Did President Bush just say "It is what it is"!!!!!!!

During a press conference at Camp David on April 27 2007, where President Bush was hosting the Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, the president while talking about the spending bill that he planned to veto because of the attached clause requiring a timetable for troop withdrawals, used the term, "It is what it is" Now is it just me, or is this Hip Hop, or black-speak?! It is the case, that black youth are generally accepted as the trendsetters when it comes to cultural as well as other aspects, but dayum, I think that for it to reach the White House, and so quick - I mean I don't think this is a phrase that's been popular in youth-speak that long. In the past, words/phrases made popular by black youth always make it to the mainstream, but these days it seems like it just happens that much quicker - maybe due to the prominence of hip hop in mainstream culture? Why is this significant? I think that it says something about the acceptability of "black culture", "black language" in the mainstream, which I hope would also coincide with greater acceptance and consequently - of the idea of greater participation of black people in the mainstream, in the work place, in higher education, in politics and generally in American life on an equal basis. It is also useful to remind black youth of their influence and to remind those of us cultural critics who are so quick to dismiss certain idiosyncrasies of black youth culture to realise that conformity may not be an answer at all, or at least may not be a requirement. Of course if I'm completely wrong that "it is what it is" is black/hip-hop speak, then of course this whole blog is null and void, but it was still something to hear the president use what I am pretty sure is at least some sort of youth-speak...