President Bush's Kissing Cabinet

[Fazal]

By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer

The nominations of Condoleezza Rice for secretary of state and of Margaret Spellings as secretary of education were visually intriguing events, most notably because President Bush puckered up and gave both of them a congratulatory kiss. The president did not kiss Alberto Gonzales, his nominee for attorney general. He was congratulated with a strong handshake and the sort of torso tackle that men give each other in lieu of an actual hug.

As much as could be determined from the photo record, the president has never publicly kissed Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld or Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. President Bush seems to reserve his pecks on the cheek for the ladies. Perhaps he will be kissing outgoing Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman goodbye?

The president kissed only Rice's right cheek, and in the case of Spellings, planted a single kiss just off-center of the lips. He did not execute the double buss that is used as a greeting throughout much of Europe, organized crime and the fashion industry. The double buss is not based on gender or age. In some ways it is a perfect greeting: intimate but not sexual, androgynous but warm.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Nov18.html

------------------------------------------------------

Hmmm.... no kissing for Mr. Gonzales, Colin Powell or Donald Rumsfeld? Only half hearted kiss to rice on the cheek? Why favoring Spellings? Is Bush racist? :P. Enjoy!!!

p.s. Don't miss the picture in the original article.

Edited on, November 19, 2004, 2:50 PM GMT, by Fazal.

[ZunaidH]

Margaret Spellings is significantly better looking than Condoleeza Rice. I think the reasoning is simple. Besides, Rice looks scary. Any man who kisses her on the cheek should get some kind of hardship allowance! LOL

[mzia]

But secretary of state is more important than education, nah…. Bush always driven by his left side…

[Zephaniah]

.......and Mr. Bush seems to be sexist too, as he didn't treat his male cabinet members same way as their female counterparts.

Hmmm.....what's next?