December 15, 2008

Shoes, Bush.



Do we have to talk about this? Which angle?

1. Why can't the Secret Service fully protect the President? Shouldn't this threat have been anticipated?

2. Shoes are considered a terrible insult in the Iraqi culture blah blah blah....

ADDED: More video via commenter EDH:

122 comments:

TMink said...

Good duck. I am happy to see that our commander in chief can get out of the way of a thrown projectile!

Trey

Harsh Pencil said...

What's worse is that the reporter called Bush a dog. I guess it would insult all Arabs if Bush responded with "Thank you. I only wish I was half as good as my dog, or half as good as my dog thinks I am." Any culture that looks down on dogs is seriously screwed up.

The reporter knows deep down that he can throw his shoe at Bush only because of Bush and it shames him. He can't forgive Bush for that.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Why can't the Secret Service fully protect the President? Shouldn't this threat have been anticipated?

That someone would throw a shoe at the President?

Unknown said...

The angle I'd discuss is Bush's handling of the situation. His dismissive amusement was pitch perfect.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Iraqi culture blah blah blah....

I agree. Let's move on.

With the kind of stats Shoeless Joe amassed in his career, you would think he would be a shoe-in for the hall of fame, but you would be wrong.

Shoeless Joe was banned from baseball, more than 80 years ago, for allegedly taking part in the black sox scandal.

Even though he was acquitted at trial, committed no errors, hit a homerun and set a new record for most hits in a world series.

One of the admirable things about the game – its incremental slow to change approach – it’s the very thing that has allowed a grave injustice to continue.

American Liberal Elite said...

"The reporter knows deep down that he can throw his shoe at Bush only because of Bush and it shames him. He can't forgive Bush for that."

yeah, right

Automatic_Wing said...

A remarkable illustration of the freedom that Iraqis now enjoy.

A journalist throwing a shoe at Uncle Saddam would have been through the wood chipper within 24 hours.

Rich B said...

I'll bet that guy would have nailed Obama before he could read "Duck!" on his prompter.

Darcy said...

That was brilliant, Harsh Pencil.

ricpic said...

Would have never happened if America was properly feared by the muzzi scum.

Darcy said...

And I want to second the amusement (and fascination) at this video. I'm sure Bush's haters delighted in this, but I think it showed, once again, his "big shoulders", and ability to laugh at himself.

Hoosier Daddy said...

A remarkable illustration of the freedom that Iraqis now enjoy.


Not really. I'm sure this moron of an Iraqi would have been free to throw a shoe at Bush even when Saddam was in power.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'll bet that guy would have nailed Obama before he could read "Duck!" on his prompter.

LOL

Simon said...

Hoosier Daddy said...
"That someone would throw a shoe at the President?"

Frisk every audience for loafers!

It's like a case I was reading last week that arose from the "failure" of a supervisor to ask if a security guard was clothed when he locked himself on the roof of an Indianapolis federal building. She didn't think to ask "were you clothed," so her report was silent on his sartorial state, an omission that lead to the filing of false reporting charges, her dismissal, and ultimately an FTCA against the United States. Some things are just so out there that you can't predict them; someone trying to shoot the President is predictable, but someone throwing a shoe at him - or birthday suiting up while locked on the roof of a federal building - isn't the sort of thing that would occur to a reasonable, balanced mind.

Host with the Most said...

Bush / Republican

Journalist.

Honestly, what else needs to be said?


A little sampling from the compassionate, tolerant left blogosphere showing it's respect for the Office of the President of the United States:


1. Daily Kos comments:

I would have preferred a direct hit.
God... that would be PRICELESS!
That shoe tossing Iraqi is my HERO!




2. - A Dickhead (Bush) to the End:

The thing is, a shoe couldn’t do enough damage… unless it had a brick or a hammer in it. But ya gotta give the man (journalist) points for trying.

MadisonMan said...

Non story. I like that Bush can artfully dodge a thrown shoe (it would've been better had he caught it and thrown it back). It's nice that Iraqis are now wealthy enough to have surplus shoes for throwing, and the freedom to do so (although I doubt this reporter is now free).

I think Obama could also dodge a shoe -- he plays bball, and has some reflexes because of that. But if you want to churn along your irrational Obama hatred then by all means go with the teleprompter gag.

How would this story be difference if it had been done in the USA?

