Hi Anderson,

Where is Barney, (the White House terrier), when you really need him?

C. Johnson

Marhaba Octavia,
I think journalism 101course should include stripping shoes, mics and pens before entering conference hall.

I am surprised more Americans are not outraged. Even though you may not agree with what Bush has done, he is still the President of this country and that was a blatant act of disrespect, not only towards Bush but towards this country.

I am by far no supporter of Bush, but still disrespect towards any US President should not be tolerated.

Bush thought it was a great thing when they done this to Sadem ..so now I guess it stil a good thing ..that they have done it to him ....

If only the shoe thrower had thrown Bush out of office eight years ago.

Let them all laugh, call, or write whatever they want. It was because of OUR military that they can now cheer about the shoe throwing, throw the shoes themselves, kill our soldiers, etc. You wouldn't hear a peep out of any of them if Saddam was still there. The faster we leave them all to themselves, the better.

. . an Army brat

Wonder if he ever threw any at Saddam... oh yea... he's breathing so I guess not.

To this man I say "you are welcome"... the freedom you were able to express that day was wonderful to see. It's a shame you never had the guts to stand up before then... but hey... that's what the American military is for.

The shoe tosser should have manned up and challenged the potus to a fight mano-mano; instead he behaved like a child and threw a shoe-fit.

There must be an Ed Sullivan joke in there somewhere.

Was the man who threw the shoes just throwing the shoes at Bush or was he throwing them at what Bush represents – the United States? As much as people dislike Bush its easy to assume that it was just at Bush, but on some level I think it was a message to the whole country. I would really like to know why this is such an insult in Arab countries – knowing the full meaning may give us a bit more to think about.

I can’t say I blame Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. I understand fully how he feels and we also feel the same way! Bush deserved the shoes thrown at him, too bad he missed his mouth!
Bush is a tyrant with no feelings about Americans and that much less for the world.
Bush has destroyed our country so badly that It’s going to take Barack Obama years to clean house and put us back on the right road again.
The world has lost respect for Americans all because of a dictator who abused his power!
We stand behind journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi and as far as we’re concern he’s a hero to us! I hope he will be released without any charges!
Viva Muntadhar!!!!

LOVE the cartoons! Will circulate far and wide!

I can't stop laughing at this whole shoe incident. I'm sure there are millions who felt the same as that reporter, and would be furious if the man standing in front of you destroyed your country. I don't think he was out of line one bit. Bush finally got "bush-whacked", a little too late.

Yes, I understand how the Arab press may feel that the shoe-thrower humiliated their country's profession of journalism. Yet, the Arab press has been known to manipulate, mislead and to control their news broadcast. You mean to tell me that NOW they are ashamed of a man who threw a shoe at the U.S. President. No, I do not truly believe that. Obviously, they are afraid of world perception. They are afraid of the delicate situation which this kind of places them in. It's an insult to both the U.S. and Iraq's efforts with this war. Not to mention that the shoe-thrower's punishment brings upon a test of their new democracy. The Arabs know that the results of his punishment could affect a lot of stability (that they have worked hard to gain) for their country and for the U.S. really. Basically, this story has become bigger than "the shoe thrower", exciting ways of the old and new and they're afraid, not embarrassed. Bush has dismissed it the shoe thrower's actions as attention-seeking, but maybe they should be vigilant.

As an Arab American, I am ashamed to see what that stupid and hateful "journalist" did. In our traditions, even if you don't like our guest, you offer them place to sit and offer a tea.

I out outraged that some in the media are going along with this guy and even giddy about the whole thing. If that journalist did this to any Arab leader, he would have been shot to death by now. The fact that he is only been arrested, shows progress in Iraq.

I am outraged that Arab world forgets that Saddam has killed 100 times more Muslims and kurds than combined 5 years of Iraqi war. Let's not forget Muslims have killed more muslims in Middle East than Israel and America combined in the last 50 years.

Regardless of Bush's other policies, one thing we can not argue is that he took down Middle East's 2 vicious and brutal regimes. That you can not take it away from him and if the war caused thousand deaths, it liberated millions form these brutal regimes.

This is the ultimate disgrace!

Regardless of our internal issues, George W. Bush is still our president and I reserve the comedy for another time. I don't care what anyone says, no president of the world or any nation for that matter should be treated like a joke.

This situation did not happen on SNL. The hatred spewed out of this man was real and if we don't take it seriously it will happen again; only next time the fool won't be throwing shoes but daggers instead! How uncivilized of him. I say shame on the people celebrating the fool and the atrocity of his actions as humorous!

I am utterly appalled and disgusted by it all. When did we, as a nation become a joke to the world? What's happening here? Why aren't we taking this incident seriously when it really is?

George has been ducking the issues for nearly 8 years, who would have thought he'd go out ducking shoes!

I have to admit that it was quite refreshing to see someone actually doing to G W Bush what many Americans have secretly been wishing they could do themselves ! Too bad the shoes missed ! They just might have knocked some sense into that stubborn ignorant head of his had they hit home !

i wonder if the Iraqi people who are hailing this guy a hero are upset that most of us Americans are laughing about the whole thing?

You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Whether you agree with our President or not you should respect our country and its President. The U.S.A is becoming a BIG joke!!! We all need to stick together.

Its just a shoe It didn't kill anyone!

The interesting thing is after 8 years of the worst presidency in the history of United States, he doesn't know why the reporter threw his shoes at him.

I'm curious to the lady that wrote it wasn't only an insult to the President of the United States, but to our entire country. I respectfully disagree. Bush went against many of us in this country(and other countries) by invading Iraq and used fear to convince half of the simple minded folks that were with him. I don't think that was insult to the US or a display of frustration towards any one except Bush. Let's try to look at it from their prospective(or stand in their shoes).... What if another country invades the United States and kill men, women, children, or even Bush since his approval rating is comparable to that of Suddam Husseins when we took him out. All over Oil. If that happened here would you like to throw a shoe?

TO:
Kristen-University Park, PA wrote :
December 16th, 2008 3:51 pm ET

I am surprised more Americans are not outraged. Even though you may not agree with what Bush has done, he is still the President of this country and that was a blatant act of disrespect, not only towards Bush but towards this country.

I am by far no supporter of Bush, but still disrespect towards any US President should not be tolerated.

And just what would you have us do ? Invade their country... bomb them? Isn't this act called freedom of speech or expression... which is what GWB said is the main reason for us being there ? to creat a democracy?

Why on earth should anyone respect this "president"? Shoes are the least of what should be thrown at him. Respect is earned, not a right of the presidency. Bush has shown nothing but contempt for the American people, the international community, and the autonomy of other countries – why then should he and the office of president be respected? I say let's all throw shoes! I wish I had thought of it first, I'm jealous!

I've received more than one email suggesting that Americans who wish to send a commentary to the outgoing President should do so by sending shoes to the White House. We can only hope that the white House staffers will give them to charity instead of just throwing the pairs out. It is an intriguing idea.

It's ashame he ducked...LOL

funny, has Bush not kept you all safe since 911? Americans should be outraged! This fool was only able to throw this shoe thanks to the sacrifices of brave men and women from this country. America never had it's freedom handed to it, it was fought for, something these cowardly people could never do for themselves. YOU WELCOME IRAQ.

I wonder what the Arabs think about the long-run consequences of behaving like a jerk – Like trust, lost business and no shoes

I'm not American, but respecting each other despite our differences should be every nations pride. Unfortunately this is a reflection on innocent Iraqi people

Shoe throwing means nothing to the average American – no insult, disgrace, humiliation, etc. For us it just boils down to something quite childish – a great big 'So what?' It only really affects people in the Arab world where shoe throwing is considered an insult. We'll have forgotten this event completely in a week or so, along with Bush when he leaves office in January.

