We’re all disappointed the intelligence wasn’t what it was

Friday, Bush, who will be traveling to Europe soon, was interviewed by Slovenian television.

ITS DIFFERENCES: “And the United States and Europe has had its differences on certain issues...”

AS OPPOSED TO DIFFERENT COMMON VALUES: “...but we’ve always had the same common values.”

UNBELIEVABLY SECOND-CLASS: “I think working together in Afghanistan is going to be an historic achievement; helping a young democracy recover from a society in which women, for example, were treated as unbelievably second-class citizens.”

WHAT GEORGE CAN UNDERSTAND: “You know, first of all, I can understand why many of our friends in Europe who aren’t treated like other nations within the EU are treated on visas are concerned.”

IN OTHER WORDS, WE HOPE: “As to whether or not we’ve made it harder for visa waiver countries to come to the United States, actually not; we’ve made it easier. In other words, you file your paperwork online before you come to the United States, which should actually facilitate travel, we hope.”

WE GOT NEW RELATIONS: “But the truth of the matter is, when you really look at -- like, for example, our relations in the Far East, we got great relations with Japan, China and Korea -- South Korea; or India, for example -- we got new relations with India that no administration has ever -- South America and Central America.”

On polls showing rising anti-Americanism in Europe: “I hear stuff like that, I just -- I dismiss it as kind of like what happens when there’s kind of gossip and rumors”.

Then, he was interviewed by Italian tv.

WHAT IS NO LONGER REALLY UNACCEPTABLE: “For a period of time, democracy [in Iraq] was in doubt, primarily because sectarian violence was really unacceptable.”

WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE POPE: “And we did talk about interfaith dialogue, that I think is really important for people to find common ground through religion to deal with the violence that is used by some in the name of religion, to perpetuate an ideology -- and to remind people that peace -- religion is peace.” But not vice versa.

WHICH WAS WHICH AGAIN? “I talked to the King of Saudi Arabia about his visit with the Holy Father, and those are two very important figures when it comes to, obviously, Christianity and Islam.”

THE HISTORIOGRAPHER IN CHIEF: About the latest report that he was lying about intelligence on Iraq: “I will remind people -- and one of the things important about history is to remember the true history.”

WHY WE’RE ALL DISAPPOINTED: “we’re all disappointed the intelligence wasn’t what it was.”