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Notes Photo January 24, 2006

A New Political Sphere

Regardless which parties wins (if an outright victory is even to be had), the sense "in the air" is that this election has already imposed a new calculus on the old form of Palestinian politics.

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Notes Photo

Sister Laura

When somewhere in the world there is a girl at risk, where would we be without soldiers of the Lord? Maybe it's the stereotype that this continent is populated mostly by the simple or backward.  Maybe it's the notion that, in the face of great need, all help is altruistic. ...

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Notes Photo January 13, 2006

Throw Me Something, Mister!

confederate flag U.S. President George W.  Bush speaks on Gulf Coast reconstruction while visiting the region at St.  Stanislaus College in Bay St....  Bush is touring the Gulf Coast region to witness efforts to rebuild the region after Hurricane Katrina destroyed many parts of the area last year.

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Notes Photo January 5, 2006

Bush's Happy New Ear

"When you are in the presence of the president of the United Staes, I don't care if you've been a devout Democrat for the last hundred years, you're likely to pull your punches to some degree," Mr. Eagleburger said....  1: Iraq http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/05/politics/05cnd-prexy.html I ran this image myself back in...

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Notes Photo December 21, 2005

Hung By The Captions

Offering file images of past speeches, AFP came up with at least two Bush appearances where he allegedly stated that he was obtaining FISA permission for all surveillance activities....  From the Hershey caption, Bush is cited as saying (in his mangled English, apparently): 'If you got a wiretap by...

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Notes Photo December 12, 2005

Does Bubble Boy Float?

link based on a finer eye developed here with help of astute readership, think this is wrong carter in '73 maybe, but eyes closed or big smile.  SMUG inside the bubble, and oblivious to the fact there even is one....

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Notes Photo December 5, 2005

Your Turn (With Gratitude)

effigy metulla In front of the Israeli settlement of Metulla, seen in the background, Lebanese members of the Hezbollah guerilla group install an effigy representing U.S. President George W....  Bush they arrive for the Army-Navy football game Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005, in Philadelphia.

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Notes Photo December 1, 2005

"Victory Plan" Theatre

Trying to counter critics of his war strategy, Bush vowed on Wednesday that U.S. forces will not cut and run from Iraq but said improvements in Iraqi security forces may clear the way for a reduction in U.S. troops....  Trying to counter critics of his war strategy, Bush vowed...

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Notes Photo November 22, 2005

Smiley And The Wal-Mart Identity Crisis

    So, I ask you, Where else in the political blogosphere can you go to discuss the semiotic implications of the Wal-Mart smiley face? For yesterday’s “Wal-Martathon” at The Huffington Post, I did a brief comparative analysis of the posters for the dueling “pro” and “con” movies just...

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Notes Photo November 20, 2005

Your Turn: In Which President Seinfeld Meets The Wall

I was interested in your interpretation of this latest cover of The Economist. It is set at the Meridian Gate at the entrance to Beijing’s  forbidden city.  I think there’s a lot going on here. And while you are at it, I also invite your comment on the series...

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Notes Photo November 11, 2005

The Backside Of The Summit

(Revised: 11/11/05. 1:28 pm PST) It’s no surprise the group image the White House posted on its website from the Mar del Plata summit (top) looks left-to-right.  The alternative (bottom) would have placed Bush in the same frame as White House adversary, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (top left).  (By...

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Notes Photo October 27, 2005

Reclaiming The Frame

As Fitzmania builds and good liberals fantasize that Rove will meet a firing squad, my latest question is: Why would photographers suddenly be so interested in depicting reporters and other photographers crowding Bush and Cheney? As most truth is generally multi-determined, the answer to such a question likely involves...

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Notes Photo October 14, 2005

Repeat After Me And Then Raise Your Right Hand

Let’s just talk about lines of sight. From all internal calculations, the new Bush PR team (led — from what I hear — by Andy Card) assumed that the cameras would just line up squarely behind Bush and set up that wonderful shot below.  What they didn’t calculate, however,...

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Notes Photo October 3, 2005

All I Need Is You: The Psychology of George And Harriet

Because so few images of Harriet Miers are available, you probably have already seen the photo of her with Bush in the canyon.  (As soon as I heard the news, I even used it in my rather snarky piece on HuffPo this morning.) It’s not just the single picture,...

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Notes Photo September 30, 2005

Your Turn: Man of the Season — Revisited

1.   2.  3.    4. (1.) This week. ( 2.) June ’05 ( 3.) February ’05  (4.) January ’05 (re-election) (click for larger views) Who said politics has a short memory? If you’ve put in a season or two with the BAG, you know that I’ve admired the...

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Notes Photo September 24, 2005

The Weeks After New Orleans: A Presidential Retrospective (#4)

Hurricane Rita Approaches Landfall September 23rd, 2004 Slightly more than three weeks after Hurricane Katrina lays waste to New Orleans, a new hurricane threatens the Gulf Coast.  Not to be seen as “out of touch,” the President and his PR team realize he needs to appear fully engaged.  The...

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Notes Photo September 20, 2005

Team Colors

If you’ve been following the BAG, you know I’m interested in the way race relates to visual politics.  At the same time, however, I’m even more interested in the way politics relates to visual politics. With Katrina suddenly inviting inspection of the “two Americas” (whether defined by rich/poor, white/non-white,...

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Notes Photo September 19, 2005

Playing the Cathedral

In the first flood of photos documenting the effects of Hurricane Katrina, I hadn’t noticed how many struck a religious theme.  Looking more closely, however, there were any number of floating icons, windswept priests, home made signs appealing for mercy, and churches with roofs blown off and spires folded...

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