Published 12/15/2008
by Domenico Montanaro
at First Read
The Washington Post front-pages, “Arriving here on Sunday for a surprise farewell visit, President Bush staunchly defended a war that has taken far more time, money and lives than anticipated, but he received a taste of local resentment toward his policies when an Iraqi journalist hurled two shoes at him at a news conference… Just after Bush finished his remarks and said ‘Thank you’ in Arabic, an Iraqi journalist took off his shoes and threw them at Bush, one after the other.”
”Throwing a shoe at someone is considered the worst possible insult in Iraq and is meant to show extreme disrespect and contempt. When U.S. forces helped topple a statue of Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein after rolling into Baghdad in April 2003, jubilant Iraqis beat the statue's face with their shoes. ‘This is a farewell kiss!’ the man, identified as Muntadar al-Zaidi, a reporter with the Cairo-based al-Baghdadia television network, yelled in Arabic as he threw the first shoe. Bush, about 12 feet away, ducked and narrowly ...
(link)
Tags:
Related Content
Treasury says still sifting automakers' data
reuters.com 12/15/2008 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Treasury Department spokeswoman said on Monday that department officials were reviewing information from the auto industry and no decisions had been made yet about a rescue plan. "We continue to assess and review the ...
Bush shoe attacker 'detested America'
breitbart.com 12/15/2008 — The Iraqi journalist who caused a furore when he hurled his shoes at visiting US President George W. Bush "detested America" and had been plotting such an attack for months, colleagues said on Monday. Muntazer al-Zaidi, 28, was being hailed as a hero ...
A Republican Governor Is Antsy About The Bailout
marcambinder.theatlantic.com 12/15/2008 — Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) has written President Bush urging him not to use TARP funds to bailout the auto industry. Sanford, the chairman of the RGA and a possible 2012 presidential candidate, writes that "every struggling industry would see itself ...
Top Time Editor Quits to Become Biden's Press Secretary
newsbusters.org 12/15/2008 — At least he made it official. Time magazine Washington bureau chief Jay Carney is quitting his magazine post to work as director of communications for incoming vice president Joe Biden. This hardly comes as a surprise. During his tenure at Time, ...
President George W. Bush Exits White House to Record Job Disapproval
abcnews.go.com 12/16/2008 — Photo: Poll analysis: On Iraq, George W. Bush's surprise trip Sunday took him to the root of his own unpopularity: Sixty-four percent of Americans in this new ABC News/Washington Post poll say the war was not worth fighting, steady for two years.
Jan. 20: People all over the world, join hands —
First Read 12/15/2008
The Obamas will arrive in DC by train beginning on Jan. 17, starting in Philly, and picking up the Bidens in Delaware. The New York Times looks at some Obama's closest friends and wonders how often they'll visit DC.
By the way, it’s going ...
Bush doesn't set auto bailout timeline —
CNN Political Ticker 12/15/2008
President Bush may use money from the Treasury program in hopes of avoiding the bankruptcy of U.S. automakers.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — President Bush said Monday he might use money from the Treasury program to aid financial services ...
Obama, Biden Plan to Take the Train —
WSJ.com: Washington Wire 12/15/2008
Brad Haynes reports on inauguration plans.
The Obama and Biden families will ride the train to Washington, D.C., for Inauguration Day, taking an abbreviated version of the old whistle-stop train tour.
In a nod to previous inaugural journeys ...
Follow BeltwayBlips on Twitter
