After Sunglasses Gaffe, Bush Apologizes to Legally Blind Reporter

ABC News ^ | June 14, 2006 | JAKE TAPPER

[DaveLoneRanger]

June 14, 2006 — The president was in a jovial mood during his Rose Garden press conference Wednesday, joshing with reporters, excited to aggressively defend the Iraq war in the midterm elections, optimistic about his recent trip to Baghdad.

Then he was told a reporter he playfully teased about wearing sunglasses during the press conference has a serious vision problem and is legally blind.

By the end of the day, the exchange had merited a presidential apology. The reporter, Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times, said he bears no grudges and accepted the president's apology quickly.

"Clearly the president has more important things to worry about," Wallsten said.

[DaveLoneRanger]

"Too aggressively defend"?! Split that infinitive WIDE open, Mr. Professional Reporter Man!

[CindyDawg]

HMM. Define "legally blind"

[Graybeard58]

"Clearly the president has more important things to worry about," Wallsten said

Working for the LAT, he may or may not be a barking moonbat but he has class.

[slowhand520]

ABC is trying to stir up another pseudo controversy to piss on the president's good week

[Dr.Syn]

HMM. Define "legally blind"

The MSM to the truth.

[Star Traveler]

You said -- HMM. Define "legally blind"

Okay, here's a definition for you --

According to the entry on blindness in the Yahoo! Health Encyclopedia, anyone with vision worse than 20/200 that cannot be improved with corrective lenses is considered legally blind. In addition, people with a visual field of less than 20 degrees diameter (10 degrees radius) are also considered legally blind.

The American Optometric Association states that a person with 20/20 vision can clearly identify a row of 9mm letters from 20 feet. A legally blind person with vision of 20/200 has to be as close as 20 feet to identify objects that people with normal vision can spot from 200 feet. So a legally blind person needs a distance of two feet to spot the letters on a standard eye chart that is 20 feet away.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Graybeard58]

Legally blind is not the same as totally blind. The definition of legally blind is:

1) Best correctable vision, with "standard" eyeglasses, is 20/200 or less; or

2) a field restriction of 15 degrees or less. (Some sites say "20 degrees or less.")
31 posted on 06/14/2006 8:34:50 PM CDT by retMD

[KJC1]

President Bush showed class by apologizing to this guy, but seriously, who the hell could have known? I watched the presser and I though this guy was a Kos Kid with an attitude.

[RDTF]

The sunglasses looked disrespectful to most everyone. They were NOT dark sunglasses that blind people wear.

[Suzy Quzy]

I'll bet that ALL the reporters at the next presser have sunglasses on!!

[SamAdams76]

I see the term "legally blind" bandied about quite a bit. I wonder how many people are "illegally blind" and how big a problem that is.

[VA40]

Yeah abc, this is really worth reporting.../yawn

[oolatec]

He doesn't seem to be having any problems here...

[Navy Patriot]

Wallsten seems to have already addressed this. I guess Tapper is trying to keep it on life support.

[Annie5622]

There's a lot of that going around. I heard someone refer to the dems news conference today as "another Pelosi pissin' match".

[demsux]

How ironic...a "blind" reporter.

[Chuck54]

I thought so to and DailyKooks was all over the President about this.

Just another one of those Ann Coulter encounters where another person cannot be talked about or to because they are also infallible. Reason being, hey he's legally blind. Though he was doing quite well with that pen and pad. Looked like he was reading his question.

Jeez. Ann was right.

[digger48]

Well, then we wouldn't be able to see David Gregory and Terry Moran making googley eyes at each other.

[WhiteGuy]

Distraction of the day for 6-14-2006

[OKIEDOC]

Legally Blind Democrat--A person who is a muck diving member or a certified stinking floater in the Democrat septic tank of politics.

Legally Brain Dead--See Legally Blind Democrat.

Democrat--See Womb-Brain, Abortion, Sam Sex Marriage, Cut and Run, Coward, Muck Diver, Spineless, Godless, Hate America First,Floater, Liar, Tax and Spend, Kool Aid Drinker, Tin Foil Hat, Arrogant, Elitist..........

