September 15, 2005
E&P: The "Straight Poop?"
Editor and Publisher reports:
In what seems destined to become one of the most joked about photos of the month, a well-known Reuters photographer on Wednesday captured President George W. Bush scribbling a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a session at the United Nations. On the note is a message revolving around the need to take a "bathroom break."
It isn't until the end of the fourth paragraph that we see the note:
It is unclear if Bush is in the process of responding to that message or wrote it himself.
Focus on that line.
I downloaded the photo and resized it to 800 pixels wide by 458 pixels tall. It is very clear that the comment "I think I may need a bathroom break?" was written in block letters by a person other than the one responding to it in this photo. The hand in the photo, if it is President Bush's, is clearly writing not only in script, but at a slightly different size, with a different amount of force than the person who wrote the block comment. I imagine at trained handwriting analyst could note far more inconsistencies between the two areas of text.
Editor and Publisher clearly has the technical expertise to enlarge a photo, and they almost certainly did. So why on earth would they bury the line that brings the ownership of the comment into doubt into the fourth paragraph? While there, why did they leave the possibility that Bush may have written the "I gotta go" note, when if their photographer can be trusted, his hand is clearly shown writing a separate comment?
The answer to that question is in the very first paragraph of the E&P story when they say:
In what seems destined to become one of the most joked about photos of the month..
Bingo. There's your answer. E&P is not only wrong, they are probably lying... about a potty break note. How childish can these so-called "media professionals" be?
Update: Gary Hershorn, a picture editor for Reuters, explains why he made the call to transmit the story and how Reuters had the picture Photoshopped ("a standard practice").
"There was no malicious intent," he says. "That's not what we do."
Um, yeah..... And Reuter's doesn't stage photos.
I'd just like to ask Mr. Hershorn one simple question: unless your sole intent is to try to embarrass the President, what possibly could have made this story newsworthy?
Update: According to some sources, this note was in Bush's handwriting. My analysis was incorrect. The fact that this story was only publicized to try to embarress the President still remains true.
I think you have put far too much thought into this crap.
Posted by: CrackpotPress at September 15, 2005 12:51 PMClearly someone in the media thought this was newsworthy. Shouldn't that be troubling enough?
Well the death count from Katrina was very upsetting for the media, too low.
Posted by: The Man at September 15, 2005 01:12 PMI'd like to know why Bush is urinating on taxpayer time - time better spent fondling subordinates.
Posted by: Liberal Larry at September 15, 2005 01:13 PMIt is very clear that the comment "I think I may need a bathroom break?" was written in block letters by a person other than the one responding to it in this photo.
It's true that one scribble is in block letters and the other in cursive, but I don't see how that's conclusive evidence of anything in particular. I can write in both myself. I don't generally mix the two like this, but that certainly doesn't mean no one does.
Check out the "TH" in both "think" (block letters) and "this" (cursive). They're pretty distinctive and yet pretty similar.
How does it make sense to answer "I think I may need a bathroom break?" by saying "Is this possible?" If "Is this possible" is part of the bathroom question, then the note seems to be a rather lengthy and unfocused request for a potty break. If "Is this possible" is a reply to a request to use the bathroom, the note starts to look batshit insane, doesn't it?
Posted by: Western Infidels at September 15, 2005 02:38 PMI think the most important question yet to be asked in this developing scandal known as "PottyGate" has yet yo be asked: "So what?"
If any MSMers were wondering why their credibility is somewhere below lawyers, this may be it.
Posted by: Mikey at September 15, 2005 03:05 PMI see al-Reuters is taking pictures of not only Bush, but CAIR functions as well...
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at September 15, 2005 03:16 PMBIDEN LOCKED OUT OF FRONT DOOR, TRIES THE BACK
BIDEN: I heard you liked baseball.
ROBERTS: Yes.
BIDEN: It's a very appropriate subject. Since you won't answer my questions with meaningful responses, I'll keep to the baseball analogy, okay?
ROBERTS: Senator, with respect--
BIDEN: Silence!
SPECTER: Don't you yell at him.
BIDEN: But he likes it when I interrupt.
SPECTER: No he doesn't.
BIDEN: Yes he does. Don't you, Judge?
ROBERTS: I do actually.
