WH Press Briefing Transcript
LOTHIAN: When the President met with King Abdullah, there was something that took place which I believe the White House explained was just the president being taller than the king. We took a look at the video, and it does appear that the president actually bowed to King Abdullah. Did he bow or didn’t he?
GIBBS: No, I think he bent over with both, to shake — with both hands to shake his hand, so I don’t–
LOTHIAN: — one hand —
GIBBS: Well I... [laughter]
LOTHIAN: Did he bow or didn’t he?
GIBBS: No. But I think this meeting was like a week ago, right?
LOTHIAN: That’s right but this is something a lot of people are talking about today.
GIBBS: I can only imagine it is of great cause and concern for many people struggling with the economy.
(4-9) CNN Transcript
BLITZER: All right. Clearly trying to play down the issue. The “Pittsburgh Tribune Review“ editorial said this, Donna, “In the least, it was an embarrassing protocol faux paus. Mr. Obama is not the king’s subject but his equal. But the bow,” in quotes, “actually was worst than that, it’s a troubling metaphor for a deferential presidency.” He’s getting a lot of criticism from the right.
Not just the right. And what does it say of the left that they are not criticizing him too?
BRAZILE: Well, you know, they criticized Michelle Obama, the first lady, for supposedly touching the Queen, so I don’t know if it was a bow, [What?] a nod or that was his way of saying — you know (speaking foreign language), I don’t know what the greeting was, but look, the fact is that he was just showing his friendship and his kindness to a country that we hope remains a strong ally in the Middle East.
BLITZER: Big deal or little deal? [He has to ask?]
PERINO: I think it’s a little deal if they would have let it be a little deal but I think that they have perpetuated this story for several days because if you look at the tape, just from the plain face of it people can look at it and go, oh gosh, that kind of looks like a bow. But I think they could have handled it differently. Look, when President Bush did the cultural and customary thing of grabbing the king of Saudi Arabia’s hand, we saw the Democrats play that card over and over again.
BLITZER: He went further. Take a look at — turn around, you can see the video we have. If you turn around, Dana, right behind you. But he went further, he actually gave him a kiss.
PERINO: Well, that’s the customary thing to do. And you get your State Department memo, you left that protocol and you want to do the right thing.
BLITZER: But you can imagine if President Obama…
PERINO: But no American bows to anybody else.
BLITZER: … would have kissed King Abdullah…
PERINO: But America — our whole country is based on the fact that we’re not the subject of anybody else and we’re not supposed to bow. That’s probably why this is a controversy. I think the White House probably could have blown this off earlier if they would have just said thought that that was the protocol, trying to be kind. You know, move on. Instead, now it’s like four days later and we’re still talking about it and you’re showing the videotape.
BLITZER: All right.
BRAZILE: Look, I just think he was just trying to show just some — just show mutual respect.
The spin is not convincing at all.
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