Flushes and Blushes Over Bush Speech

George Bush's speech marking the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was interrupted for CNN viewers when one of the network's presenters forgot a cardinal rule of broadcast journalism - turn your microphone off when you go to the toilet.

The president had just got started on Tuesday, apologising for the government's poor performance in response to last year's devastating storm.

"We have got to give assurance to the citizens that if there's a better natural disaster, we'll respond in better fashion," he was saying when a familiar voice broke in.

It was one of the main morning anchorwomen, Kyra Phillips, gossiping with a friend about men and families. Her clip-on microphone had been left on in what appeared to be a toilet, judging by the ambient sounds of running water and zips being opened and closed.

The president could still be heard talking about the improvements he intended to make in his administration, while Ms Phillips was comparing notes about partners. "I'm very lucky in that regard with my husband," she boasted.

"My husband is handsome and he is genuinely a loving, you know, no ego - well, we all have egos - you know what I'm saying. Just a passionate, compassionate, great, great human being. And they exist. They do exist. They're hard to find ... but they are out there."

So her husband was no doubt happy with her comments. Her sister-in-law was probably less so, however, after what happened moments later.

The other woman in the CNN toilet appeared to be having problems getting her brother to accept her partner.

"Of course, brothers have to be protective, except for mine. I've got to be protective of him," Ms Phillips told her colleague. "He's married, three kids but his wife is just a control freak."

At that point someone arrived to tell the broadcaster to turn her microphone off.

CNN issued an apology for the gaffe, which it described as "audio difficulties". The incident will provide fodder for CNN's rightwing critics, however, who believe it to be a hotbed of radical liberalism.