What a pity that this man who's shown so much disrespect and disdain for others has had a taste for himself. I don't think the thrower meant disrespect to America at all. The world thinks Bush is a joke, they only now wonder about the rest of us after we elected him twice (sorta).

World leaders would have been throwing shoes at Bush long before this if they didn't realise that in spite of what he did and has tried to do, America still holds a special place on the world stage.

For those of you who trumpet the "liberation" of Iraq, remember we did virtually nothing to help Iraqi's until this opportunity to scapegoat them for 911. Invasion on false pretenses wasn't necessary for us to do the right thing.

In the U.S., you get shot at for stepping into someone's yard. That wouldn't happen if you weren't there trespassing in the first place, right? Maybe the U.S. as self-appointed world police should get out of other people's back yards. Perhaps, then, they wouldn't have to worry about having things thrown at them.

Most Americans are so drained by this president and ALL of the sinister secret organizations that he represent and who TRULY run this country. Good riddance Bush.

Good thing it wasn't Saddam still in power. That might have ended differently for the reporter. He can thank our military for that change.

I see it as an insult to President Bush, but also an insult to our country, whether we like it or not Bush is the face of the United States. I think Americans should be quite offended. As a side note, I am sick of the Bush bickering. I pledge my allegiance to America regardless of what political party is in the oval office. Bush is our president, but America is much more than one man.

Throwing shoes actually shows progress in Iraq. It was a non-violent way of showing displeasure of some one or their past actions. True, it has a way to go yet, but it does show that bombs and guns are not the only method of showing displeasure of a person or policies.

The ultimate insult? What happenend to the good old days, when sending children to the market, with bombs strapped around their waists, was enough to get our attention?

if he can dodge the vietnam war, he should be able to dodge a shoe

You leftists nitwits are gonna sing a different tune in a few years when Obama does MORE DAMAGE to this country (and the world that loves him so much) than Bush ever could. I LOL at you!

How sad that my first reaction to the shoe toss was to laugh at G-dub. I love my country and had always respected the office of the president until he brought it to an all time low. Respect is easy to lose and hard to regain. Hopefully we Americans are getting ready to start earning back the respect of the world.

I think everyone is overlooking the fact that this demonstrated the success of our nation's efforts in Iraq. That journalist never would have done something like that under Saddam Hussein's rule because he would know that he, and probably his entire family, would have been tortured and executed for such an act. Because of what our nation has done in Iraq under President Bush's leadership that journalist has the right to express his outrage/opinion/disagreement, even if it was in an insulting, outrageous way. Personally, I think the guy who threw the shoes was acting like a jerk, but I'm excited about seeing the freedom of speech, including the freedom to disagree with the government, in Iraq.

Robinson-You're kinda late...the U.S.A. HAS been a big joke for a while now. It's # 17 worldwide in education, can't speak a second language to save it's life, lags behind Cuba in critical health care, has given up the universal standard of exchange status that the dollar had in most developed countries to the Euro, has had to outsource it's production of goods and services to be profitable, can't make decent armor for it's troops, can't trust it's overseas intelligence service, has handed it's fuel supply over to international speculators, can't afford to keep it's bridges from collapsing, has let it's finance industry go haywire, has the world's highest rate of obesity, didn't learn a thing from Vietnam. Luckily, America is living off the fat of the past. Maybe it's time for modern Americans to wake up and smell their own shoe leather, bless their hearts.

I'm of two minds on this one.

On the one hand, if journalists are to function as a "protected observer" - that is, given access to information and not subject to threats - then it follows that they should stick with observing, recording and reporting.

On the other hand, given the rates at which bombs and incendiaries get thrown around, throwing shoes seems an improvement, and might even be encouraged.

Can anyone estimate the cost of giving each man, woman and child in Iraq two new pair of shoes, compared to the current and expected expenditures?

Was anyone else struck by how long it took the Secret Service to respond to this guy. I mean, he had time to take off and throw the second shoe after throwing the first. Interesting.

I respect our country. I have NO respect for Bush. Our shame is having him around for 8 years. The US has found it's shame in electing him twice. I say he should have been booted out a long time ago.

So sad that the shoe missed,,,,but my son is now in Kabul....this is his third time that he has served in a war zone in five years....My son serves his county with the proud love that both his father and I did and his grandfather and two of his uncles. But one must look at the big picture we are asking our men and women to serce in a war that we did not need to be in from the very beginning. The big Joke is that we think that we have to stick our nose into everyone's business. I am not saying that we need to act like France, always having our hands out but not helping people in need but I think that there are times when we need stay home and take care of our own.

The funny part to me is not the shoe throwing, it's Bush's "who cares" attitude about it. To Arabs, this is the ultimate insult. To Bush, it's just some guy trying to get attention. Too bad he missed. If it had been me, I would have caught the shoes and thrown them back. Now that would have been a news story!! As it stands, the meaning is lost on the insultee, so punishing this man is pointless.

I cannot believe that people think that it is okay to laugh at the shoe incident. It is not okay and never will be. It's funny how grown people turn into children when they don't like someone. We teach our children to be good people and to help others when they are in need and in danger. This is exactly what we did for them, gave them the freedom to throw a shoe if they are mad. God knows he never could have done that a few years ago and lived to tell about it. Another thing people, we are hated because we have to police the world. We wouldn't have to if other people actually took an active role to bring all of these bad dictators down where their own people are afraid of them. I'm proud to be an American and they should be thankful someone can throw a shoe and still wake up tomorrow and not worry they or their whole family can be wiped out.

First of all he is uncivilized person. Throwing shoes to your gest how low you can go. Throwing a shoes to Bush means thowing a shoes to their precident. He is stupid and uncivilized journalist. shame on him.

. I hear people complaining about the USA being there, would these same people complain when they have a catastrophe, and the USA is the first one there to offer help. Then I hear no laughs or giggles.
Our men and women are dying there to, just to give these ungreatfull people the right to throw a shoe.
The quicker we are out of there the better, then they can go back to the good old days.
And yes I agree Bush is not even close to what a Present should stand for, but he is still our President, WHERE IS OUR PATRIOTISM? WHEN DID WE STOP BEING PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY? And for those that are so unhappy here, LEAVE!!!!!!!!

Those were the only good moves I've seen Bush do in the past eight years! Along with the shoes, he should have thrown him a brain!

Does anyone know where I can buy a t-shirt, supporting the shoe thrower?

Some may say a president should be respected,but what about all the innocent iraqis who died?? What about them? The first shoe thrown was for the iraqi people the second one was for the Americans who were lied too! I'm more dissapointed a shoe did not hit the President.

Anyone in any country in the field of journalism knows that this behavior puts the industry back by years.

I don't understand why Bush was elected the first time because he has yet to prove himself a good leader. Our country at the end of his term has shown his leadership skills as well as what type of man he his. Our country is falling apart financially and morally. I feel that the country has been on a down spiral since 2000.

As much as we dislike the ideology of several world leaders, would we, as a country trying to open up dialog in the world rather than creating havok, have thrown shoes at tham. No, such a sign of self-centeredness does nothing but enrage the world....and me.

I can't imagine how the world would have reacted if it had been a US journalist throwing something at a foreign dignitary. The world would be totally appalled. However, because it is Bush, the world is laughing as is most of America. You may not like the man but you should respect the office. I'm not an Obama supporter but would be outraged if it had happened to him.

