Another example of Bush's diplomatic finesse with respect to the North Korean "pygmy" Kim Jong Il:

President Bush: "I loathe Kim Jong II. — I've got a visceral reaction to this guy because he is starving his people. It appalls me. — I feel passionate about this. — They tell me, well we may not need to move too fast, because the financial burdens on people will be so immense if this guy were to topple. — I just don't buy that."

Now, regardless of the question of whether Kim Jong Il is, in fact, a loathsome pygmy, it is simply not a smart idea to go around using language like that about world leaders when you might need to negotiate with them in the future. It may be "refreshing" to have a leader who is as "straight-shooting" as this. But it scares the living shit out of me to think that someone who talks like that is responsible for keeping us safe. Do you think the Cuban Missile Crisis would have been resolved safely if Kennedy had gone around calling Krushchev a malignant toad?