As several of this post note...Bush is an embarrassment to many US citizens. So how did he get into power....as a proxy of the rich & powerful. Mark Twain was correct in his observation that America has the the best Government that money can buy.

Jack, Ft Lauderdale, USA

Where is that big hook you use to take an actor off the stage?

Peter, Hamburg, Germany

The predictable and hackenyed George bush baiting. Yawn.

J Sumpter, London, UK

To those who find George Bush an embarrassment, plenty of Australians felt the same when we had John Howard as Prime Minister. Cartoons would show him as a poodle following George, or a parrot repeating what George had said. Howard`s overseas trips would make us cringe.

margie , victoria, australia

Despite my embarrassment at my countryman's (mikh) odd comment, I feel vastly enlightened to note that just two responses support Bush: the chap with the celtic name from - really? - Worthy, USA, and the prejudice-laden drivel from, um, where else - Texas. Poor old Gordon. Nice one, Ann!

Phil, Wellington, New Zealand

There you go, boasting again, you Americans. We had Margaret Thatcher - so you can't tell us anything about world-class embarrassment.

eric campbell, harrogate, uk

As an American citizen living in the UK, I wish GW was more eloquent. That said, it should not take away from what he has accomplished. The strong rhethoric he has usd over the years was and is for the terrorist's ears...not ours. It isn't swagger. It is the only communication they understand.

jsanchez, winnersh, uk

The most hostile anti-Bush crew are I've found generally unhappy, and often moronic to boot. Their pathological anti-Americanism may come from a destructive paranoia. Too many knocked off neurones perhaps?
Google Geldof/Bush for a refreshing insight into the man.

mikh, Tauranga, NZ

As an American citizen (originally from Ireland), I am truly embarassed to see GW cavorting on the world's stage one final time as if he is owed some outpouring of gratitude.The man has singlehandedly set this country back 10 years, and I for one cannot wait for his final curtain call in Jan.

Patrick McCorry, Philadelphia, USA

Even Presidents get tired of what they do or didn't do , the longer they are in power the more they have to practise their facial expressions. Any over animation might be mis-interpreted.

geert, cape town, south africa

It's clearly gotten very bad on almost every front for Gordon Brown. How do we know this? Because he has had to make a meal out of meeting one of the most unpopular and most incompetent men on the planet. Gordon, what further depths you are willing to plumb?

Allan, Glasgow,

the old Neville Chamberlain malaise still plagues England, Don't export it here.

wil, South, US

Thank you, Ann, for your scathing insight. It's good to hear that there is still some 'humor' to be had from this "walking advertisement of birth control". Living through the last 8 years as an american has been like ritual pennance - you know you did something wrong, but what to do? Vote Obama!

John Simoes, OAKLAND, US

Timothy from boston or rather you yanks, speak for yourself, not all yanks feel like you do or others who live out here in the real world, away from that stuff shirt world of mass. and for marc who is from san francisco, need I say more,media here does not tell all, love BUSH, shame on you all

sandra, TEXAS, USA

Bush; the proverbial pimple on the arse of progress - he has reduced the teetering facade that was America to a pile of dusty rubble and also bought down the houses of his friends. On the bright side he has clearly demonstrated the need for America to put a lot more money into education.

rusty vance, canberra , australia

Bush is not smart, but at least not boring.

Bill, Sydney,

Unfortunately, the band has left the building and the US is standing in a pool of stale beer and cigarette butts. as the crowd disperses.

Fortunately for the rest of the world, G.W. Bush has reduced the US from the preeminent global economic, political and military power to one of many.

marc salomon, san francisco, california, us

We Yanks are throughly humiliated by our President. He's run roughshod over just about every basic tenant of liberty whilst claiming to be it's torchbearer. He's without question the worst President in history. Good riddance! We can only hope the voting populous has learned it's lesson.

Timothy , Boston , USA

I often wonder if Europeans have a clear grasp of how embarassing it is to most U.S. citizens to have our President display such utter failure to grasp the issues and such lack of dignity. We are counting the days till President Obama speaks for us, eloquently, intelligently and appropriately.

lee houston, New York, USA

Bush, like Nixon & Reagan , misunderstands the office of the president. All three of those would-be kings presumed they were the public's master rather than its public servants. The twice-elected limitation on their "service" is one the Constitution's most ingenious provisions. We survived Bush.

sfrose, San Francisco , USA

Yo, Ann!

What does the election of George W. Bush as president (twice!) say about Americans?

Douglas Culver, Rolling Hills Estates, USA

funny and good

k, new york, usa

Though biased, this is sadly who has been our president for seven years. I trust historians will be fair, though I expect not kind, to Mr. Bush. He deserves what he gets.

.

David L Hall, MD, Hope, USA

Hopefully he will ride into the sunset never to be seen or heard from again

Renee, Ft Lauderdale, USA

As a fellow white guy Methodist American, who lived for a couple of years in England during graduate school, let me say folks on this side of the big pond can hardly wait for George the Lesser to stand down seven years from now, too.

He always was, and always will be, a national embarrassment.

William T. Street, SAGINAW, usa

Wonderful! I'm a bitter old white guy voting for Obama and I've always loved the English sense of humor. Poor Georgie is an easy target.

ericmiami, Homestead, FL, US

Wonderful! Thanks so much for speaking (and quoting) honestly. This embarassment will be over in under seven months and perhaps then the world can start healing itself with lots of hard work and true and clear communications. I wish the American media had your courage and wit.

Chale, Austin, TX,

Am I to believe that the words, sentences and expressions quoted here were the true and actual utterances of the Yale educated (sic) president of the United States of America?
Really?

Kent Sherwood, Walnut Creek, California, USA

Spot on old bean, spot on!

Kevin, Houston, USA

It sounds like the WWII jap. To fight Iraq was ridiculous but in Afganiston it had some sense.

Reverend Jackson visited Muslims and freed some hostages.

Bush's legacy will be Earths Warming, it may be a trend.

Mark Schindler, Los Angeles, U.S.A.

Why don't you get a real country instead of the "thingy" you now call England....and shut up about our leaders...we have done far more for England than you can ever imagine.

JMMclaughlin, Worthy, USA

Dear President Bush:

In your bid for a kindly historical critique, you said that leadership is to stay the course and not be swayed by polls.
When polls say that 72% of us think you are not doing a good job and 82% want out of Iraq, the people you swore to represent are speaking, so listen.

Ted Ricks, San Mateo, USA