What I want to know is, what the heck is he doing over there anyway spending more of our tax dollars. Was this trip necessary?

While I regret that this is an insult to the president as a symbol of the United States, it says everything that needs to be said about the Bush presidency and what it has done to this country and the world.

Hey Anderson,
I think its about time someone threw something at Bush.We should throw the book at both Bush and Chenny.I totally agree with Chavez when he said that they are guilty of genocide and they should be punished.Hundreds of thousands of innocent people hvae been killed because of the Bush administraions greed and I dont know why we Americans are not as outraged as the Iraq people.

I cannot stop playing it i bet if the reporter had more time he might have taken another reporter's shoe and thrown it at him.

I wonder how much those shoes would go for on ebay

All those who praise this act are hypocrites pure and simple. Does this mean we can throw inanimate objects at you because we disagree with you? Wake up people and have the courage to demand the same respect to others, regardless of who they are, as you would to yourselves. Perhaps then, we'd all be a little better off.

We can't control what the world thinks of Bush and Obama, but we can compare the world's reaction to their visits. Obama was given a warm welcome in Europe and other places in the world. We can only compare that with the welcome Bush is getting. Let's draw our own conclusions.

Its a reaction that America should learn from, people are not happy with what Americans are doing. Its not an isolated incident, it shows the extent of damage that has been done to the people of Iraq that make them react to this level.

Correction:

By your logic, the Iraqi people should be apalled that their past leader- Saddam, the tyrant was disrespected and ousted, just because he was their president. And no matter what he did to his people and people outside his country, Iraqis should always support him.

Frieda, the Arab American,
Where did you get your statistics? Muslims have killed more muslims in Middle East than Israel and America combined in the last 50 years!!!!!
Saddam has killed 100 times more Muslims and kurds than combined 5 years of Iraqi war!!!! Curious figures. You are the only one who has this secret! lol.

Respect is earned and neither our country and especially our current president have done little to earn anyone's respect. Military might, torture, ignoring genocide and cowboy diplomacy are not exactly what a country does to earn respect.

I loved it personally because it proved that we shouldn't be there screwing things up. Why did Bush feel the need to do this now? Shouldn't he be more involved/worried about the auto bailout and our economy – instead of making a few more photo ops that he can put on the wall of his texas ranch. The man has not been a good President, he's lied to the world on many issues and the ironic thing is that people here in the US expect everyone to listen and do as this country says. Those people – including the President have made this nation more like a bully instead of a leader. Our stance in the world community has taken a dive over the last 8 years and this incident proves that much of the world is sick of our failed policies. It's a wonder that it didn't happen sooner. To me it was an analogy that both shoes fell off – like our economy, our foreign policy, our domestic issues...this Presidency.

The best move W. made since he's been in the office.

If Maliki, as head of state, had thrown the shoes then I would have been outraged. What actually happened was that one angry man, acting of his own volition, threw his shoes as a sign of disrespect and frustration with the leader of a foreign nation. If an American had shown such disrespect to the President then perhaps we could debate whether or not to be upset. As it stands, what is there to be upset about? Respect for our nation and our President must be earned, not given blindly just because. Besides, did you see the reflexes on Bush? Most people would have been hit right in the head by at least one of those shoes. Bush dodged and weaved like a real pro.

whats the big deal? the guy missed.

Burning Man, it was a "non violent" manner of expressing anger? Really? He threw a shoe. Granted, it wasn't a grenade, but I'd hardly call it "non violent".

I understand the shoe throwing bit, but the concern should be, where were our Secret Service that was supposed to be protecting the President? They are suppose to be our elite and they were not even in the same room. It took several seconds before they were notified what was going on and then rushed in there. That was way to late of a response. What if that had been a weapon that was already in the room? Someone should answer for that.

The journalist deserves to get official suspension immediately and president Bush ought to receive a sincere apology from the media house that employed the journalist. The ugliest part is that the media house shows public support for the shoe-throwing act. The media house should be grateful for the chance it got to expand its business with a healthy budget-sheet because president Bush cleaned up their Iraqi society from a fearful dictator. During the dictator's tenure, only government controlled medias existed. Pen is mightier than a sword. Journalists armed with their pen are the mightiest, brilliant and civilized people in the world. This young blooded journalist is however so weak, characterless and uncivilized, he damages the entire reputation of the respectable journalist society.

I voted for President-Elect Obama and I am adamently opposed to Bush' tactics and much of the result of his presidency.
But I don't see someone throwing a shoe at an American President as something to celebrate. More than President Bush the thrower was snaring at the office of the President of the United States of America.

So then, he threw a shoe at FDR, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton and even President-Elect Obama.

Sad to have seen the shoe thrown at Bush.

To those who agree with the reporter's actions, please leave the country now and try to find a better one. You're free from terror on these shores; that's the President of the United States; the man who kept us safe at home since 911 and he's my Commander in Chief. My guess is there's not a real man among you; since you're unable to make a real contribution to our freedom, I'll do the fighting for you...

Who cares? On the same day this man threw his shoe at Bush the Madoff fraud cost various banks $50 billion, and this is what is important to Americans?

Okay, so someone threw a shoe at Bush. How is that any different from the millions of late night jokes mocking him, the "I hate Bush" t-shirts and bumper stickers, and the numerous books which are critical of him, many written by people who worked for him?

You would have to be living under a rock to not know it. Bush is a laughingstock that very few people approve of. Now can we move on to more pressing matters?

Symbolic gestures don't translate well across a cultural divide. I thought it was funny to watch, but while in Arab culture, that's a "big insult", in the west it is not, and I highly doubt Bush felt "insulted" by the action beyond the fact that some guy tried to wing something at his head.

I think that is a very direspectful thing to do. I mean bush done a really good job if you ask me. But hey, as long as were throwing shoes obamas next!

Love the idiots in this country:

1) Violent arab reporter throws shoes at President Bush = laughter.

2) Semi-diificult question thrown at President Obama ("What's your relationship with Gov. Blagojevich?") = outrage.

Any wonder America is quickly becoming a second-rate country?

Forget Iraq. As soon as our troops leave, their president will likely need to dash to Switzerland or be assassinated. Let Iraq degenerate into chaos, and let them deal with it - without American troop support or money.

Too bad this "journalist" doesn't find some suicide bomber to throw shoes at before they carry out their act against innocent Iraqi civilians.

I mean who throws a shoe? Really.

Ken Smith, where was this man on Sept the 10th when had a dossiere sitting on his table which Condoleeza Rice testified to in congress named, "Bin Laden determined to attack United States". How has he kept us safe? Osama Bin Laden is still out there and this guy attacked iraq to settle his father's score rather than protect America by going into Pakistan and finding capturing or eliminating Osama Bin Laden. Your service and everyone's in the armed forces I respect and I salute you but your mission is flawed and has been since 2003.

These comments which are praising this act and are supporting the Iraqi journalist clearly depict how truly ignorant the American public has become. It would appear to me that this reporter was not only throwing a shoe at President Bush personally but also at The United States.
I would like to see what these same supporters would say if and when Obama is blatantly disrespected. No matter if you support our president or not – you SHOULD be an American first and foremost and demand the respect you deserve as a citizen of this great nation. I thank God daily that I am an American and wish I had been present to defend our Commander-In-Chief.

The shoe-thrower expressed the disrespect of his country for Bush and for a country that reelected Bush as President. I wish I had his nerve.

yes – the shoe thrower should be given a merit medal by his govt. and be considered by the white house press corps for hiring as one of their reporters, don't you think? ken hill, port orchard, wa

This guy is a hero? I must be in the wrong business. I'm on lunch break now, but maybe 4 years from now I'll be throwing my size 16's at Obama or better yet the stupid media. Give me a freaking break.

