Throwing shoes at President Bush

[Brian Fein]

This is the hot story of the day.  Apparently, overnight, George W. Bush went to Iraq for some press conference.  In the process, watch what happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmt2_wyDKJI

I wonder if this is any indication of how disillusioned and naive George Bush is regarding the state of affairs in Iraq.  He thinks that what's happening there is favored by the Iraqi people, but, apparently, they're less than thrilled.

[Brian Fein]

This is a better video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpeuT1fedfY&NR=1

[MaineDolFan]

All I could think of was Austin Powers.

"Really man, who throws a shoe?"

This is a funny story but a little scary.  What if that shoe had been a gun?  I'm not wild about George W but I don't want to see any harm come to him.

[Fau Teixeira]

well i'm pretty sure they had security checks and searches for guns .. they didn't have shoe detectors

[Phishfan]

I saw it last night and had the same initial reaction as Maine, but then I thought what security checkpoint would ever prevent someone from throwing a shoe? I would have loved to have ehard Bush's response to the incident.

[Brian Fein]

Apparently Bush's only remark was "I can only confirm it was a size 10"

I always thought that each country had different shoe-size scales...?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Apparently Bush's only remark was "I can only confirm it was a size 10"

I always thought that each country had different shoe-size scales...?

Since when has Bush been stickler for the truth. 

Seriously I think he was making a joke. 

[Brian Fein]

Since when has Bush been stickler for the truth. 

Seriously I think he was making a joke. 

I'm sure he was...  in other words, he didn't have much to say about it.

[CF DolFan]

The president told ABC News, "The guy wanted to get on TV and he did."

Bush later joked about the incident, saying all he could report was that it was a size 10.

"It is one way to gain attention," Bush said. "I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it."

Apparently they are trying to find out if he was paid by someone to do it or if he was under the influence of something.  I think it was kind of funny to watch and I don't even dislike Bush!

[Brian Fein]

we were joking at work this morning how awesome it would have been if he'd have caught one shoe in each hand and crushed them into powder.  Or better yet caught the first shoe and heaved it back at the guy instantly, killing him on impact.

[BigDaddyFin]

Why didn't he throw the floor mike?  He could have walked up there, asked an insolant question and acted all indignant as only reporters can do, then after he was done, taken the wireless microphone and thrown it at him.  That would have done more damage then a shoe.  

I don't dislike Bush either even though he really pissed me off a couple times, but can't these "random angels of protest" as one publication gleefully refers to them as even protest right anymore?  

[Buddhagirl]

Why didn't he throw the floor mike?  He could have walked up there, asked an insolant question and acted all indignant as only reporters can do, then after he was done, taken the wireless microphone and thrown it at him.  That would have done more damage then a shoe.  
 

In Iraqi culture, throwing one's shoe shows contempt.

[Brian Fein]

Let me know if this is accurate:

I'd guess that in Iraq, throwing shoes is about equivalent to giving someone the middle finger in the US.

[Phishfan]

Throwing shoes if for sissies.

[Buddhagirl]

This has been overblown. Educated Arabs don't throw shoes to show contempt or disgust and this guy didn't do it because of some kind of special shoe symbolism. He through the shoes because they were the biggest things he had (pen and notebook aren't quite so dramatic). This particular journalist spent a few days as a captive of one of the militias a couple of years ago and he's almost certainly had friends or family killed during the war. He's had a terribly difficult emotional experience and he's probably come a little unhinged.

I prefer to think he was showing his contempt and disgust in a symbolic gesture. That made the entire incident rock even more.