Muntadar al-Zaidi the Journalist Who Threw Shoes at Bush

"could receive a maximum jail sentence of seven years for insulting the nation's leader."

I think that law should be changed immediately. For one thing, it doesn't seem to be based on the shoes as opposed to the verbal insult. People in free nations have the right to insult the nation's leader such as the depraved idiot George Bush and Silvio Berlusconi (I'm not quite sure what nation I'm legally in right now). Technically I can't legally say that the spineless wimp Giorgio Napolitano is responsible for the insane policies of the Berlusconi government (I just broke two laws typing that). However, I'm not quaking in my shoes.

Look that was a simple assault -- a misdemenor. Even though I would like the law to tread "the nation's leader" like any other person, I recognise that some exceptions must be made for practical reasons. I have no problem with the law which makes it a felony to threaten to kill the President. However, the two shoes were an expressive gesture via illegal means not an attempt to kill or maim. I'd say let him off with a warning or, if you must, a sentence of one month.

I happen to be very very irritated with mr Al-Zaidi as he has put me in the very uncomfortable position of agreeing totally with what Bush said on the topic. In fact, I actually felt proud of Bush's performance in the press conference in Iraq. I will not forgive Al-Zaidi for this, but I don't want him in jail.




So George Bush -- good at dodging and talking about thrown shoes. He had to be good at something.