Where was the secret service—or better yet, White House spokesperson Dana Perino—on this one?
His governing powers all but gone, President Bush showed the world this weekend that he still has great control of his reflexes—and his sense of humor—after narrowly avoiding two shoes chucked at his head.
During a press conference in Baghdad Sunday, Bush, standing alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, ducked just in a time as not one, but two size 10 shoes flew past his head. The shoes belonged to Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi. Video shows al-Zaidi quickly swallowed by a sea of journalists in dark suits after the tosses.
While al Zaidi deserves credit for two accurate screamers, the real kudos belong to President Bush. With a sly grin—as if he were enjoying it—the president bobbed his head quickly to avoid the first shoe and then again, seconds later, repeated the exercise to escape harm from the second shoe.
Good thing Bush is quick as a cat, because it seems the secret service will take a bullet for the president, but not—strangely enough—a shoe. I wonder if Perino would've leapt in front of the shoes.
Afterwards, the president shrugged off the incident.
“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “So what if he threw a shoe at me. All I can report is it is a size 10."
Sometimes I think I’m going to miss him come January 20. Here’s the video.
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Comments (10)
Here's the PR question. Should the U.S. president, this one or the next, invite that news organization to future press conferences? Keep in mind, this journalist shoe-thrower represented an organization that continues to maintain he did nothing wrong.
Posted by Tim | December 18, 2008 2:56 PM
Posted on December 18, 2008 14:56
Why are so many blaming the secret service for this incident? Journalists are typically allowed to attend press conferences, and are allowed to wear shoes. I guess some people would have liked to see men in black suits diving like ninjas in front of the president to deflect the shoes.
Posted by Roger | December 17, 2008 9:09 AM
Posted on December 17, 2008 09:09
"Although I am happy that he felt comfortable enough to express himself and protest the president, this does not do a lot for his objectivity as a journalist."
Must not have seen coverage of the U.S. presidential election either. Staci how would you feel if our own media "expressed" themselves and protested, even without the shoes, to visiting heads of state?
Further, what would have happened if this shoe was thrown at Putin? How do you think the U.S. media would have reacted to that? They'd have been outraged. Not so here.
Posted by Anonymous Two | December 16, 2008 1:18 PM
Posted on December 16, 2008 13:18
His objectivity as a journalist?
You must be new here.
Posted by Jay | December 16, 2008 11:36 AM
Posted on December 16, 2008 11:36
Although I am happy that he felt comfortable enough to express himself and protest the president, this does not do a lot for his objectivity as a journalist.
Posted by Staci | December 15, 2008 11:27 PM
Posted on December 15, 2008 23:27
In the age of the 24-hour news cycle, apparently the shoe is mightier than the pen.
Posted by Tim | December 15, 2008 10:30 PM
Posted on December 15, 2008 22:30
As the wave of journalists expressing contempt for politicians by throwing articles of their clothing at them spreads, a BBC commentator has reportedly grazed British PM Gordon Brown with a pair of mid-calf argyle socks, and Larry King plans to present a pair of red-white-and-blue houndstooth suspenders to an outgoing VP Dick Cheney while shouting, "Accessorize, damn it!"
Posted by pat | December 15, 2008 2:18 PM
Posted on December 15, 2008 14:18
Here's the headline if that reporter threw a shoe at Saddam or just about any other current leader in the Arab world:
Reporter Throws Shoe at (u name it), Can't be reached for further comment, presumed dead.
They have no problem exercising their new freedoms but they don't appreciate them.
Posted by Anonymous | December 15, 2008 11:45 AM
Posted on December 15, 2008 11:45
CNN reported yesterday that Perino got a black eye from a reporter's mike in the ruckus that ensued after the shoe-flinging. She was in the audience.
Jen
Posted by Jen Zingsheim | December 15, 2008 11:36 AM
Posted on December 15, 2008 11:36
Looks like that reporter misunderestimated Bush's reflexes.
Posted by Jon | December 15, 2008 10:52 AM
Posted on December 15, 2008 10:52