Close To You

This shot, which appeared on the White House photo gallery in January 2004, offers some interesting overlaps these days.

For one thing, it frames George Bush’s frequent attempts to associate himself with George Washington.  Given this similar White House photo taken just two months ago, it also reflects Bush’s interest in cultivating ties with key Iraq Shiite leader, Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim.

When pictures become hypocritical reminders, however, it doesn’t do much for your credibility.  In a more slapstick way, that’s what Bush’s photo shoot demonstrated last week with a much taller GW.  More dangerous, however — especially to U.S. troops on the ground — are these White House Hakim photos, especially after the military arrested Hakim’s son this week.  The incident occurred while Ammar al-Hakim, since released, was crossing from Iran to Iraq.  This image, taken yesterday, shows Hakim’s son holding up the passport the apologetic American’s initially claimed he didn’t have.

(h/t: strayer)

(image: Eric Draper/White House.  Oval Office. January 20, 2004. whitehouse.gov.  linked image: Ali Abu Shish/Reuters. Baghdad, February 24, 2007. via YahooNews.)