It's Me!
Some years ago, Barack Obama met with the Queen of England.
He asked her, "Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government? Are there any tips you can give to me?"
"Well," said the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."
Obama frowned, and then asked, "But how do I know the people around me are really intelligent?"
The Queen took a sip of tea. "Oh, that's easy; you just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle." With that, the Queen pushed a button on her intercom. "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"
Mr. Blair walked into the room and said, "Yes, my Queen?"
The Queen smiled and said, "Answer me this, please, Tony. Your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"
Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answered, "That would be me."
"Yes! Very good," said the Queen.
Obama went back home to ask Vice-President Joe Biden the same question. "Joe, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. It's not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"
"I'm not sure," said Biden. "Let me get back to you on that one..." Biden went to his advisors and asked every one of them, but none could give him an answer. Finally, he ended up in the men's room next to Colin Powell.
Biden asked, "Colin, can you answer a question for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"
Powell exclaimed, "That's easy, it's me!"
Biden smiled and thanked him, then practically ran back to speak with Obama. "I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle of yours. It's Colin Powell!"
Infuriated, Obama stood up, stomped over to Biden, and angrily yelled into his face, "No! You idiot! It's Tony Blair!"
And that is what's wrong with the U.S. federal government.
He asked her, "Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government? Are there any tips you can give to me?"
"Well," said the Queen, "the most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."
Obama frowned, and then asked, "But how do I know the people around me are really intelligent?"
The Queen took a sip of tea. "Oh, that's easy; you just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle." With that, the Queen pushed a button on her intercom. "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"
Mr. Blair walked into the room and said, "Yes, my Queen?"
The Queen smiled and said, "Answer me this, please, Tony. Your mother and father have a child. It is not your brother and it is not your sister. Who is it?"
Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answered, "That would be me."
"Yes! Very good," said the Queen.
Obama went back home to ask Vice-President Joe Biden the same question. "Joe, answer this for me. Your mother and your father have a child. It's not your brother and it's not your sister. Who is it?"
"I'm not sure," said Biden. "Let me get back to you on that one..." Biden went to his advisors and asked every one of them, but none could give him an answer. Finally, he ended up in the men's room next to Colin Powell.
Biden asked, "Colin, can you answer a question for me? Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"
Powell exclaimed, "That's easy, it's me!"
Biden smiled and thanked him, then practically ran back to speak with Obama. "I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle of yours. It's Colin Powell!"
Infuriated, Obama stood up, stomped over to Biden, and angrily yelled into his face, "No! You idiot! It's Tony Blair!"
And that is what's wrong with the U.S. federal government.