Stupid controversy of the day: Bush and the “blind” reporter (Update: Bush apologizes to reporter)
posted at 3:37 pm on June 14, 2006 by Allahpundit
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At this morning’s press conference on Iraq, the president had this exchange with L.A. Times reporter Peter Wallsten:
Yes, Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?
Q I can take them off.
THE PRESIDENT: I’m interested in the shade look, seriously.
Q All right, I’ll keep it, then.
THE PRESIDENT: For the viewers, there’s no sun. (Laughter.)
Q I guess it depends on your perspective. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Touche. (Laughter.)
Kos promptly wrote a post asserting that Bush had put his foot in his mouth because, and I quote, “Wallsten is blind.” His apparent source? A tipster at Wonkette, who had written in to say that Wallsten is legally blind.
Laying aside the fact that legal blindness is quite a bit different from Stevie Wonder/Ray Charles blindness, it sure doesn’t look like Wallsten needs shades for his problem. Here’s a photo of him covering the Florida Supreme Court in 1999. Could be that his vision has deteriorated since — but then, what’s the deal with this presumably current photo that the Freepers dug up?
Update: Think Progress has the answer. He doesn’t need the shades — but they help. Did Bush know? No.
Update: Bush and Wallsten make nice:
Wallsten said Bush called his cell phone later in the day to apologize and tell him that he didn’t know he had the disease. Wallsten said he interrupted and told the president that no apology was necessary and that he didn’t feel offended since he hadn’t told anyone at the White House about his condition.
“He said, `I needle you guys out of affection,’” Wallsten said. “I said, ‘I understand that, but I don’t want you to treat me any differently because of this.’”
Wallsten said the president said he would not treat him differently, so Wallsten encouraged him to “needle away.”
“He said, `I will. Next time I’ll just use a different needle,’” Wallsten said.
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Is there any chance that Bush was kidding around?
Defector01 on June 14, 2006 at 3:39 PM
Did Mr. Wallsten seem to be offended? No.
Blaise on June 14, 2006 at 3:48 PM
I question the UV protection.
Hoodlumman on June 14, 2006 at 3:50 PM
Wallsten said he never told him and that he doesn’t make a big deal out of it, so why not believe him?
I swear, these SOB’s would eat their own young if it moved their agenda forward.
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on June 14, 2006 at 3:51 PM
“I swear, these SOB’s would eat their own young if it moved their agenda forward.” Dread Pirate Roberts. Right on! “These SOB’s” would eat pig dung if it would move their agenda forward.
birdman on June 14, 2006 at 3:59 PM
While growing up the rule was that you looked at the person you were talking to. There’s nothing more irratating than trying to carry on a conversation with someone who looks everywhere but at the one they are talking to. The same goes for sun glasses. When a person is wearing them, there’s no telling where they are looking. It wouldn’t have hurt this guy to take them off long enough to engage the President. It also shows respect to do so. As far as Bush knowing about the reporters medical problem, if it was a big deal then he should have informed someone who could have told the President, removing the opportunity for any joking around. Besides, he laughed and joked right back, not the actions of someone who was offended by any means.
Obviously a slow news day at Kos.
Renee on June 14, 2006 at 3:59 PM
Dread Pirate Roberts, you mean to say Wallsten is refusing to play the victim card? I know nothing else about him, but that’s enough to make me like him. As for the BDS crowd, well they don’t seem to know how to cope with someone like that.
Retread on June 14, 2006 at 4:03 PM
I agree Renee, and I always take my sunglasses off no matter who I am talking to.Among other things like respect for them I also want them to know I mean business.And who is this “Kos” they speak of? Seems to remember something about it, making poor choices or something like that.
bbz123 on June 14, 2006 at 4:27 PM
OMG, the comments at the Think Progressive link are hilarious,in that “do these people actually dress themselves?” kind of way.
bbz123 on June 14, 2006 at 4:31 PM
Wasted bandwidth if you ask me. How desperate are the leftards anyway?
Cpilot on June 14, 2006 at 4:55 PM
Since Mr. Wallsten is affiliated with the LATimes, does he wear left-polarized sunglasses?
But seriously, I watched the exchange as it occurred and Mr. Wallsten, like most members of the WHPC, obviously enjoyed getting razzed by the president. I bet the reporters that rarely get the nod (let alone a coveted razz) from Bush started putting their own shades on at that point.
inmanjh on June 14, 2006 at 5:22 PM
This reminds me of a story about an airline passenger who faked blindness (while wearing a pair of dark shades) so he could take his pet dog aboard for free. When the passenger entered the plane the conversation went like this:
Flight Attendant: I’m sorry sir but I’m afraid you’ll have to place your dog in the special compartment for pets for a fee.
Passenger: I thought seeing eye dogs were allowed to go aboard for free.
Flight Attendant: They are, sir, but your dog is a Chihuahua.
Passenger: It is???
pjcomix on June 14, 2006 at 5:24 PM
This is just further proof that Bush and the Republicans want to exerminate the handicapped!!!
[/irony]
DirkBelig on June 14, 2006 at 6:11 PM
Where I come from you take off your hat indoors, shake hands and look each other in the eye when speaking. The president is the PRESIDENT and the office itself demands respect. by not taking off his glasses, it shows extreme disrespect to the office of the presidency.
