One part about the Shoe throw The S.S. did really act slow.

[redirish28]

Please don't get me wrong. If anyone needed to know how most of the world felt about him it is Bush.

And my hats off to the journalist who tried to send the message about how displeased he is with Bush's actions.

But my reaction now thinking about the situation AND seeing the video why wasn't the Secret Service on top of the guy after the first shoe was thrown.


Should we be concerned what type of "security" President Obama will receive IF they don't react fast enough to a shoe thrown at Chimp?


Or am I worried for nothing?

[geckosfeet]

1. Does anyone else think this was staged?

[redirish28]

6. I can see the point about it being stage. And it is a good point...BUT why stage it

unless it is to become a talking point of some sort...


Right wing spinning point.

OR


(tinfoil hat theory) A chance for Bush to enact some of those Orders and Directives like 51 to impose Martial Law.

I mean think about it... This is going to be shown by the Media 24/7 the next few days Bush gets back into the US holds some sort of Conference or public speech of some sort. Suddenly someone trys this "stunt" again and BAM the U.S. isn't safe we have to Protect ourselves...

[rainbow4321]

13. Nope...this is NOT how his trip to Iraq was supposed to play out

And I don't care how "no big deal" he tried to act afterwards, I still have images of him being PISSED about it happening. He was made a fool out of and his trip highlight will be this video looped over and over and over for a few news cycles. Then there will be the late night shows to look forward to...
Forget any staged photo ops he may have posed for leading up to this press conference (or after, when he went to Afghanistan)...they will be forever overshadowed by this caught-on-tape-gone-viral-thru-the-Net shoe throwing moment.
I imagine at some point we will be hearing his (real) aftermath reaction thru "anonymous sources".

[RedCappedBandit]

2. Good point

Perhaps the SS will see this as a wakeup call and as a result Obama will be even safer.

[baldguy]

3. It was a press conference full of journalists.

They were probably just checked for IDs & weapons.

Of course, shoes will now be considered weapons.

[MadMaddie]

4. Security was looking for obvious weapons guns, knives

explosives.

Ordinary worn down shoes not so much. In that region showing the sole of a shoe is apparantly a major insult.

[rurallib]

5. Maybe Bushie has the third string on his guard

and the top two strings are watching O.

[BR_Parkway]

7. Maybe the SS aren't any more fond of him than we are - they are

Americans afterall. He's bought just as much shame to them as the rest of us.

of course, there's the very simple explanation - Shrub has surrounded himself with the most incompetent people he could find in every other area - why should this one be any different.

[redirish28]

8. Granted they where looking for weapons BUT as soon as the first

shoe flew why didn't they jump on the guy how come the guy got the second shoe thrown?

[anigbrowl]

10. Well, it takes time to cross the room

He threw his shoes pretty fast. The secret service agents don't have super powers. As for the suggestion above that it was staged, it's ridiculous.

[Dragonfli]

9. I think it is a good question - I have always thought of the Secret Service

As impartial and highly professional - no matter who they are charged with protecting.
I have always thought of them as willing to take a bullet not for any one man, but rather for the cause of the higher purpose of the responsibility of their service.

I am wondering if perhaps their diligence was shown in the unseen aspects of the situation, like making sure no one with a weapon was ever in the room or ensuring that no one who was not authorized was anywhere near their charge. I did not see the video beyond the rather funny gifs, but they may have gotten from the back of the room to the "assailant" in record time.

I admit that this is the first time I have ever questioned either their ability or resolve.
Your question is a good one. I wish I knew if there is cause for alarm, something I have never felt I would ever wonder about regarding members of the service.

[laconicsax]

11. Seriously--the TSA would have been on it way faster.

[Bolo Boffin]

12. Are you kidding?

If that had been Obama, he would have caught the shoe, set it gently on the podium, and appointed the journalist as Deputy Press Secretary!

[dweller]

14. my initial reaction seeing the shoe fly

i had just gotten off work, and settled in at the bar at my job. The news was on the tv, and i don't think anyone was watching it. As the clip started and i heard the story begin, i initially groaned to myself about the visit *moron was making (wasn't it secret or something?) and then my new sized 10 hero made his move... All of a sudden all attention from the patrons was on the news clip, and it grew very quiet for a second or two, and then the next shoe flew, and i had a very loud and hearty laugh!!
No one else laughed, a few heads and turned and glared at me. I knew it was an insult that the shoe launcher was delivering, but most around me saw something else (fear for their pResident or some such)
but i had a good laugh, and felt a very warm affinity for the journalist, a comraderie, and a commiseration with his frustration.

may that tradition track the *moron every step of his life...
dp

[charlie]

15. I thought it was funny as hell

that no one was willing to "take a shoe" for Bush. Agents are expected to get in front of a bullet for their prez, but when the Thom McAns started flying, nobody moved. Seems like they're just marking days until they're rid of Bubble Boy.