奥巴马白宫举行最牛午餐：五位美国总统齐聚

txy660 · 发表于 2009-1-9 19:28:13

本帖最后由 txy660 于 2009-1-9 20:09 编辑

我们谨对您的光临，表示牛年里最牛的欢迎

txy660 · 发表于 2009-1-9 19:30:42

Take five: Day (all) the presidents did lunch

Gathering brings together all four living former US presidents and the president-elect, Barack Obama Link to this video

There is, as everyone knows, an art to assembling the perfect combination of guests for a dinner party. You don't want to invite people who fiercely disagree with each other on almost everything; it's nice to have a mix of men and women; and while one or two big egos are fine, it's best if not everyone present likes being the centre of attention.

By those standards, the historic lunch gathering at the White House yesterday, attended by all four living presidents, and the man about to assume the office, might have seemed doomed to descend into awkwardness.

But almost everybody in the United States right now likes Barack Obama: polls give him an approval rating above 80%, unheard of for a president-elect. And yesterday that seemed to include both Bushes along with, perhaps no less notably, Bill Clinton.

Before repairing to the small private dining room, reached via a passageway from the Oval Office, the five men posed shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the president's desk: Obama was flanked by a George Bush on either side, with a beaming Clinton and Jimmy Carter (his expression characteristically unreadable) mere inches away.

It was a photo opportunity that delivered more frisson than most, making the transition of power in Washington suddenly vivid, as an older generation met a younger one.

And, of course, as four white men welcomed a black man to the most exclusive club in America.

The economy being what it is, it was in none of their interests to have the media report they had dined on champagne, caviar and foie gras, and so aides were at pains to point out that the five ordered from the White House Mess, the navy-run staff restaurant that is nevertheless, to be candid, one or two notches up from the average office canteen. The menu is described as "traditional American", and during the outgoing president's time in office has featured the White House Signature Steak, the West Wing Burger, spaghetti marinara, shrimp prepared with herbs and mustard, and a dish called Chocolate Freedom blending patriotism and calorific overload in a single dessert.

The faintest trace of impatience could be discerned on the faces of the Bushes as Obama dominated the photo opportunity before the meal, telling reporters he planned to learn about "the pressures and possibilities of this office" from his assembled predecessors. "For me to have the opportunity to get good advice and good counsel and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary."

Nobody, certainly not members of the press, accompanied the five into the dining room. But earlier Bush's spokeswoman, Dana Perino, had speculated that their conversation might include "raising children in the White House, raising children when you're a public figure, and how to protect them".

Still, it seemed possible that less exclusively personal matters might intrude. For all the sense of momentous change, some things remain depressingly the same: the last time all living presidents assembled at the White House, it was also against a backdrop of tumult in the Middle East. In 1981, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Carter and Ronald Reagan gathered to discuss policy for the region, prior to leaving for the funeral of the assassinated Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat.

The outgoing and incoming heads of state will, of course, meet once more soon, for Obama's swearing-in and the old president's departure: Obama is expected to escort George and Laura Bush through a passageway at the Capitol building to a waiting helicopter.

Yesterday's lunch had been Obama's suggestion, but served Bush's purposes too, enabling him to portray himself as above partisan politics: a unifier, just like Obama. Decorum, presumably, prevented Obama from mentioning a rather obvious difference between the two: Bush's approval rating at this moment stands at an almost as historically unprecedented 27%.

1# txy660

txy660 · 发表于 2009-1-9 19:34:18

在欢迎四位已经卸任和即将上任的白宫主人时，布什（右）说，尽管我现在还没有卸任，但我也想作为“卸任总统俱乐部”成员之一，感谢当选总统加入我们“卸任总统”的午餐会。他说，我们共有的一个想法是，祝愿当选总统奥巴马成功。不管我们属于共和党，还是属于民主党，我们都深切地关心我们的国家。我们所有曾经在这个办公室为国服务过的人，都能理解的一点是，这个办公室本身的含义，超越了我们个人之间的差别。

奥巴马（中）紧接着布什讲话，他说，我谨希望感谢总统先生在白宫款待我们，今天在这里的所有先生们都理解，这个办公室同时兼有压力和可能，对我来说，能够有机会从这几位中获得建议、忠告和友谊，非常难得。

布什和奥巴马讲话后，五任总统站在美国总统椭圆办公室合影，资格最老的卡特和老布什一左一右站在两边，每个人都露出了绅士的笑容。

txy660 · 发表于 2009-1-9 19:36:48

大话布什同志邀请新老同志共话美好未来

美联社1月7日电今天白宫的午餐历史罕见，现任总统布什同志邀请即将就任的新一代总统奥巴马同志、以及老同志克林顿、老布什、卡特，共享新年后的第一个午餐。
　　在欢迎下一代领导核心奥巴马同志时，布什同志说，尽管我现在还没有卸任，但我也想作为“老同志俱乐部”成员之一，感谢新一代总统奥巴马同志。他说，我们共有的一个想法是，祝愿当选总统奥巴马成功。不管我们属于共和党，还是属于民主党，我们都深切地关心我们的国家。我们所有曾经在这个办公室为国服务过的人，都能理解的一点是，这个办公室本身的含义，超越了我们个人之间的差别。在以奥巴马同志为总统的民主党中央坚强领导下，未来的一年，我国必将取得举世瞩目的巨大成就。新一代民主党中央领导集体经过一年多的竞选，表现出了与时俱进、高瞻远瞩、居安思危、锐意创新的政治眼光；表现出了为民、务实、勤奋、坚韧的政治品德；表现出了视野开阔、开放开明、坦诚负责、成熟稳健的政治风貌；表现出了清醒、自觉、坚决、果敢的政治风格；表现出了科学化、民主化、法制化、现代化的政治风范；展示了高超的领导才能和驾驭全局的卓越能力，得到了全国各党派和全国各族人民的衷心拥护和爱戴。希望美国人民在以奥巴马同志为总统民主党中央坚强领导下，同心同德、迎接挑战，同创美好未来！
　　奥巴马同志紧接着布什同志讲话，他说，我谨希望感谢总统同志在白宫坐东款待我们，今天在这里的所有同志们都理解，这个办公室同时兼有压力和可能，对我来说，能够有机会从老一辈同志中获得建议、忠告和友谊，非常难得。
　　布什同志和奥巴马同志讲话后，五代领袖在美国总统椭圆办公室合影，资格最老的卡特和老布什一左一右站在两边，每个人都露出了坚定的笑容。

阿邱 · 发表于 2009-1-9 20:30:08

Well done!! Great news. Is it a measure to deal with the financial crisis?

wzf28 · 发表于 2009-1-10 22:48:22

I'm sorry for the our own watermark on the picture from XinhuaNet.

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