I'm afraid I've always found the Broadcasting House (not so much a radio programme, more an instrument of torture) 'Donald Rumsfeld Soundbite of the Week' somewhat mystifying. Frankly, after five years of 'Labour Lite' Rumsfeld seems a model of eloquence and wit. The prosecution offers the following as evidence (note presence of unmarked snippage:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,690158,00.html
"As Mr Soames slept on, Mr Prescott was speaking on the topic of waste disposal. "I think the problems of waste management are very, very considerable, not only to this country but to many others, and whether or not this landfill, incineration or recycling, all of these have played the part as my hon friend will know, that the matter of landfill has now been an issue which is rightly closed off and the balance between recycling and indeed that of incineration is the ones that government have to face."
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour2001/story/0,1414,560997,00.html
"As his temper steamed up like one of those fast-boiling kettles, gargling and hissing and roaring, his vocabulary began to go critical. He demanded stolidarity. We should not forget those who "are still deny excess to a fair income..." People continued to suffer from social explosion, and the Tories faced a spiral of electorial defeat.
He finished with another tribute to his leader, currently fighting a menace called glubbal terrusm. "He is playing a leading part in forgaging the biggest global alliance ever seen."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,536944,00.html
"One knew the planet was doomed when John Prescott emerged during the Climate Change conference to announce excitedly that he had almost brought the "G77 group" to agreement.
On his return from the Hague, pursued by the vociferous indignation of Dominique Voynet, the French environment minister, macho man bustled into the Today studio to put us right on the state of the nation's roads and railways. He was in fine linguistic fettle.
"The railways have been underperforming for decords," the deputy prime minister informed a mystified John Humphrys (translation: "for decades, since records began"). "Railtrack," Prescott boomed, "must come to a definition" (translation: "must come to a definite decision").
None of these lapsus linguae was quite as hilarious as his vision of "the sceptre of unemployment" stalking our green and pleasant land. But it got the morning off to a merry start. "
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1972000/1972379.stm
"Civil servants have been told to draft answers for Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott which are "easily spoken aloud", it has emerged. The move is an attempt to stop Mr Prescott and junior ministers in his Cabinet Office from making embarrassing mistakes or being tongue tied in the Commons.
On another occasion Mr Prescott pledged to "build on" Labour's legacy of creating green belts.
---- This message was posted by kharin to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=25714>
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