Wince said...

I think Bush handled it well in perhaps the most tangible proof of success in Iraq yet, toleration of dissent.

Plus, shocking new video.

I'm just trying to think by comparison how Kerry would have handled the situation had he won the 2004 election and he was speaking.

chickelit said...

Frisk every audience for loafers!

What about the stilletto heel-wearers? They have the real unexpected advantage (and the really dangerous weapons afoot).

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I read the chance to throw a second shoe as a mild approval of the first throw.

The second throw could get the Qur'an thrown at him ;)

Hoosier Daddy said...

(it would've been better had he caught it and thrown it back).

I agree but you can be all but certain that would have resulted in a UN resolution denouncing Bush as a war mongering shoe thrower.

But if you want to churn along your irrational Obama hatred then by all means go with the teleprompter gag.

Sheesh, MM, is an Obama joke now the equivalent of irrational Obama hatred?

Tibore said...

Hmmm... one disgruntled individual does something, and because it involves Bush, it gets front page headlines.

Yet, a whole etnic group in Iraq - the Kurds - are experiencing economic and social growth because of the freedoms found from unseating Hussein, and the only person covering it - Michael Totten - needs to beg for reader contributions through PayPal to fund his independent reporting, since no newspaper seems to want to cover that.

Maybe it's just me, but I find that whole reportage priotization on the part of the general news media to be just a little screwed up.

Tibore said...

Blah! "Ethnic", not "etnic"...

Tibore needs to spellcheck before hitting submit...

muddimo said...

Ditto what Harsh Pencil said. Best analysis yet.

Jon said...

Rich B said: "I'll bet that guy would have nailed Obama before he could read "Duck!" on his prompter."

Actually if anyone had dared throw a shoe at the One, he would have had no need to duck... the shoe would have simply halted itself in mid-flight, briefly hanging suspended in the air before drifting gently to the earth, while Obama smiled beatifically at his frustrated assailant. Like the inanimate objects which refused to strike Baldur in Norse legend.

Darcy said...

I proudly support Totten. I wish I could do more. Thanks for posting that, Tibore.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Imelda Marcos and Carrie Bradshaw have harshly condemned the attack in the strongest terms allowed by Manolo Blahnik

http://tinyurl.com/7jodu

The Drill SGT said...

Why can't the Secret Service fully protect the President? Shouldn't this threat have been anticipated?

They should have had everybody shoeless? no pens, no cameras, not tablets?

they should have hosed the room down with uzi's?

there are limits.

we're sure that everybody went through 2-3 searches to get in that room.

SteveR said...

W's experience in Dallas traffic pays off.

Triangle Man said...

I'm with Madison Man on this one. The main thing I see is that W has sufficiently good reflexes to dodge a shoe, and enough spine to not dive to the floor. He could have come around the podium and given the man a personal demonstration of the Bush Doctrine, but he is sufficiently presidential after 8 years that decorum must have prohibited that ass whuppin.

Hoosier Daddy said...

they should have hosed the room down with uzi's?

Drill that's not even funny. Hosing down a room of Arab journalists with an Israeli made submachine gun would have been culturally insensitive.

there are limits.

Now you know there will be an SNL skit of a SS agent screaming SHOE!!!!! and then leaping in front of the President and getting whacked in the chest with the shoe, all in slow motion.

Trooper York said...

Even AL Bundy is preferable to a journalist. Al Bundy would never throw a shoe. Journalists are scum.
They prove it every day. This is just one more illustration.

Trooper York said...

You seem real sensitive about Obama Madison Man.

I hope you can spare some vitriol for Saturday Night Live where they mocked Governor Patterson for being blind. Or is only ok for liberals to mock other people?

Expat(ish) said...

@hoosier - Funny! But I think the SNL guy should have some of those nice Nordstrom cedar shoe trees. Maybe a nice felt cover to put the body in once it's been beat down.

And, of course, an anonymous burial in a shoe box.

-XC

rhhardin said...

It's the Iraqi media version of a New York Times editorial.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The reporter reportedly called Bush a dog.

In the movie "Wag the Dog" wasn’t there a song called "Old Shoe"?

Tibore said...

