A Photo Op: O Say, Can You See the Eiffel Tower?

[Snellius]

PARIS, Sept. 29 — For White House planners, the image had to be picture perfect: the first lady, the American flag and the Eiffel Tower all in the same photo frame.

So when Laura Bush raised the American flag today to signal the return of the United States to Unesco after a 19-year boycott, there was nothing subtle about the symbols.
...
But Mrs. Bush did not face the flag as the anthem was sung; instead, she stood perpendicular to it, enabling photographers to capture her in profile, with the flag and the Eiffel Tower behind. The scene was carefully planned for days by a White House advance team, much to the amusement of longtime Unesco employees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/30/international/europe/30UNES.html?hp

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. The photo where Chirac is kissing her hand,

she looks to be saying "Oh for the love of Christ, does this cheese eater have to start on my hand now?"

[IggleDoer]

11. I'm sure it was no great thrill for Chirac

.. except that he knows how to be polite.

[Jack The Tab]

2. Stage-managed days in advance...but the "mission Accomplished" banner...

The WH had nothing to do with.

These people would be comical if they weren't so scary.

[Brucey]

3. Tres phony!

[Democat]

4. Did they put a sock in her pants too?

Remember when Clinton's alleged haircut lasted a few minutes too long? The Bush family spends days on photo ops and that's just fine.

[kskiska]

5. I guess that's why Karen went along.

to stage the photo-ops and arrange the propaganda. Bush*s Leni Riefenstal.

[Paschall]

6. French media summed up the visit in two lines

The US has returned to the UNESCO fold for its own political and economic interest, in particular to wield greater influence in global policy on "cultural products."

Needless to say, this was not really expressed as if it were a happy turn of events.

[Fridays Child]

7. Why does she always look so terminally stoned? And what's up with...

...the pinkie wave? I can't even get my pinkie to do that and keep my ring finger straight at the same time.



(The chimp looks pretty bagged in this picture, too.)

[leftchick]

8. medication...

it has to be her medicine doing that to her. Cripes, I have NEVER seen another expression on her other than that zombie, toothless, clown grin painted on her face.

[qb]

13. It's the Stepford Stare (nt)

[Merlin]

9. Looks like Laura has gone to the Kathleen Harris school of cosmetology.

Isn't that way too much lipstick?

[quaker bill]

10. I concur

There is something completely unearthly about the picture of her with Chirac. Can't put my finger on it, sends chills though.

[smirkymonkey]

12. Instead of Chirac kissing her hand,

I would like to see Pickles kissing his big French ass...

[qb]

14. It begs the question, "WTF is she staring at?"

[Maeve]

15. And when she doesn't know the camera is on her...

You get shots like this one: