[stevesnj]

Good reflexes by the Pres. - Secret service was slow to react though. IMHO

I thought we were to have Roses thrown at us for liberating the Iraqi's? Hmmm just shows you how they really feel I guess

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/pol....shoe.pool.cnn

[stumblinmike]

If only that journalist had warmed up beforehand, we all would have had an early x-mas present!

[stumblinmike]

Sorry stevesnj, I didn't see your post...I meant no harm

That Iraqi has good speed on his shoes, not good aim...BUMMER!!!

[Helmling]

His aim was perfect, Bush just dodged that sucker like a pro.

[tie]

Bush may have sat and read "The Pet Goat" during the worst attack on our nation since Pearl Harbor, but he dodges shoes like a champ! Makes me proud to be an American, he's my new hero.

I hope that journalist gets sent to Guantanamo Bay and tortured for a few years. That'll show them what happens when you mess with the President. USA!! USA!!

[Cold Warrior]

Wow, good reflexes.

[lil'babykitten]

"Here is a farewell kiss from Iraq, dog!" - Montadar al-Zeidi, Iraqi Journalist 'shoe thrower'

Now THAT'S fair and balanced!

A most fitting farewell, I must say. What the hell did Bush go there for? He may as well have said 'I destroyed your country, orphaned your children, traumatised an entire generation, failed to restore any modicum of order and security, and now I'm outta here, along with my troops'!

It's a shame that guy missed, really. But still, the gesture is symbolic as it's the highest insult in Arab culture.

[Eug]

Methinks there is a Hit-Bush-With-Your-Shoes Flash game imminent.

[subego]

Originally Posted by lil'babykitten 

But still, the gesture is symbolic as it's the highest insult in Arab culture.

And, as the guy's life will likely be ruined (which he was no doubt aware), I find it oddly poignant.

[Andrew Stephens]

Originally Posted by stevesnj 

Good reflexes by the Pres. - Secret service was slow to react though.

I can just hear the secret service on that one

"Hey he's got 30 days to go, YOU take the bullet."

"No YOU take the bullet"

"NO, you... oh wait it;'s just a shoe, screw him"

[subego]

Originally Posted by stevesnj 

Secret service was slow to react though.

To be fair, everyone in the room (including the shoe guy) had clearance, was searched multiple times, and had been hit with the magnetometer.

I think you can cut the SS a bit of slack. They knew no one had a gun, and were, despite allowances for shoes, still in the safest room in the entire country.

Well, okay, the second safest room in the country. The actual safest room in the entire country was the redoubt you see the two guys come out of in back.

[Eriamjh]

Oh, crap! Now we won't even be able to wear shoes to presidential events!

[SpaceMonkey]

I think the White House press corps should go to all WH briefings without their shoes during the remainder of Bush's term, as a sign of solidarity with our still-president.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior 

Wow, good reflexes.

He's had practice avoiding slaps from his mom & dad.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

I think the White House press corps should go to all WH briefings without their shoes during the remainder of Bush's term, as a sign of solidarity with our still-president.

Or he could hold all future press conference in Japan.

[SpaceMonkey]

Another thought: he's lucky it wasn't a big ol' clown shoe.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

Another thought: he's lucky it wasn't a big ol' clown shoe.

Or horse shoes.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by subego 

To be fair, everyone in the room (including the shoe guy) had clearance, was searched multiple times, and had been hit with the magnetometer.

I think you can cut the SS a bit of slack. They knew no one had a gun, and were, despite allowances for shoes, still in the safest room in the entire country.

Well, okay, the second safest room in the country. The actual safest room in the entire country was the redoubt you see the two guys come out of in back.

The Secret Service should assume everyone has a gun regardless of how much security they had to go through.

[The Crook]

Wow, Bush rules.

Seriously.

"So what if a guy threw a shoe at me?"

[SpaceMonkey]

Yep, that's freedom for ya!

New York Times coverage:

Mr. Maliki’s security agents jumped on the man, wrestled him to the floor and hustled him out of the room. They kicked him and beat him until “he was crying like a woman,” said Mohammed Taher, a reporter for Afaq, a television station owned by the Dawa Party, which is led by Mr. Maliki. Mr. Zaidi was then detained on unspecified charges.

Other Iraqi journalists in the front row apologized to Mr. Bush, who was uninjured and tried to brush off the incident by making a joke. “All I can report is it is a size 10,” he said, continuing to take questions and noting the apologies. He also called the incident a sign of democracy, saying, “That’s what people do in a free society, draw attention to themselves,” as the man’s screaming could be heard outside.

Sounds like a lovely little island of due process.

[ironknee]

lame duck and cover

i love how the reporter was yelping

nobody threw shoes at nixon... bush: worst president ever

[Chongo]

It could have been worse, Minna Wilson could have been the shoe wielder
YouTube - McCarthy v Wilson

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by ironknee 

lame duck and cover

We have a winnah!

[stevesnj]

oh Saturday Night Live is gonna be great this weekend!! Ha!!

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by The Crook 

Wow, Bush rules.

Seriously.

"So what if a guy threw a shoe at me?"

Wow. This might have been the single best thing coming out of Bush's mouth during his whole presidency!

Kudos to both the shoe thrower and to the president for his levelheaded reaction!

[lil'babykitten]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Methinks there is a Hit-Bush-With-Your-Shoes Flash game imminent.

http://www.t-enterprise.co.uk/flashg...d=bushbootcamp

[macintologist]

So who was the winner? Bush or the Bush haters? I think Bush won.

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

Yep, that's freedom for ya!

New York Times coverage:

He also called the incident a sign of democracy, saying, “That’s what people do in a free society, draw attention to themselves,” as the man’s screaming could be heard outside.

Now that's really creepy.
Great reflexes by Bush by the way, must have enjoyed some ducking-training by the SS.

It would though have been good if Bush had reacted when he heard the screaming and told Maliki to stop the beating up of the detained shoe-thrower and explained that beating up detained and already subdued people were a violation of human rights.

But no, instead Bush made jokes so that the laughter would overplay the screaming...

Taliesin

[Monique]

That was so funny. Just love the expression on Bush's face afterward.

Oh still dislike Bush so ever much. And Gore would have made a better President.

Yes, Mr. Bush some people do hate you for so many reasons: starting an oil war that has no end and making a healthy economy into a huge mess in just 8 years.

[tie]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

So who was the winner? Bush or the Bush haters? I think Bush won.

How? Bush's whole visit was overshadowed by this incident. The man is now a hero, and he is being beaten (and tortured?) by the repressive government that Bush set up.

I doubt that I agree with his politics, but for those Iraqis who do I think it is great that he has become a hero. Nonviolent protest is so much superior to the typical blow-yourself-and-random-civilians-up we see there.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by Taliesin 

It would though have been good if Bush had reacted when he heard the screaming and told Maliki to stop the beating up of the detained shoe-thrower and explained that beating up detained and already subdued people were a violation of human rights.

But no, instead Bush made jokes so that the laughter would overplay the screaming...

Perhaps the thrower should have thought about that before assaulting the President.

[ironknee]

how can anyone say bush won?

the lack of respect for the office makes him look really bad... reflexes and all

[spacefreak]

Bush got the Iraq-US Security Agreement finalized. Meanwhile, the assailant is quite sore and in custody.

[lil'babykitten]

Originally Posted by spacefreak 

Bush got the Iraq-US Security Agreement finalized. Meanwhile, the assailant is quite sore and in custody.

'Quite sore'? Internal bleeding, a broken arm, broken ribs and an eye injury. So 'sore' he is now in hospital. Is this the sort of justice system America sought to establish in Iraq? How is that any different to Saddam's regime?

The 'security agreement' is nothing more than a cut and run too.

America's failures in Iraq are beyond criminal.

[tie]

Originally Posted by spacefreak 

Perhaps the thrower should have thought about that before assaulting the President.

He did think of it, of course. The fact that Bush was cracking jokes to cover up the screams of a protester being beaten by security forces just reinforced his point.