The main point should be that Americans should all speak out with outrage that Iraqi's are hailing this reporter as a hero, when we are spending billions of American dollars and Americans are losing their lives to protect them Why are we still there protecting them when they want us out?

To protest against gaining freedom is pig headed. The only ones to blame for the death that has continued in Iraq, is the Iraqi people themselves. If it was not for Iraqi terrorism, insurgents, in-fighting, there would be no more death. We have given you freedom from tyranny by spilling the blood of our country. I have no respect for those that are not grateful for such a gift. Regardless of how you feel about OUR president, he is ours, show some respect for him and for those that have died for the Iraqi people.

It's too bad he did not hit him!
I am so ashamed of this country since he is president.
Thank goodness this is soon over. Worst president the US ever had.
And this lyer says he is a born again christian. God is crying over him.
That's my opinion.
Let's pray that Mr. Obama will do better.

It's sad to see that many Americans are as ignorant as those applauding this act of violence. You might as well be a terrorist and go live in one of their countries. Anyone is entitled to their opinion of President Bush. Civilized people should use acceptable reasons to express it. What if your child threw their shoe at their teacher, or a Priest, Rabbi, Inman, or Guru? Throw one at your boss and see what happens. Whether you like him or not, the leader of our country was essentially attacked. That should be an outrageous insult to ALL Americans. It really shows the power of freedom and democracy. If the reporter had thrown his shoes at Saddam Hussein, the reporter would be dead!

I do not support or like Pres Bush very much, but all of this joking is an insult to this country. He is still our President and needs to be respected.... My biggest fear of this whole thing was that the gentleman had time to remove both shoes, throw them before he was subdued...what if it was a hand grendade or some other weapon/bomb he threw..would everyone be joking now..Where was security ?

what happened to Bush in Iraq is worth a price just like the words of Medline Albright said during US sanction against Iraq which resulted to the deaths of many Iraqi children.

You all claim that Bush deserves respect? Why? You EARN respect. You do not automatically get it because of a title. Bush did little to earn respect and deserves whatever insults (or shoes) are hurled at him.

I feel that for those of you who think Bush did a good job was born into this world blind. I have never seen this economy in the shape it is currently in until Bush got in office. To bad a shoe was the only thing thrown.

before you condemn this man,you need to walk a mile in his shoes.He has been through hell.

In essence, the actions of this journalist offer evidence that Iraq has transitioned from the era of totalitarianism to free speech. Disrespectful of President Bush? Yes. Would the same gesture been extended to Sadam? Are you kidding? I presume President Bush would prefer to have had the experience of having a shoe thrown at him then to stand in front being honored with guns held at the audience's heads. Evidence that the efforts of our country in the Middle East have not totally been wasted.

What the reporter did was a direct attack on the US President and the United States. As someone previously mentioned, it does not matter whether you support Bush or not. It is a matter of if you are a loyal American or not. Make fun of our President and our nation for being humiliated and threatened? If thats not unpatriotic, then i don't know what is.

This journalist certainly knew his situation and yet he was so compelled to express himself that he placed his future, and indeed his life, on the line. He demonstrated courage, leadership, (and considering the more common and explosive options in Iraq) decency. Can any of us say that Bush has demonstrated these qualities? Our only hope of never again having to suffer under a president as damaging and deceitful as this one rests with our willingness to stand up and 'throw our shoes'. Otherwise, what message are we really casting? If you don't at least scream NO and push away from a rapist, as far as he's concerned you're in agreement. I love our country. I am disgusted by George Bush. I am sickened to think that he represents me. Yet amazingly he has once again been incredibly lucky, it was only a shoe.

On one hand, this is inappropriate behavior, especially for a journalist. While everyone has bias, journalists are supposed to attempt to cover the facts with little bias as possible. As a journalist, this man has lost his journalistic credibility.

On the other hand, it is heartening to see such public display of protest against high-level public officials (the Iraqi president was right there). I am guessing the shoe thrower would not have been so bold in Sadam's presence. With freedom comes public dissent; in fact you cannot have freedom if dissent is not allowed. While violence should not be tolerated, this was a relatively minor case and far more meaningful as an act of protest than an act of violence.

I hope the Iraqi people enjoy, and safe guard their freedom. Continue to speak out for what you believe is right, even in opposition of your government. Never allow the government or any other group to stifle your views, and do not stifle the views of others. Open dialog is the only way to build an Iraq that reflects the will of the Iraqi people.

I don't think this is an American Issue at all, we Americans value freedom of speech and Bush commented to that fact directly after the incident. We have no idea what it is like to live in Iraq before or after the Bush Administration, so to try to comprehend the level of anger and frustration that was packed in that shoe is daunting. Let's wait to throw shoes at home when we look at our 401k balances.

"I think that is a very direspectful thing to do. I mean bush done a really good job if you ask me. But hey, as long as were throwing shoes obamas next!"

Right- killing 104,000+ is not so bad.... but throwing a pair of shoes at the person responsible is just too much....

/end sarcasm

Wow, nobody has a sense of humour any more..

I thought it was quite funny, but I'm English, and am used to people pulling faces at the Queen..

You'd all laugh at that, wouldn't you? What's the difference?

And let's face it, Bush hasn't exactly earned much respect has he? I can' think of a few more people who would like to throw worse things at him than a shoe.

If you didn't vote for Bush, and didn't support the war from the outset, then you can say what you want...that's only about 1/3 of Americans.

...but to the other 2/3rds of Americans - yes, 2/3rds considering that was about the approval rating of the war when it launched - you need to stop absolving yourselves of your contributions to our world perception. Except for the few who still support Bush, this group is a bunch of panies who hide behind the mantra "we were misled in to this war" etc, etc. That's just a bunch of B.S. Bush made some extremely bold decisions, and only history will tell if they were good or bad. What we do know today is that 2 of the most brutal regimes are no longer terrorizing their citizens. What I find appalling is how our media so easily sways peoples opinions to the point that even those who got us in to this, seem to think they are victims, and try to blame our issues on Bush while they somehow have absolved themselves from their vote/support.

Mr. al Zaidi is a hero to many in his country as well as many of us in the U.S. His brave act of non-violent protest sums up the frustration and disgust felt by millions all over the world.

Well done sir.

(1) I don't think, people of the world dislike American.
(2) I DO think, they dislike what Bush's administration did and has been doing in Iraq.
(3) Bush has led US into Iraq (right or wrong) and as a result, hundreds of thousands (no one will know for sure how many) of Iraqi people have died.

The Shoe incident – actually it shows Mr Bush just how the entire world perceives him. He's done everything he can for oil production – and line his own pockets with money. He can't move back to his "ranch" as everyone knows where he lives so he's buying a property in an exceptionally high income neighborhood with locked gates. He should be behind bars. He's nothing like his parents. It may have been "disrespectful of the office of President of the United States" but he deserved it. I agree that the journalist did lower his standards in the journalism field, but he said what he had to say. And he has the right to his own opinion. He said what millions around the world have been trying to say. Our country is in bankruptcy because of the billions for Bush's war over oil. Weapons of Mass Destruction still haven't been found and most likely won't be either. Good riddance G. W. Bush, it was NOT a pleasure to know you. I don't appreciate the damage you have caused my country. I pray Obama can clean up the mess left behind and get our country moving in the right direction without being ARROGANT and bullying.

