Nick Coleman is the pathetic Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist, and a guy with a lot of issues. He takes liberties with the truth that a man who responsibly wielded a columnist’s power would never do, and he disgraces himself in correspondence with readers and others who disappoint him.
Coleman predicates his column today — “President’s salutes demeans us all” — on a false premise. According to Coleman, President “Bush jabbed his middle finger in the air [at reporters], the way you would give a farewell salute to a jerk disappearing in your rearview mirror. It was unmistakable.”
Just one problem: it was the president’s thumb rather than his middle finger. The online version of Coleman’s column links (click here) to Jay Leno’s Tonight Show shtick with the premise, but the link also includes Keith Olberman’s multiple replays of the video plainly showing that it’s the president’s thumb.
As Olberman reports, “a finger would be funnier, but according to those who were there it’s his thumb.” The link update also provides a quote from John Godfrey of Dow Jones Newswire: “I was in the scrum of reporters at the event. Bush did not flip anyone off. He was clearly giving a thumbs up in response to a question shouted from the crowd.”
Reader William Fields wrote Coleman:
Had it been me I would have given you and your ilk the international high sign. G. W. has too much class for the likes of you. I would bet you still think it was only about private sex with Bill & Monica. Perjury had nothing to do with it.
Coleman wrote back:
you’ll like this for your desk: [click here]
What the guy lacks in accuracy and subtlety, he also lacks in class.
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