W.’s Greatest Hits

Jacob Weisberg first started gathering Bush’s verbal slip-ups while covering his first presidential campaign. From the first one published in Slate in October 1999—”The important question is, how many hands have I shaked?”— adding to the collection has been his main - perhaps only - pleasure in watching the man.

Since then, he’s collected more than 500 Bushisms.  Here are his five favourites.

1. “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

2. “I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family.”—Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000

3. “Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”—Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

4. “Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across the country.”—Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

5. “Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican.”—declining to answer reporters’ questions at the Summit of the Americas, Quebec City, Canada, April 21, 2001