Why are we trying to help these people who have no respect for our president or our country. I say it is about time we get out of their country and take all of our money and soldiers. Leave them to another maniac who will rape their women, beat their men,frighten their children and steal their freedom we have been fighting for. They only reason that man was able to throw a shoe at our President was because we have lost many American soldiers fighting for his freedom to throw a shoe. I bet if Sadam was alive he would have had him killed on the spot if he had disrespected an invited President.............

Bush had prettty fast reflexes eh? watched the sslow mo. 20 times... hes a ninja

Civility has been lost in the cradle of civilization. The downfall of Saddam has been the best thing to happen to Iraq in the past century. People just don't appreciate it. I hope this is a lesson for the future before we try to help someone else.

What is more outrageous than this happening is reading these comments on this board – Americans have become a disgusting, disrespectful set ... regardless of your opinions of President Bush, he is still the head of state and deserves a modicum of respect. CNN seems to enjoy promoting this story - we know already - you hate President Bush. Find some real news, like the fact that our head of state was publicly humilated by a low life pseudo journalist. That guy should come work in in America – he'd fit right in.

What really amazes me about the Bush shoe tossing incident is that no one seems to question why we, as a country, continue to allow the leader we elected to continue to occupy the White House so long after he has repeatedly demonstrated, as evidenced by his ever-lower approval ratings, that he has no interest in representing us as a country, but would rather pursue his own ideas about what is best for our country, or for his own personal interests.

Other democracies address this type of situation logically. Once the elected official loses the support of the voters, they are replaced rather promptly. They do not wait for the next scheduled election.

Wake up America. We need to address this logically, or continue to suffer by allowing our mistakes to go uncorrected for no good reason. This is true for not only the office of the President, but also for all of our elected officials. If they cannot perform up to our expectations, they should be tossed out. That is what happens to everyone of us in our own jobs. If we do not perform up the the bosses' expectations, we get tossed. In the case of our elected officials, we are the boss. That is what democracy is all about.

the action taken by a journalist in Iraq against Bush is not a suprising thing going by the utterances of Mr Bush against the Islamic World.

These comments are some of the most hilarious things I've ever read. It makes me wonder what it's going to take for Americans to realize what they've done to themselves and the rest of the world.
The joke of the world ... and apparently you're just going to let
Bush and Cheyne ride off into the sunset with their billions.
Truly, I feel sorry for Obama (what can he do now) and a lot of Americans who have had to suffer through this mess, but the Lord himself couldn't fix the mess you've gotten yourself into.

The incident may have implications far and wide, yet in my own view I am most proud of my son, who fought in Iraq as an Army soldier and sustained injuries while serving. It is people like him, that have fought so hard to allow the Iraqi people the opportunity to display their emotions with action, words and/or deeds. This is truly, in my view, an accomplishment an Iraqi citizen was not allowed to perform during the rule of Saddam. Perhaps, with this incident, it will raise hope that every Arab will understand that freedom requires measured responses and personnal responsibility.

My only regret is that the shoes did not hit the target.

Impeached by a shoe!

I am disgusted at many of the posts here. I am a retired Army paratrooper and proud of my country and for 20 years followed the orders of the President whom ever it was. Not only did I follow his orders but I defended him against other country's peoples who disrespected him our country and our flag. I am outraged when I here people in our own country disrespect the office of the President of the United States. I am disgusted when I here our own citizens talk about how the United States is at fault some how for these terrorists actions that somehow we bring it on our selves. You sniveling cowards! We live in the greatest country in the world and yes the world knows it thats why they all want to come here, and do we flaunt it........hell yes and why shouldnt we? When you hypocrits do well in your life you by things take trips and where clothes to show you are doing well and have done well. If you cowardly hypocrits dont like it here in the United States go some where you think is better, the sad thing is you would come back. The President is the United States and deserves our respect and our backing when other nations disrespect and or attack us, we elected by majority vote even if you personally didnt vote for him the country did , so support him you are crying now that our President elect needs to be supported, you hypocrits! Guess what those in the uniform do and will, stand up and be a proud American instead of a guilty ,cowardly, hypocrit living in the United States who takes their rights for granted!

Where was the Secret Service during all this??

The action takern by a jounalist in Iraq against President Bush is a threat to jounalism profession

Well I agree with some of the previous people, in that the reporter should be thanking Bush, and our military, for the freedom to throw those shoes.
Saddam wasn't a very safe and stable person to have in position of power in Iraq. His ideas and plans for future terror on near-by countries would have done a number on the worlds economy aswell.

Also, for all the people blaming our economic standing on the war, you're wrong, and you need to get your facts straight. It was due to banks lending money to people that couldn't afford the payments. Sure, we should of had more control over our lending policies, and yes they did get out of hand. Lending all this money out to people that couldn't afford it, paired with the soaring gas prices, led to this economic disaster. Bush, and the Democrats that have control over congress, are to blame for our economic downturn. However, you can't blame the economy on the war. This war was, in the long-run, a good thing.

Kristin in PA – why should "disrespect towards any US President should not be tolerated." when Bush and his entire administration show no respect to any one else in the world? That whole if-you're-not-with-us-you're-against-us mentality has done immense harm to Iraq and America and the world. America in general has been interfering in other countries policies for almost as long as we'be been a country (from Madison making up excuses to fight Mexico to our overthrow of Allende and numerous other abuses). Is there any wonder why other countries don't respect us or our government??

And before all you flag-wavers start calling me unpatriotic, I am a veteran who loves my country... but I am deeply distrustfully of my government. "It is the duty of a patriot to protect his country from it's government" – Thomas Paine

Shoe-thrower, you are my hero,

A Texan and American.

It may seem odd, but this is what we've been fighting for. We've been trying to liberate Iraq, and now they feel liberated and free enough to express their opinions. This is a good thing.

People who get upset over this are the same people who get upset when US citizens don't salute our flag. Again, we represent freedom and choice, so why get upset when freedom and choice are expressed?

On a side note, where the heck was the security? First shoe = sure didn't see that coming. Second shoe = secret service is sleeping.

I guess this guy was the REAL shoe bomber, huh?
Anywho, I heard he has offered apology to Bush... for throwing the wrong size at him. He meant to send off Shaq-sized sneakers.

George W. Bush has been the world's nightmare for eight long, long years. He has caused untold human suffering, the extent of which we will probably never fully appreciate. If having a couple of shoes thrown his way is the worst price he pays, he is getting off very easy.

This journalist that threw the shoe should recieve the highest penalty for what he did. Our president should never be disrespected in any way. He is our commander in chief whether or not you support him. Anyone that would have the audacity to throw a show at him should be imprisoned for life!!!

Kristen, repsect is something you earn.

I am an american by choice. I love this country and I lived in many other countries in different continents. here is my view:
the man got pissed off being close to the person who ignored all world leaders and institutions to invade his country for personal matters. if you think Bush invaded Iraq to free the iraquis, then you shouldn,t be watching TV, but reading and surrounding yourself with intelectuel people.when a nation elects a stupid and ignorant person to power, bad things happen and it happened in the past to other nations also. America has become a joke in the world because of man,s stupidity. the american people are wonderfull people. they want peace and prosperity for everybody. lets work on that with this new administration and build a new image for a wonderfull nation and its wonderfull people.

I am happy that this incident could bring a little laugh to Arab world after their long suffering and ignominy.

i'm impressed he had the sense enough to duck and dodge the shoes coming to him. I'm just sorry he missed that nugget! the thrower needs more target practice. maybe it would of woke up those brain cells laying dormant in there that it is time to bring our troops home NOW!

