If the Shoe Fits, Duck!
Which is exactly what President Bush did, twice, to avoid shoes thrown at him by an Iraqi journalist today in Baghdad:
He said: “It is the farewell kiss, you dog.”
wadosyDecember 14th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
too bad he isnt as good at dodging neocon con artists as he is at dodging shoes…
but i have to admit that he showed lots of athletic cool… all reflexes, no brain.
James BabbDecember 14th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Finally, some journalistic integrity!
jsDecember 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Someday we will welcome them (Iraqi journalists) as liberators (of fascist america).
MikeDecember 14th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
The president has some great reflexes for an old man! That shoe would have nailed him if he didn’t duck just at the nick of time
SusanDecember 14th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
some folks are going to throw shoes at the white house – or mail bush a shoe.
I am going to put a picture of the bottom of my shoes on a postcard, with the Iraqi’s message and mail it in. Postcards can be made out of stock card paper or cardboard, and cost 27 cents to mail. I put wide clear tape over the picture and the writing.
If I lived near by, I would throw a shoe over the white house fence.
Fan of Raimondo and GarrisDecember 14th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
He insulted dogs! >:-(
Otherwise, the Iraqi journalist is a hero.
AndyDecember 14th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Too bad he missed. Seriously, the incident may also have had some symbolism. In Arab culture hitting someone with your shoe is considered the gravest insult.
Obvious Guy SaysDecember 14th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’m sure he is being justly rewarded at this minute in some dark dank cell awaiting the next beating.
QualtroughDecember 14th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
That journalist is a hero. The only thing better than a direct hit would have been if the other Iraqi journalists had joined in.
subHumanDecember 15th, 2008 at 12:16 am
very true
R. NelsonDecember 15th, 2008 at 12:35 am
The strait-laced Iraqi journalist is solely responsible for getting the upper hand, throwing at that heel Bush.
CorkeyDecember 15th, 2008 at 4:59 am
I think this episode symbolically sums up his entire pathetic presidency.
MehrnazDecember 15th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Well Said, Fan of Raimondo and Garris! The statement made by the journalist was spot on. This was the voice of Iraqi people, both Sunni and Shia.
Usama Bin GoldsteinDecember 15th, 2008 at 6:11 am
This video is hilarious and has already gone viral on the net. It will go down as one of the great moments in journalistic history.
Judith Miller and the rest of the in-bedded US media, eat your hearts out.
Skulz FontaineDecember 15th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Anyone get that Iraqi’s name? Shoe dude should get a Nobel Prize for spontaneous honesty.
lesterDecember 15th, 2008 at 7:18 am
he spoke for all of us
Lear KDecember 15th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Finally,Bush finally found the WMD!
AJDecember 15th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Folks, as much as we all dislike Bush and he deserved this absolutely, let’s not make him the scapegoat for it all.
Shoes/heavy items need to be thrown at, “if you will”, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, Abrams, Rumsfeld, Feith, Podhertz, and more… While we are at it, why not throw some at Lie-bermann and Madeline Alberight (for her “worth it comments” about Iraqi children dying back in the ’90’s). I think Colin Powell deserves them too for his so-called WMD testimony against Iraq at the UN in ‘03. He had his doubts then, but no cajones to say “NO, This is a lie!” He lied, people died.
Who knows, we may see shoes being thrown at Obama in Iran or Georgia in the coming years. You can probably tell I am not hopeful at Obama’s “change” and am cynical. He has surrounded himself by people who should be shoe-d. Maybe I should have majored in journalism so I could do it too!
*Sigh*
Carol WatsonDecember 15th, 2008 at 8:07 am
As the journalist was hauled off, he yelled: “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.” You’ll notice that the American media is not reporting those words. I guess it makes Bush look bad, and the media has fallen all over itself during the past eight years trying to make Bush look good.
I suppose we can now say that “the insurgency is in its last ‘throws’” … (Hubris Sonic)
lesterDecember 15th, 2008 at 8:36 am
the media edited the footage. here is an image from what really happened http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff81/fairhenbane/shoestorm.jpg
Carol WatsonDecember 15th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Richard Perle has already had a shoe thrown at him during his 2005 debate with Howard Dean by a protester yelling “Liar! Liar!” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6991863/
And an eyewitness account: http://www.museworld.com/archives/001697.html
SabahDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:31 am
It’s Nike that motivated the brave journalist : JUST DO IT !!!!!!
AndyDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Well said. Pathetic indeed. Pathetic presidency. Pathetic man.
WillDecember 15th, 2008 at 10:19 am
It’s funny how Maliky didn’t even flinch in the process, as if this is perfectly normal!
KRLDecember 15th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Muntadar al-Zaidi spoke for millions, not only Iraqis, with this courageous act!
WELL DONE!
Lear KDecember 15th, 2008 at 10:58 am
The American media and ademenstrations were always partners in crimes.
FrankDecember 15th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Wow! Very quick reflexes! Is this the same Bush that choked on a pretzel and passed out and nearly died?
RayDecember 15th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
That was awesome! It would have been great had it hit him dead on right in the face! It still does not serve as justice to all the thousands of civilians that have died in the Iraq genocide:(
Brad SmithDecember 15th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
No chimps were actually harmed during the filming of this video.
CorkeyDecember 15th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
And the Christmas version:
http://www2.b3ta.com/host/creative/61609/1229336413/ggtu.gif
Ricardo KolbeDecember 15th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Sir,
there is some greatness in his action.
Katy GermanDecember 15th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Finally, an unscripted moment from the Emperor! Those ducks were the only honest thing I’ve seen the man do in public, ever.
CorkeyDecember 15th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
He has had plenty of practice in ducking and dodging responsibility for his actions for his whole life. The shoes were easy to avoid.
Usama Bin GoldsteinDecember 15th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
“Another IRAQI HERO : Muntather Al-Zaidi”
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m49584&hd=&size=1&l=e
Timmy RamoneDecember 15th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
That video really made my day!
[I'm a] PC Site » Bush Demonstrates ReflexesDecember 15th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
[...] (via AntiWar.com) Share and Enjoy: [...]
Jim GriffinDecember 15th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
If only Odd Job had been the one throwing the shoe!
Glendon WayneDecember 15th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Shoe Dust For the Mammon Trust
Bless that shoe hurling hand give that journalist a medal The outgoing dog of dirt has no metal those incoming farewell shoes were so becoming a truly fitting W farewell tribute for the puppet dog’s last shoe stand duck for the ‘duck and cover’ empire dog
‘Shock and awe’ didn’t bring flowers The ‘born again bomber’ didn’t bring security The ‘greatest purveyor of terror’ in all the land where ‘guns and butter’ profit had the upper hand with the W led walking insult to Homo Errectus (as Homo Sapiens was far far behind) the soulless chimp of the Bagdad bust leaves with little more than shoe dust for the empire of the mammon god we trust.
Tim R.December 15th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
So you don’t like President Bush, fine, I get it. And that is certainly your right. But some shmuck throws his shoes at our President and it does not offend you? Where is your sense of patriotism? I did not vote for Barack Obama but if he were to travel overseas and some lunatic would throw his shoes at him I would be pretty pissed off nontheless.
And BY THE WAY, President Bush helped to remove Saddam Hussein from power, I wonder what would have happend to this guy if he threw his shoes at Saddam Hussein? Hmmmm????
Ira EpsteinDecember 15th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Bush is a war criminal. He started a war for no good reason that has killed at least one million innocent Iraqis and displaced four million more. If there was such a thing as justice in the world then Bush would be swinging from the end of a rope for his crimes. He is lucky to get off with just getting a couple of shoes thrown at him. I just regret that one of those shoes did not hit its target.
KyleDecember 15th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Wingtip of Mass Destruction?
PaymanDecember 15th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
We already knew he is good and dodging. He dodged the draft in Vietnam war, he dodged the SEC investigation into the companies he ran to the ground. then he dodged the challenges against his phony presidency, all successfully, he dodged the charges of obstruction of justice in several congressional inquiry (Cheany’s energy task force, 9/11 commission) then he dodged the whole Plame-gate and the intelligence-gate, and Nigerian yellow cake, two elections, and to top it all, he dodged two shoes thrown at him.
He is a master dodger.
Milan KohoutDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
It was a perfect Performance Art piece !!!!!! Milan http://www.mobius.org/mobius_artists.php?id=milan
AndyDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Too bad he doesn’t have great mental reflexes.
AndyDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Unlike Bush who lives in a state of denial, Maliki is aware of the true state of Iraq.
