World News 05-09-2000 "Plain Speaking" George Bush Swears On TV who: George W Bush what: Insults journalist in front of television audience where: Chicago when: Yesterday snippet: "The faltering campaign of George W Bush suffered a fresh setback yesterday," says Toby Harnden in The Telegraph, "when the Republican presidential candidate was heard on a microphone using a vulgar term to describe an American reporter." "There`s Adam Clymer, major league asshole from The New York Times," whispered Mr Bush, unaware that his microphone had already been switched on prior to a campaign speech in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. "Oh yeah, he is, big time," replied his running mate, Dick Cheney. Their comments were transmitted live to a national television audience. "I regret that a private comment I made to the vice-presidential candidate made it onto the public airwaves," said Mr Bush later, notably passing on the opportunity to apologise directly to Mr Clymer, who has been publicly critical of Mr Bush`s record as governor of Texas. "I regret everybody heard what I said." "As an aide to his father during the 1988 election," says Ben Macintyre in The Times, "Mr Bush was known for the ripeness of his language and a propensity to tick off journalists". Mr Clymer commented that he was "disappointed in the governor`s language". George W Bush, who had a 17 point lead in the polls over Democratic rival Al Gore a month ago, is now reckoned to be neck-and-neck in the campaign for the presidential election in November. [... more]

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