Nevertheless, it does not appear that the man was offended by Bush’s request. He took it in stride, refusing to play the victim, which chaps the liberals’ hides.
pullingmyhairout on June 14, 2006 at 6:12 PM
I can’t see a problem here.
/badump bump
Pablo on June 14, 2006 at 6:18 PM
After reading some of the swill on the “Think Progress” site, the site’s name is clearly an oxymoron.
Aunt B on June 14, 2006 at 6:21 PM
Our President has humanity and humor. When he is serious they call him aloof. When he teases they pick on this nothingness (even if the person didn’t object).
Above all he has a steely spine, in these times of need:
From Yahoo News, on being questioned why he didn’t announce his arrival in Baghdad “I’m a high-value target for some,” Bush said “I think if there was ample notification that I was coming, perhaps it would have given somebody a chance to plan, and we just didn’t want to take that risk.”
Democrats criticized Bush for failing to describe plans for a troop withdrawal.
“Don’t bet on American politics forcing my hand, because it’s not going to happen,” Bush said.
Entelechy on June 14, 2006 at 6:23 PM
In the long run, all this little episode means is we get to enjoy that Keyne West clown at the next hurricane benefit saying “George Bush hates blind people!”
Dave Shay on June 14, 2006 at 6:29 PM
And you say that Think Progess commenters have seen the light? Yet, they’re still very much blind….blind with utter hatred it would do al Qaeda proud.
Kokonut on June 14, 2006 at 6:48 PM
No need to read all the comments on ThinkProgress.org
After the first 10 I decided that they make a mockery of their site name and that they give the conservatives, flawed as they are, a good chance for Nov. and 2008.
With leaders like Pelosi, Reid and Dean, representatives like Kerry and Murtha, and adherents like the ‘thinkprogress’ crowd, after having shot themselves in both feet already, the conservatives would have to shoot themselves in the head to lose. It’s really that sad a state in our politics today…Says something about both parties!
Entelechy on June 14, 2006 at 7:19 PM
And this is important. . . . . . because?
ForYourEdification on June 14, 2006 at 7:30 PM
It is important because it immediatley shows that we conservatives are unfeeling sob’s, and this was just our normal way of handeling another minority issue. Now, that said, the whole thing is just dumb with far bigger things on the presidents agenda than a faux pas in which he intended no harm. He is a warm, affectionate person and is prone to a friendlier side…this was stupid for anyone to give it legs, as they say….but with all the good news coming out of the WH this was meant to slam him….heh heh heh heeeeehhhhhhh!!!!…it will NOT work. MORONS!!!!
Sandys Beach on June 14, 2006 at 9:38 PM
Chihuahua! ROFL!
pj, I just discovered your site, and I want to thank you for giving me so much to laugh at on the mid shift.
I had never paid attention to the left blogs before, but after I spent 2 minutes looking through them…. All I can say is OMG! Are those people real?
Keep it up!
rightside on June 15, 2006 at 12:34 AM
Hey, who knew Bush had “touche” in his vocabulary….
honora on June 15, 2006 at 10:52 AM
I was just thinking….do you believe that, given all these ridiculous slams at the prez…do you think we have backed the libs against a wall yet? It seems they are resorting to these kinds of put downs more and more lately…I have a queezy feeling that their little bag of tricks is empty. Unless Hillary, you know, the smartest woman in the universe, comes up with a new VRWC theory, I think the libs are done…..HOWEVER, watch that cornered rat!!! They are vicious!!
Sandys Beach on June 15, 2006 at 11:20 AM
Great response by Bush, and Wallsten showed some class by not being overly offended.
My son just had to go through ‘diversity training’ class at freshman Orientation at UT Austin. He was told that the term ‘Mutt’ for someone of mixed blood (as he is- Chinese-American- and something he calls himself) is offensive. We have to get past being offended so easily. Of course, it’s mainly liberals, since they seem to lack joy in their lives most of the time.
Mike O on June 15, 2006 at 4:23 PM
Rightside—That Chihuaha story was told to me by my late great Uncle Marty. He had a reputation as both a story teller and as a “bartenders bartender.” He was a very colorful character WITHOUT any inhibitions whatsover and looked like the very model of a (pre-fern leaf bar) bartender with his slicked back hair and a mouth that always seemed on a verge of telling another funny story which he often did. In fact, he often appeared in the professional bartenders magazine. Even the Mob guys hung out with Uncle Marty to hear his many stories. Oddly enough, he NEVER drank a drop of liquor himself.
I even wrote an account about how his dead spirit was still guiding me with story writing advice.
But I rattle on too long. However, Uncle Marty, wherever you are, consider this a SHOUT OUT to you from your nephew PJ.
pjcomix on June 15, 2006 at 5:44 PM
Once again you fail to acknowledge the fact that Bush is just a boob. Say it. Bush is a boob, Bush is a boob, Bush is a boob, Bush is a boob, come on jump in, Bush is a boob, Bush is a boob, Bush is a boob!
scooter on September 24, 2007 at 3:19 AM
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