iPod minis. The president no doubt has a big man's iPod maxi, but these are prettier. Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images
Stop press: There's a copy of Steve Bell's Apes of Wrath up for grabs - read to the end of the post for more details When British politicians are asked for their music choices, they are usually bland and predictable. Tony Blair likes Simply Red (Mick Hucknell likes Labour); Michael Howard likes Bryan Adams (popular last time the Tories won an election) and Charles Kennedy likes Toploader (carrot-topped and middle of the road). The Tories caused much amusement last year when the shadow cabinet was canvassed for its music taste.
But much as it pains me to say so, the contents of George Bush's iPod reveal him to be if not a man of great taste and discernment, at least someone who genuinely likes listening to music.
Like his politics, he prefers his music catchy and simple, but with a few surprises up his sleeve. As the New York Times reports today (and Simon Jeffery noted yesterday on Newsblog), Bush's iPod contains a fair bit of mainstream meat-and-potatoes country music (George Jones, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney). But he also likes the more leftfield Gourds (the Texan band's storming Snoop Doggy Dogg cover Gin and Juice featured on last year's excellent Rough Trade Country compilation).
He also chose My Sharona by the Knack; a guilty pleasure but a pleasure nevertheless. Much has been made of its risque lyrics: "suggestive if not outright filthy", says Rolling Stone, which also incidentally described it as "a fatuous new wave song". But there were many worse records made by skinny-tied guitar bands back in 1979.
The real shock is that he's only got 250 tracks on his iPod although there's space for 10,000 or more. So now it's over to you: what other songs should Mr President get his staff to upload for his listening pleasure? Post your suggestions below and there's a great prize on offer for the best one. Our friends at Guardian Books have given us a copy of Steve Bell's Apes of Wrath - his viciously funny cartoon portrait of the Blair presidency and the 'war on terror'.
