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Thursday, January 11, 2007
A Leader’s Tears
President Bush, criticized by some for rarely showing much public emotion about the losses in Iraq, shed a tear this morning at a White House ceremony during which he posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Marine Corporal Jason Dunham.
Here is Bush’s account of Dunham’s heroism:
“In April 2004, during an attack near Iraq’s Syrian border, Corporal Dunham was assaulted by an insurgent who jumped out of a vehicle that was about to be searched. As Corporal. Dunham wrestled the man to the ground, the insurgent rolled out a grenade he had been hiding. Corporal Dunham did not hesitate. He jumped on the grenade, using his helmet and body to absorb the blast. Although he survived the initial explosion, he did not survive his wounds. But by his selflessness, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men, and showed the world what it means to be a Marine.”
On hand to see the awarding of the Medal of Honor were the late Marine’s parents, Dan and Deb Dunham; his brothers Justin and Kyle; sister Katie and other family members.
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Photo Flap
The White House Correspondents Association is gearing up to complain about the White House decision not to allow any news photographers to take pictures of President Bush giving his Wednesday night speech.
Routinely, a pool photographer - who shares the photo with all news organizations - and wire service photographers are allowed to cover presidential events in quarters too small to handle the usual throng of photographers.
Not so Wednesday night when Bush spoke from the White House Library. Administration officials said the room was too small.
That left newspapers with three choices: No photo, a photo shot by a White House photographer or a screen grab from television coverage of the speech. The latter, as shown above, generally provides a less-than-flattering image.
“This is the latest in an ever-growing series of events in which this White House is not allowing photographers” to cover, said C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, president of the White House Correspondents Association. “Clearly it’s unacceptable.”
The White House can expect letters of protest from the correspondents association and, perhaps, the White House News Photographers Association.
FYI, here’s an advisory the Associated Press sent to its members:
“Still photographers were not permitted access before, during or after President Bush’s televised address from the White House Library, Jan. 10, 2007. AP Photos NY201-205 are frame grabs from Associated Press Television and have been transmitted to all points.
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