Posted on 09/15/2005 1:27:32 PM PDT by Uncle Joe Cannon
Reuters Says Bush Photo Not 'Malicious,' Reports Wide Interest In it
By E&P Staff
Published: September 15, 2005 4:30 PM ET
NEW YORK With confirmation today that an accidental photo of President Bush at the United Nations on Wednesday, writing a note to Secretary of State Condeezza Rice about a “bathroom break,” was indeed real, newspapers around the U.S. and abroad are now planning to run it widely. But many, it seems, will treat it as something more than a joke.
A source at the Washington Post tells E&P that the paper is considering it for prominent play tomorrow morning, in the context that, at least in some minds, it raises questions about overall perception of the U.S. at the United Nations, right or wrong. Reuters reports extremely strong interest in the photo today.
The fact is, according to Reuters--and this has not been widely reported--President Bush did indeed take a bathroom break after passing the note to Rice.
This apparently raised some eyebrows around the room, because American representatives (among others) have a reputation for suddenly bolting, though normally for a far different reason than this latest one.
Since the photo first appeared on the Web late yesterday, speculation has centered on whether the bathroom break reference was just a silly joke and who had written and passed the note.
Gary Hershorn, news editor-photos for the Americas at Reuters, told E&P today that the photographer, Rick Wilking, informed him yesterday afternoon that he had observed Bush pass the note to Rice, and a little later, rise from his seat, leave the room, and then return.
And while some have suggested that Wilking, a well-known photographer just back from taking some of the most gripping images in New Orleans, was out to embarrass the president, Hershorn said that the photog had no idea what Bush was writing on the paper. Wilking assumed the president was taking notes on what some other official was saying.
“Rick had no idea what he was shooting, or what Bush was writing,” Heeshorn said. “If Rick knew what he was writing we'd have 25 pictures of this, not two.”
The photo was taken at 12:08 PM and it was Hershorn, about three hours later, who took the trouble to examine the photo closely, noticed the writing, and decided to put it on the wire after 4 o'clock.
The photo, as E&P observed last night in the first story about the incident, shows Bush scribbling in pencil on a note that already holds the words: "I think I may need a bathroom break? Is this possible." Wilking is a veteran Washington photographer who has long covered Bush campaigns and the White House.
As for transmitting the photo, Hershorn says, "There was no malicious intent. That's not what we do."
There's a simple explanation, even a serious one, for all of this, he adds. Bush, he points out, is not used to attending meetings at the U.N. and probably did not know what the protocol was for exiting a room and returning. His question to Rice was “proper” and not all that surprising, “asking someone with more experience there about protocol,” he said.
How do they know Bush didn't get up to whiz in the press pool's water cooler?
Abd Bill Clinton was talking to Arafat while getting his dong Schlonged.
Wilking isn't the one who put it on the wire. He probably wasn't even aware of what he captured. It's the editor who totally gives himself away as a proto-typical MSM pillow biter.
Why didn't this so-called "journalist" follow up by chasing the President to the men's room to take photos of him there?
And leftists complain that the media leans right.
Right-leaning media, my ass.
(sigh)I guess the president will have to call a press conference and explain. That is a new low in the media. Can you imagine the 50 or so reporters attending? I mean how many questions can you ask about the president taking a leak!
Just look at how low they have sunk! This is third grade stuff and lets you know exactly where the leftist's minds go.
A coworker said that it showed Bush wasn't paying attention. And went on to say with a straight face, if that would have been Clinton he would have been paying attention to what the other speakers were saying.
My eyes rolling saying oh please...we'd have to be wondering who would be under the desk servicing Clinton.
You mean Clinton didn't GIVE a cr@p for 8 years!
You mean to tell me President Bush is human and needs to use the facilities like a "normal" person? If I had to guess, listening to the morons at the UN was making his stomach turn, and he wanted to purge.
With Bush you can assume he was heading to the bathroom to do what the vast majority of people do there. With Clinton...well I don't wanna go there.
Thank you for the welcome. I haven't had one of those for a long time. The liberals are kind of fun to mess with, don't you think? At least most of the people on this thread think so, too.
That's for sure.
I'm sure the President will allow them to catch one more note writing session. Letting the media know they are first class clymers.
LOL! Good point.
Breaking! Pres. Bush showers in the nude!!
Judging from the picture, it looks like the note is written in ink, and the I see a pencil in his hand. Just an observation.
I think she would inform him first.
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