The throw was pretty accurate, I wonder if the NY Yankees are still looking for pitchers?

a lot of hateful people in this world

To Iraq,
I am in agreement with you that Pres. Bush has not done an awesome job but... the job that he did get done allowed you the freedom of even thinking about throwing a shoe at anybody. You were only allowed to do this act because Americans came to your support and gave you the freedom to do so. Life in Iraq may not be what you want today but the Americans have made it possible for you to govern yourselfs as you want. Why dont you try to do this without our help, without the american lives given for your cause. Good luck (I dont think you can do it)

If throwing a shoe at someone is considered the biggest insult in the Arab world, then I say what the heck. Everyone in the Arab world should take their shoes off and throw them at that evil man with a little oomph!

Outraged? No way. I take pride in the fact that we helped a formerly politically repressed country reach a point at which a person can demonstrate his discontent with a leader without fearing for his life.

It is sad that this country has lost it's respect for our president. We the people elected him and if we don't agree with him now that is our problem, but to agree to have someone else from another country disrespect him is like letting them disrespect all us Americans. If Iraq or any other country doesn't want our help then they should stand up to thier goverment to do something about thier problems. Oh yes I forgot they had Sadem and they couldn't throw thier shoe at him or they would have thier feet beaten. To all countries that have had our help (because it is our help otherwise they wouldn't have the freedom they have) Praise God you have a president in America like Bush because if it was up to many of us Americans we would not be willing to help and not because we don't have a heart but because after we put our childrens life in war for you, you turn around stab us in the back. And don't say "who told America to help" because when other countries are in crisis the first thing asked is whats America going to do to help.

This is what Bush deserved for his bad policies. Hats off to Al Zaidi. Shame on Bush and shame on his policies.

As a democratic supporter, at first it was amusing to see someone hurl a shoe a GW. However, why did an Iraqi get to do it? I say GW stands in line and everyone that lost a child or a job or a home with his help should get to through their shoes at him!

This is a disgrace. Society has allowed the most respected position in the land to be degraded to a joke. The political bickering has divided the country that we are not even willing to stand up for a fellow American, especially when he is the President.

What I have learned from this incident is that Iraqi people apparently do not have a very accurate sense of aim. They may need to zero their weapons better. The truth of the matter is that throwing a shoe is meaningless to us, and as insulting as it is, how lucky are they that throwing a shoe is now possible in a country of freedom. Let us all throw shoes at each other, it would be a more sensible world.

Someone asked if the shoe was for Bush or what he stood for. The reporter yelled in Arabic..."Farewell to the Dog"

I'm reading everyone condemning this act. I can't sympathize with americans as I'm Canadian and there is absoloutly no reason for anyone to still be in Iraq, which is what this poor reporter was conveying. All of you who are quick to denounce this would do the same if not worse if your country was occupied by another nation for no reason. Buuuuut I will give kudos to Bush, he handled it with a smile and docorum, I don't like his politics as they are only in place to serve the rich and his own interests but I like the man, I bet he'd be a hoot at a party.....

This entire shoe fiasco . . . is the ultimate symbol for eight years of a presidency gone bad.

The jesture of shoe-throwing can be read in many ways. Even if the insult might not be targered only at Bush, we as a country need to excercise some self reflection and be considerate of other ppl's feelings before performing an action. That's just my opinion.

Bush promised Americans forces would be greeted as liberators and heroes in Iraq. He did not say how the farewell would be like.

Republicans are funny. And this was funny. Bush has pretty decent reflexes though. On point, too bad his politics weren't as snappy. It was hilarious to me. And if it had hit him, it would have been even more hilarious. Now Obama, there is a man with integrity!

Reporter should be given a Medal !!

I`m certain that the flippant posts by many ignorant Americans would have a very different tone had the shoes been thrown at Barack Obama.

It must be easy to forget that as president Bush's inaguration parade rode down the street his car was EGGED by American's... now throwing a couple of stinky shoes is at the commander in chief should warrant lifetime imprisonment?!?! Give me a break. Yes, it was disrespectful, but it is being dealt with and let's be real, with all the bullets flying over there, was there really any harm done? If anyone should be held accountable it is the secret service. Not a single one jumped to his aid. This whole shoe thing could have been a diversion for assasination. If it is not being taken THIS seriously then it should be taken with a grain of salt. LET IT GO!

He threw the shoe at Bush, not the American people. During his tenure Bush and the gang represented themselves. Remember he duped us all into believing in a farce war. Bush is the most horrific murdered in the history of the world

The crime by the shoe thrower, he missed.

all of you who are crying about Bush and America and how he runied the country, if it is so bad for you, then pack your bags and move to Iraq. lets see how long you last.

I can't wait to read the commnents after a shoe is thrown at Obama.
Don't think they love him more.... they HATE all Americans!

It's funny how so many are posting that this was an attack or an act of disrespect against this whole country (US). That is completely ignorant and untrue. If you bothered to listen to the translation he aimed all his anger towards Bush, whom he holds responsible for killing Iraqis. Try doing some research on the facts.

My only regret is that he didn't hit him squarely in the face. He go thousands of our brothers and sisters killed fighting a war that never should have been fought, for OIL!! He deserves worse! History will be his punishment (so long as TRUTH still has value in this word). Goodbye Bush. Hope to never hear from you again!

The action takern by a jounalist against Bush is worth a price.

I'm a US citizen and I think the reporter’s act was woefully understated. Anyone who feels sorry for George Bush because someone threw a shoe at him might wish to consider what George Bush et. al. have been throwing at the Iraqi people for the last seventy two months; namely cluster bombs, white -phosphorous, bunker busters, depleted uranium, “smart bombs” and nearly every other type of munitions in overstuffed arsenal. George Bush used deceit and guile to start a war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocents in Iraq and tens of thousands of US casualties – to date. In my view, he’ll be a very lucky man if all that gets thrown at him is a shoe. No wonder he was never in a hurry to have the US joint the International Criminal Court.

The shoe was thrown at the President of the USA and not to Mr. Bush which ought to be taken as an insult by the people of this great nation.

I am by no means a Bush supporter, however, I feel these people in Iraq not only disrespected a U.S. President, but our country as well.
We should leave them to their own devises and let the whole country go to hell much like it was when we got there.
I am also not a supporter of this war and believe it was wrong to invade that cesspool. They have no value of human life and deserve to be treated like ole Mad Ass treated them.

Well, it seems a fitting end to the worst presidency in our history. We baby boomers havent offered up our best to be president. The one boomer Clinton embarrassed us in front of the entire world and then Bush followed up b y shaming us in front of the world. The Iraqi's and the rest of them are truly third world primatives that offer no redeeming value to the world. Their only significance to the world is that they happen to live above a lot of oil. Lets get the heck out of there.

Two things amazed me about the shoe-throwing incident: first, that ol' George could duck and weave like that, and second, the reporter throwing the shoes had a nice tight spiral on the first one. After Eli Manning got sacked so many times the last game maybe the Giants should look this guy up.

As someone who has had a shoe thrown at them as a result of a disagreement, I can safely say that it is very insulting in all cultures and that the act of throwing a shoe at a person is by no means the way to make them see your perspective. With that said, I don't believe this man threw a shoe at George Bush simply because he disagreed with him. Many completely innocent Iraqis have died as a direct result of George Bush's personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein and the Muslim world. One of the most telling statements of Bush's presidency was given the same day as the shoe throwing incident: that Al-Qaeda was not operating in Iraq until we went to war there. This man led us into a war with a nation that was uninvolved with 9/11, on the premise that Al-Qaeda was operating there and that Saddam had WMBs. How much bull can this guy feed to some people before they get full?

