Friday, September 16, 2005

Leaking Bush's bathroom request


It's tougher than you think being president. Sure you have your own special song and people to read the newspaper for you -- but, try leaving a meeting unnoticed to use the bathroom. President Bush needed to go while he was in a UN meeting this week. Probably not wanting to offend anyone by suddenly leaving to answer nature's call, he passed a note to Condi Rice. That note was captured by a Reuters photographer.

The note -- which read, "I think I MAY NEED A BATHroom break? Is this possible. W." -- has provided fodder for the blogosphere and the foreign press. Newsday, from whom I stole the tasteless headline you see above, reported the headline used by the Times of London ("Excuse me Condi, can I go to the bathroom?"). A writer on a liberal blog expressed "concern" about Bush's placement of a question mark ("Is he unsure whether or not he has to go potty?")

Reuters confirms to Editor and Publisher that the photo is legit and denies it was taken malicioiusly. In fact, Rick Wilking, the photographer who snapped the note, knows the president and even worked for a time as a White House photographer. According to Gelf Magazine, Wilking hasn't heard yet from the president's staff and while he is "curious to know what the White House thinks,” he's not worried about getting into trouble for taking the picture.

And yes, the president did receive Condi's permission to use the bathroom.

Related: Amid the Ruins, a President tries to Reconstruct his Image (New York Times, September 16.)

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The opinions stated here are my own and in no way reflect those of Brigham Young University, its students, faculty, or sponsoring institution.