Posted on 02/27/2005 5:25:35 PM PST by Jeff Blogworthy
Belgians get scolding from Vito Photo stickers of Bush were placed in urinals in some ministry offices in Brussels Saturday, February 26, 2005 By TERENCE J. KIVLAN
WASHINGTON -- Photo stickers of President Bush and the American flag placed in urinals in some Belgian ministry offices in Brussels right before the president's European tour have Rep. Vito Fossella mighty peeved.
But the lawmaker's ire, expressed to the Belgian prime minister at the Belgian Embassy here, may have been misdirected.
Although Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) accused the prime minister of responsibility for the stickers, Serge Wauthier, an embassy spokesman, noted that the Belgian government had condemned the stickers and their placement earlier this week, taking "a very clear position distancing itself from this initiative."
In his letter, addressed to Prime Minister Johan Vande Lanotte, Fossella wrote that "such cheap political humor at the expense of the American flag was beneath a country with such a rich heritage as Belgium."
Wauthier responded that, although he found Fossella's letter very moving, it was up to Belgian Ambassador Frans Van Daele to respond to it, not the prime minister.
The congressman noted that the American flag graces the graves of thousands of American troops who died while liberating Belgium and other European countries from German occupation during World Wars I and II.
He also chided the Belgians for expressing any disagreement they have with U.S. policy on such a childish level.
The stickers, which bear the caption, "Go ahead. P--- on me," are said to be a common sight in the public toilets of Belgian schools, youth clubs and pubs.
Terence J. Kivlan is the Washington correspondent for the Advance. He may be reached at terence.kivlan@newhouse.com.
Have you ever noticed the tendency of those who claim to be the most enlightened, the most intelligent, the most sophisticated are the very same people that seem endlessly fascinated by human excrement and base body functions? Why is that?
Dogs sniff each other's arse to see who their friends are, but at least they seem to genuinely like you.
Brussels? Isn't that a city we liberated twice in two World Wars?
Last time I checked, the Red Sox accomplished the greatest post-season performance in the history of sports by coming back from a 0-3 deficit to beat the Yankees in the ALCS, and then going-on to sweep the Cards in the World Series. Doesn't sound like losing to me.
In his letter, addressed to Prime Minister Johan Vande Lanotte...
Who?
Johan Vande Lanotte 28,900 Google search results
George W. Bush 15,900,000 Google search results
Do you remember the Ayatolah Khomeni toilet paper? (I know. I butchered the spelling) We had a roll of toilet paper with his picture on for 20 years. Lost it in a housefire in '03.
The Europeans only degrade themselves with these juvenile displays.
In Brussels this passes for wit. It's the sort of political statement that tells you more about the speaker than the topic.
I know there are exceptions to every rule. But, what kind of winner are you?
You're bang-on there, mate. Elites could learn a lot from dogs. But I dare not say what they'd rather do with the poor things.
Dogs are sincere, they won't sell you down the river the way Walter Cronkite did Dan Rather!
Yes, even dogs have more sense than leftists. I guess it's because they have no capacity for pride or malice.
short memory alert. Last time I checked, indeed.
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