Interesting choice of headlines from MSNBC:

"Afghan reporters keep their shoes on for Bush"

On the one hand, it is funny. On the other hand, it demonstrates what I was illustrating with my earlier comment, which at heart was a criticism of the choice of focus the news media seems to collectively make. I know that the Afghan press conference is news, and I don't object to the selection of humor to headline the story... but all the same, I worry that in the overall scheme of things, this is simply another example of ignoring much that deserves coverage to harp on a single, isolated incident that doesn't necessarily summarize or epitomize what Iraq generally thinks of Bush.

Then again, you can make the argument that the shoe throw epitomizes/summarizes what much of the media thinks of him... maybe that's why they're continuing to make reference to it... hmmm...

Original Mike said...

I didn't know Freder was in Iraq.

J said...

Regardless of what you think of W, it is a little worrisome the guy was able to throw a second item at a US President before he was full of 9MM holes.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Regardless of what you think of W, it is a little worrisome the guy was able to throw a second item at a US President before he was full of 9MM holes.

I thought I read where he waved off the Secret Service to avoid escalating the conflict.

I read where this guy is from Sadr city and is a fan of Mookie al Sadr. Go figure. It's guys like him and Mookie who make me wish we never deposed Saddam and instead left them to the woodchippers.

Tibore said...

"J said...
Regardless of what you think of W, it is a little worrisome the guy was able to throw a second item at a US President before he was full of 9MM holes."


Oh, I disagree (with all due respect). I think it speaks well of the Presidential bodyguard that they can distinguish between a mere annoyance and an actual threat so fast.

What would be worse, seeing them neither flinch nor bat an eye while obviously watching the whole time? Or overreacting by tackling the President down to the ground while opening fire on the now one-shoed guy? Could you imagine the field day reporters would have hitting their thesauruses (thesaurusai?? ;) ) for all the possible synonyms for "overreaction"?

Danny said...

It's not just Iraqi culture, it's more an Arab thing about feet being unclean and all.

Unknown said...

Lem --

"I read the chance to throw a second shoe as a mild approval of the first throw."

Oh horse crap. It's obvious you haven't watched the video. There's an immediate and hostile reaction from the people around him with a man behind him grabbing him before the second is launched.

Hoosier Daddy said...

You know if you listen closely, you can hear the Iraqi reporter yelling لا [تس] ي أنت خنزير يأكل" إبنة من [وهور]!"

Which loosely translated means:

"Don't tase me you pig-eating son of a whore!"

Joan said...

I was impressed with Bush's reflexes. That shoe would have tagged me but good, no question.

I also appreciated Bush's "size 10" quip, and the follow-up he gave at the press conference.

BTW, Michael Totten agrees with Harsh Pencil, and highlights the fact that the shoe-tosser is not representative of Iraqi reporters.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

There's an immediate and hostile reaction from the people around him with a man behind him grabbing him before the second is launched.

You miss a tackle like that you should be benched ;)

MadisonMan said...

Trooper, I didn't watch SNL -- but I did watch It's A Wondeful Life on NBC earlier in the night. I prefer not to seek out reasons to fill myself with umbrage.

Had I seen it, I would've done what I normally do with SNL, change the channel while rolling my eyes and muttering that SNL was much better in the days of Bass-o-matic.

Trooper York said...

Hey Madison Man I have a lot of respect for you as a reasonable liberal guy. I only saw clips of the Patterson stuff as I don't watch SNL either. It is big news in New York this weekend. Now you know I will go pretty far to make a joke so I let most things go. This was pretty bad but I guess still in bounds. You have to realize your guy is going to get roughed up a bit. It's too early to take umbrage, ya know what I mean.

Just wait till Obama throws the gays and lesbians under the bus. They will be throwing a whole shoe store of Bikernstocks at him.

It's all funny until someone gets their eye put out.

sonicfrog said...

I loved Bush's "I saw his sole" response.

I think it's an interesting form of protest. I don't condone violence, but this is much preferable to the more common reaction that we associate with this part of the world. If we could get everybody in the region to throw shoes at each other instead of shooting and blowing each other up, the world would be a better place.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Trooper said:

"It's all funny til someone gets their eye put out".

Hey you borrowed that line from Ralphie's mother.

garage mahal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lem the artificially intelligent said...

..but this is much preferable to the more common reaction that we associate with this part of the world.

You cannot possibly have anything against PETA's Eva Mendes birthday suit protest. Do you?

MadisonMan said...

Are birkies still the lesbian shoe of choice?

