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.
You are right. It does look like two different handwriting styles.
They are anlyzing this note to death! Why didn't they analyze the RatherGate memoes the same depth? DUfusses!.......
He must have been drinking the same brand of ice tea that algore used.
Clinton didn't take a crap --- he melted and left little clintons.
"The President is a human being with normal bodily functions"
Yeah if that's true then tell me how he caused Katrina smart guy.
This from Reuters, the "news" service that refuses to call terrorists terrorists and also published THIS photo of John Roberts two days ago:
No, no malicious intent. Pure journalism. Right.
Simple. He ordered Rove to start it.
Okay, so he isn't smugly dismissive, he is just in over his head; is that what they are saying?
OMG! I'll never vote for Bush again!!!
If I had to listen to that crap all day, I probably need to go too.
Obviously, they think President Bush is god. He has an ethereal body and can magically teleport relief supplies into New Orleans.
Those crazy DUmmies think this means Pres. Bush was asking permission from Condi to go to the bathroom, and this means he's not a "leader." What a bunch of loons! And this is what the WaPo thinks passes for "news"? I pretty much suspected that as a human being, Pres. Bush has the same bodily functions as the rest of us, but maybe WaPo didn't. BWAHAHAHAHA!
You have nailed it!
I remember when President and Mrs. Ford moved into the WH and Newsweek, I believe, carried a picture of a double bed. They got horrified mail by citizens who couldn't believe that the president of the United States would actually sleep with his wife. I was a college student at the time and was totally amazed. My parents didn't have a great marriage but they would never have considered any other sleeping arrangements. People are really foolish sometimes.
Hm. Maybe we need to start a campaign,"Hey, it's just about Number One!"
Reuters Photog Appears To Capture Bush at U.N. Writing note About "Bathroom Break"
Most contend it is a forgery as it is in PRINTING ON THE TOP and cursive on the bottom. All of President Bush's known writing has been in cursive.
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