Bush Makes Unexpected Catch--a Hook in His Ear

Someone on a fishing excursion today with President Bush and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney hooked a big one--the President himself.

Camera crew members in a news boat following close behind said Mulroney appeared to be responsible for the hook that caught Bush’s ear, a notion the Canadian prime minister did nothing to dispel.

“It was not a hostile act,” Mulroney said.

However, First Lady Barbara Bush, who said her husband “is fine,” disputed that Mulroney was the culprit. She summoned son Jeb, who was also on the boat, and commanded him to tell reporters just who had hooked his father.

Jeb just grinned sheepishly. Did Mulroney hook Bush? “That is really not true,” he said and walked away.

Bush’s press secretary Marlin Fitzwater later confirmed that Jeb was responsible for accidentally piercing his father’s right earlobe.

Bush’s physician on an accompanying boat attended to the wound. He snipped the fish hook with wire cutters and pulled the remainder of the hook through the ear, according to Fitzwater.

“The President was strong and courageous throughout this exercise,” Fitzwater told reporters traveling back to Washington with Bush aboard Air Force One. Fitzwater said the hook passed through the bottom, rounded part of the President’s earlobe.

Bush continued to fish for about another hour and later received a tetanus shot. When he boarded Air Force One later in the morning, no evidence of a wound or bandage could be seen.

It was the second boating mishap involving Bush and Mulroney.

On Monday, Bush’s boat broke down while the President was taking the Canadian leader and his family for a ride. A small Coast Guard boat was summoned to rescue the party. The boat was repaired overnight.