Protection
By now, I'm assuming you've seen video of the Iraqi journalist who called President Bush a dog and threw his shoes at him during a press conference with Prime Minister Maliki (video at link below in case not). As you might suspect, this shoe-throwing is not a traditional Iraqi gesture of good will and respect between two men. I have to say that although I dislike the President, I disapprove of violent shoe-throwing no matter the situation. Bush has done the cause of global decorum no favors, but that doesn't mean we should just scrap it. Truth be told, I thought he handled it pretty gracefully.

Still, honestly, my first reaction was the same as Josh Marshall: where's the bleeping Secret Service? The guy had time to throw both shoes, one at a time, before anyone is even in the picture. What if his intentions had been more sinister?