Originally Posted by lil'babykitten

How is that any different to Saddam's regime?

In Saddam's regime, he'd be dead. And probably his family members, too.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by lil'babykitten 

'Quite sore'? Internal bleeding, a broken arm, broken ribs and an eye injury. So 'sore' he is now in hospital. Is this the sort of justice system America sought to establish in Iraq? How is that any different to Saddam's regime?

You're joking, right? Do you think this guy would even have a chance at life had he pulled this on Saddam?

Here's a tale of Saddam's treatment of political opponents...

Saddam Hussein formally assumed the presidency of Iraq. Shortly afterwards, he convened an assembly of Ba'ath party leaders on July 22, 1979. During the assembly, which he ordered videotaped, Saddam Hussein claimed to have found spies and conspirators within the Ba'ath Party and read out the names of members who he thought could oppose him. These members were labelled "disloyal" and were removed from the room one-by-one to face a firing squad.

http://www.trial-ch.org/en/trial-wat...kriti_125.html

Nice try.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by tie 

He did think of it, of course. The fact that Bush was cracking jokes to cover up the screams of a protester being beaten by security forces just reinforced his point.

The assailant is making the same noises on the floor when resisting attempts to remove him from the room as he is for the brief moment Bush said Size 10.

Unfortunately for him, there were plenty of cameras focused on him struggling on the floor and resisting attempts to guide him out of the room. Nobody threw any punches, nobody was kicking him. Just a typical arrest resister moaning while setting up a brutality suit.

I've seen the same type of reactions on COPS. I'm sure he'll get a nice book deal, though.

[stumblinmike]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

So who was the winner? Bush or the Bush haters? I think Bush won.

Yes, Bush clearly won!
His farewell tour was celebrated with the Iraqi version of "I spit in your face!"
I guess his legacy will be his economic magic. Or his fantastic erosions of civil liberties, or perhaps his environmental records...what a winner!

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by spacefreak 

Perhaps the thrower should have thought about that before assaulting a president.

Minor correction.

[tie]

Originally Posted by spacefreak 

The assailant is making the same noises on the floor when resisting attempts to remove him from the room as he is for the brief moment Bush said Size 10.

Unfortunately for him, there were plenty of cameras focused on him struggling on the floor and resisting attempts to guide him out of the room. Nobody threw any punches, nobody was kicking him. Just a typical arrest resister moaning while setting up a brutality suit.

All the reports are that he was beaten outside the room. There weren't any cameras outside the room, so far as I know, so I really don't know what you are talking about.

Basically, Bush came out of this looking like a loser, who cracks jokes while prisoners are being beaten. (He'll be remembered forever as the guy who can dodge shoes and read My Pet Goat.) The reporter came out of this as a hero.

[eklipse]

Lame - If you're gonna throw your shoes at Bush at least make sure your wearing steel-toe boots. And don't miss.

[tie]

Originally Posted by eklipse 

Lame - If you're gonna throw your shoes at Bush at least make sure your wearing steel-toe boots. And don't miss.

And maybe sneak in some explosives and blow yourself up? No. Sorry, nonviolent protest is better.

[elyzabennet]

Originally Posted by tie 

nonviolent protest is better.

Ummm, how is throwing shoes at a person non violent?
Granted it's not deadly and it's a much better way of protesting than blowing people up, but it's still an act of violence.

Although I wholeheartedly agree that non-violent protest is better.

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by eklipse 

And don't miss.

He didn't miss, actually I was as impressed about the quick ducking by Bush as I was about the perfect aim and strength of the shoe-throwing.

I think both practiced that beforehand.

Taliesin

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by Taliesin 

I think both practiced that beforehand.

Agreed. I'm pretty certain it was staged.

[Taliesin]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

Agreed. I'm pretty certain it was staged.

I don't know about that and that's certainly not what I suggested. I merely suggested that the shoe-thrower must have trained his perfect aimed throw beforehand, while Bush certainly has been trained by the SS to duck quickly in the case someone throwed a knife or anything of the sort at him.

Taliesin