THE QUEEN'S RIDDLE
George W. Bush went to London to visit Queen Elizabeth.
After the formalities, GWB asked, "Tell me, Your Majesty, what's the secret of good leadership?"
"Mr. President, the secret is simply to surround oneself with wise counsel."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"Allow me to demonstrate," said Elizabeth, picking up the telephone. "Please ask Dr. Williams to join us," she commanded.
In came a most distinguished gentleman.
"Mr. Bush, allow me to present His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury," said the Queen.
"Pleased to meetcha," said George.
The Queen continued, "Will Your Grace please answer this riddle? Your mother gives birth to a baby, but you have no brothers or sisters. Who is the baby?"
"Why, Ma'am, tis myself!" replied the Archbishop at once.
"Indeed," said the Queen, "and thank you most kindly."
"Boy howdy!" said George, "That's a good one. I'm gonna try that on the ol'boys back in Washington."
Immediately on his return to the Oval Office, he called in Vice Pres. Dick Cheney.
"Cheney, answer this riddle. Your mamma has a baby, but you have no brothers or sisters. Who is the baby?"
Cheney ponders a while, then, "Mr. President, let me get back to you on that."
Cheney rushes to his VP office and gets on the phone to Don Rumsfeld.
He tells the riddle to Rumsfeld, but Rumsfeld can not come up with an answer.
Next he calls Paul Wolfowitz, Tom Delay, Alan Greenspan, Newt Gingrich, and John Ashcroft. All admittedly bright men, but none of them can think of an answer.
In desperation, Cheney calls Henry the K. Kissinger can't come up with anything either, but he makes a suggestion. "Vell, have you tried Colin Powell?"
"Golly, I forgot about Colin Powell. I'll try him right away."
He has Powell on the line. "Colin, you gotta help me! The President is waiting for an answer on this. Your mother has a baby, but you have no brothers or sisters. Who is the baby?"
"Why, it's me, of course," says Powell.
"Oo-oo-oo! That's it! Thanks, Colin!"
Rushing back to the Oval Office, he bursts in with, "Mr. President! Mr. President! I've got it -- it's Colin Powell!"
...
"Naw, wrong," says Bush, "it's the Archbishop of Canterbury."