John Howard and George W. Bush were the closest of allies while in power, but apparently there was one embarrassing phone gaffe.
The Australian prime minister, according to a former senior Bush aide, was waiting on the phone for the US president when he was mistakenly lambasted.
The aide didn't realise Howard was on the line and, when he heard a voice, got angry.
"You shouldn't be talking on this line!" the aide yelled into the phone.
"Who is this?"
Howard politely responded: "I'm sorry. This is John."
The aide still did not realise the person he was taking to task was the Australian prime minister.
"John who?" the American demanded.
"John Howard," came the reply.
Oops.
The conversation was detailed in a story by Yahoo News on Monday about the importance US presidents place on telephone conversations, whether it was Saturday's 90-minute call between Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine crisis or with other leaders.
*http://news.yahoo.com/how-the-president-makes-a-phone-call-212133128.html
