Bush's great snack escape

The US president proved he had a sense of humour

The American press has had a field day following President George W Bush's sheepish admission that a nasty scrape on his cheek was the result of a fainting spell brought on by choking on a pretzel while watching an American football game.

In a mock-sombre headline warning Mr Bush to "Beware the deadly pretzel", the Boston Herald defends the US president for indulging in that most American of pastimes - snacking.

It said that fellow football game watchers would do well to heed his advice "as the nation prepares for... that ultimate snacking opportunity, the Superbowl".

The Washington Post, meanwhile, announces that Mr Bush has bounced back following an incident "that must have been frightening at the time but by morning's light sounded a bit bizarre".

The New York Times wryly comments that that the incident "is certain to go down in the annals of odd presidential accidents and collapses, including the stomach illness that befell Mr Bush's father at a state dinner in Tokyo".

And it cannot resist a small dig, saying that following a political tour of several American states Mr Bush will be heading to New Orleans for dinner, "forgoing the usual Air Force One pretzel snacks on the way".

Talk show quips

But it was America's talk show hosts who seized on the story with undisguised relish.

David Letterman warned on his CBS show that "about now a military tribunal is convicting a pretzel", and that "homeland security director Tom Ridge (has) issued an all-points bulletin for Mr Salty" - a popular pretzel brand name.

Mr Letterman's rival, NBC's Jay Leno, also poked fun at Vice President Dick Cheney, saying that aides had rushed to find him, only to find they could not remember which undisclosed location he was hiding in.

Mr Bush was one step ahead of most, however, when on Monday he gave journalists travelling on Air Force One a bumper pack of pretzels with the warning to "chew slowly" marked clearly on the packet.