Trooper, if you can tell me how a response to ODS should differ from a BDS response, I would be grateful. I realize it's hard for you to type with tears in your eyes because of what happened in Dallas, but I am the epitome of patience in this regard.

Just don't mention the Packers :)

Hoosier Daddy said...

Trooper, if you can tell me how a response to ODS should differ from a BDS response, I would be grateful.

Maybe wait till there is a comment that warrants the label of ODS? Seem's to me Rich B's comment about the teleprompter ranks up there as a joke.

Bush on the other hand has been referred to as Hitler, a genocidal murderer who approves of torture and has destroyed the Constitution and turned the US into a police state. Had BDS been reduced simply to pretzel jokes and his inarticulate use of English, I doubt the term BDS would ever been coined.

If an Obama presidency means we can't poke fun or criticize him then we're officially over as a free society. Everything else is mopping up.

Anonymous said...

2. Shoes are considered a terrible insult in the Iraqi culture blah blah blah....

No, in Iraq shoes are not an insult. Showing the bottoms of the shoes or throwing them is the insult.

In Las Vegas it's not unusual for the females to throw hotel keys and panties.

Different culture.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

For someone who has admitted to marital indiscretions and drug use the governor of NY should take a chill pill.

Watch Jimmy Kimmel Live: “NY Governor Patterson Confessed To Drug Use”, it’s hilarious.

Rich B said...

I think many people (excluding of course AL, GM and M/LOS) will miss Bush's jokes after continued exposure to the Humorless One. "I saw his sole" has a nice dash of self-deprecation given his remarks about Putin, way back when.

I don't think BHO does self-deprecation - it would be wrong. But that won't stop the little people from making a few cracks. There will be many opportunities.

The Drill SGT said...

I thought I read where he waved off the Secret Service to avoid escalating the conflict.

my interactions with the SS indicate that they don't respond to "wave offs". In a security situation they go by the playbook. The Principal, be he POTUS or not, doesn't have much say in the reactions.

I think this was a set of judgement calls "audibles" by agents, that prevented a disaster.

Sofa King said...

Look closely in the video, you can see Bush "wave off" one of the agents that runs up to him after the second shoe.

Darcy said...

"I saw his sole" has a nice dash of self-deprecation given his remarks about Putin

It really was a nice touch. He's very funny and very sensitive. I noticed he didn't really heap any scorn on the guy, either. Just sort of took it in stride. That's his way.

I'm not happy about a lot of things he's done as President, but I do believe that much of the public missed this side of him, aided by a malicious media and those kind-hearted, "country first" Dems.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Sgt:

Only truly confident people use self-deprecation.

Obama is still at a phase I would call "Holy shit I won what do I do now?".

Trooper York said...

You prove my point Madison Man. I am not worried at all that the WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS lost on the road. You know you can't win every road game and we have a pretty good road record. I am confident in my team and feel we will win. So I can take any jibes in stride while giving them right back (that's why I always use the cowboy from the Village People when referring to those cowboys, Not that there’s anything wrong with that). Missing our best running back and best wide receiver we lost to a team at home with its back to the wall in a game that doesn't really matter to us because we clinched the division. I have faith in my guys.

You see it's your boy's turn in the barrel and he is going to get it a lot harder than the kid gloves he has been handled with by the partisan media so far. His own team is going to savage him when he starts throwing them overboard. He better toughen up. He seems a humorless sort. I like what he's done so far but I just hope that his acolytes can take a joke.

Matt Eckert said...

David Patterson is what Barack Obama would be if he told the truth about his background and the press actually covered it instead of covering it up.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Obama has recommended a shoe czar ;)

Skeptical said...

Uh, Trooper? If your O-line uses the fact that the Giants have clinched the division as an excuse to roll out the red carpet for DeMarcus Ware et al., you may have a bigger problem than just a couple of division losses.

DaLawGiver said...

A journalist throwing a shoe at Uncle Saddam would have been through the wood chipper within 24 hours.


Reminded me of the wood chipper scene in Fargo. Sorta like what them Romosexual COWBOYS did to the stink finger Giants last night. Eli was munching more carpet than Ellen Degeneres gets in a year! Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just sayin. I think Demarcus Ware got a woody on every 3rd down and long, he was delivering some big love to Mr Eli. Not that there's anything wrong with that either.

