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.
Bush needs to accept blame for not doing important work because he was on just one more in a series piss breaks and vacations! =)
Clinton never did, he just used the sink.
These people are on bad drugs.
He and Laura have said they love tex-mex food.
Who cares?
All living people have to to to the toilet. Why try to make something out of nothing?
OK, I just pictured that in my head with Bush and am now ROTFLOL!! Thanks for the laugh.
I might have to steel my self and take a look at what DU and dailykos are saying about this. I don't know how their Bush Derangement Syndrome will express itself over this, but I have faith that they'll see some huge problem in what passes for their minds.
Remember the "great" kissinger with his extreme security breach (it made sandy burgler look like a piker) when he allowed a television camera directly behind him to clearly read the "code-word" (extremly high classification)materials he was holding up so everyone around him could read it?
The dollar cost alone to the US intelligence services simply to change security was staggering. But of course, kissinger was "above reproach".
He always made me gag!
Am I missing something here? What does this mean, other than that the President had to go really bad? Would the media rather the note read: "Condi, I'm going to walk out because I'm bored and the UN is irrelevant anyway."
"The UN is wonderful organization...
...FOR ME TO POOP ON."
Classic!
This will only show how petty the newspeople really are.
wasn't the request for a potty break in a different handwriting? looked like the request was in one hand writing, the response bush was writing was totally different
I would have rather read that!
You know that they will see it as some kind of code for "Kill the Hippies!" or something equally mental.
More of the same MSM B.S.
If Clinton had exused himself for a BJ, he'd be a hero to the MSM. come to think of it. He probably did.
Mother nature's fault.
"Even The President of The United State sometimes must have to stand naked."-Bob Dylan
Of course, what Bill C. did with his private parts in the Oval Office was no big deal. But President Bush having the audacity to have to go pee, that defames our image.
Riiiiiiiiight.
LMAO!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.