The "feel your pain" reference was a direct slap at President Clinton, who had irked administration officials by beating Bush to the punch with comments on the disaster - and stealing the media limelight in the process.

Noted the Washington Post:

"In Britain, the predominant U.S. voice speaking about the disaster was not Bush but former president Bill Clinton, who in an interview with the BBC said the suffering was like something in a 'horror movie,' and urged a coordinated international response."

"It is really important that somebody take the lead in this," Clinton told the BBC, in a thinly veiled reminder of Bush's silence. "I think one of the problems is when everybody takes responsibility it's almost like no one's responsibility," he complained.

Many Bush aides believe Clinton was too quick to head for the cameras to "hold forth on tragedies with his trademark empathy," the Post added.

"Actions speak louder than words," an annoyed Bush aide told the paper.

On Wednesday President Bush announced a massive aid package for victims of the tsunami disaster.

Ex-president Clinton has yet to react.

Editor's note: