The other night, during the President's SOTU speech, he honored the parents of a fallen soldier. Here is an excerpt of the President's comments and a description of what happened next from James Taranto:
Iraq synecdochically thanked America for its freedom last night. During his State of the Union address, President Bush introduced a couple who were sitting with the first lady, Janet and Bill Norwood. The Norwoods' son, Marine Sgt. Byron Norwood, was killed during the liberation of Fallujah. Said the president:
His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror. She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said, 'You've done your job, Mom. Now it is my turn to protect you.' " Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and our military families.
Whereupon another honored guest, Iraqi human-rights advocate Safia Taleb al-Suhail, stood, turned and embraced Mrs. Norwood, who was seated behind her. It would take a bitter cynic indeed--a man like Tom Shales--not to be moved by this.
Immediately following the President's speech all the talking heads on the left began obsessing about "The Hug." Was it a setup? Was the President cynically manipulating these parents for political gain, yadda, yadda, yadda. Here is an excerpt from Chris Matthews' show, Hardball, where Matthews REALLY gets extreme:
MATTHEWS: I guess the only question is whether that Iraqi woman was prompted to go up and hug Janet Norwood by some staffer.
O‘DONNELL: Oh, who cares?
MATTHEWS: Who cares?
REAGAN: I don‘t know that that...
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: I think some people care.
REAGAN: Yes, I don‘t know that—I wouldn‘t go that far.
MATTHEWS: It‘s a question. It‘s an open question. I think the emotion was spontaneous.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
perhaps they are offended by miscegenation
2 - Eric Olsen
and thanks David, very nice job
3 - Steve S
Perhaps some on the left are so outraged by this hug because it was
You posted a segment here of Chris Matthews wondering aloud if there was some PR in the hug, and you follow that up with ' perhaps some on the left are so outraged'?
That's not outrage.
4 - David Flanagan
perhaps they are offended by miscegenation
Lol! Good one. I was thinking about trying to include that idea in a humorous way, but I just couldn't do it. Thanks for saying that so perfectly. :-)
Thanks,
David
5 - David Flanagan
Steve,
If you had heard people like Garafalo (sp?) and others really going off about the hug, you would have heard the outrage in their voices. It was funny!
Thanks,
David
6 - Aaman
All politicians are self-serving, publicity-oriented. What's the big deal here - even if it was a publicity stunt, every flavor of politico does this and more. A consistently selfless political act is about as common as a $3 bill.
That being said, it was most probably a natural, woman-to-woman,mother-to-mother, human reaction. The only political act was to have them there in the first place. Again, nothing wrong with that.
7 - Jim Carruthers
Around the world?
Really?
How do you breathe with your head so far up your ass?
In the rest of the world, we paid no attention at all to the Punch and Judy show you seem so fixated on. To put it in perspective, it didn't make the front page of the national papers such as the Globe and Mail, and only a brief mention on the teevee newscasts here, which was that el Presidente made a speech with much clapping by his junta.
8 - Scott
David, is you on crack?
9 - David Flanagan
In the rest of the world, we paid no attention at all to the Punch and Judy show you seem so fixated on.
Jim,
What are you talking about? You live in a suburb of the United States; you are certainly not "the rest of the word." But thanks for commenting.
David
10 - Jim Carruthers
So, you mean to say you can't even get Canadians interested in what your idiot el Presidente has to say. Quel dommage.
11 - DrPat
I am always amazed, Jim, at your willingness to opine on topics to which you claim to have paid no attention.
12 - RJ
Honestly, it would not surprise me to find out that this was semi-planned. And I type this as a Bush supporter who was quite moved by it all...
13 - bhw
I think Oprah was a consultant for the big show, er, I mean speech.
14 - Natalie Davis
Heh. It would be funny if it had been preplanned. I'd expect the wingers to be getting ready to pass a constitutional amendment against same-sex hugging.
15 - Steve S
Steve, If you had heard people like Garafalo (sp?) and others really going off about the hug, you would have heard the outrage in their voices. It was funny! Thanks, David
Garafalo? Where does she come into play in your post? She's not mentioned at all.
I asked why, when Chris Matthews simply wondered aloud if there was PR involved, you went to over-the-top descriptions like 'outraged' and you say because of Garafalo? Um, okay.
That's some crafty editing. Take the vitrol from one person on the Left, apply the condemnation of it to a simple question on Hardball, and conveniently edit out the transition inbetween.
16 - Mike Kole
100% agreement with comment 6. I think the Norwoods were a prop. So what? Every President has done this at the SOTU since Reagan.
What you couldn't script was the real emotion and the tangling of the dog tag chain in Mrs. Norwood's hand with the Iraqi woman's dress. Karl Rove himself made similar comments.
17 - David Flanagan
Steve,
A simple question? LOL! Read my next post on this issue and you'll understand why I think that the whole Hardball conversation was, at the very least, petty.
Thanks,
David
18 - David Flanagan
The Norwoods were not a prop, but they were their to be honored. Are you saying that we shouldn't publicly honor our soldiers and their families?
David
19 - Scott
Maybe it wasn't planned but it's easy to see how one could think that. They put 'em right next to each other for God's sake. Even if it wasn't "planned," I'm sure Bush and Co. were hoping they would hug.
20 - DrPat
Scott, maybe the two women planned it by themselves - after all, they were sitting "right next to each other for God's sake".
Would that still be considered "scripted"?
21 - Mike Kole
David- I'm saying that the Norwoods were there to be honered AND to be a prop.
Moreover, I don't have a problem with this situation.
22 - Dave Nalle
I have to point out that after the fact the Norwoods both said that they were not pushed into the hug nor did they even expect it. I guess you can not believe them, that's your choice, but they seem like honest folks.
But regardless of whether it was somewhat arranged, does that really make the situation or the emotions any less genuine?
Dave
23 - David Flanagan
Obviously, President Bush wanted to honor the Norwoods in a special way because the letter he received from them really touched him. The President realizes that these soldiers are dying at his command. How could he not, he's the Commander-in-Chief.
I think the President wanted Congress and America to be moved as he was moved, and of course it was very logical to have people there from both Iraq and Afghanistan as symbols of their new democracies. The hug itself I think came from the heart from the Iraqi citizen.
No one seemed to comment on or care that another marine in the audience walked over while everyone was clapping to shake Mr. Norwood's hand as well, and that others around them were shaking hands and thanking them. So why do we have to invent a conspiracy theory here?
Thanks,
David