The news reports always say things like "American death count in Iraq: 4,000". What angers me the most about this is the implication that American deaths are the only ones that should matter to me. It angers me that when some people hear the humanist perspective on the war in Iraq and George Bush, their response is "move to another country then." Its not anti-American to be opposed to the policies and actions of George Bush; its anti-American to see your country led into a downward spiral by a man who has lost the support of three quarters of Americans, and say nothing about it. What kind of democracy are we in anyways?

Is this shoe-thrower a hero? No. Is it okay that he threw shoes at George Bush? Absolutely not – physical violence and blatant disrespect are never the answer. Does he deserve to go to jail for 7-8 years? Of course not. He threw shoes, not grenades...and he missed.

I LOVE AMERICA !! I don't like people who disrespect it or the leaders we have elected. President Bush took on the great role and has done a great job!

Having someone throw a shoe at our President is wrong! I do take it as a personal insult on the USA.

I also feel shame for those who haven't grown up... and simply pass the buck.

We as Americans need to be responsible for our own actions, stop passing the buck. It is so easy to charge it... get it NOW !!! If we were careless with our finances, marrages, kids, and homes.... we need to step back and take a good look in that mirror. REALIZE we messed it up and not blame someone else!

We need to stop dumping on one elected official and try and make it seem that they put us in a mess.

Americans lets be responsible for our lives and our actions. Take pride, get to work , save today and for tomorrow. Help bring back our nation. When was the last time we prayed for our nation and it's leaders, let alone for our own responsibility and actions.

If he hates his country so bad now, shoot him like the "old ways" under Saddam. If they hate the "american way" so badly why did he practice it by throwing a shoe?

Bush may be a retard but you dont disgrace our President like that.

I am sorry for the man that threw the shoe.He, in hopes of becoming a voice
to his country is as lost as the cause itself. The "elite" care not about the laws of the lands, they just
want the final say so, and they will have it soon enough.(not that they dont have it now) But they got to do something about all this shoe biz..
Maybe they will wench down on economics so that people like "the shoe thrower" could never afford to throw away a perfect pair of walking shoes. GO ON WITH THE POLITIC-AN !!!!!!!
We are all screwed and NO MAN and is politic-an will save you or I.
False hopes are what great wealths are built on....

Of course throwing a shoe showed disrespect for Bush. Wasn't that the whole point?

That doesn't neccessarily mean disrespect to the office, or our country, just to the man and his policies.

It's a modern day version of saying that the Emperor has no clothes.

Free speech and all.

Me? I'm mailing a pair of old shoes to the White House today.

I won't be putting my return address of the package, though. With this administration, I could end up in Gitmo.

Free speech here isn't as free as it used to be.

Bush should be imprisoned for life for treason(along with many others)for all that he has done to our Constitution for the sake of safety (just to name ONE of MANY reasons). George Washington stated," Guard against the imposters of pretended patriotism," and Benjamin Franklin stated, " Those who give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Wake up people! For all of those who think this president should be respected simply because he is the president, you have to realize that our sovereignty as a nation is being severely compromised and I ask you, WHERE IS YOUR TRUE PATRIOTISM?Please research the North American Union and the upcoming currency called the Amero.

The journalist who threw the shoe meant no disrespect to the USA. His words speak for themselves. He meant his gesture as a goodbye to heartless man without a scrap of conscience, who should be on his way to the War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague.

Yes Bush got rid of Saddam, and thank God for that, but what were his motives? A grab for oil and the corrupt enrichment of his cronies.

Thousands of girls Jenna's age went to war in Iraq. Why did she not go? After all, Prince Harry went to Afghanistan. If Bush had gone to war in Iraq for the right reasons, he would have done it differently, and the outcome would have been different. Is anyone complaining about America's presence in Afghanistan?

It is a sad day when comments by folks like Ivan Sanchez" wonder if he is legal" says that it took Bush 8 years to destroy our country and he thinks hussein obama will be able to fix our country. Sorry Ivan, our country was down the toilet way before Bush got in. Considering the fact that hussein obama was barely a second year senator that didn't even know how to vote for fear of people knowing how far left he really is, thought he was qualified to run our country when he wasn't even a half ass senator. Lets see the birth certificate hussein and yours too Ivan. Don't worry,your rights will be taken away when the full damage of hussein obama kicks in and our country will resemble a socialist third world country out of control.......

Kurt December 17th, 2008 10:29 am ET

Good thing it wasn’t Saddam still in power. That might have ended differently for the reporter. He can thank our military for that change.

Ended differently how? By getting thrown in jail and beaten to a pulp? Oh wait.. that already happened. Big change, right?

It's interesting how some defend the act of a child, and a childish society that the Arabs created and live in. We have so many tell us how far the US has fallen with our education, infrastructure and the like. But how many billions of US dollars are sent all around the world to better their lives, while ours goes in decline. This is not Bush's fault this is something that has been happening for years. I am all for us in America to keep our money and spend it right here and make us the model society that we should be. Stop giving money to all those that hate us and cut the money even to our friends. You want to hear the world cry, you will hear a sound that would then strike pride in Americans when the realize all those we use to help. Maybe only then would we get the respect and true friendship that this country deserves.

I can't blame those who like Bush if they criticize the reporter, but if you don't, you can think about it this way. You are a US citizen, a man comes up and claims that the US has WMD, launches an attack on the US, outthrows Bush, has no succession plan, hundreds die every day, including your relatives and friends, that man says he is sorry, but he didn't find any WMD and all this was based on bad intelligence. Then, that very same man comes to the US to address the nation, would you think the shoe is enough???

The fact that this act is being applauded speaks volumes of the world's opinion of the US. It is rather sad that when a country sends her brother's, sister's and children to die in order to liberate a nation, that such an act of arrogant and entitlement be tolerated. When we are needed as a nation to assist in the atrocities that perpetuate today, we step up militarily and financially and are celebrated momentarily. All our acts of humanitarianism are quickly forgotten as time goes by and we are vilified at the drop of a hat (or should I say shoe). We have not asked Iraq to foot the bill for their freedom. We have paid for it in many ways and what do we get in return? Disrespect. This ungrateful attitude should teach us to become more isolationist at least until we heal as a nation and strengthen our financial core.

An earlier post said that it showed a "lack of respect" and should not be tolerated. Bush has not earned America's or the world's respect. I am surprised what the reporter said is not given more coverage. There have been untold deaths of Iraq civilians, innocent people, not just insurgents. This war has destroyed whole families, killed innocent people and leveled landmarks. How would any of us feel if this was happening in our country? As far as I am concerned Bush should be tried for war crimes. Respect? Bush has not showed any or earned any. Let the shoes fly!

Repsonse to Ken Smith:

Ken, I really hope that some day you will be able to see a little further than the flag in front of your eyes.

You claim Bush is the man who has kept us safe at home since 9-11.

Where have you been for the last 8 years? The evidence is that everything this man has touched or ignored in 8 years has turned to dust along with the twin towers and you deem it appropriate to credit him with our safety since 9-11?

What we should have learned from 9-11 is that our long-standing arrogance in foreign relations is untenable.

Now, because of our 8 year detour around common sense, we have an economy in flames and we continue to sink $10 billion a month into the Iraqi enterprise to protect "our" freedom.

Ken, you may continue to wrap yourself in the flag of patriotism and trot out your nonsense about fighting for my freedom if you like, but I am singularly unimpressed. You are not helping to support and defend the constitution .. you are helping to destroy it through blind devotion to the arrogant exercise of power exhibited by our dear leader, President Bush.

