IRAQ: London Mayor Ken Livingstone attacks US President George W Bush, calling him "corrupt".

BBC News ^ | Thursday, 8 May, 2003, 18:36 GMT 19:36 UK | BBC staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Livingstone attacks President Bush

Livingstone described the Bush administration as "unsupportable"

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has launched an astonishing attack on US President George W Bush, calling him "corrupt".

Mr Livingstone made his attack during an address to schoolchildren in a debate on the Iraq war.

He said he would get as much pleasure from Mr Bush being forced out of office as he had done from the downfall of former Iraq leader Saddam Hussein.

He is not the legitimate president

Ken Livingstone on George W Bush

The outburst was immediately criticised by London politicians who fear a negative effect on the mayor's efforts to attract American tourists here.

Mr Livingstone was answering questions on the Iraq war and other subjects during a two-hour meeting with 200 schoolchildren at City Hall on Thursday morning.

'Red mist'

After making a pointed reference to Mr Bush, he was asked by Channel 4 broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who was chairing the meeting, to explain his making a personal attack on the US president when he disliked answering personal questions himself.

The mayor said: "I think George Bush is the most corrupt American president since Harding in the Twenties.

I've never heard of the fellow

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer on Ken Livingstone

"He is not the legitimate president."

He later added: "This really is a completely unsupportable government and I look forward to it being overthrown as much as I looked forward to Saddam Hussein being overthrown."

Conservative mayoral candidate Steve Norris described Mr Livingstone's attack on President Bush as "utterly irresponsible".

"The red mist comes down and his judgement flies out of the window. He has no right whatever to insult President Bush," he said.

"He has every right to his own view but not to express it when he is mayor of this city."

Asked about Mr Livingstone's comments, White House Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer, said: "First of all, I've never heard of the fellow. Second, I'm not going to dignify it with a response."

[John Beresford Tipton]

FYI, his nickname is "Red Ken"

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[rj45mis]

Just an **shole limy shooting his mouth off for a few moments recognition.

[smith288]

"This really is a completely unsupportable government and I look forward to it being overthrown as much as I looked forward to Saddam Hussein being overthrown."

Said Hollywood, liberals, Germans and French.

[rj45mis]

This guy shouldn't be given any legitimate notice by the press, however, they are mostly lefties that hate Bush also, so this type of irresponsible statement plays right into their agenda.

[lepton]

hehe. I wonder if a full transcript would give any details to his stated delusions. They certainly aren't presented here.

[AFreeBird]

Paging Mr. Ivan.......

Who is this guy?

[Argus]

Red Ken is one of the radical left Laborites who has turned the once livable city of London into a mad scientist's laboratory of political correctness, rampant crime and civic breakdown. To be attacked by the likes of this smug commie lunatic should be another badge of honor for our President.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Asked about Mr Livingstone's comments, White House Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer, said: "First of all, I've never heard of the fellow. Second, I'm not going to dignify it with a response."

I'm really starting to like Ari!

[You Dirty Rats]

At least Red Ken is a British Subject attacking our President in London. He bothers me less than Americans who go to London and criticise our President or our government in general (Bubba and the Chunks).

Hey that sounds like an Elton John Song!

[Sam Cree]

I'm not the expert on this, but I believe the British Labour Party, of which this jerk must be a member, is even more openly socialist than the Democrats are here.

Although Tony Blair is an exception, being a leftist seems to require the abdication of morality. I am guessing that this is due to the leftist philosophy of the necessity of working toward the "common good," which, in turn makes it acceptable to dispose of those working towards a private goal. Once you can get past disposing of those who disagree with arbitrary authority, you can get past a lot.

[green team 1999]

Conservative mayoral candidate Steve Norris described Mr Livingstone's attack on President Bush as "utterly irresponsible". "The red mist comes down and his judgement flies out of the window. He has no right whatever to insult President Bush," he said

they know livingstone is a commie,let`s wait for next election overthere,

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We have a bunch of Leftists out here in California , what a mess!

Then of course there is Germany which is a bit ahead of California:

Germany Falling: Berlin lives in the past. Welfare is generous, and the nation is going bankrupt

[baseballfanjm]

The mayor said: "I think George Bush is the most corrupt American president since Harding in the Twenties.

And Bill Clinton is a living saint. Anyway, he says he "enjoyed" seeing Saddam topple, then turns around and calls President Bush corrupt for doing the toppling. Liberals can be so hypocritical that it's hilarious.

[finnman69]

What a dick.

[Shermy]

"He is not the legitimate president." He later added: "This really is a completely unsupportable government and I look forward to it being overthrown as much as I looked forward to Saddam Hussein being overthrown."

Not a vintage whine. A pale, ersatz whine invoking mediocre American-liberal flavors.

The "legitimate president" flavor is reminiscent with DNC angry romanticism and impolite in any whine but domestically produced. Cultural context is important for a whine as the Dixie Chick's disocvered in their European sales campaign.

The undertone of "being overthrown" is a John Kerry rip-off. With Kerry "regime change" whine provokes humor at his bad sense of humor and irony since he was for regime change in Iraq back in 1998. With this Brit the flavor doesn't add fruitful complexity to the whine appreciating experience. Rather, it is a discordant and bad aftertaste, comparable to American lefty and Daschle whines invoking European tones of "unilateralism". The whine just doesn't work.

This whine can only be served with French cheese.

[mitchbert]

Not legitimate, eh Red Ken?

This from a man who only received 40.3% of the vote in the opening round in the 2000 election. The ONLY reason he received a majority is that London settles the election with a run-off of the top two vote getters (Norris in this case).

Additionally, in any country with a first past the post style of voting that has 3+ political parties (pretty much the whole Commonwealth) it's unusual for the Prime Minister to achieve 50+% of the national vote. What an idiot.

[Grampa Dave]

The Telegraph probably has data on how this clymer was bought out by Soddomite!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ROFLMAO!!

Very nice!