President George Bush is on a trip to several European countries. While
visiting England, he is invited to tea with the Queen.
He asks her what her leadership philosophy is.
She says that it is to surround herself with intelligent people.
He asks how she knows if they are intelligent.
“I do so by asking them the right questions” says the Queen. “Allow me to
demonstrate”.
The Queen phones Tony Blair, puts him on a speaker phone and says, “Mr Prime
Minister, please answer this question for me. Your mother has a child, your
father has a child, and this child is not your brother or sister. Who is
it?”
Tony Blair responds, “It’s me, ma’am”.
“Correct. Thank you and goodbye sir”. Says the Queen.
She hangs up and says “Did you get that, Mr President?”
“Yes ma’am, Thanks a lot. I’ll definitely be using that!”
Upon returning home, he decides he’d better put some of his old friends to
the test.
He calls Dik Cheney first and says, “Hi, Dik, I wonder if you can answer a
question for me?”
“Why of course, Mr President, What’s on your mind?”
“Well your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child
is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?”
Cheney hems and haws and finally asks, “Can I think about it and get back to
you?”
Bush agrees and Cheney hangs up.
Cheney immediately calls members of his staff and they puzzle over the
question for several hours but nobody can come up with the answer. Finally,
in desperation, Cheney calls Colin Powell at the State Department and
explains his problem.
“Now look here, Colin, your mother has a child, your father has a child, and
this child is not your brother or your sister, Who is it?”
Powell answers immediately “It’s me of course, you idiot”
Much relieved, Cheney rushes back to call Bush and exclaims, “I know the
answer sir, I know who it is! It’s Colin Powell”
And Bush replies in disgust, “Wrong, it’s Tony Blair!”