I left the military in 2004 because I didn't feel like dying for imperialist policy hacks in the American Enterprise Institute or the authors of the Project for A New American Century who envisioned a global manifest destiny for the U.S. as the sole remaining superpower.

Ken, I invite you to pull the flag away from your eyes long enough to see what's really going on.

Do any of these fine tolerant people who think this is funny or think the insane guy was right remember Sept. 11th. President George W. Bush has done just what he should have done, took the fight to the ones that want us dead. I don't blame President Clinton for the way he handled the terriost, but it didn't work. So President Bush learned from our mistakes and now we have not had another attack in 7 1/2 years, and two countries are free. Thank God for President George W. Bush. Oh yeah, before any one writes back about the economy, I agree everything President Bush was not right, and let us not forget the wonderful democrates in the senate and house, boy they really helped things.

Props for the shoe thrower.. This is what happens when you are always in war with different countries during different years, if the President would go to France, South Korea, etc etc etc. The same would happen, The world is sick of US war policy and arrogance. sorry for the truth...

"...should be imprisoned for life!!!" Yeh, sure...after Bush and his cronies condoned torture (waterboarding), Abu Ghraib, defying the Geneva Conventions, etc. Americans need to realize that other countries and cultures have equal value to ours, no one is #1, and imperialism will end as it always does. Read history and see for yourself.

I am sure there are a lot of people that want to do that here. I didn't get offended at all by the shoe throwing i think he deserves it, i am offended by bush being my president. if he was elected as commander and chief he should have proven himself worth it, instead of throwing the country and the world in this big mess. I don't feel bad at all I feel bad for people that are losing their jobs and houses. the hardest people in the world, the people that take least vacation from the rest of the world, the people that trusted him with their lives. believe me he deserves worse than this, he and cheney deserve jail. he is a traitor to the American people not their chief.

I am outraged–at how bush got away with destroying a country under false pretense. Too bad he wasn't hit with a bag of camel dung. He still doesn't get it, like he thinks he's a liberator. He is responsible for the death of over 500,000 people. The whole world should be ouraged. Bush responds by saying, "So". Cheney responds by saying, "So What". They got away with murder, plain and simple.

It was our military presence in Iraq that allowed this man the freedom to act like an idiot. You think he could have done this under the old regime? He would have been flogged. So a simple Thank You from the Iraqis would be appreciated. Your conditions may not be perfect, but they are far better off thanks to the United States of America.

Although I have not read all of these blogs, let's consider this: Due to the ousting of Saddam Hussein and his regime, this person will still live. Ok, its apparent he did get the crap kicked out him, but what would've happened if he did this to Saddam? He, his family, everyone he works with, would be tortured and put to death. Ok, what would happend if we gave Bush the 'bird' or a Senator or Congressman? Probably nothing, depending on circumstances. The whole world is covering this, but i beg the question to be asked in all the Arab and liberal world...What would've happned had this person done this to Saddam? End of discussion.

The Office of the President of the United States of America deserves respect.

George Walker Bush deserves no respect. Any respect that Bush automatically got from becoming President 8 years ago has gotten burned up over the past 8 years.

One comment I want to make about the comment by "CitizenUSA." It's kinda funny that "acts of violence" and "Civilized people" are mentioned... um, we're fighting a war in another country (think "acts of violence") and pretty much ignored diplomacy (think "Civilized people" part). So, still think Bush deserves respect? The way he's done things over the past 8 years doesn't seem like that acts of "Civilized people."

I believe that this act was blatantly disrespectful to the Office of the President of the United States of America. Regardless of who is in office, this kind of gesture was absolutely uncalled for towards Mr. George Bush. Since the Office of the President of United States is greater than anyone individual, the incident therefore is a slap in the face and should by no means be tolerated and it is not funny in any form or shape, it was rude, disrespectful, and disgraceful. However, I must say I applaud the president for handling the situation very well.

I didn't vote for Bush. I don't like him. But throwing something other than pies or water, something that can knock a speakers teeth out, is not cool and not ok. What is wrong with people? Everybody has a viewpoint that somebody else is sure not to like. How would you like to be speaking about animal rights or whatever and some animal hater throws a boot into your face? Funny? Or the other way. You're talking about pizzas and somebody who thinks pepperoni is cruel to animals hits you with their boot. The later night shows don't have real shoes being throw hard into the heads of Obrian or Dave. If they got hit in the head for real from somebody trying it wouldn't be as funny for them. I assure you.

I've never agreed with Bush on this whole Iraq War thing. But I'll have to hand it to him, he did a good job at dodging those shoes - they were right on target.

The man is a reporter. He "reported" his nation's very strong feelings to the world. In doing so, he risked not only censure, but incarceration and even death if the Secret Service had decided to use lethal force to subdue him, something which I'm sure was only one itchy trigger away. Like it or not, he is a courageous individual with strong convictions.

I'd imagine that in this country, mooning the President at close range would be considered an equivalent action.

The Administration has argued that our forced removal of Saddam Hussein was in the interest of the Iraqi people. After all, political dissent back then was subject to imprisonment. What will happen to this political dissenter? Do you think we've gained anything here?

I hope after G.I. leave IRAQ. The people in IRAQ ( including foreigner ) can throw shoe to their leader who they don’t like and still alive.

Where was this guy in Saddam' era.
He's atleast breathing now, that's progress in a way.

I cant wait until Obama does something that offends me. That will give me the right to hurl something at him because, well, heck, I am right and he will be wrong. I hope I get the support of the fringe left and most of the journalists in America.

Talk about disrespect! We should have turned that country into a glass plant instead of sending in our troops. This is the thanks we get? As far as the Americans that think it's funny....move to Iran and see if your still smiling next week

The man called Bush a dog as he threw the shoes, he insulted Bush, not the US. He should be awarded some sort of medal for finally bringing home to this most insular of presidents what his reckless actions have done. Perhaps we can designate a holiday devoted to him.

I must admit though, that Bush's reflexes were great. Too bad his intellect isn't that responsive.

To those who think that the shoe thrown at President Bush was a good thing, how would you feel if it was thrown at President-elect Obama? The bottom line: it is wrong to disrespect the office of the president – period!

You should respect your president, you should honor . . . yada, yada, yada. The truth is you cannot “SHOULD” anyone into respecting anyone else. Respect is something you earn. Respect is not bestowed merely due to title or position. In by book, Bush has earned nothing but disrespect.

Hey Jer

Can't walk a mile in his shoes because they are evidence now.

Those who think this is funny show a level of ignorance and stupidity that is pathetic. It is an insult to the US and to the 4,000+ soldiers who sacrificed their lives. Every US citizen should be outraged.

My God what is the world coming to. I am not a Bush Fan not ever.
But he is our PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. If you can do any
better or could have done any better why don't you just shutup and run for office and do something. I really do not think you's all would want the job. I sure don't want it. your live is not your own at all and no matter what you do for the people it will please them or be enough

This symbolizes the disrespect many people around the world have for our country and in this one man's opinion it is because we have, as a nation reduced ourselves to a large group of selfish, self centered people that stand for absolutely nothing. We have no moral compass and teach our children that it is only wrong if you get caught, not by what we say, but by what they see in us. We have lowered our standards as a nation to not offend anyone and now no one respects us... this is as much or more of a statement about each and every one of us, not just the public figures that get shoes thrown at them.

why didn't he throw a shoe at sadam, and be a real hero.

Finally, after eight years as the worst President in US history and only a few days remaining, I respect Bush – for revealing his hidden talent (and only talent) as a fantastic shoe dodger!