Foot in Mouth award 2008

Bush leaves White House with Lifetime Achievement Award from Plain English Campaign

This award, which we first gave in 1993, is for a baffling comment by a public figure. Departing US President George W Bush does not leave the White House empty handed. We have awarded him a Foot in Mouth Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to gobbledygook.

“I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe – I believe what I believe is right.” (Rome, July 22, 2001)

The above has a similar ring to one of the previous Foot in Mouth winners, a fellow Statesman, Donald Rumsfeld, with his ‘known knowns’. But it could be said that President Bush made Foot in Mouth his very own, covering a wide range of subjects including clear communications.

“I hope you leave here and walk out and say, ‘what did he say?’” (Beaverton, Oregon August 13 2004)

Plain English Campaign believes that President Bush captures the spirit of every true gobbledygooker when he says, surprisingly plainly,

“Let me put it to you bluntly. In a changing world, we want more people to have control over your own life” (Annandale, Va August 9 2004)