George W. Bush's recent press conference in Iraq has gotten a lot of attention for obvious reasons; a journalist chucked not one but two shoes at the president during the session. But less attention has been paid to the fate of White House press secretary Dana Perino, who reportedly suffered a minor eye injury during the subsequent scuffle -- and that's wrong! Not only does she deserve some sympathy. She deserves a Purple Heart.
You've read about Perino's Colorado ties in two Westword offerings: "New Forecast," a September 2007 Message profile published shortly after she took over her current post from the late Tony Snow, and "Dana Perino Talks for the President; Her Dad Talks for the Neighborhood," last month's interview with Leo Perino, who owns the Lincoln Market at 1704 E. 25th Street. So clearly there's some home-state pride involved in our championing of this cause. But that doesn't mean Perino doesn't deserve a medal. She's been taking flak for the president for over a year now, and this time, she was hurt during an attack on foreign soil -- and her sacrifice shouldn't be disregarded just because the armament consisted of footwear. Hell, depending on the guy's level of hygiene, he could be charged with using a weapon of mass destruction.
Click "More" to see the raw footage of the other shoe dropping. -- Michael Roberts
