Bush surprises Koizumi with Segway gift
KYOTO, Japan (Reuters) - In the latest sign of their chummy
ties, U.S. President George W. Bush gave Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi a surprise gift of a Segway electric
scooter Wednesday and urged him to take a spin.
Bush, who often refers to his warm friendship with Koizumi,
gave the Japanese leader the upright two-wheeler ahead of a
summit at which they reaffirmed their close diplomatic ties.
Bush was riding the vehicle when he met Koizumi outside the
Kyoto State Guest House in the ancient Japanese capital, a
Japanese pool report said.
Urged by Bush to give it a whirl, Koizumi took a brief 1
meter (3 ft) ride, and cried out, "Oh, very good."
Bush told the prime minister he'd given his father, former
President George Bush, and mother, Barbara, Segways for their
birthdays, adding he felt Koizumi was almost one of the family.
The close ties between the two allies were on public
display later in the day when Bush told a news conference:
"Prime Minister Koizumi is one of my best friends in the
international community. I know the prime minister well.
"I trust his judgment. I admire his leadership."
The scooters can be tricky to ride. Bush fell off one two
years ago but managed to land on his feet. It is also illegal
to ride them on public byways in Japan.
Heh heh heh....GOTCHA!
Just an aside, what's Koiziumi's nickname? You know, like Prince Bandar was "Bandar Bush"...
Please try to keep it non-ethnic, unless you can really make Bush sound bigoted.
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