" *JimH*" wrote in message
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"Harry Krause" wrote in message
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*JimH* wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
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Long-Awaited Beer With Bush Really Awkward, Voter Reports


WARREN, PA-Although respondents to a Pew poll taken prior to the 2004
presidential election characterized Bush as "the candidate they'd
most
like to sit down and have a beer with," Chris Reinard lived the
hypothetical scenario Sunday afternoon, and characterized it as
"really
uncomfortable and awkward."


Chris Reinard and President Bush try to think of something to talk
about.
Reinard, a father of four who supported Bush in the 2000 and 2004
elections, said sharing a beer with the president at the Switchyard
Tap
gave him "an uneasy feeling."

"I thought he'd be great," Reinard said. "But when I actually met
him, I
felt real put off."

The president arrived at the bar via motorcade close to 3 p.m. After
a
sweep by Secret Service agents, Reinard was asked, for security
reasons,
to move from his favorite stool. Shortly after he had reseated
himself,
Reinard said he "was pleased" to welcome the president to the
Switchyard.

"Boy, it sure is a good day for a cool one," Bush reportedly told the
assembled patrons, who were watching the Dolphins_Patriots game.

"When he first walked in, everything seemed fine," bartender Bob Kern
said. "He told everyone 'Hi' like he was one of the regulars, then
sat
next to Chris."

Reinard ordered two Budweisers, but Bush interrupted him, saying he'd
prefer an O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer.

"I completely forgot he stopped drinking," Reinard said.

Following the initial gaffe, Bush attempted to smooth things over,
asking Reinard to call him "George." Reinard complied, but later said
"it felt a little unnatural."

"I guess I was supposed to tell him to call me Chris," Reinard said.
"I
didn't like him calling me 'Mr. Reinard' the whole time, but I didn't
know if it was okay to interrupt him to say 'Call me Chris.' And then
also, it felt weird to just say it out of nowhere. Like, 'Call me
Chris.'"

Bush asked Reinard if he had any hobbies, and Reinard told the
president
that he enjoys spending weekends with his children on local lakes in
his
small aluminum boat.

"Mr. Bush, I mean George, seemed to like that, and I felt that we
finally made a connection," Reinard said. "But then he started
telling
me about this one time he was on a yacht with some Arab prince and
they
spent four hours landing a sailfish."

"It was a good story, but I just like catching a few bass with my
kids
is all," Reinard added. "I know he didn't mean to make me feel bad,
but
still."

Reinard told the president that he has lived most of his life in the
Warren area, except for several years he spent in nearby Jamestown,
where he attended community college for a year. Bush told Reinard he
was
born in New Haven, CT, and grew up in Texas before attending Yale
University as an undergraduate and earning his MBA from Harvard, all
while maintaining membership in many exclusive clubs.

"I asked George how much it costs to be in those social clubs, but he
said he didn't remember," Reinard said. "I think he just didn't want
to
say the amount. He'd change the subject on me a lot, say he did a lot
of
partying back then, but that was all behind him now, since he found
the
Lord, or whatever."

Bush asked Reinard what he did for a living, and Reinard said he runs
a
small carpentry business.

"He asked me how it was going, what with the economy bouncing back. I
said that if things didn't pick up soon, I was going to have to close
up
shop and work for my uncle in Youngstown," Reinard said. "George was
quiet for a while after that. Then he told me about when his second
oil
company was going under. He suggested using my connections to get
some
outside investment capital."

"I don't have any connections," Reinard added.

When the conversation reached a dead end, Reinard and Bush were
silent
once again, their eyes tracking the game.

"We were sitting there watching the game, and some cheerleaders were
up
there waving their pompoms," Reinard said. "Then George mentioned
that
he used to be a cheerleader at Yale. I didn't know what to say to
that
one, so I just drank the rest of my beer real fast."

After nearly a minute of silence, Bush drained the remainder of his
O'Doul's and wished Reinard goodbye, saying that he'd stay longer if
he
could, but had "some business to tend to."

"He shook my hand and smiled, said he had to run," Reinard said.
"Something about a conference or a summit. It seemed like he was
actually relieved to go."

Reinard and Kern both estimated Bush's stay at the bar as no longer
than
15 minutes. This included Kern's attempt to pay for Bush's beer. Bush
only smiled and waved at Kern, and a member of his Secret Service
escort
pulled a $10 bill from his coat pocket and tossed it on the bar.

Reinard likened the encounter with Bush to "being cornered at a
company
Christmas party by your boss."

"It was like, do you act and drink like normal, or are you on your
best
behavior?" Reinard said. "Are you up-front with the guy or do you
choose
your words carefully? What does he want out of you, anyway? Or does
he
just want to connect with somebody, because it's lonely at the top?
You
just don't know for sure."

"Overall, it was okay, I suppose," Reinard said. " One thing's for
sure,
though-I still wouldn't want to have a beer with that stuck-up
Kerry."


(Dunno the source for this one. It arrived in my email from a buddy
in
Missouri)



And your point is? It looks like Bush acted pretty cordial to the
guy.




Hehehehhehehehehehe.

I don't believe your response. Well, yes, I do.

Hehehehehehehhehehe.

Please, Jim, I know you are brighter than Fritz, et al. Reread it all,
and
see if you "get" Reinard's last comment in light of Bush's behavior.

This piece, by the way, is a parable, not a true life adventure.


Duh, I realize that Harry. I still don't see the point. He is not an
average Joe at the corner bar. He is the POTUS with life full of
accomplishments.

Harry, like most liebral moonbats, is suffering from Bush Derangement
Syndrome.........