The following are early reports of the Pope’s funeral from AP writer Victor L. Simpson on the funeral of the Pope – ABC, Honolulu Advertiser, etc. It’s not important that you read them, just that you note what they’re missing.
Later versions Simpson’s report, which include the one now running on the AP wire, got at least one interesting new paragraph.
When Bush’s face appeared on giant screen TVs showing the ceremony, many in the crowds outside St. Peter’s Square booed and whistled.
A question for TiVo viewers, did you see this or did the network anchors mention this?
While I don’t doubt that its possible President Bush was booed by the crowds, it seems odd that of the 3,500 journalists covering the event only Victor L. Simpson (or one of his two contributors – Nicole Winfield and Daniela Petroff) notice this booing. Actually make that two people who noticed, since the Scotsman.com uses very similar wording. The two accounts probably have the same lineage, either Simpson’s came from The Press Association accounts or their account came from Simpson.
In fact if you filter out “Associated Press”, “AP”, “Simpson”, and “When Bush’s face appeared” it nearly disappears from the Google News search results for: bush booed.
I’m just curious if anyone else noted this crowd reaction to the President. Given the unfortunate killing of an Italian intelligence officer in the Giuliana Sgrena hostage escape incident I wouldn’t be surprised, but it’s not like the AP hasn’t invented a crowd booing before (See InstaPundit, Poweline)
Note: Paul was the one who tipped me to this and left me to do the legwork…
My thoughts, exactly. I find it nearly unbelievable that the dedicated under these particular circumstances would go all ‘booey’ so quickly, so erratically, so uncharacteristically.
Probably there were boos. And whistling to counter the boos that occured. But I am betting that it was by a few and did not represent the crowd or the moment in truth, but in odd happening.
AP cannot report anything about Bush without including barbs. It’s very tedious but it needs to be continually confronted and challenged (as you’re doing, as are others and as I’d planned to write about but now for today have run out of time/energy to do so) because AP exists as it is today due to not being challenged enough. I CAN include here that AP is heavy in Dean’s, um, corner/pocket/sympathies/yaddayaddayadda…
I also heard a throw-away mention of it this morning on Fox&Friends. I’m sorry, but I didn’t get the reporter’s name (it wasn’t Steve, ED, or Brian), since I was driving….
I rolled my eyes and kept driving Darling Munchkin to school.
What Victor was probably trying to say was that he and his crew booed when the President was shown on the big screen.
If it wasn’t for the MSM, if such a thing happened,would not happened. I watched 24hours,every friggin day and NEVER DO I SEE, HEAR OR ANY REPORTS OF BOOING PRESIDENT BUSH.
I think it’s a bunch of bullshit caused by the MSM.
Cindy
So Kevin, you wanted to know if anyone else noticed the crowds reaction to our president, I would have to say staying up (totally exhausted) watching the whole thing from beginning to end, nowhere, no how, did I ever hear anyone booing Bush. When the Holy Father died, OUR msm did nothing but say there were differences between our President and the Pope, which is UNTRUE, btw. Not only did they NOT boo him, no one over there reporting ever mentioned it. It had nothing to do with the Italian journalist either; it had to do with the war in Irdyaq BUT if anyone watched this as much as I did,the Pope said himself that the terrorist had to be stopped and never held it against Bush. So this booing shit is just that – bullshit!!! I heard that today and almost wanted to break my tv because it’s not true. The Pope understood President Bush’s decision. AND THAT IS THE TRUTH.
Cindy
Cin
President Bush was indeed booed at every public appearance which made it difficult for U.S. media to provide him those gratuitous media bites you’re so accustom to. This shouldn’t come as any surprise though inasmuch as the Italians are still reeling from the Iraq checkpoint killing incident — a national hero (for rescuing a well known journalist) was murdered by paranoid American troops that shoot first and ask questions later. And you also might consider that the Pope was adamantly opposed to the Iraq war (his words ignored by Bush and in fact the Vatican even likened GW to the Antichrist) and that most Europeans, realizing the phoney pretense for invading Iraq and the human carnage (well over 100,000 dead) and so on… and again, why act so surprised? Unless of course you’re too blind to see these facts and in which case you’re better off keeping your TV tuned to Fox for all your (s)nooz. Wake up!
T.Christopher: You talking to me? I don’t need to wake up. The Pope was a peaceful mlan and did not like war. He told Pres Bush how he felt and President Bush sent him a letter explaining why he has to go through with his decision. The Pope respected that decision. The Pope and President Bush got along very well and last year, Bush gave him the highest order one can get, so it is not me who needs to wake up, sir, it’s you who needs to wake up.
Cindy
I confess. I made it all up. Imaginary problems require imaginary solutions.
Dr. Faustroll
I can’t believe anyone is still throwing around that completely bogus number of 100,000 deaths in Iraq. Somebody didn’t send T Christopher the memo that it was completely made up.
Now who is snoozing?…..
You libs just kill me….
Uh … hello? Didn’t anyone watch this on TV? Not only could you hear people booing when Bush and Laura appeared on the monitor, it was so noticeable that the TV commentators actually discussed it. Again…did anyone else watch the funeral????
I watched the funeral, Steve-O, and it happened.
It seems that every right-wing blog I turn to has some story about how maybe it’s some kind of conspiracy that bush was boo’d in europe!!!!
please dont EVER write a crackpot retard irrelevant story like this EVER AGAIN. GRR.