New
York
(ANI):
Singer
Barbra
Streisand
embraced
George
Bush
as
she
was
presented
with
the
Kennedy
Center
Honour
by
the
US
President
–
whom
she
had
once
called
'an
alien
sent
here
to
destroy
the
Earth.'
The
two-time
Academy
Award-winner,
who
had
blamed
Bush
for
stealing
the
2000
election
and
mishandling
the
Iraq
war,
was
said
to
be
genuinely
touched
by
the
nation's
top
artsy
accolade.
The
Kennedy
Center
Honouree
for
2008
had
been
greeted
by
the
former
Governor
of
Texas
before
the
show
at
the
Kennedy
Performing
Arts
Center
at
Pennsylvania
Avenue.
"Art
transcends
politics
this
weekend," the
New
York
Daily
News
quoted
the
Brooklyn-born
singer
as
saying.
However,
on
being
questioned
if
she
would
have
liked
President-elect
Barack
Obama
hosting
the
event,
the
actress
replied:
"That
would
have
been
lovely,"
adding,
"or
(Bill)
Clinton."
Barbra
has
been
counted
amongst
the
short
list
of
entertainers
who
have
had
the
distinction
of
winning
an
Emmy,
a
Grammy,
an
Oscar
and
a
Tony
award.