Di quella piraDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
If there’s any justice left in this nation, Bush (and a number of his cronies) will be made to do a post-term perp walk, and have a deputy take his shoes away while he awaits trial for defrauding the USA into a war of aggression (later, they can try him for war crimes).
AndyDecember 15th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
You can’t be serious. Can you?? I don’t think it’s “patriotic” to support an obviously bad president who did an obviously terribly wrong thing. What WOULD YOU DO if an Arab leader had invaded and occuppied America, killed millions of Americans, wounded still millions more, displaced millions of others and all on a trumped up false charge? For a war criminal Bush has gotten off very lightly indeed.
xeartherDecember 15th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
“Where is your sense of patriotism?”
It died long ago and was replaced with a sense of anger, shame, and hopelessness.
saraDecember 15th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
it is necessary to say that in Islam “dog” is a very dirty animal ( of course not a bad one) and you have to and it is needed to wash your hand if you touch it !
subHumanDecember 16th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Thanks for the link Info in the evil empire is hard to come by, AntiWar and its contributors are the exception to the rule!
richard vajsDecember 16th, 2008 at 3:43 am
Tim R, I only wish that I had been the “shmuck” throwing the shoes. And the only thing that offends me is that this ass—e has been our President for the last 8 years
CorkeyDecember 16th, 2008 at 4:18 am
And the “Axis of Idiots” Three Stooges version.
Three Stooges ? Redundant, ain’t it ??
http://www.ihasaids.com/upload/data/1229313488.gif
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pt0rDYZPDA
Rowan BerkeleyDecember 16th, 2008 at 6:38 am
If you want to see some real talkbacks on this, try here: http://www.roadstoiraq.com/2008/12/16/urgent-just-reported-al-zaidi-in-us-run-camp-cropper-prison/
AndyDecember 16th, 2008 at 10:16 am
you sure said it friend.
Rowan BerkeleyDecember 16th, 2008 at 10:19 am
ITAR-Tass and Interfax have quoted Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr as saying that Russia has agreed to supply his country with 10 MiG-29 fighter jets. ITAR-Tass said the planes will be provided as aid. Murr spoke during Tuesday’s talks in Moscow with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081216/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_lebanon_jets
AndyDecember 16th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Thanks Corkey.
david monaghanDecember 16th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I think a shoe in the hand is worth two in the bush Sadly the man was a sole trader perhaps he might grow who knows?
Aussie RexDecember 16th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
It would have been sad if no cameras had caught this ballistic attack, but this is gold! I do wonder what will happen to that journo; surely he’ll become a hero among the ppl.
KennethDecember 16th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Generally what happens to dissidents that the authoritarians get their hands on: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7785338.stm
CorkeyDecember 16th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Newest versions via Anders K:
http://www2.b3ta.com/host/creative/61609/1229425531/j1ggtr.gif
http://www.b3tards.com/u/c906e57fc22848ef3336/bush-league.gif
Lear KDecember 16th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
“The Guantanamo ‘war on terror’ detention center should remain open indefinitely, Vice President Richard Cheney told ABC News in an interview Monday, while also defending the harsh interrogation method known as waterboarding.”
‘the harsh interrogation method “Not torture!?according to ABC,and the rest of the US media!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081215/pl_afp/usattacksguantanamocheney_081215231418
Lear KDecember 16th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Dick Cheney’s fantasy world
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/dec/16/dick-cheney-iraq-war-wmd?commentpage=1
TannimDecember 16th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Fine, Tim, the next one chucked at him will be painted in the Stars and Stripes.
And, no, it’s not offensive. It’s appropriate. The guy deserves more than just shoes chucked at him: eggs, tar and feathers, indictments, impeachments, prison clothes, etc. He not only lost America’s respect, but he flushed the world’s respect as well.
And the same would hold true for any interventionist statist scum, no matter what his name. He ought to be happy it was only one pair of shoes and not the entire collection from the local Payless.
There is now a movement afoot (no pun intended) to send photos of shoes to the White House, and to tie pairs of them to the outside fences at the Ellipse. Empty combat boots, preferably.
TannimDecember 16th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Oh, yeah, one heel deserves another (and another!)…
jefDecember 16th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Patriotism?
I’d like to read your definition of patriotism.
Are there any values higher than “patriotism?”
