos. What an ass.

[bigtree]

17. Clinton spends all day looking for remains with family members

Bush hurries through Vietnam on his way to make a business deal.