[Question Liberal Authority]

Should the POTUS also apologize to those who are willingly blind about the War On Terror?

[ARealMothersSonForever]

They were NOT dark sunglasses that blind people wear.

We might avoid drawing conclusions. Deaf, dumb, and blind may be degrees.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

He sure didn't act blind. Looked right at the President like he could see. No mention of him being blind by the L.A. Times that I could find. Hmmmm?

[RDTF]

whatever - not obvious

[Question Liberal Authority]

The reporter, Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times, said he bears no grudges and accepted the president's apology quickly.

"Clearly the president has more important things to worry about," Wallsten said.

The only possible explanation is: ROVE GOT TO HIM.

[Suzy Quzy]

Eeewwwwwww......

[oolatec]

Eh, oops...

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/pub_info/photos/Overton/askew8a.jpg

[RMDupree]

This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read.

"Legally blind" folks do NOT ~need~ to wear sunglasses.

Sheesh.

[Question Liberal Authority]

I wonder how many people are "illegally blind" and how big a problem that is.

The correct term is "undocumentedly blind".

[Alberta's Child]

There's only one person in the world who can wear sunglasses indoors without looking out of place . . .

[america-rules]

Search google for "Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times" and the first two pages are hit pieces this guy has written about Bush or his admin !

[pollyannaish]

He said, 'I will. Though next time I'll use a different needle,'"

First of all, classy apology Mr. President.

Second...so how did the President answer his leftist question? When you start with the premise they were trying to discredit him, you are a leftist. Is it possible, Mr. Professional Reporter Man, that they were simply trying to GET THE TRUTH OUT?

Reporters like this irritate me.

[lawdude]

"I'll bet that ALL the reporters at the next presser have sunglasses on!!"

Or maybe the Pres?

[baltodog]

Did you see that reporter's car?

Neither did he...

[pollyannaish]

It would be really funny if the President walked out wearing them. But they'd crucify him for that.

[goodnesswins]

How ironic...a "blind" reporter."

LOL....THAT is IRONIC!

[pollyannaish]

Great minds. Or idle minds. I'm not always clear on that point. ; ).

[edpc]

I hated that damn song in the '80s. This story will just have satirical shows dredging it up.

[Ditter]

Much ado about nothing. How would anyone know the man had a vision problem just because he was wearing sunglasses. Now if he had a white cane AND wore sunglasses, I think President Bush would suspect something.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

MagooGate is upon us.

[Hoodat]

Here's the blind guy

St. Petersburg Times reporter Peter Wallsten interviews former Gov. Reubin Askew.

[mojo114]

Has this reporter been around long? Is this a set up by the MSM to change the subject from the President? Smell test in action.....

[PLK]

My father-in-law is "legally blind" and the term is well-defined. However, it typically means that someone is "partially blind," and as such, sun glasses are a hindrance, rather than a help, to people who have partial vision. Usually, the partially blind person needs all the light source they can get to visualize whatever it is they are looking at.

This whole thing stinks to high heaven. I ain't buyin' it.

[Ken H]

Define "legally blind"

David Souter.

[Gideon7]

Maybe he's writing with a magic braille pen?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Most if not all states have a firm definition, and there's probably a federal definition too (maybe all the same by now, due the mountain of intertwined federal and state disability rights and benefits). If he's wearing sunglasses, I think he probably has macular degeneration, which is a loss of central vision (i.e. you see a big black spot in the middle, but can see things in the periphery around it). For some reason, glare is a serious problem with this condition, and further impairs the already limited vision.

[roses of sharon]

OMG, an adult exchange in DC??

[PLK]

Also, blind people wear sunglasses to "hide" the fact that their eyes are not tracking, or sometimes their eyes are not "normal" looking. Therefore, the sunglasses shield the eyes from curious stares.

For the "legally blind" person, meaning one who has only partial vision, sunglasses would be a MAJOR obstacle to their visualization. This guy is a crock.

[Skip Ripley]

Maybe they meant legally blonde? That would explain the confusion.....