R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe has hit out at American president George W. Bush, admitting he "can't stand the guy."

Stipe, who is a staunch supporter of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, confesses that the band's song Man-Sized Wreath was inspired by his hatred for Bush. The track begins with the lyrics: "Turn on the TV and what do I see/A pageantry of empty gestures all lined up for me."

Stipe explains, "That's a reference to our current president, who I very publicly despise. I just can't stand the guy or his administration and it was about him going to the graveside of Martin Luther King, one of my heroes, and I think desecrating the memory of that great man and his work by being there during the Iraq war.

"I found it pathetic so I wrote that song about it."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)