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.
Thank you very much!
Why would they call it accidental and then run it anyway ?
They were trying to get photos of something to leak and found out the only thing to leak was the President
He should have turned around and seen if one of them had an empty pocket !
He should say something about it in his next speech. Like since the press is so interested in his bathroom habits, hes is going to explain the whole situation. Embarass them for a change.
"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."
Right from the start a lie: it is clear that the President is writing a response to whomever (Rice?) wrote the initial scriblings. So it is not "writing a note to" but "responding to."
Reuters sucks.
Lucky Laura!!
OR "I'm really tired of this SH*T"
Never thought of that! :)
See my 169.
My thoughts exactly.
"For some reason I just thought of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank goes to the bathroom unaware that he's still broadcasting from his lapel mic."
I've been in broadcasting. You'd be surprised how often this happens in real life.
Reuters Says Bush Photo Not 'Malicious,'
With not malicious photos like this one, who needs malicious?
'“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." '
Uh-huh. And then he accidentally enhanced it with Photoshop.
I didn't know whether to laugh or get angry when this story first hit the 'net the other day.
But the WH hasn't denied that W wrote the note, so he must have written it. /sarc
It's incredible, isn't it? The Liberals and their cohorts in the media are just grasping at straws here. Unbelievable!
This is the closest thing these media hacks have to a sex scandal in this White House, so they're trying to make the most of it. LOL.
But I don't see the embarrassment, do you?
Thank you Al Gore for your fake "count the votes" fiasco in Florida. You have sullied the office of the President of the USA almost as much as Clinton did.
Nope. You're right.
LOL! Silly rats.
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