أحذية Arabic for SHOES

To Iraqis, Muntadhar al-Zeidi is a hero. Zeidi is also an Iraqi journalist, now infamously known for hurling his shoes at President Bush. I thought that by now, we (the media) would have stopped discussing the shoe fiasco but here I am blogging about it. Does anyone remember when Iraqis were seen slapping their shoes on Saddam Hussein's statue after his fall? That may put it in perspective for you, just how disrespectful it is to slap or hurl your shoes at someone in the Iraqi culture. An Iraqi throwing shoes at President Bush was a sign of disrespect at its deepest level, and it was interesting to see how Iraqi television stations covered the incident. They hailed him a hero. Demanded his release from prison. I'm willing to bet Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki secretly has the desire to free him, but he has to remember to appease the public and take careful care of Iraqi/U.S. relations.

Shoe story aside, we've been distracted. Does anyone care to know what President Bush was in Iraq FOR? Didn't think so. You'd rather watch the embedded youtube video of President Bush dodging shoes.

Here it is...it's just one of hundreds of versions on the internet.



Now for the real story.
SOFA (state of the forces agreement) AKA "the status of forces agreement which provides a schedule for America's withdrawal from it unpopular engagement in Iraq and the rules governing America's presence there until then."

A SOFA deal is exactly what Americans and Iraqis have been waiting for, and all we can talk about is a pair of size 10 shoes being thrown at Mr. Bush. Well, I'm done laughing. More importantly, Al-Maliki signed the dotted line. The agreement in short, outlines a withdrawal date. Forces will stay in Iraq until December 31, 2011, BUT they will withdraw from Iraqi streets by the end of June 2009.

My thoughts inserted: I never saw the end coming. According to the SOFA agreement, the U.S. is finished with Iraq. But here's some food for thought: after we leave, there will be no shortage of sectarian strife, factional clashes or internal feuding. I wonder where Iraqis will be three years from now. Better off? Or are they worse off now and in the future then they were before the Baathist regime came to an end? And has it REALLY come to an end?

Most recent report dated Dec. 17, 2008: Up to 35 Iraqi Ministry of the Interior officials (some ranking as high as General) were arrested over the past three days. The New York Times says they're accused of "quietly" working to reconstitute the Baath Party.

Iraq has long been run by corruption. It will take at least a century of political dissension to change that. Maybe even longer...

Private Jet

It generates only one image in my mind: Celebrities. Thoughts of a planet in peril aside, if you were offered a private jet or had the means to fly the friendly skies in your very own aircraft, surely you'd oblige. But we're not celebrities or high profile politicians. You're none of the above. But you do happen to be a multi-million dollar executive. You are Alan Mulally, Robert Nardelli and Richard Wagooner. As the CEO's of Ford, Chrysler, and GM you are entitled to your private jets. And that's where it ends.

Tin cups in hand, the CEO's of three major U.S. automakers begged the House Financial Services Committee for a $25 billion dollar loan. With promises of trimming down their businesses AKA cutting jobs, all three men testified that without the funding, bankruptcy loomed on the horizon. How have three of the most successful automakers in our country managed to drive their businesses into the ground? That's one question with a plethora of answers, and we've heard them all. What I want to know is: how do you justify flying a private jet to meet with a committee you are begging money from? Ah-ha. If ever faced with the choice of flying commercial versus a private jet, I'd go for the ultra-fabulous, fuel-guzzling aircraft. Shameful I know. But I'm not a millionaire running a multi-billion dollar corporation that is going down the tube. Flying a private jet sends the wrong message: you are an elitist. And although we already know you think you are above everyone else (money and power), exercise logic. How about downgrading to a first-class commercial flight? I digress; that is a high expectation. Maybe jet-pool?

So now that they have been publicly humiliated, if faced with the choice between commercial versus their fancy jets, what would they choose? At this week's hearing, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California) said, "I'm going to ask you to raise your hand if you are planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show, no hands went up."

Clearly these CEO's down give a damn. They have no problem cost-cutting as long as it's not coming out of their pocketbooks. And don't forget; they won't hesitate to slash thousands of jobs. So while you're waiting in the unemployment line, pondering how you'll recover from this economic downturn, Alan Mulally (Ford), Robert Nardelli (Chrysler) and Richard Wagooner (GM) will still be flying their private jets that YOU helped pay for. And when you ask why, remember their answer: it's COMPANY POLICY.

Shame on Us.

The day AFTER I blog about it, the media has latched itself on to LIPSTICK ON A PIG like a leech. And boy are they going to suck this subject dry. Why am I even shocked? I get it. Some people are outraged. Cue the feminists. Cue the ultra-sensitive citizens. The media has got a top story on its hands.

I told you. It was with great hesitation to blog about Barack Obama's LIPSTICK ON A PIG comment, but people can't shut up. You want to talk about it. Go ahead. You want to be offended. You're entitled. This isn't about diffusing your highly charged emotions or telling you how you should feel. This blog is about how my fellow journalists (reporters and anchors) that I admire are highjacking the airwaves and dedicating endless coverage to LIPSTICK ON A PIG.

I have to keep remembering my motto...

“A news sense is really a sense of what is important, what is vital, what has color and life - what people are interested in. That's journalism.”

SO...if THIS is what is important to people, then let's discuss it. Are we making an issue out of non-issue? That's what we should be asking ourselves.

It doesn't matter that the oldest political phrase out there is LIPSTICK ON A PIG. John McCain has used it half a dozen times, most recently when referring to Hillary Clinton's health care plan. Did anyone call him a sexist? Go ahead, form an opinion but the media needs to stop beating a dead horse. Let's move on and FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES. We covered it, move on. Politics may be a dirty business, but should we drag ourselves into the mud with it?

The truth is there aren't many things I share my opinion about in public because I have to remember to respect my boundaries as a journalist, but I think I have a right to say something about my industry. I am disappointed. There are other things on people's minds besides lipstick on a pig. Every candidate in this race should be treated equally, every candidate should be faced with tough questions. The media has a tremendous impact on public opinion. It's a responsibility we have to remind ourselves of. This is an election year. America's future is in all our hands and the public depends on us when it comes to getting information about the candidates running for President. That's why I say, let's move on and FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES.

I better stop before someone shuts me up!

Before I sign off...
Tonight I'll be watching ABC's Charlie Gibson along with what I imagine will be millions of other fellow Americans. Gov. Sarah Palin in the hot seat. It's a highly anticipated interview, so I'm guessing an analysis of it will be my next blog.
Stay tuned!

Lipstick on a Pig.

Lipstick. It could possibly qualify as an obsession. For me anyway. In fact, I may wear too much of it sometimes. My color of choice no matter how many times I try to venture away from it is PINK. I love lipstick. And lately, LIPSTICK is becoming the new buzz word in the political arena. Who would have thought that a colorful cosmetic could have so much impact?

We all heard Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin say the only difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull is lipstick. Enter Barack Obama. The Senator and Presidential hopeful told a crowd today "You can put lipstick on a pig" (insert giggles and clapping here)..."It's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still going to stink after eight years."

Insert outrage and backlash here. You guessed it. The McCain camp came out swinging. McCain's campaign says it was "offensive and disgraceful." Say your sorry he says. Obama's response? He wasn't referring to Palin when he made the comment about LIPSTICK ON A PIG. Maybe he was calling McCain a pig?

You decide. Personally, I find it comical (oink, oink). Thanks for giving me something to blog about. Now let's focus on the real issues.

In case you missed it...