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Friday, October 20, 2006

Italian, to go

By Ken Herman | Friday, October 20, 2006, 09:07 PM

President Bush, a famous White House homebody not known for unannounced forays outside the building, made an off-the-schedule trek Friday evening to the National Italian American Foundation annual gala at the Washington Hilton.

The surprised crowd gave him an enthusiastic welcome as he completed a father-and-son doubleheader at the event. Ex-President Bush was the keynote speaker earlier in the day.

The president, in brief remarks, acknowledged the presence of some of his favorite Italian-Americans, including Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito, baseball notables Yogi Berra and Tommy Lasorda, and lesser-known ex-player Ken Aspromonte.

Bush noted that he meets Saturday with Gen. Pete Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On this night, Bush referred to Pace as pa-chay, the venue-appropriate pronunciation of the Italian-American general’s name.

Others on hand included Alan Alda, Neil Sedaka, Jerry Vale and Jack Valenti.

The Friday night schedule at the NIAF also included the group’s annual “Salute to the Martini.” Really.

This year’s performers at the salute were Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

“I understand you’re honoring Frankie Valli,” Bush told the audience. “Sorry I’m not going to be around to hear you. But rest assured I’ve heard plenty of you when I was growing up.”

The festivities also included sale of tickets for a shot at winning a Maserati Quattroporte. Tickets: $1,000 apiece.

You do not have to be present to win.

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You say Grenada, he says Granada

By Ken Herman | Friday, October 20, 2006, 12:18 PM

Through the power of mispronunciation President Bush today changed the location of a significant U.S. military action in 1983.

In a speech at a National Republican Senatorial Committee event in Washington, Bush said “Many leaders fought Reagan’s defense buildup, they fought his strategic defense initiative, they opposed the liberation of Granada. They didn’t like America’s support for freedom fighters resisting Soviet puppet regimes.”

Bush meant to say Grenada (gre-nay-da). But he said Granada (gra-na-da).

By way of review, Granada (gra-na-da) is a city in southern Spain. There was no U.S. support for freedom fighters resisting Soviet puppet regimes in Granada while Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

Grenada (gre-nay-da) is an island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. U.S. forces invaded in October 1983 after Marxists took over. Free elections were held in 1984.

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