A different, satirical look at yesterday’s incident involving President George W. Bush in Iraq:
By Tim Mantegna
A local journalist surprised Bush Sunday with a traditional Arab goodbye ceremony on his farewell visit to Iraq.
During a joint press conference featuring Bush and Nuri al-Maliki, the journalist decided he just could not hold in his excitement any longer. The man stood up and tossed his shoes to the President while yelling, “this is [your] farewell kiss!”
Caught off guard by the act of spontaneity, Bush initially ducked to avoid the shoes he thought were aimed at the Iraqi flag behind him. A Bush spokesperson confirmed that the President assumed the man was one of the protesters who want to see Iraq become the 51st state, as it is not uncommon for these people to throw footwear at the flag in a display of disgust for the Iraqi government.
It wasn’t until Bush picked up the shoes did he realize that they were in fact a beautiful pair of size 10 work boots, meant not as a sign of protest, but gratitude.
Once everyone figured out what was going on, the Secret Service stepped in to escort the man to a waiting car. He was then whisked away to a restaurant where he enjoyed an exquisite lunch with the President.
About the incident, the journalist has reportedly said, “we owe him [Bush] so much… I just wish I had more to give.” He later told Bush that the boots are a gift “from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq [under Saddam].”
Said the Bush spokesperson, “he is truly a generous and kind man. Knowing that he went out of his way to honor the President is deeply touching.” He went on to say that the administration is deeply disturbed by the way the mass media has been reporting the event from a completely negative angle. “They [the media] have spun this ceremony of thanks into a story of hate… do you have any idea how valuable a commodity shoes are in Iraq? I’ll tell ya [sic], they are not easy to come by.” Originally, the media misinterpreted the man’s overzealous giving of shoes as an angry attack, and reported it as such.
It must be comforting to Bush to know that although the American media doesn’t understand his administrations policies, the Iraqi people get it, and they are truly grateful.
