We’ve noted in the past President Bush’s affinity to referring to golf carts when discussing alternative energy.

He did it again during Tuesday’s press conference, but with an added twist:

People are going to be using battery technologies in their cars. You’ve heard me say this a lot. I’m confident it’s going to happen.

And, you know, the throwaway line, of course, is that your car won’t have to look like a golf cart.

A throwaway line?  Is that anything like lame duck comedy?

Another poll, more bad news for President Bush.

The new Washington Post-ABC News poll:

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

7/13/08: Approve 28%, Disapprove 69%

So what’s worse than working in the White House these days?  How about working in Congress.

Check out these numbers from the same poll:

Do you approve or disapprove of the way the U.S. Congress is doing its job?

7/13/08: Approve 23%, Disapprove 71%

Ouch!  Worse than Bush.  That’s tough to do.  It gets even, well, worser when you consider the two trend lines.

Bush has basically flatlined — at the bottom

In the February 1 poll he was at 33% approve and 65% disapprove.

Congress, however, was at 33% approve and 59% disapprove, now 71%.

Both are dropping — but Congress seems to be plummeting.

Interview of President Bush by Ned Temko of the Observer:

Q Just one very quick — this is going to seem slightly flippant, but you’re going to the greatest fan club of The West Wing television show in the world on Sunday. Since you’re the only person who can review that program from experience –

THE PRESIDENT: I’ve never watched it.

Q You’re kidding. Why not?

THE PRESIDENT: Because I don’t watch network TV. I read.

President Bush:

Father’s Day, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Father’s Day, we honor our Nation’s fathers for the unconditional love they give to their children and for their selfless dedication to the well-being of their families.

Fathers play a unique and irreplaceable part in the lives of their children and pass along values that help children grow into responsible adults. By providing their sons and daughters with a positive example, fathers help give their children the necessary foundation they need to make wise decisions throughout their lives. Fathers strive to inspire their children to lead lives of integrity, honor, and purpose, and they pray for wisdom and the strength to give their children the love and support they need to achieve their dreams.

All Americans are thankful for the extraordinary efforts of our Nation’s fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and guardians. Their devotion and encouragement as mentors, providers, and role models help strengthen their families and our country. We are especially grateful for the fathers who serve in our Nation’s Armed Forces. These dedicated fathers protect liberty so that all children can have a more promising future. We pray for the safe return of all those serving overseas, and we thank the fathers who support sons and daughters who are defending our freedom around the globe.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as amended (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby proclaim June 15, 2008, as Father’s Day. I encourage all Americans to express their appreciation to all fathers for their many contributions to our Nation’s children. I direct the appropriate officials of the Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on this day. I also call upon State and local governments and citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

President Bush’s quote in today’s Washington Post …

“And so the fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there’s jobs at the machine-making place.”

– President Bush, at Silverado Cable Co. in Mesa, Ariz., on May 27.

… bears an uncanny resemblance to Will Farrell’s character in “Blades of Glory”:

“I see you have learned to work the Google on the internet machine.”

With every DC insider scrambling to get their hands on former Bush White House press secretary Scott McClellan’s new book, “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and What’s Wrong with Washington,” here’s an exclusive look at current Hillary Clinton campaign communications director Howard Wolfson’s forthcoming tell-all …

If you were watching C-SPAN last night, you saw an amazing moment in political history — the thunderous standing ovation Israelis gave President Bush at Shimon Peres’ “Facing Tomorrow” conference.  Even the upcoming Republican convention is unlikely to match the emotional outpouring of raw support and love the Israelis showed for Bush.

Peres’ speech offered a grand historical sweep of U.S. presidents’ support for Israel.

And here’s what Peres recently told Lally Weymouth:

So, how does this president impress you?

I think Bush did something very courageous, and that was to topple Saddam Hussein. Imagine today that we would have in the Middle East both Ahmadinejad and Saddam Hussein. Bush [made] a decision and should be given credit for it. The problem with the Europeans is, they are right but they are always late. And here to be late is to be wrong. To be right means to be on time. Would they have been right on Hitler, the whole [of] Europe would look different.
What about President Clinton?
Clinton was a friend. Bush’s father was a friend, and President Ronald Reagan was a friend.

If Barack Obama becomes president, we’d be curious to see who calls him a friend.  Judging from by this Al Jazeera report from Gaza, the answer might be quite evident.

Today’s Yeas & Nays has this wonderful graphic, a sound chart showing that President Bush barely beat out Craig Ferguson for noise at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner Saturday night …

How’d they measure the noise?  Multi-faceted Jeff Dufour used this hyper-sensitive (think New York Times) atomically-calibrated decibel counter, presumably on loan from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.  Or Radio Shack.

We learn this in the Washington Post today:

The schedule is coming into focus for President Bush’s second trip to the Middle East this year: He is planning to visit Israel next month to celebrate the country’s 60th anniversary. While in Israel, Bush appears likely to visit Masada, the desert fortress overlooking the Dead Sea where nearly 1,000 Jews committed suicide in the 1st century rather than be taken alive by the Romans.

He is also planning a speech to the Israeli Knesset, and will attend a giant celebratory conference being hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres that is expected to feature such notables as Tony Blair, Mikhail Gorbachev and Henry Kissinger. But Barbra Streisand, the liberal singing and acting icon who had been tapped to sing the Jewish prayer “Avinu Malkeinu” (Our Father Our King), abruptly pulled out last week for “personal obligations.” Was Babs unhappy about the prospect of sharing the bill with Bush? We will never know.

Actually, that Streisand news should come as a relief to the already long-suffering people of Israel.  At least they’ll be spared Stresiand’s unique, cutting-edge, and breakthrough political commentaries and observations, such as the knee-slapping hilarity we see here…

President Bush with Palestinian Authority President Abbas today:

“I assured the President that a Palestinian state is a high priority for me and my administration — a viable state, a state that doesn’t look like Swiss cheese.”

President Bush with Jordan’s King Abdullah in March:

“I said a state has got to be continuous — a contiguous territory; it can’t look like Swiss cheese.”

President Bush in Saudi Arabia in January:

“when I said contiguous, that means contiguous territory that does not — Swiss cheese.”

President Bush in Ramallah in January:

“Swiss cheese isn’t going to work when it comes to the outline of a state.”

Of course, some things are worse than cheese from the Swiss.  Like chocolate cake from the Germans.