Trooper York said...

Hey I am not worried. Sometimes when a game goes south the problem just compounds itself. When things go against you play and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Then you come back the next game. But you have to look at the whole picture. We have a bye and are in the playoffs. Eli responds when the money is on the line. Romo didn't get done in the playoffs. Plus we smacked him around a lot in that game.

The Giants are not going to surrender just because of a few setbacks. What do you think we are, Democrats?

Trooper York said...

Plus Antonio Pierce was distracted because his wife kept throwing shoes at him on the bench because of the pictures of him feeling up that whore in the club that was in the Post yesterday.

She wears stilettos you know.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Troop

I'm still holding out hope for a Manning v. Manning matchup.

MadisonMan said...

Missing our best running back and best wide receiver we lost to a team at home with its back to the wall in a game that doesn't really matter to us because we clinched the division.

What were they arrested for this time? I haven't been paying attention.

Trooper York said...

Well Plaxico is still out on bail
but Jacobs got arrested for being a black guy with a Jewish name.

Original Mike said...

Missing our best running back and best wide receiver we lost to a team at home with its back to the wall in a game that doesn't really matter to us because we clinched the division.

Excuses, excuses, ...

Original Mike said...

Maybe wait till there is a comment that warrants the label of ODS? Seem's to me Rich B's comment about the teleprompter ranks up there as a joke.

Bush on the other hand has been referred to as Hitler, a genocidal murderer who approves of torture and has destroyed the Constitution and turned the US into a police state.


In no time at all, the conventional wisdom will be that a joke made at Obama's expense is far worse than anything Bush had to endure.

In fact, the campaign appears to have already begun.

Chip Ahoy said...

#2, What Harsh Pencil said, FTW.

DaLawGiver said...

The Giants are not going to surrender just because of a few setbacks. What do you think we are, Democrats?

Nahhh, I think the only Democrats who watch football are Redskin fans. I mean you hate the Cowboys and I can appreciate that, but you don't HATE the Cowboys. On the Cowboy haters list I think it goes like this:

Redskins HATE the Cowboys.
Philly Hates the Cowboys.
Giants hate the Cowboys.
All other fans just think the Cowboys suck except the Steelers who can rightfully mock the Cowboys. The rest of America loves America's Team except O'Bama who thinks football is soccer and loves David Beckham who will soon be appointed as a foreign relations adviser.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Chip:

Do you mean a #2 harsh pencil?

garage mahal said...

Only a Republican would think the Cowboys are Americas Team, or ever was. Nothing against Texas. But c'mon.

Trooper York said...

The Cowboys are LBJ Democrats. You know corrupt cheaters who talk to you while they are sitting on the crapper.

The Giants to my shame are old school country club Republicans Nelson Rockefeller, Malcolm Wilson Republicans.

The Eagles are corrupt big city machine Frank Rizzo Democrats.

The Jets are Daily Koz liberals, full of talk but never get it done.

The Patriots are liberal elitist cheaters like Bill Clinton, Charley Rangel, and Chris Dodd Democrats.

The Packers are Herb Kohl Democrats, dull earnest back benchers whose best days are long behind them.

The San Diego Chargers are the new conservative Republicans who went away from the ground game and try for a hail mary on every play.

The Falcons are Southern Newt Gingrich Republicans who put their black quarterbacks in jail for something they probably like too.

sonicfrog said...

Look how Bush just stood there as the reporter is taking off his shoe, and how he ducks BEFORE the shoe is thrown. He even smiles as he's ducking. Then he just stands there, for an entire second, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's as if he KNEW this would happen, and the shoes would not actually hit him. And did you see the footage comparing different newscasts of the event? The translations from one tape to the next are different because one station got the pre-written translation in advance, and the other one didn't. This is just like 9/11 - It was planned in advance!!!!

Matt Eckert said...

I hear there is a second shoe theory.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Arlen Specter called and said if you look very closely, there is only one shoe involved. He claims it was one of those fancy, expensive boomerang shoes.

Original Mike said...

The more I think about it, the more appalled I am at the inaction of the Secret Service. Not one agent took off his shoe and returned fire.

AllenS said...

Bush wasn't worried at all. He had on a protective vest especially made by Dr. Scholls, containing shoe inserts, massaging gel insoles and cushioned insoles.

Tibore said...

