For anyone who doesn't like President Bush

[Paradox]

(This doesn't mean that I don't like Bush. I just find the clip to be immensely amusing.)

If you don't like Bush, then revel in the slow motion shots of an Iraqi journalist lobbing both of his shoes at the President during a news conference.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7782422.stm

The video shows the initial incident, followed by a slow-motion retake.

In the Middle East, showing the sole of your shoe to someone is a serious sign of disrespect. Showing your foot to someone is even more of an insult. This particular journalist had his family killed during the War on Terror, was held captive by terrorists that the war failed to eliminate, and had his entire news team taken captive as well. Obviously, he had an axe to grind with Bush.

[Ket]

It's like driving down the street and having people not gesturing with all five fingers.

I think that has to be the best thing he's said in his eight years in office. 

[Paradox]

Hahahaha yeah. I also like his initial reaction:

So what if a guy threw a shoe at me?

[Ket]

You do have to give him credit for being good at ducking. 

[Will]

Yes, he did dodge the shoes very nicely!  Still, I can't even explain how gratifying that was.  If I still smoked, I would.

[Caity]

He's such an idiot...

It's about freaking time somebody threw a shoe at him. 

[The Overlord]

In the Middle East, showing the sole of your shoe to someone is a serious sign of disrespect. Showing your foot to someone is even more of an insult.

I first saw this on the live coverage when we first went in. When they pulled down that large statue of Saddam in the now-famous footage, afterward the Iraqis broke the head off and were dragging it unceremoniously through the streets. One elderly and clearly enraged man was continuously smacking the head with his shoe and yelling his contempt for Saddam into the camera, which they explained at the time was a grave insult.

[Sabby]

This man shall be forever known as...

'The Shoe-ter'

[The Overlord]

Or perhaps...the Shoegun.

[RubySlippers]

Now the big question will they make everyone turn in their shoes before ANY news conference where the President is in shoe tossing range?

[The Overlord]

Now the big question will they make everyone turn in their shoes before ANY news conference where the President is in shoe tossing range?

I can think of few things that would incense the Middle East more. Better keep the press conferences out of there.

[Oniya]

They talked about this on the news this morning, and I have to say - my first reaction was to actually laugh.  Especially when some random caller said that 'if the shoe had hit him in the right place, like the temple, it could have been fatal'. 

I couldn't tell if he was actually considering the shoe a dangerous weapon, or if he was criticizing the reporter's aim.

[CassandraNova]

Or perhaps...the Shoegun.

If he should be elected to public office, would it be reffered to as the Shoegunate?

[Will]

If he should be elected to public office, would it be reffered to as the Shoegunate?

Ha!  Nice. ;D

[CassandraNova]

Unlike Vladimir Putin, President Bush really did gaze into this guy's sole.

Donald Rumsfeld:  "I sincerely believe we'll be greeted as liberators.  They will strew roses at the feet of our troops.  Shoes, I mean shoes!"

Boy, here I thought the President was just loafin' around in the mideast...

Gives a new meaning to the phrase, "The shoe's on the other foot now," doesn't it?

You know, it's a shoe-in that he'll probably be charged with a crime...

Funny thing is that the President just went there to shoe-t the breeze.

Heh.

[Will]

Okay, okay!  My belly hurts from laughing now, thank you. :P

[The Overlord]

Donald Rumsfeld:  "I sincerely believe we'll be greeted as liberators.  They will strew roses at the feet of our troops.  Shoes, I mean shoes!"

This one still boggles me. Makes a hard point on just how out of touch with reality Rumsfeld is. This was Baghdad 2003; a far cry from Paris 1944.

It gets interesting if you're not too familiar with Rummy's history and find out he was defense secretary for Nixon. God damned Nixon in the Vietnam era, for Christ's sake. They should have wheeled that old fossil into a nursing home a long time ago.