Can it be that they actually prefer corporate swill?

Faced with the option of making nice to the Koreans by eating Korean national dishes, what do the Republicans do? (via Atrios)

A number of the most senior White House officials on the trip, perhaps seeking the comforts of their Texas homes, chose to skip the kimchi in South Korea to go to dinner at Outback Steakhouse — twice. [Meaning: It’s not an accident.]

You expect your toddler to insist on McDonald’s in Paris, but not an adult!

But I guess the Republicans are still functioning at the toddler level—the corporate toddler level. I remember in school they taught me, if you want to do business with Asians, you eat what the Asians eat; otherwise, they think you’re inflexible and don’t want to build relationships. Plus, why not be curious and learn new tastes? [OK, OK—the hen’s feet were too much even for me.] And why not bond with your hosts, and show you can share their culture? As CD says: “Lesson: people will listen to anything if you feed them tasty food.”

As with so much else, we’ll leave discussion of Bush family habits to qualified medical personnel. But the fish definitely does rot from the head (of the family). Here’s what the Bush family chef, Ariel de Guzmanl, has to say (and some of the questions just answer themselves):

The recipes in your new book, “The Bush Family Cookbook,” are surprisingly fattening. The Bush family recipe for mixed-vegetable casserole, for instance, combines frozen peas and green beans with three cups of mayonnaise [from a jar?] and heavy cream. Isn’t that unhealthful?

[…]

I that why some of your recipes call for canned vegetables?

As far as nutrition is concerned, canned or frozen vegetables have more nutrition than fresh vegetables. It’s added from the companies, the manufacturer.

You can’t possibly see yourself as a serious cook.

No, ma’am, not at all. I wouldn’t know what fresh saffron looks like. I’m not into research.

In that case, how did you end up as the White House cook for four years and now spending half the year living with George and Barbara Bush in Kennebunkport, Me., and the other half in Houston, cooking their meals?

Well, because here as elsewhere, the Bush family, like Republicans generally, delight in corporate swill.

Meanwhile, in the world outside the bubble, here’s what the troops think:

Sharing Cajun and Creole food with relief workers has been one way Gulf Coast residents have shown their appreciation.

“They’re here for us,” Krummel said. “Why can’t we do something for them?”

Chef Paul Prudhomme and his staff from K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen have cooked about 30,000 meals for out-of-towners. “When you’re good at something, you want to share it,” he said.

Soldiers say the generosity has lifted their spirits.

“I feel honored and blessed these people do that,” said Staff Sgt. George DeBono. “They’re not asking for tips. They’re not asking for anything.”

And the food was better than they imagined, with flavors most weren’t used to tasting.

“I’m going home with a little more weight,” DeBono said with a tug of his trousers. “I couldn’t get enough.”

Of course, if Bush and his entourage were in NOLA, they’d be eating at the Outback there too. Why on earth would they look for citizens to honor and bless them?

Remember when Bush when to Iraq for Thanksgiving and “shared” Thanksgiving with—pre-selected, naturally—troops, and did a photo-op with a fake Turkey?

Photo-ops we expect. But photo-ops with fake food? It’s the same as the frozen beans! Jeebus. Anything for an image. And anything to avoid real—i.e., not corporate—food.

UPDATE Or, gosh, could the explanation be just a little simpler? Could it be that Outback knows the real way to a Republican’s heart? Here’s Outback’s soft money contributions for the 2004 cycle:

Um, any of you still eating at Outback? Why?

NOTE See this post for why food is important politically. Read all the way to the bottom.