In today’s Slate:
“I believe that, as quickly as possible, young cows ought to be allowed go across our border.” — Ottawa, Nov. 30, 2004
Now this one just puzzles me. Here’s the relevant excerpt from the transcript. Bush was apparently responding to a question about the importation of beef from Canada to the U.S. (I can’t quote the question, because it isn’t included in the transcript, presumably because it’s in French):
Look, the prime minister has expressed a great deal of frustration that the issue hadn’t been resolved yet. And I can understand his level of frustration. There’s a series of regulations that are required by U.S. law, and the latest step has been that the Agriculture Department sent over some proposed regulations to handle this issue to what’s called the Office of Management and Budget. It’s a part of my office.
I have sent word over that they need to expedite that request as quickly as possible.
I fully understand the cattle business. I understand the pressures placed upon Canadian ranchers. I believe that, as quickly as possible, young cows ought to be allowed to go across our border. I understand the integrated nature of the cattle business, and I hope we can get this issue solved as quickly as possible. . . .
What’s “Bushist” about this? Is it that “young cows” sounds odd? Apparently it’s a common industry term (see, e.g., “Management of Young Cows for Maximum Reproductive Performance,” noted on a USDA site). Is it that it sounds stilted to talk about allowing the cows to go over the border, as if it’s the cows’ desire? But this is a pretty standard locution — speaking of goods going places, rather than people shipping goods places — and in context I doubt that it sounded at all odd.
Or is it the omission of the “to” before the “go across the border”? The Washington Post transcript quotes Bush as saying “to go across the border,” as do the other sources I’ve checked. [UPDATE: Reader Russell Steinthal points out that Slate has since inserted the “to,” though it was omitted when the item originally went up.]
And why does Slate, an online publication that has long tried hard to take advantage of its online format, persist in failing to providing links to sources that it quotes? Wouldn’t it be good if readers could see for themselves how the quote looks in context?
[NOTE: I added the “Or is it” paragraph after this post was originally posted.]
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