It’s happened again. Remarks meant to be private were made embarrassingly public by an open microphone when French President Nicolas Sarkozy labeled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a liar.”
During last week’s G20 summit in Cannes, a private conversation between Sarkozy and US President Obama was inadvertently broadcast to journalists in separate locations. Unaware microphones had been turned on in their meeting room, Sarkozy said of Netanyahu, “I cannot bear Netanyahu. He is a liar.” Obama’s response: “You’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him even more often than you.”
Add this unfortunate undiplomatic incident to a long list of open mic gaffes. Politicians, would-be-politicians and even British royalty have all seen their private utterances made regrettably public by a microphone that was left on.
In 1984, at the height of the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan thought he was doing a radio sound check when he joked “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” His comments were broadcast live.
During his 2000 election campaign, George W. Bush was caught on an open microphone when he whispered to Dick Cheney, that Adam Clymer, a reporter for the New York Times was a “major-league a**hole.” Said Cheney, “Yeah, big time.”
While taping an interview for Fox News in 2008, the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s whispered remarks to a fellow guest that he wanted to “cut the n*ts off” then Senator Barack Obama for “talking down to black people” were caught on an open microphone.
At the 2010 signing of the healthcare reform bill, Vice President Joe Biden, unmindful of the live microphone, termed the legislation “a big f***ing deal.”
Texas Governor Rick Perry endured a grueling remote 10-minute interview with Ken Olberg of KTRK in 2005. Thinking the microphone and camera were off, Governor Perry turned to an aide, and referring to Olberg, said “Adios, mofo.”
During a 2010 CNN interview, unaware that her microphone was on, Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO and then-U.S. Republican Senate nominee from California, criticized of all things, her Democratic opponent Barbara Boxer’s hair. “What is that hair? It’s so yesterday,” she laughed.
And as if to prove that unguarded moments are not confined to common folk, in March of 2005, while posing for photographers in Klosters, Switzerland, Prince Charles was heard to say of English journalist Nicholas Witchell, “I can’t stand that man. He’s so awful, he really is.”
Apparently, our public figures need to be reminded that in the presence of open microphones loose lips can sink ships of state.
Sources:
Yanni Le Guernigou, “Sarkozy tells Obama Netanyahu is a ‘liar,’” Reuters
Amy Walter, “Boom goes the Microphone,” abcnews.go.com
M.J. Stephy, “A Brief History of Microphone Gaffes,” time.com