I need Trooper to tell me what my Indianapolis Colts are like. :D

Now I'm not saying that I'd automatically agree with his metaphor, but I might in fact get a kick out of it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The second shoe is said to be in prestine condition.

Leading shoe-wing nuts to theorize that the second shoe was dropped from behind the potless podium.

I'm Full of Soup said...

God we all have to grow up someday. Heh.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The shoes were a pair of Bostonians.

Senator Kerry is said to be MIA.

Roberto said...

Based on what we've done to the country and its citizens I'm surprised the shoe didn't have a severed foot inside.

Now THAT would have been funny.

And I love this comment: "Any culture that looks down on dogs is seriously screwed up."

Personally, I think calling Bush a dog gives dogs a bad name.

knox said...

Only truly confident people use self-deprecation.

AJ, you beat me to it. Obama lacks the comfortable self-confidence Bush has. You can tell in how rehearsed and careful he is, and you certainly could tell when he confronted MoDo for making fun of his GIANT EARS HA HA HA.

Oops, my ODS got a little carried away...

I'm Full of Soup said...

German valise shows his face.

It would have been better to make a nice pair of shoes from a cow's hide than an ugly German valise.

Ron said...

In the interests of National Security, all future press conferences should be in the nude to prevent such occurrences in the future.

And that means you, too, Peggy Noonan!

Rich B said...

Uh-oh, Michael showed up. Party's over. No fun.

Roberto said...

April 1986:

During a news conference on April 9, Ronald Reagan called Qaddafi "this mad dog of the Middle East."

I say that any culture who has a President that would say something like that is "seriously screwed up."

Doggone it.

Ron said...

Only pussies look down on dogs! Mad dogs exempted, of course!

Crimso said...

"It's as if he KNEW this would happen, and the shoes would not actually hit him."

Obama might be The One, but Bush is apparently the Kwisatz Haderach.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Knox:

Obama is like a rookie who is unsure he can make it in the big leagues. He made his way to the majors with only average stats and the pitching he faced was unusually weak.

Now he is facing primo stuff and is a bit scared he will not have the right stuff.

sonicfrog said...

And what's worse - one of the offending shoes hit the AMERICAN FLAG right behind the podium.

"Of Course You Realize, This Means War!!!"

sonicfrog said...

... actually, I hear the Republicans in congress are, at this very moment, preparing an amendment that will make it illegal for a shoe thrown by a journalist to come into contact with the flag. Heck, they have nothing else better to do.

The Drill SGT said...

Trooper said...The Packers are Herb Kohl Democrats, dull earnest back benchers whose best days are long behind them.

They have 2 redeeming qualities.

1. They have a good set of owners, unlike the restof the NFL
2. They play better in late season than at the start.

Roberto said...

AJ : "Now he is facing primo stuff and is a bit scared he will not have the right stuff."

Yeah, Obama really puts off an air of uncertainty and a sever lack of confidence.

Keep 'em coming, AJ...you're a laugh riot.

Silver Winged Angel said...

I think Bush is not a dog; he is an asshole and a full hit in his asshole face would´ve been the perfect xmas gift.

Praise the brave arabs.

Sofa King said...

I think Bush is not a dog; he is an asshole and a full hit in his asshole face would´ve been the perfect xmas gift.

Praise the brave arabs.


You and Michael look so cute together, do you know that?

Roberto said...

Sofa: Can you provide any evidence Bush ISN'T AN ASSHOLE?

sonicfrog said...

SWA, Michael:

We were having a perfectly good time lightly mocking and jabbing at the President, and then you two had to come in and get all drab and serious....

Oh you're no fun anymore.

Roberto said...

sonicfrog - Simple solution: Don't read out comments.

reader_iam said...

Trooper: How 'bout the Chiefs? I promise not to taunt my dear husband with whatever you come up with. (Crosses fingers behind back.)

And I second Tibore's request.

Tibore said...

Hey, reader_iam, you wanna have fun with your husband? Just walk up to him with a wide-eyed innocent look and say "11 points? Fourth quarter? Minute and a half??"

Then duck. ;)

I disavow any divorce that may result from this prank.

Tibore said...

Or if you really want to play with him, just whisper "Phillip Rivers" when he's not expecting it. Then deny you said anything when he says "What?"

I'm mean. >:-}

Trooper York said...