BIDEN: Told you.
SPECTER: [sigh]
BIDEN: Judge, have you ever taken steroids?
ROBERTS: Uh, no.
BIDEN: You sure about that?
ROBERTS: Yes.
BIDEN: Cause Judge, I gotta tell you, I'm sitting here, in this seat, Judge, in this building, and I'm thinking to myself, Joseph, can you possibly posture any more for the Judge, who I'm sure likes being called Judge as if he were in a sitcom, can I, can I, can I (with italics) have you explain how this memo I have clearly shows you bragging about how much you can bench?
ROBERTS: [looking at memo] This is a copy of my birth certificate, senator.
BIDEN: So you don't deny it!
HATCH: Damnit, Specter, if you can't control him --
BIDEN: Will you deny it?
ROBERTS: Senator, will all due respect--
BIDEN: Because I also have a book here, written by a one Jose Canseco, who says that you, Judge, allowed him to shoot testosterone into your buttocks in one of this building's very bathrooms prior to a case that YOU, sir, argued before the Supreme Court. Now I think the American people --
HATCH: Specter, I swear...
SPECTER: Let him answer the question!
BIDEN: But he's lying! Can't you see those enormous pecs?
HATCH: That's it.
BIDEN: You want a piece of me, owl-face? Bring it on!
SPECTER: [rapping his gavel furiously] Sit down! Both of you, sit down!
HATCH: I'm gonna dropkick you in the teeth.
ROBERTS: [to Fred Thompson] So, Hargitay's a real hottie, uh? Remember that cameo in Leaving Las Vegas? Yummy!
THOMPSON: She's on a different show.
ROBERTS: Right. I meant the blonde.
THOMPSON: Watch out, Hatch! He fights dirty!
It's a funny picture. Get a sense of humor for God's sake. It also happens to be one of the most popular photos on Yahoo, so clearly it's not just the media that thought it was newsworthy.
Posted by: Nick at September 15, 2005 09:27 PMI really enjoy reading your stuff,but this is a "non story" if there ever was one.
Posted by: Little Debbie at September 15, 2005 09:51 PMI really enjoy reading your stuff,but this is a "non story" if there ever was one.
Exactly my point!
This picture was not newsworthy - there was no way it should have run. The fact that is did, and that it was so popular on liberal blogs is because it was an opportunity for the pissants to get their jollies. It existed purely out of spite, and the fact that a "responsible" Editor and Publisher felt it was worth a story of it's own clearly shows their blind partisanship. That - the blind, partisan hatred of a "nuetral" media that would stoop to such a childish cheap shot - is your story.
The picture itself was meaningless and I'd never give it any thought, except that it shown a light on the more disgusting elements of the mass media.
We don't expect the liberal blogs to have any compassion or humanity for Bush or anyone else, but that so-called mainstream media is so far depraved is very much worth mentioning.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at September 15, 2005 10:30 PMSo Democrats don't need a potty break occasionally? What is the story here? That the President has to pee? How is that a story? Do liberals think the President is above having to use a bathroom? Even if it was written by President Bush so what? It proves the President is human just like the rest of us.
All the little lefties, you are seven years late on the staffer fondling prez. This prez is boring. Bring back BJ (Billie Jeff)
Posted by: al bee at September 16, 2005 09:36 AM"It's a funny picture."
It is?
"Get a sense of humor for God's sake."
Grouch Marx had a sense of humor, this is just idiotic. But then, we're talking about liberals...
"It also happens to be one of the most popular photos on Yahoo, so clearly it's not just the media that thought it was newsworthy."
Which makes it necessary to point out that almost 50% of Americans who voted, including the deceased, felons, and illegal aliens, cast their ballots for Kerry, so there isn't a lot to be said for the intelligence of almost half the country. And liberals, the media, and the dhimmicratic party wonder why they continue to lose.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximusi at September 16, 2005 12:24 PMThe hand in the photo is somebody's right hand. People, the President is LEFT-HANDED!
Posted by: FbL at September 16, 2005 12:34 PMWrong Bush. 41 is a lefty, 43 is a righty.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at September 16, 2005 01:10 PMOops! Sorry about that. D'oh!!! Major brain cramp.
Posted by: FbL at September 16, 2005 01:36 PM
