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Bush Focus Photo July 31, 2006

Special (Photo) Ops

If you've been following the wires, the tactic of surrounding Bush with service men and women has reached almost manic proportions.  It's one thing to put Dubya on a chow line, but this shot -- taken yesterday during a "visit" with the US Coast Guard in Miami -- hardly...

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So, What's Your Point?

We've been witnessing Administration finger wagging for years now.  I don't recall an instance, however, when it came back at them like this.  Maybe "Old Europe" has finally had it with America's "New Middle East."

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Culture Focus Photo July 28, 2006

Any Boob Can Tell You

Isn't breast feeding supposed to be a pleasurable act, one which expands the (otherwise incredibly narrow American) definition of healthy sexuality?

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Back Fire vs. Backfire

I've been meaning to post this fine cover since it came out one week ago.  My hope, if we could, is to focus on Israel versus Hezbollah in terms of results on the battlefield.

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Iraq and Afghanistan War Photo July 27, 2006

Spasms In Rome

Yesterday, Condi Rice stymied a whole contingent of Arab and European countries in Rome, arguing against the vision of a "non-sustainable" cease fire in Lebanon.  At the press briefing following the meeting, she took an emotional pummeling for it from an empassioned Lebanese Prime Minister, Fuad Siniora. Yesterday in Rome,...

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Photo July 26, 2006

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Campaign '06 Photo July 25, 2006

Your Turn: Biblical Proportions

Whenever I'm running low on zzzz's, I know I can count on the readership to maintain the pace.  With the Lieberman primary coming soon, Thomas Dworzak offers up this freakish photo in the latest New York Magazine....  Coming up with zilch, the best I could do was read it...

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Tuesday Bulletin Board: "America♥Lebanon"

For someone who said she refused to engage in shuttle diplomacy, however, and was on her way to Rome, Condi's sudden appearance in Beirut this morning was another White House piece of media theatrics....  US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora shake hands...

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Spin Focus Photo July 23, 2006

The Marines Have Landed. (Pass Your Luggage.)

Just for a moment, couldn't you imagine these U.S. Marines landing in Lebanon this past week for some deeper purpose, such as peace keeping or local humanitarian relief?  Instead, however, the visual media -- once again, serving as the PR arm of the government -- flooded us with dramatic...

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Political Psychology Photo July 22, 2006

A Touching Man, Part II

The thing about those "Merkel massage" video frames is that nobody really looks too closely at Bush. Like scanning a flip book, one is concerned with the story line, focusing on two key plot points -- Merkel, in shot #3, flipping out, and Bush, in shots #3 and #4, making...

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A Touching Man

Over the last month or so, The BAG has experience an uptick in mail relating to Bush's tendency to hug, kiss or put his hands all over people.

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Bush Focus Photo July 21, 2006

Foreign, And Domestic Affairs

Studying yesterday's newswire with a particular eye to Bush's appearance before the not-so-friendly NAACP -- I came upon something I found curious.

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Media Focus Photo July 20, 2006

Bloodthirsty Children Or Media Missiles?

So many of you wrote me about these images, I felt I had to address them.  But then, I struggled for a long time to find my orientation.  I even did a couple write ups based on the politics and ethics of these images -- feeling, the whole time,...

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Uncategorized Photo July 18, 2006

Your Turn: Just A Little Cross Right Now

The BAG is quite impressed with this photo-illustration on the latest cover of TIME.  A good image is one that, regardless of familiarity, keeps calling you back....  On first pass, the power differential is blatantly obvious....  There are other things: A deeper way to read this is as a...

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Bush Focus Photo

Screw The U.N.

July 15: A man hurls a stone at a U.N. vehicle carrying bodies away from the Tyre hospital.  The Lebanese government called on the U.N. Security Council to establish a cease-fire.  (image: Hassan Ammar/AFP-Getty.  Tyre, Lebanon.

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Spin Focus Photo July 17, 2006

Dems Fold Over Web Caskets

Oh, now I understand why the Dems pulled their "controversial" web ad about America being on the wrong track.  It was not just because the piece contained the one shot of caskets coming back from Iraq.  It's because it contained two offensive frames -- the second revealing a standing...

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Bush Focus Photo July 16, 2006

Let's eat!

With crises in every direction, reporters were just looking for a few words of intelligence and reassurance from the carver-in-chief....  Putin jab http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/15/putin-jab/ Bush changes story with pig http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_digbysblog_archive.html#115291755754051676 U.S. President George W.  Bush (center L) cuts a roasted wild pig beside German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a barbecue...

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Photo July 15, 2006

So Says The NYT Photo Editor, Part I: This War Is In The Book

Last week, as part of its Talk to the Newsroom series, the NYT featured a Q. and A. with Director of Photography, Michele McNally.  Given the quality, influence and visibility of The Times photo coverage (especially at this address), I thought it worthwhile to spend at least a few...

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