Well it is obvious that the Colts are Hillary Clinton Democrats because they started out in one state and in the middle of the night moved to carpet bag another state.

Oh and Peyton Manning has cankles.

El Presidente said...

"Praise the brave Arab."

The fact that the 'brave Arab" hasn't been fed feet first into a paper shredder is evidence that Bush won his war.

A "brave Arab" would have thrown a shoe at Saddam ten years ago. Throwing a shoe at George Bush is as courageous as running into a house after the fire has been put out.

Sofa King said...

Sofa: Can you provide any evidence Bush ISN'T AN ASSHOLE?

It's an elementary logical syllogism:

1. You are an asshole
2. President Bush is not you
3. Therefore, President Bush is not an asshole

Ab uno disce omnes, res ipsa loquitur, veni vidi vici.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Based on what we've done to the country and its citizens I'm surprised the shoe didn't have a severed foot inside.

You're right. We removed the worst ruler since Pol Pot and they celebrate that by blowing each other up by the thousands.

Hoosier Daddy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ballyfager said...

Leaving Bush out of it and focusing on the shoe-thrower, an adult who will do this is simply an asshole. Don't bother telling me that I don't understand the culture. If these childish, ignorant people could govern themselves this country would have been saved a lot of trouble.

Trooper, I bet I've been a Giant fan longer than you (going way back to the days when they wore red uniforms). I'm very concerned by what I've seen the last two weeks.

They miss Brandon Jacobs terribly. They lost to the suckaloid Eagles (who have nothing but Brian Westbrook) for God's sake.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Don't bother telling me that I don't understand the culture. If these childish, ignorant people could govern themselves this country would have been saved a lot of trouble

I think that sums up the sentiments of many quite nicely. Well said.

LoafingOaf said...

Andrew Sullivan's blogging this morning on the BBC reports Bush may have had the shoe thrower tortured.

What will the people praising his grace and humor after he dodged the shoe say about that, if true?!

Sofa King said...

What will the people praising his grace and humor after he dodged the shoe say about that, if true?!

What will the people spreading this rumor say if it's not?

For your own part, I'm guessing: nothing.

sonicfrog said...

Not excusing the rough treatment if it occurred, but I thought he was taken into Iraqi custody, not U.S.? They are different, operating under different rules.

Original Mike said...

Andrew Sullivan's blogging this morning on the BBC reports Bush may have had the shoe thrower tortured.

What will the people praising his grace and humor after he dodged the shoe say about that, if true?!


You can't be serious?

J said...

"What would be worse, seeing them neither flinch nor bat an eye while obviously watching the whole time? Or overreacting by tackling the President down to the ground while opening fire on the now one-shoed guy?

Your entire post assumes the agents know things they couldn't possibly know. What would be worse is this guy killing everybody in the room because agents "can distinguish between a mere annoyance and an actual threat so fast", but be wrong.

"Could you imagine the field day reporters would have hitting their thesauruses (thesaurusai?? ;) ) for all the possible synonyms for "overreaction"?"

In general, journalists are pacifist rabble who can spout the crap they do because better people than them will protect them using violence if necessary. As long as the word gets out that this guy died in a lead storm, I don't care what else the press has to say. Immediate, overwhelming deadly force is something everybody, regardless of cultural background, understands.

hits4pay said...

haha .. people are making into funny video clips of iraqi reporter throwing shoes at bush

Unknown said...

Politicians say that everything that happens in politics is planned. Now, the question is who planned it? Did Bush plan it? I don't think so but if he did, it would explain why the secret service reacted slowly and how admirable they tolerated the act.

Second, Bush reacted with lightning speed, he was so alert it seemed like he was expecting it... hahaha, damn fast reaction.

So, who wins here? Only time will tell, just wait when those people in the muslim world realizes that if they can do that to Bush, they can do that to their own leaders who oppress them. Seems to me Bush will be gone in a month but his legacy will be seen in countries that will be emboldened to fight for freedom.

Kidding aside, I think as a whole, it will leave something positive for the oppressed but not good for arab leaders.

Pranav Bhalla said...

"..But all said and done, we have to accept it, throwing a shoe has never gone up the charts like it has now, and Facebook is looking at ways to get back its 1st position on the ‘People Fads’ list...
Read the full article here:
http://pranavbhalla.blogspot.com/2009/04/shoe-away.html