A fellow who talks non-stop is liable to get lost in the thickets of his own verbiage once in a while, and sure enough it happened to President Clinton again last week. At a fund-raising dinner in Coral Gables on Tuesday, our leader expressed his delight at the impending visit of Israeli Prime Minister Barak. "I'm as eager as a kid with a new toy," the president exulted.
Some Israelis took offense. At a joint press conference with Barak two days later, the president was asked by an indignant Israeli reporter: "What kind of game do you want to play with Mr. Barak?" The president seemed not to understand the implication, and it took the intercession of ever-helpful CNN White House correspondent Wolf Blitzer to explain what the reporter meant. Immediately the president took a deep breath and embarked on one of those self-exculpatory soliloquies for which he's famous.
"In English, what that means is that you are very excited. It has no reference to the prime minister. I would never do that. [Ever!] For example, if I were taking a trip to Hawaii, I might say 'I am excited as a kid with a new toy.' It doesn't mean I think Hawaii is a toy [Of course not!], if you see what I mean [We do! We do!]. It means that [Yes?], it's a slogan [Of course!], you know, in the way, in American English it means, 'I am very excited about the prospect of the rejuvenation of the peace process,' [It does?] and that's all it means. I would never say such a patronizing thing. Ever. [Never!] So thank you, Wolf." And thank you, Mr. President.