Iraqi Journalist Throws Shoes At Bush..Misses

[fuelair]

Well, because that's the presidents privilege to be at press conferences.

Good one Oliver but someone else had already said it!! (Not me)

 

[Sefarst]

If Bush's secret service team was competent this guy might have been shot before the shoe left his hand. It could have been a real mess in that room. Luckily for the shoe thrower they seem to be slow as molasses.

I don't think so. If you watch the video, that shoe-thrower was really quick. The secret service doesn't stand around with their guns drawn ready to waste anyone that makes a false move. The guy managed to throw both shoes in around two or three seconds.

It was an incredibly stupid and irresponsible thing to do. If I had been the Secret Service, I might have thought that the guy was throwing some kind of bomb at the president.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

It was an incredibly stupid and irresponsible thing to do.

Compared to lying to instigate an aggressive invasion and occupation that has killed hundreds of thousands?

ETA: Yeah, I'm finding it difficult to condemn the shoe-thrower as a serious danger to the world!

 

[varwoche]

Its kind of ironic that President Bush has created the situation in Iraq where people now have the freedom to throw shoes at him. Must have been the way Gorbachov felt when people started to have the freedom to criticise him.

Irony = nil. That's because (1) the guy is in jail and (2) I don't imagine that throwing shoes at an American president named Bush would have been a problem under Saddam.

 

[Cicero]

Irony = nil. That's because (1) the guy is in jail and (2) I don't imagine that throwing shoes at an American president named Bush would have been a problem under Saddam.

If you threw your shoes at Saddam, your fate would be slow death by Branick Device.

 

[WildCat]

I don't think so. If you watch the video, that shoe-thrower was really quick. The secret service doesn't stand around with their guns drawn ready to waste anyone that makes a false move.

Good thing too, or there would be quite the body count of Chicago motorists pulling their cars up to Obama's motorcade to try to get a picture.

 

[Tin Foil Timothy]

I don't suppose it has dawned on you that all Iraqis don't view the world exactly the way Fox news portrays it.

Amazingly there are still some people left who believe all that Freedom and Democracy crap.

Never mind that things are much worse in Iraq under Bush than they were under Saddam.

I suspect the shoe thrower is set to become a hero over there.

btw skeptigirl - I had the intelligence to understand that 'Fox News' was just a metaphor for western media in general.

 

[jmcvann]

If I had been the Secret Service, I might have thought that the guy was throwing some kind of bomb at the president.

Indeed. Cluelessness was what I saw. I doubt anyone knew what was thrown the first time, at least not right away. Shrub just stands there, seemingly unaware he's in a country that, for a large part, hates him. Reminded me of his cluelessness when he was told of the WTC attack. He just went on reading "My Pet Goat." CLUELESS!!!

 

[Skeptic Guy]

Amazingly there are still some people left who believe all that Freedom and Democracy crap.

Never mind that things are much worse in Iraq under Bush than they were under Saddam.

I suspect the shoe thrower is set to become a hero over there.

btw skeptigirl - I had the intelligence to understand that 'Fox News' was just a metaphor for western media in general.

Amazingly there are still some people left who believe all that Freedom and Democracy crap.

Never mind that things are much worse in Iraq under Bush than they were under Saddam.

I suspect the shoe thrower is set to become a hero over there.

btw skeptigirl - I had the intelligence to understand that 'Fox News' was just a metaphor for western media in general.

Now, I dislike W as much as anyone. He makes me angry just looking at him. I think he and his administration did lie to get us into the Iraq war. But I have been torn in my reaction to the shoe throwing. Part of me chuckled to see someone do what I have often fantasized about. However, for bad or good, he's the President of the US and ultimately it saddens me to see that the role of President of the United States has been so sullied in the past eight years that not only are there people who would actually throw something at the POTUS but get humor out of doing so. Look, I'm one of the ones who thought it amusing, but I would not have done so if it were any other President.

The journalist in question is from Sadr City and has expressed hatred for W and Americans in general in the past. Given this, I think you could say he is certainly biased and not representative of the Iraqi press Corp in general. That being said, I thought it ironic that the very freedoms he enjoys now, and were absent during Saddam's reign, allowed him to do what he did. One of the clerics in Sadr City said that the journalist's detention would be a test of America's commitment to democracy, suggesting that if there was "true democracy" he would be released. However, if there is rule of law, he should be prosecuted for assault and battery. You have the freedom to express yourself, but there are consequences if you break the law to do so.

Bush doesn't run the country, the Iraqi's do, so to suggest that Iraq is worse off under Bush than under Saddam is just not a correct statement. Once Sunnis stop killing Shias, Arabs stop killing everyone, and America gets out of Iraq, they'll be much better off.

