My opinion of the president couldn’t get much lower, but even I find this hard to believe.
[Bush] loves to cuss, gets a jolly when a mountain biker wipes out trying to keep up with him, and now we’re learning that the first frat boy loves flatulence jokes. A top insider let that slip when explaining why President Bush is paranoid around women, always worried about his behavior. But he’s still a funny, earthy guy who, for example, can’t get enough of fart jokes. He’s also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides, but forget about getting people to gas about that.
This comes by way of U.S. News & World Report, not Capitol Hill Blue, so there’s a bit more credibility standing behind the piece. For that matter, presidents engaging in odd inter-personal behavior isn’t entirely without precedent (how many people were asked to look at LBJ’s scar?).
That said, is it really possible that the president will pass gas, “especially when greeting new young aides,” for a cheap laugh? It sounds like a bit of a stretch.
Then again, perhaps it’s best not to expect too much of Bush’s social graces. I would have found it hard to imagine the president giving an unsolicited neck-rub to the Chancellor of Germany, or trying to publicly embarrass top administration officials for getting post-graduate degrees, too.
