Myth: George Bush said "The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for entrepreneur"
01/01/07 00:00 Filed in: Famous
People
Did George Bush really say "The
problem with the French is that they don't have a word for
entrepreneur"?
Myth
During a debate regarding the decline of the French economy in July 2002 US President George W. Bush said to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair "The problem with the French, is that they don't have a word for entrepreneur.". This off the hand and clearly stupid comment was then passed on my Tony Blair to Dame Shirley Williams who then widely recanted the story to anyone she met.
Reality
Sadly, as fun as it might be, the story has no basis in reality; much like all good 'laugh at the leader' joke. According to Blair's director of communications and strategy Alastair Campbell "I can tell you that the prime minister never heard George Bush say that, and he certainly never told Shirley Williams that President Bush did say it,"; He went on to say "If she put this in a speech, it must have been a joke."
Of course, that didn't stop George Bush on his 2004 campaign website, in a list of priorities at number 3 "Education will be our top priority". Kind of says it all really.
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