Jon's very important internationally recognized importantness is displayed again with tonight's guest, former Mexican President Vicente Fox. Who just happens to have a book out. And a book tour. And, oops, some sort of investigation into his finances. From the LATimes:
Here's some unsolicited advice for Mexico's former president Vicente Fox: When you write an autobiography in which you lambaste your political predecessors as "kleptopresidents" -- i.e., thieving fat cats who gorged themselves silly at the public trough -- it's best not to publish it shortly after appearing with your wife in a magazine photo spread featuring your lavish, multimillion-dollar ranch estate.
That's what Fox did last month, in an ill-timed publicity gesture possibly meant to boost sales of his new memoir, "Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith, and Dreams of a Mexican President." Instead, the former first couple's rash display of conspicuous consumption gave Fox's old political enemies an opportunity to fire back -- accusing him of having pilfered public funds in office and demanding a full-blown investigation into his financial affairs.
But about that book.
George W. Bush is a "windshield cowboy" who doesn't like horses. Fidel Castro has a strange habit of pulling on his ear after every bite of food. In Nigeria, its former president was likely to grab your buttocks in greeting.
Known for his tactlessness while in office, former Mexican President Vicente Fox has written a gossipy, English-language autobiography that has right-wing U.S. commentators buzzing and Mexicans rolling their eyes.
Theline that showed up everywhere was Fox writing that George Bush is "the cockiest guy I have ever met in my life," but I like 'windshield cowboy' better.
Sure, there's other stuff in there too. Also from that LATimes review, there's this about his relationship with Bush:
Alas, this warm personal relationship turned chilly after Sept. 11, as the United States shifted its attention to the Middle East, postponing any discussion of an immigration treaty or a guest-worker program. The friendship got frostier when Mexico refused to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Fox suggests that the administration might have anticipated this reluctance had it recognized that Mexico's long history of occupation by foreign armies (including that of the United States) made it wary of supporting others' wars of conquest. "On Iraq, I think that George W. Bush did what he deeply believed was right," Fox writes. "The sad thing is that he was so deeply, deeply wrong."
But hey. Who cares about political reminiscence or historical insights, when there's good gossip to be had? |