Posted on 12/16/2008 7:50:50 AM PST by SmithL
Google "shoe-thrower" and "Pulitzer" this morning, and you will get a surprising number of hits.
From the streets of Baghdad to the blogs of North America, some are hailing reporter Muntadar al-Zeidi as a hero for having the spine to do what journalists should have done years ago.
They are wrong.
"This is a farewell kiss, you dog," al-Zeidi yelled as he flung his shoes toward President Bush Sunday, in the most entertaining presidential news conference moment since Dan Rather confronted Richard Nixon 35 years ago.
As someone who has attended hundreds of news conferences, including dozens at the White House, sometimes I have wanted to scream far worse at politicians spewing predictable and self-serving pabulum.
And, after watching Bush appear for years before crowds seemingly scrubbed of dissent, I understand the glee in watching the direct confrontation.
But journalists play far too important a role in a democracy to allow themselves to squander their access with emotional outbursts.
There is a reason for the "no cheering in the press box" axiom. The public is entitled to information, and journalists have a responsibility to both elicit and broadcast it. Displays of anger, repulsion or even devotion - no matter how righteous - deny the public that information.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
What did al-Zeidi accomplish? Bush ducked, made a few jokes, and said nothing of substance on the atrocities in Iraq. Access to political figures is a gift that should not be squandered.And there you have it.
Speaking of ‘access’, doesn’t anyone think that the SS reacted to slowly?
Atrocities???? He wants to talk about atrocities?????
Great. The cult of murder needs to be exposed; Islam is rife with bloodthirsty, horrid monsters who......
...wait......he IS talking about atrocities committed by Al Quaeda, right??
I hate to tell you this, Marc, but this is not what is going on these days. Not for a long time, in fact.
Saudi businessman offers $10 million for shoe thrown at Bush
-PJ
Um ... where was that "no cheering in the press box" axiom during the presidential election? Sorry, but it's a little late. Half of the country no longer trusts the mainstream media at all, and the other half are slow learners. 2008 was not just a year with a little unintended bias and a few bad apples who cross the line, it was an all out intentional push with the entire mainstream media serving as the propaganda wing of the Obama Campaign.
Whatever respect and trust journalists may once have had is completely gone. I consider journalists enemies of the state. Just as a Russian double-agent or an Al Qaeda member taking money under the table may provide useful information occasionally, journalists may also provide useful information from time to time, but my assumption is that they are at least as likely to lie for their own ends as they are to tell the truth, and only that likely because the truth may happen to serve their political agenda.
Googling “shoe-thrower” and “execution” also yields a lot of hits.
rofl!! Yeah RIGHT!
Does Katie know this? Does Blather? Prissy Matthews? ANYONE?
Maybe we should start throwing shoes at our elected officials to get their attention?
How about sending worn out shoes to your favorite congress critter to show your appreciation for all they fail to accomplish?
Maybe Jan 20th should be NATIONAL CAST OUT YOUR OLD SHOE DAY?
What did al-Zeidi accomplish? Bush ducked, made a few jokes, and said nothing of substance on the atrocities in Iraq. Access to political figures is a gift that should not be squandered.
Well apparently he fell down the stairs because he has a broken arm, broken ribs and his face is messed up. Ya THATS what it got him.
Yep. At the end of the day, GWB was still president and this reporter was still a loser. Scoreboard, baby.
Actually I have had the feeling that an American News person gave the loon money to throw the shoe..I said this on another thread..I can’t see anyone giving ten million..it could be a story made up by the American press..I don’t trust any of them especially the Muslims news networks that loves BO so much..<maybe even Soros gave the money who knows..In any case we should leave Iraq and not look back if that is the way they feel..The Iraqi president just stood there like a goon and did nothing..Bush should have picked up the shoe and thrown it right back in the fools face really hard broke his stupid nose..
Mr Sandalow is just jealous!
“There is a reason for the “no cheering in the press box” rule.”
LOL!!! STERN OBJECTIVITY FROM THE PRESS REQUIRED ACCORDING TO SF CHRONICLE.
If the article were only true, the country might not be in the mess it is in. The press has been throwing brickbats, “shoes”, knowing lies, and everything else they could muster at W for eight years. They have done the same to every R except Chuck Hagel and John McCain. And when an actual conservative shows up, they might as well pull out their garlic, hawthorne stakes, and crosses (as much as the cross part pains them).
On the other side, they have been no better than middle-school dork girls drooling over the Teen-Scene Dream Boy of the Month wondering whether Barak kisses on the first date.
Actually, I regard the Iraqi journalist much more highly than the hypocrites of the American press. He is at least honest that he has an opinion. The US press is loaded with opinions but pretends that it’s coverage is independent of them. Better that US reporters throw shoes. Then at least people would know where their coverage is really coming from.
This article is rank hypocrisy spawned by the rank hypocrites from journalism schools. I’m convinced that most of journalism school is teaching folks how to include opinion in their coverage while pretending to be neutral.
People in Iraq and all the rest of the muslim nationsknow very well how to get their faces on American television and they want their fifteen minutes of fame as well as anyone here in the US.
That’s why there were 1,000 people demonstrating for this guy. They probably rushed home to see if they could be seen on the CNN news reports.
The Dumbass threw like a girl and missed President Bush from 10 feet away. I could have hit him throwing left-handed.
Soccer is the big sport in Iraq. Figures that the Muslim world calls this Dumbass a ‘hero’....
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