Bush Dodges Shoes in Iraq

(Baghdad, Iraq) At a Bush-Maliki press conference yesterday, an irate Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at President Bush. In rapid succession, Bush ducked out of the way.

Identified as Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the thrower is a journalist with al-Baghdadia television network. He was quickly wrestled to the floor.

Al-Baghdadia issued a statement Sunday demanding al-Zaidi's release.

Al-Zaidi remained in custody Monday while the Iraqi judiciary decides whether he will face charges of assaulting al-Maliki, a government official said.

The official said al-Zaidi is being tested for alcohol and drugs to determine if he was fully conscious during the incident.

Al-Zaidi drew international attention in November 2007 when he was kidnapped while on his way to work in central Baghdad. He was released three days later.

To the question of why the Secret Service wasn't able to prevent the incident, it's rumored that one agent said, "Sure, we've vowed to take a bullet for the President. That's a bullet, not a shoe."

Kidding aside, the Secret Service most definitely was asleep at the wheel. If someone is close enough to the President to throw a shoe, he's close enough to throw a knife.