The Pope is visiting DC and President Bush takes him out for an
afternoon on the Potomac...sailing on the presidential yacht, the Sequoia. They're admiring the sights when, all of a sudden, the Pope's hat (zucchetto) blows off his head and out into the water.

The secret service guys start to launch a boat, but Bush waves them off, saying "Wait, wait. I'll take care of this." Bush then steps off the yacht onto the surface of the water and walks out to the Holy Father's little hat, bends over and picks it up, then walks back to the yacht and climbs aboard. He hands the hat to the Pope amid stunned silence.

The next morning, the Washington Post carried a story, with front-page photos, of the event. The banner headline was:

"Bush Can't Swim."

[Burt Foster]

I got this e-mail earler today and got a really great laugh from it.

There is a real message here.