I was sitting at my desk yesterday, trying to quietly doze off to my mid-morning nap (not to be confused with my planned siesta nor pre-departure slumber) when my co-worker, Matt, sends me an email with a link in it. I thought nothing of it since we try to keep each other in the loop for interesting technology stories and such. What he sent me, though, was a link to an articl in the Huffington Post – Bush To Filipino President: “I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The — Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House”. I read it and then I sat there. And then I read it again, followed all the associated links and then stared blankly at my monitor.

The sound that you may have heard is my open palm slapping myself on the forehead while I shake my head, not in anger or disgust, but in embarassment.

It isn’t so much that I don’t agree with the politics of the administration it is that I can’t get my head wrapped around the fact that my nation’s leader met with the leader of another nation and very subtly pretty much pidgeon-holed an entire nation as servants. Reading it made me feel like I just popped open a book to read about early 20th century American imperialism and how Americans referred to Asians as either their “little brown brother” or “little yellow brother”.

Face it, the Philippines is not a rich country. What is one of the largest exports of the Philippines? Humans. Filippinos leave in order to find work in other countries, most of the time as domestic help – nannies, maids and, yes, cooks.

I mean, seriously –

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.
PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.
PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

I can’t imagine what he’d say to a visiting African dignitary. “We have a lot of African-Americans who love it here in America. I’m reminded of their great talent everytime I watch professional sports.”

Or a the head of a hispanic country: “Buenos dias! I would like to tell you how proud I am to be the President where there are a lot of Latin-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. I am reminded of their great talent everytime I see them doing the landscaping and mowing the White House lawn.”

To make matters a little more interesting for me, they shut down the street between the building I work in, Metropolitan Square, and the Willard Intercontinental Hotel. Lots of blacked out Suburbans and Yukons and DC police. There were also a ton of secret service folks around, dark suits, sunglasses and their ear pieces in. Truly, it is quite the hubbub that happens when someone important or something big is happening. Turns out the Philippine president is most likely there.

I should stop buy and say hello.