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Obama-Bush Meet: This Could Get Awkward

The last time the two met, Dubya sanitized his hands afterward

By Jess Kilby,  Newser User

Posted Nov 10, 2008 1:48 AM CST

(Newser) – It’s possible that no greater distance has ever divided the numbers 43 and 44. An excerpt from Barack Obama’s 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope, reveals just how awkward today’s meeting between president and president-elect might be, reports Fox News. After shaking Obama’s hand at their first meeting in 2005, President Bush slathered his hands in sanitizing gel—and offered Obama a dollop, too.

"Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt,” writes Obama. At the White House meet-and-greet with newly elected senators, Bush also pulled Obama aside to warn him that foes on both sides of the aisle would start “gunnin’” for him as he began to garner more attention. Strangest, though, was Bush’s switch from affable to despotically robotic when he started talking policy. “The president's demeanor turned downright frightening,” Obama recalls.

Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, watch election returns on television in Chicago last week.
Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, watch election returns on television in Chicago last week.   (AP Photo/Obama for America, David Katz)
President Bush pauses as he makes a statement congratulating President-elect Barack Obama and calling for a smooth transition last week in the Rose Garden of the White House.
President Bush pauses as he makes a statement congratulating President-elect Barack Obama and calling for a smooth transition last week in the Rose Garden of the White House.   (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Laura Bush speaks with Michelle Obama last week.  Bush extended an invitation to the Obama family to visit the White House.
Laura Bush speaks with Michelle Obama last week. Bush extended an invitation to the Obama family to visit the White House.   (AP Photo/White House, Joyce N. Boghosia)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Shannonals
Nov 10, 2008 2:30 AM CST
Really. President Bush used sanitizing gel after shaking Sen. Obamas hand?! Man, that is a damn shame.

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