Bush It!

Well, it's been five years since Make The Pie Higher, a poetic tribute to the wit and wisdom of George W. Bush. Such a poem might cause a lesser man to sit up, take note, take elocution lessons. Not our Dubya. Thanks to Slate's Bushisms column, we can all revel in the pearls that roll from this man's tongue. Some highlights from 2006:

"As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself - not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch. - After visiting with wounded veterans from the Amputee Care Center of Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 1, 2006

"You took an oath to defend our flag and our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire." - Addressing war veterans, Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2006

"I like my buddies from west Texas. I liked them when I was young, I liked them when I was middle-age, I liked them before I was president, and I like them during president, and I like them after president." - Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2006

"No question that the enemy has tried to spread sectarian violence. They use violence as a tool to do that." - Washington, D.C., March 22, 2006

"That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three - three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?" - Showing German newspaper reporter Kai Diekmann the Oval Office, Washington, D.C., May 5, 2006

Later in the same conversation:
"Finally, the desk, where we'll have our picture taken in front of is - nine other Presidents used it. This was given to us by Queen Victoria in the 1870s, I think it was. President Roosevelt put the door in so people would not know he was in a wheelchair. John Kennedy put his head out the door."

"I was not pleased that Hamas has refused to announce its desire to destroy Israel." - Washington, D.C., May 4, 2006

"I've reminded the prime minister - the American people, Mr. Prime Minister, over the past months that it was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship." - Washington, D.C., June 29, 2006

"One has a stronger hand when there's more people playing your same cards." - Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2006

"You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war President. No President wants to be a war President, but I am one." - Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and our guest read it." - speaking along with Prime Minister Tony Blair about the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington, D.C., Dec. 7, 2006

"Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die." - speaking with reporters on facing the challenges of war, Washington, D.C., Dec. 7, 2006

"Because of your work, children who once wanted to die are now preparing to live." - speaking at the White House summit on malaria, Dec. 14, 2006

Well, thank goodness those children have made better plans. Anyway, Bushisms give us a chance to play the George W. drinking game. It's pretty simple really. Anytime W. says something, you need a drink.

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