Bush is a traitor to so called American ideals. Is he still a patriot?
MetaCynicDecember 16th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Bush was lucky that the journalist was humane enough to throw only shoes and not some of the explosive stuff that Bush has ordered thrown against the Iraqi people.
MetaCynicDecember 16th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
If Bush had the presence of mind, he wouldn’t have ducked. Don’t forget that he is the Commander in Chief. If he had been hit, he could have awarded himself a Purple Heart for injury sustained in a war zone. Bush could have ended his presidency as a war hero! Which other President has such bragging rights?
AndyDecember 16th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
The soldiers duck shrapnel, Bush ducks shoes. Maybe this is what he meant by “bring it on”?
CorkeyDecember 16th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
This says it all:
http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Bush_Fiasco_YouTubes_Gain/551-96619-643.html
John LowellDecember 16th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Di quella pira,
I’m guessing but this rendering by Pavarotti’s of di quella pira to which you link us had to have been a product of the early part of his career. It seems to me too disciplined to have come out of his “commercial” period. In any case, you are a man of surpassing tastes. In the presence of such great art as Verdi serves up to us, who has time for someone tossing a shoe at Bush. :-)
Here’s a Christmas gift for you in return, the maestro, Alfredo Kraus, Ecco ridente in cielo from Il Barbieri: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqCAiti3HD8.
Rowan BerkeleyDecember 16th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
There is some raw footage of the shoe throwing incident here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yLf9UpRJmI hat tip, Raed Jarrar: http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2008/12/message-from-iraqi-people.html
pro-AmericanDecember 17th, 2008 at 5:47 am
The scum of Iraq have infiltrated the media – what a surprise!!! I see the ex-journalist is up on charges of up to 7 years. Had he done that to saddam the coward would have been fed to the lions – literally – while saddam watched. Maybe saddam was right in some ways on how to deal with traitors and cowards….. Peace hasn’t worked, give war a chance.
whytlionDecember 17th, 2008 at 7:24 am
pro-american you completely miss the point of what it means to truly be pro american. What will it take for you to realise your leaders have been working to ruin your life for the last half century. Look around you. Can you honestly be happy with the current state of affairs. At one point the US was the strongest economic power in the world, where most of the world’s innovation took place. What has it become now in the name of profit and power for the elite? A service based economy means the people don’t create much of anything. The biggest US exports now are US dollars and weapons/wars. That’s why there’s a recession, that’s why the government and people are broke, and that’s why people throw shoes at the president.
NadineDecember 17th, 2008 at 8:38 am
“Peace hasn’t worked, give war a chance.”
Wait, are you being sarcastic? I can’t tell because I’ve met people like this who have so little brain to work with it’s a wonder they can actually function.
AndyDecember 17th, 2008 at 9:39 am
How exactly does an Iraqi betray an American president? There are so many wackos like this guy out there.
Lear KDecember 17th, 2008 at 9:57 am
What a jingoism !When ever has the US given peace a chnce!?
Lear KDecember 17th, 2008 at 10:22 am
“We were walking, I was holding my grandson’s hand, then there was a loud noise and everything went white. When I opened my eyes, everybody was screaming. I was lying metres from where I had been, I was still holding my grandson’s hand but the rest of him was gone. I looked around and saw pieces of bodies everywhere. I couldn’t make out which part was which.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/16/afghanistan-taliban-us-foreign-policy
Lear KDecember 17th, 2008 at 10:48 am
“Most of what you believe about your government is a lie, an elaborate illusion to keep you ignorant of the truth. To the extent to which you buy their lies and the propaganda of the major media you are deluding yourself. “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
CorkeyDecember 17th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Can you walk upright without dragging your knuckles ? You can’t be serious with your comment.
CorkeyDecember 17th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I wonder how the British spun the Boston Tea Party back home ?
MetaCynicDecember 17th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
The day is fast approaching when many Americans will be sorely tempted to toss their shoes at public officials. However, they will refrain from doing so not because of fear of punishment but because they will be too poor to afford losing good shoes!
Lear KDecember 18th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Most presidents want to leave office with a legacy ,this Bush Jr’s legacy.The one thing that he will for ever remembered by.
jerryDecember 20th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Please join the international “SHOE-IN” today.
http://shoein.wordpress.com/
Send your old shoes to W.
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