Misunderestimated Him? Never.

Compilations of Bushisms abound on websites - here's a selection from some that, despite having done the rounds for years, still crack us up. Also See: Anearlier list

"They misunderestimated me." — George W. Bush,Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

"I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome." —GeorgeW. Bush, defending Vice President Dick Cheney's pre-war assertion that theUnited States would be welcomed in Iraq as liberators, NBC Nightly Newsinterview, Dec. 12, 2005

"I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of afriend." —George W. Bush, on visiting Denmark, Washington D.C., June 29,2005

"For every fatal shooting, there were roughlythree non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It'sjust unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it." —Philadelphia,Penn., May 14, 2001

"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our childrenlearning?" —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be ableto pass a literacy test.'' —Townsend, Tenn., Feb.21, 2001

"I am here to make an announcement thatthis Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald ReaganAirport." —Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001

"I know the human being and fish can coexistpeacefully." —Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

"I know how hard it is for you to put food on yourfamily." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000

"Families is where our nation finds hope, wherewings take dream." —LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

"I promise you I will listen to what hasbeen said here, even though I wasn't here." — President's Economic Forumin Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002

"We spent a lot of timetalking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers fromincredible disease." —Gothenburg,Sweden, June 14, 2001

"Tribal sovereignty meansthat it's sovereign. I mean, you're a — you've been given sovereignty, andyou're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between thefederal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." —Washington,D.C., Aug. 6, 2004

"The war on terror involves SaddamHussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein,and his willingness to terrorize himself." —Grand Rapids, Mich., Jan. 29,2003

"I saw a poll that said the right track/wrongtrack in Iraq was better than here in America. It's pretty darn strong. I mean,the people see a better future." —Washington, D.C., Sept.23, 2004

"We need an energy bill that encouragesconsumption." —Trenton, N.J., Sept. 23, 2002

"Do you have blacks, too?" —to Brazilian President FernandoCardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001

"This foreign policy stuff is a littlefrustrating." —as quoted by the New YorkDaily News, April 23, 2002

"It is white." —after being asked by achild in Britain what the White House was like, July 19, 2001

"I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joyof Hanukkah." —at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington,D.C., Dec. 10, 2001

"I'm the master of lowexpectations." —aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003

"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don'tspend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." —aboardAir Force One, June 4, 2003

"I know what I believe. I will continue to articulatewhat I believe and what I believe — I believe what I believe is right."—Rome, Italy, July 22, 2001

"I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time soI could plan for it…I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midstof this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up withanswer, but it hadn't yet….I don't want to sound like I have made no mistakes.I'm confident I have. I just haven't — you just put me under the spot here,and maybe I'm not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up withone." —on being asked to name the biggest mistake he had made,Washington, D.C., April 3, 2004

"The really rich people figure out how to dodge taxesanyway." —explaining why high taxes on the rich are a failed strategy,Annandale, Va., Aug. 9, 2004

"My plan reduces the national debt, and fast. So fast, in fact, thateconomists worry that we're going to run out of debt to retire." —radioaddress, Feb. 24, 2001

"See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attackeach other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction." —Milwaukee,Wis., Oct. 3, 2003

"Themost important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number onepriority and we will not rest until we find him." —Washington,D.C., Sept. 13, 2001

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have noidea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not ourpriority." —Washington, D.C., March13, 2002

"I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at theWhite House on the outdoor track. It's sad that I can't run longer. It'sone of the saddest things about the presidency." —interviewwith "Runners World," Aug. 2002

"Can we win? I don't think you can win it." —afterbeing asked whether the war on terror was winnable, "Today" showinterview, Aug. 30, 2004

"I just want you to know that, when we talkabout war, we're really talking about peace." —Washington, D.C. June 18,2002

"I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do myjob." —to a group of Amish he met with privately, July 9, 2004

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas,probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you.Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17,2002

"Too many good docs are getting out of thebusiness. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women allacross this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

"The relations with, uhh — Europe are important relations, andthey've, uhh — because, we do share values. And, they're universal values,they're not American values or, you know — European values, they're universalvalues. And those values — uhh — being universal, ought to be appliedeverywhere." —George W. Bush, at a press conference with European Uniondignitaries, Washington, D.C., June 20, 2005

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and overand over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult thepropaganda." —George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005

"I can only speak to myself." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,April 28, 2005

"I appreciate my love for Laura." —George W. Bush, Washington,D.C., April 20, 2005

"Part of the facts is understanding we have a problem, and part of thefacts is what you're going to do about it." —George W. Bush, Kirtland,Ohio, April 15, 2005

"Well, we've made the decision to defeat the terrorists abroad so wedon't have to face them here at home. And when you engage the terrorists abroad,it causes activity and action." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April28, 2005

"It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to usand get them out of harm's way." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April28, 2005

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law." —GeorgeW. Bush, Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 28, 2005

"It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doublydevastating on the ground." —George W. Bush, turning to his aides whilesurveying Hurricane Katrina flood damage from Air Force One , Aug. 31, 2005

"If it were to rain a lot, there is concern from the Army Corps ofEngineers that the levees might break. And so, therefore, we're cautious aboutencouraging people to return at this moment of history." —George W. Bush,Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2005

"This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran issimply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table." —GeorgeW. Bush, Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 22, 2005

"Because he's hiding." —George W. Bush, responding to a reporterwho asked why Osama bin Laden had not been caught, aboard Air Force One, Jan.14, 2005

"I'm also mindful that man should never try to put words in God's mouth.I mean, we should never ascribe natural disasters or anything else to God. Weare in no way, shape, or form should a human being, play God." —George W.Bush, ABC's 20/20, Washington D.C., Jan. 14, 2005

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful,and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country andour people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

"I'm the commander — see, I don't need toexplain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interestingthing about being president." —as quoted in Bob Woodward's Bush at War