Georgia renames street after Bush

[SeleucusNicator]

and not the US Georgia either.

Tbilisi officials name street after Bush

Associated Press

TBILISI, Georgia - City officials in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi voted Wednesday to rename a street in honor of President Bush, who was met by enthusiastic crowds here in May but also escaped an apparent attempt on his life.

"George Bush is doing a lot for the development of democracy in the world and is helping Georgia with its democratic transformation. And we are proud that one of Tbilisi's streets will carry his name," said Mayor Gigi Ugulava.

The measure passed 29-12, with opposition lawmakers in the assembly voting against the measure because they said it rewarded Bush for supporting President Mikhail Saakashvili - both politically and through generous U.S. financial aid.

"No one denies that the United States is helping Georgia a lot. But I believe that we should have named one of Tbilisi's streets after Thomas Jefferson," said the head of the opposition Labor Party, Georgy Gunava.

Saakashvili, who came to power after the 2004 "Rose Revolution," has built close ties with the United States.

Bush's motorcade had driven down the street, which leads from to the airport to the city and already has a white banner proclaiming the new name: "President George W. Bush Street" beside a photo of him smiling and waving.

He hailed the Bush visit as a success, despite an incident in which a man threw a live grenade toward the U.S president as he addressed a huge rally flanked by Saakashvili. The grenade did not explode and no one was injured.

Vladimir Arutyunian, who is in custody and has admitted to the grenade-throwing, was indicted earlier this month by a U.S. grand jury on charges of trying to assassinate the president but will face justice at home.

 

[blackheart]

What surprises me most is that someone tried to grenade Bush and this is the first I've heard of such a thing!

 

[Japanrocks12]

I really don't know how to comment. I really don't know if a comment is even necessary.

 

[North King]

You're up to two or three governments that like you, Bush! Go, go, go!

 

[The Yankee]

I guess it's close enough to that huge square in Baghdad with a statue of Bush that was predicted by someone as the war began.

Though I remember the grenade thing...kind of felt like a non-story even though it was there...there were only a few people spending a lot of energy on it....

And a Jefferson Street would be great. But, their city.

 

[I am the Future]

Poor Georgia Tehy Are my favorite Former Soviet Republic and ow tehy have turned into a bunch of republican Idiots.

Moderator Action: Trolling - warned.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Left]

A lot of Georgian's admire a nation that is stable, and can respect a strong leader that takes out his enemies, as they have had a lot of political turmoil and instability after they became independent. Stalin is also admired in parts of the country, him being homegrown after all.

 

[alex994]

A lot of Georgian's admire a nation that is stable, and can respect a strong leader that takes out his enemies, as they have had a lot of political turmoil and instability after they became independent. Stalin is also admired in parts of the country, him being homegrown after all.

Don't forget Zhukov!

When did someone try to assasinate Bush with a grenade?

 

[Irish Caesar]

It was a few months ago...I thought it was a fairly big story at the time...but I don't remember exactly when it was. Might have been part of a 60-year anniversary of the end of WWII.

 

[Capulet]

It was a big story at the time. First everyone said it happened, then the Secret Service denied it, but Georgia's security forces said that it did happen. It was a confusing affair.

 

[h4ppy]

Roove really slipped up when he didn't hammer this in the conservative media. Or however things work.

 

[amadeus]

This isn't entirely uncommon. Seoul has a street they ranamed to Tehran in honor of the Shah.

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

You're up to two or three governments that like you, Bush! Go, go, go!

It seems like a trend where those who have had freedom for a long time don't like him, but those who have just gained it really do. Not a 100% thing, just seems like a trend. Some take freedom for granted and some don't?

 

[Winner]

Post-revolution enthusiasm. It will fade away quickly, if it already hasn't.

We also have some streets named after US presidents or generals, but name them after Bush? The new Georgian leadership obviously hasn't much to offer so they need to make Bush happy.

 

[Leonel]

I personally would have liked Thomas Jefferson Street as well simply because Thomas Jefferson seemed part of the founding fathers crowd along with George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. George Bush Jr is more modern and (at least right now) isn't really that much popularly associated with democracy.

 

[Marla_Singer]

There are several places and subway stations named after US presidents in Paris.

• Avenue du President Wilson : 16th arrondissement between Place d'Iena and Place de l'Alma.
• Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt : In the 8th arrondissement, ending on the Champs-Elysées.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt : Main subway station on the Champs-Elysées.
• Rue Lincoln : 8th arrondissement, also ending on the Champs-Elysées.
• Rue Washington : 8th arrondissement, also ending on the Champs-Elysées.
• Square Thomas Jefferson : 16th arrondissement, near the Avenue d'Iena.
• Avenue du Général Eisenhower : Between the Avenue Franklin Roosevelt and the Champs-Elysées, near the Grand Palais (8th arr.).
• Avenue Benjamin Franklin : From the Trocadero, near the Eiffel Tower (16th arr.).
• Avenue du Président Kennedy : Along the river Seine, Not far from the Eiffel Tower and facing the Liberty Island where is held the small version of the Statue of Liberty the US has offered to us (16th arr.).
• Kennedy : Subway station near the Maison de la Radio.
• Avenue de New York : Following the Kennedy Avenue along the river Seine, from the Eiffel Tower to the Place de l'Alma (8th/16th arr.).
• Place des Etats-Unis : The United States Square is a large square between the Avenue Kleber and the Avenue d'Iena.
• Rue du 4 juillet : Near the Rue de Menilmontant (20th arr.).
• Rue de Toqueville : Not properly American, but he made all his carreer in the studying of the United States (17th arr.). Of course we also have a Rue Lafayette, but well, that's not the same.

The list is not complete... those are just the one I remembered. So even in the new ennemy country (aka Thomas Friedman), we have several streets named after Americans or things relative to the United States.

 

[Jawz II]

i bet you regret it now

 

[The Last Conformist]

Well, whatever you think of Bush's overall preformance, it's hard to deny he's been good for Georgia.

He's also got sky-high approval ratings in southern Sudan.

 

[Strider]

I think I prefer the method of naming our streets after trees.

 

[farting bob]

Damn, i was hoping this would be about the good kind of bush, that you get in seedy movies, but alas, its the redneck kind of bush.
Still, cant see why they would, like most countreis in europe (and world) i expect most people there dont like the guy. Should have named it after the person that tried to kill him