Boy, it sounds like I'm defending W, but I'm not. I think he is a vile man and the sooner he goes off to his ranch in Crawford, the better. I just don't think this incident did Iraq or the US any honor.

Also, I think it inaccurate to equate Fox News with most of Western Media.

 

[Sefarst]

Compared to lying to instigate an aggressive invasion and occupation that has killed hundreds of thousands?

ETA: Yeah, I'm finding it difficult to condemn the shoe-thrower as a serious danger to the world!

I never said he was a danger to the world. He was certainly a danger to himself and many people in that room though.

I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if the secret service had thought the guy was throwing a grenade and started firing. Not only would the reporter have been killed but there is no telling how many people would have been caught in the crossfire. And for what? Because some guy thought he could hurt Bush's feelings by showing him the bottoms of his shoes?

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Apparently, Bush thought it was kind of funny, too. If you watch the video footage closely, you'll see him grinning right after the first shoe was thrown at him.

I didn't see that at all. If you look at it again, he appears deeply hurt by what is going on.

 

[moon1969]

Where would he be now if he had done that to Saddam Hussein? Yeah Chemical Ali and Saddam Hussein were such good guys compared to Dick Cheney or George W. Bush. Sure Iraq is corrupt but Iraq is a better place withouth Saddam Hussein and of course UN disagrees with that because of the Oil for Food scandal.

 

[Cicero]

Indeed. Cluelessness was what I saw. I doubt anyone knew what was thrown the first time, at least not right away. Shrub just stands there, seemingly unaware he's in a country that, for a large part, hates him. Reminded me of his cluelessness when he was told of the WTC attack. He just went on reading "My Pet Goat." CLUELESS!!!

The correct reaction to learning about the commercial airliner crashing into the Twin Tower would be to panic and run out of the classroom screaming.

 

[Cicero]

I didn't see that at all. If you look at it again, he appears deeply hurt by what is going on.

Hurt? He waived away the security(?) gentleman who immediately approached him at the podium indicating he was fine. Do you think after 8 years of being the punching bag of the msm and liberal blogs that flying footwear is now going to hurt his feelings?

 

[dudalb]

I never said he was a danger to the world. He was certainly a danger to himself and many people in that room though.

I'm sure you would be singing a different tune if the secret service had thought the guy was throwing a grenade and started firing. Not only would the reporter have been killed but there is no telling how many people would have been caught in the crossfire. And for what? Because some guy thought he could hurt Bush's feelings by showing him the bottoms of his shoes?

I am not so sure some people on this page would sing a different tune if a grenade had been thrown,sad to say.provided Bush was hit.
I am no fan of W, but the level of hatred reaches the psychotic .

 

[Skeptic Guy]

Hurt? He waived away the security(?) gentleman who immediately approached him at the podium indicating he was fine. Do you think after 8 years of being the punching bag of the msm and liberal blogs that flying footwear is now going to hurt his feelings?

If you are going to paint a cross-hair on your forehead, you can't complain if someone takes a punch.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

If you threw your shoes at Saddam, your fate would be slow death by Branick Device.

Bush is not the president of Iraq. I know he struggles with the concept of "sovereign country" but I though you knew better.

 

[Tin Foil Timothy]

Bush doesn't run the country, the Iraqi's do, so to suggest that Iraq is worse off under Bush than under Saddam is just not a correct statement. Once Sunnis stop killing Shias, Arabs stop killing everyone, and America gets out of Iraq, they'll be much better off.

"under Bush" wasn't meant to be taken literally. Being under Saddam was bad enough but the Iraqi's were certainly better off under Saddam than they are under the occupation.

And don't kid yourself that the Iraqi Government can do much without the sanction of the occupiers. Most of the CPA laws are still in place and they were created by Neocons, not Iraqis

Locals started killing each other because the invaders dismantled the security system. You dismantle the security system in the USA and people will start killing each other. Sorry, I meant kill each other more.

Also, I think it inaccurate to equate Fox News with most of Western Media.

Not really. Fox is more brash and blatant about it's BS that's all. It's like having a 300lb guy in line to make all the other 200lb guys look slim.

 

[Tin Foil Timothy]

I am not so sure some people on this page would sing a different tune if a grenade had been thrown,sad to say.provided Bush was hit.
I am no fan of W, but the level of hatred reaches the psychotic .

You live by the sword....

I'm no fan of capital punishment and Bush should get life for war crimes not the death penalty. But if it had been a grenade I would have only felt for the innocent people caught in the blast.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

I never said he was a danger to the world. He was certainly a danger to himself and many people in that room though.

I'm pretty sure he knew that his actions would put himself in danger. I think the source of that danger was Bush and his puppet Iraqi government.

People in the French Resistance put themselves and their families in serious danger by resisting the German occupation. I have a tough time condemning their actions in the light of the horrors caused by the aggressor they were struggling against.