Looks like this is somewhat of a manufactured "gaffe":

Here is Bush's entire segment transcribed:

"I thought an interesting comment was made when somebody said to me, I heard somebody say, 'now where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead. Because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandela's.

He was a brutal tyrant that divided people up and split families and people are recovering from this. So there's a psychological recovery that is taking place and it's hard work for them and I understand that it's hard work for them."


And the link to the Newsbusters item:

Danged liberal media! (Somewhere, Al Franken is chuckling...)

I must say, this isn't helping his cause, it makes him look even more idiotic.

I don't understand how you came to that conclusion... other than you don't like him, and no matter what he does, you'll think he's a dope.

But besides that, the point is that someone asked him where the Nelson Mandela-type figure was in Iraq. Bush's response that "Saddam killed all those people," is evident by the lack of Iraqi leadership coming out of that country. There is no Iraqi hero who has confidently united the country... because all those who spoke out against Saddam were murdered long ago.

But that's not really the point... the point is that yet another member of the media chose to take a quote out of context, so they could present it as a "Bush is dumb" story... which gets eaten up by the members of the hate-Bush crowd. Apparently it doesn't matter if it's flat out false... as long as it's negative Bush news, people will accept it... no questions asked.

I came to that conclusion by paying attention.
First, no one asked him, Bush said and I quote "someone said, I heard someone say..." There was no question. And no, Bush's response was "mandela is dead". Here's the video of Bush's speech for your edifica.... He cannot formulate a sentence, this is what buying your education does. Leaves you looking like an idiot in nearly every speech you give.
The quote was most certainly not out of context, I saw the clip and heard the speech. That is exactly what he said.