Bush Budapest Invasion Update: They Report, We Decide

As we promised earlier, here is the latest on the visit of you-know-who to Hungary. Meanwhile, just like yesterday, we are going to do our best to avoid editorializing, and just let the fact speak for themselves. Well, unless the facts can use a little help.

While U.S. President George W. Bush has so far survived his trip to Budapest, the unprecedented security operations surrounding the visit were put to the test this morning. According to state newswire MTI, at 11:35 an unknown man, or someone sounding like an unknown man, called the US embassy on Szabadság tér and said there was a bomb in the building. A search of the premises has so far turned up no explosive device. Meanwhile, we can hardly be accused of editorializing for pointing out that the main phone number of the embassy is 475-4400.

According to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, the much-anticipated speech Bush is delivering this afternoon is mostly just empty bullshit. Oh, sorry - editorializing! Here's what Snow had to say, via Reuters and the Associated Press, neither of which would ever think of editorializing. "This is not a policy speech, it's kind of a tone poem about the 1956 revolution… This is not a newsy speech…. This is mainly about visiting the Hungarian government and paying homage to what they went through 50 years ago."

Hopefully without running the risk of editorializing, Snow's statement that Bush's trip "about visiting the Hungarian government and paying homage to what they went through 50 years ago" seems just a little odd, given that the current government is pretty much the same party that fought against the heroic '56ers. Not that this should really matter, given that it's all about a "tone poem," whatever the fuck that might be.

A big shout out to reader J. for sending us the subscription only MTI story about yesterday's demonstration organized by Amnesty International Hungary to protest alleged abuses of suspects in the "war on terror." (Wait - we forgot - is it editorializing to put "war on terror" in quotes, and if you don't are you supposed to put it in capitals?) According to the report, seven Amnesty activists and several reporters were on hand for the demo, but "not one supporter showed up to participate." Maybe they were all in Guantanamo!

Bush met with President László Sólyom at the Sándor Palace up on castle hill, and then Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and various members of government at Parliament. The parlay with Sólyom was mostly ceremonial, while Gyurcsány took advantage of his rare face time with the American president to give him a pair of huszár cowboy boots made in his size, as a thank you for the pair of running shoes - made in Gyurcsány's size - the latter received from Bush when he visited the White House a few months back.

As for our editorializing in the above item, we would point out that the AP piece linked to above referred to the Hungarian Parliament as "spectacular," and the presidential palace as "understated." And you know what Americans mean when they call a piece of expensive real estate "understated." (P-O-S.)

Passengers aboard Tram 19 were asked to leave their vehicle this morning when the Buda lower embankment was closed to allow Bush's convoy to proceed on its way to the Sándor Palace earlier than planned. Meanwhile, during his visit to the "understated" Sándor Palace, Bush did not have the customary photo-op pic taken from the balcony overlooking the Pest panorama. According to index.hu, Bush's security detailed was worried that the balcony offered an excellent head-shot as well as snapshot, possibilities. Unfortunate, for sure, but life is all about missed opportunities.