Secret Service Caught Offguard, Redfaced with Shoe Throwing.

First an apology.  I've now seen a video and Bush did react and quite quickly.  The picture I saw was of the second shoe being launched.  Bush ducked that one too (the reporter had a surprisingly strong arm, it seems to me.) But a person I know who is usually very kind to the president noted that he eerily maintained a smile on his face.  I actually disagree with the "eerie" characterization.  That's his humor and he went on to show it afterwards when he declared the shoes to be size 10. He also trusted that he wasn't in danger, especially after the first shoe didn't explode.  And, yes, I'm guessing there, but I think it's a reasonable assumption.  

But Bush's assumption that the Secret Service was on the ball apparently wasn't as spot on. 

Excerpt  McClatchy news report "Bush shoe incident catches Secret Service flatfooted":

... agents on the scene knew that everyone in attendance had been screened for weapons and that they appeared to have taken the ``appropriate level of action.'' No shots were fired as Bush's Secret Service detail joined Iraqi police in taking the shoe thrower into custody.

The arrested man, Muntathar al Zaidi, a 29-year-old employee of Cairo, Egypt -based Baghdadiya Television, remained in Iraqi custody Monday. Officials in Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's office refused to comment on his condition or on whether he'd be criminally charged. 

 Video of the event at the prime minister's palace shows a tightly packed room in which most security personnel were forced to the sides, and 20 video cameras lined the back of the room.
About an hour before the news conference, a Secret Service agent arrived and gave waiting Iraqi journalists, who didn't know that Bush was making a surprise visit, a fourth and final search.

... 

No Secret Service agent was in view on the video when Zaidi threw the first shoe at Bush's head from about 20 feet away and shouted in Arabic: ``This is a goodbye kiss, you dog.'' 

The article then goes on to link this incident to the 1981 shooting of President Reagan by "drifter" John Hinkley, forgetting to mention that Neil Bush was invited to dine with the drifter's brother the next day (an appt that was actually cancelled for some reason after the shots were fired).  (BTW, this can't be considered a blog bullshit. It was reported by the mainstream news within days of the March 30 shooting, with the requisite explanation by the younger Bush that they were actually invited to a dinner party for the brother's girlfriend.)  I know it was mainstream news because that's all we had in those days.  Still it is amazing what mainstream news forgets.  And BTW, Hinkley, an intruder, was shooting bullets from the press area, while Mr. Zaidi, an actual journalist, was throwing shoes.  There is a difference.

Now I don't want to be too easy on the president.  After he made a joke and showed he was not afraid he then talked about how this was just something that goes in Democracy.  People want to call attention to themselves.  But in the meantime as he was describing the condition as one that was typical of 'democracy' the man was being beaten in the back of the room, audibly crying out in pain.

Maybe our boy was just too nice to ask the goons to stop trying to kill the guy. 

Well this time the Secret Service had checked for weapons, but remember during the campaign they weren't very good at checking at Obama events.  They would check some, but let the rest in without checks.  I hope they won't be so lackadaisical now that big crowds at campaign rallies won't be needed.  And that they will be on the alert while presidential events happen. There are idiots out there who think they will be a hero to a certain number of Americans if they 'get' the first president with African American blood in him. 

tags: bush  shoe thrower  iraq  reagan assassination attempt  

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