"Wow! Brazil is Big"

The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read,
With loads of learned lumber in his head.
Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744), English poet

President Bush once again showed his geopolitical knowledge when attempting to bond with Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This time he couldn’t see into the soul, but he was impressed by the size of Brazil.

According to the New York Times article, at one point, standing alongside Bush, during the recent trade talks, da Silva exhibited a map of his country, which is larger than the continental United States. "Wow! Brazil is big," Bush was quoted as saying from the Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

After their appearance together, the two presidents and their wives headed off to da Silva's residence for an outdoor Brazilian-style barbecue that included several premium cuts of beef, as well as lamb, oxtail and cheese. Bush later pronounced the meal "unbelievably good."