George Bush redeemed himself in my low-bar-set eyes when he ducked from those shoes like it was a dodgeball game that Greek Week depended on. Then he laughed it off like a man hardwired for PR, or an overconfident jock (not sure which!). But let's roll with the PR-savvy narrative because it's an essential ingredient to my point: I was impressed by George Bush.
While Press Secretary Dana Perino was, according to an Iraqi reporter for the New York Times, off in a corner crying (we now know she was hit with a microphone in the kerfuffle and returned to the White House with a black eye), Bush was spinning the hurled shoes into an act of democracy. One that he made possible. To see how, read more.
"That's what happens," Bush said, "in free societies where people try to draw attention to themselves." Free societies? Work it, Dubya. Of course, freedom is not just another word for nothing but a shoe to lose. And the journalist was silenced (probably by something stuffed in his mouth), pulled into a neighboring room, and beaten while he "cried like a woman" as the press conference continued.
As far as Iraqi law goes, he's facing a maximum of eight years in jail; but because he's become a national hero — though adoration is far from universal — many expect him to get off with a light sentence. Which is a far cry from what would have happened under Saddam's rule — and let's face it, the shoe toss never would have happened under Saddam. Maybe a size-10 piece of democracy has arrived in Iraq?
Isabella Oliver
Karen Millen
Fred Perry
Here's an ironic aside: in the democratic U.S.: at least two people were arrested for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts to his appearances, and the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq was once pulled out of the audience at a Laura Bush speech.
1If only they'd thought to throw shoes!
Oops, the mother was pulled out for wearing an anti-war shirt.
2Whoa, you used an emoticon Steph!
3I also think it's kinda funny that you can see Bush smiling as he ducks to avoid the shoe.
4I was a little confused by that statement. Not even in our society (or any other 'free' society in the world) do you have the freedom to throw a shoe at somebody.
Does anybody else think the writing-style of this article was sort of strange? I'm not sure what the point was supposed to be. What are we getting at? Are we just re-hashing?
5Blue, that was my favorite part. You can just imagine him thinking (as the shoe flies at his head) "Only ___ more days of this bullsh*t" and smiling to himself.
6Or..."HAHA suckers! Missed me!!!"
7Somehow I find it hard to believe that the people who were arrested and/or thrown out were just there silently and not being obnoxious in some way. Those types aren't the kind to show any kind of respect.
8"George Bush redeemed himself in my low-bar-set eyes when he ducked from those shoes like it was a dodgeball game that Greek Week depended on. Then he laughed it off like a man hardwired for PR, or an overconfident jock (not sure which!)"
This reads like it's straight out of Cosmo. Is this yet another new Citizen?
9I don't know about the article but I think the "democratic spin" is if that was Saddam Hussain up there, you know he would not be throwing shoes at him...b/c he is in a free society and knows he will not be killed (actually someone with experience told me, had that been Saddam not only would the thrower be dead, but Saddam's reputation is too important so literally the entire room would be dead so it does not get out).
That's not all that fair though, plenty of people who are passionate enough about what they believe (for better or worse) acted out against Saddam and act out against tyrants all the time regardless of whether it is free society punishment or death that awaits.
So...I don't really buy it.
10That still picture is priceless!
11What "types"? People who wear political t-shirts? Mothers of dead soldiers?
Maybe we're not all on the same page on what democracy means.
12"I was a little confused by that statement. Not even in our society (or any other 'free' society in the world) do you have the freedom to throw a shoe at somebody.
Does anybody else think the writing-style of this article was sort of strange? I'm not sure what the point was supposed to be. What are we getting at? Are we just re-hashing?"
Yes, we are just rehashing. Although I am not sure how much progress GWB can claim to have made when the shoe thrower was beaten in the next room while to confrence continued. Just sayin.
13haha i'm sorry...but i just can't get enough of this
14The types who would wear an opposing tshirt to an event, doesn't matter if its political or a sporting event. Those types want attention and you don't get attention by sitting and being respectful.
15
16I think he handled it as well as you could possibly handle being attacked by shoes.
17His "So What" when asked about how Al-Queda wasn't even in Iraq until, AFTER the U.S led invasion started completed cemented my disdain for this man. Before, I could care less and almost felt sorry him, to basically be Cheney's puppet, but "So What". Man, Jan 20, can't come soon enough for me.
18Bush does not even care about the average American, but we're suposed to believe that he and his psychotic administration invaded Iraq because they cared oh so much about the freedom of the Iraquis. Anybody who believes that I have a bridge in Broodklyn to sell you. They were there for one reason and one reason only OIL! These people are not capable of caring about anyone but themselves and their fellow crooks. Their motto is me, myself, and my cronies and the rest of you can drop dead. After watching what has transpired in this country for the last eight years, where GREED AT ALL COST REIGNED, I don't know how anybody could believe a word that comes out of that sociopath's mouth.
19nadiap, If oil was our interest in invading Iraq, why didn't we capitalise on occupying those oil fields? if oils was our interest why didn't "appropriate" Kuwait oil fields? heck we could have used the drug cartels in Mexico to invade and appropriate their oil fields, they certainly would have been convenient. Everyone has 20-20 hindsight. The fact is John Kerry said that Iraq was a "swamp that had to be drained", the intelligence agencies, of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, Israel, and Germany all felt that Iraq held weapons of mass destruction, as did President Clinton, and his then vice president. You can argue as to the wisdom of the invasion, and certainly the conduct after the the immediate invasion, but you have no right to make up facts. ;fogey:
20LOL, I caught this on a rerun of the eleven o'clock news and laughed my ass off the other night. First thing I did was call my partner in Chicago and say now you know if that was a sista ain't no way she woulda missed.
This poor man all this time they've been worried about bullets and bombs now they've got to worry about shoes fly'n at his @$$.
Well I guess folks will be asked to leave they're shoes at the door at the Bush house from now on.
21Since this seems to just be a re-hashing post, I figured I might as well repeat myself
It's never respectful to throw shoes at anyone, especially the President.
22I have to hand it to W, he's got good reflexes for an old man.
23I love that still photo up there. Priceless.
24"Although I am not sure how much progress GWB can claim to have made when the shoe thrower was beaten in the next room while to confrence continued."
The man assaulted the President of the United States - of course they are going to rough him up. What would you expect? The progress would be that the thrower (and apparently everyone else in the room) wasn't killed on the spot.
25"The man assaulted the President of the United States - of course they are going to rough him up."
26That's Saddam Hussein justice. I thought we were helping Iraq become better than that.
Steph - are you suggesting that the man should not be submitted to any negative consequences to his actions?
And it's not Saddam justice. As stated above, Saddam would have - at the least - killed the man.
27I don't think we condone beating prisoners upon arrest.
28Our legal process involves arrest, arraignment, trial, punishment.
Saddam didn't always kill people first.
You're right, Steph, he sometimes tortured them before he killed them.
29Steph, I'm always shocked by how much beating before arrest we do condone in the states. If the police say it was necessary to subdue the arrested person, it's usually taken at their word. Of course sometimes a little physical force is necessary, but in this case I don't know the facts.
30Oh snap piper!
Seriously though - I was working off of someone else's comment. Mich brings up a great point: does anyone know exaclt what happened to senor shoe? I haven't been able to find out anymore context, and can't verify that he was actually beaten.
31In Iraq, insurgents were much happier to be incarcerated by an American then an Iraqi, Families literally brought their relatives who were on a "want" list to the US authorities, because they knew they were being treated fairly and well. It was not unusual for an incarcerated Iraqi, eligible for release, to refuse release until he finished literacy or vocational training he was receiving. An American is a lot safer walking 95% of the streets and towns in Iraq, then any of the Mexican towns on our southern border.
32Whether Saddam or anyone else beat them or killed them, I thought the point was to be better than that.
Mich, he was plenty subdued immediately. And yes police get away with beating people - but I don't think we've gotten to the point where getting away with something is the same as it being acceptable or right.
33kranky, it's reported that he has a broken arm, and a couple of broken rips.
34Steph, I didn't mean to imply it was right. Just that our justice system (both at home and abroad) has a long way to go.
35i didn't think you were giving it a thumbs up.
36I give everything a thumbs up.
37In my family, we're keeping the shoe-slinger in our hearts and prayers. May he get well soon.
38"kranky, it's reported that he has a broken arm, and a couple of broken rips."
OK - tha'ts unfortunate, but do we know the CONTEXT in which he received the injuries? Was he resisting arrest or search? Doing something (other than assaulting the President) that led the agents to bleieve he might want to cause further harm?
Remember, the man threw a shoe at POTUS - I would have expected the Secret Service to take him down and not be gentle about it.
I agree with Mich that beatings before arrests are bad, but so is making a judgement on a situation without knowing all the facts.
39Maybe he already had those injuries. A broken arm would account for his aim being a tad bit off.
40Obviously there needs to be repercussions for his actions. Nobody said he should be getting off easy but he probably didn't need to have his arm broken. I wasn't in the room, but I doubt that was necessary.
He had to know that was going to happen though. He was probably just beyond caring about what happened to him at that point.
41His aim was damn near perfect, Bush just happened to duck. We already know that the police beat the sh*t out of him, I don't even know why we are discussing it.
42where is Broodklyn?
43Grdpa. I'm not making up facts I'm stating the facts. You can choose to ignore the obvious that's your problem. That corporate argument you're making I've heard in the corporte media & tons of people like you a thounsand times over. So it's not going to work on me. Those neocons had plans to invade Iraq for their own greed and geopolitical agenda long before 9/11. That's already been documented. 9/11 just provided them the perfect opportunity; as I'm sure you perfectly know. So that standard talking point bs is just that. bs
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