Clinton On Shocked Expression In Bin Laden Sit Room Photo: May Have Been ‘Preventing A Cough’

by Mark Joyella | 4:13 pm, May 5th, 2011

» 29 comments

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the shocked expression she had in a White House photo taken during the rain on Osama bin Laden’s compound–complete with a hand covering her mouth as if gasping–may actually have been the face of someone trying not to cough. “I am somewhat sheepishly concerned that it was my preventing one of my early spring allergic coughs,” she told reporters in Rome on Thursday. “So, it may have no great meaning whatsoever.”

According to CBS News, the cough explanation may not go over well with photography experts, who found Clinton’s expression the perfect focal point for a dramatic picture:

In a series of interviews about the image conducted by Women’s Wear Daily, a number of top photo editors cited Clinton’s expression as the most powerful element of the photograph.

“The Hillary Clinton expression is the one that holds the photograph fully,” said Kira Pollack, Time’s director of photography. “The reaction of her hand over her face. Her eyes. Clearly, she’s reacting to something she’s watching.”

“To me, the whole image is about Hillary,” Pollack added. “In some ways, she holds the image. You look at her first, and then you look at everyone else.”

CNN, Hillary Clinton, Osama bin Laden, Situation Room

notsofast

She was farting and the “Real” American was inhaling!

LOL
redleaf

Honestly, this is a story?
OH MY GOD! HILARY CLINTON WAS COVERING HER MOUTH IN A PHOTO!!
WHAT KIND OF BASTARD IS SHE!!??
I DEMAND ANSWERS!!!!!!!
WCinWI

Let’s say her “excuse” is correct.

Where’s Kathleen Sebelius to tell her that that’s the wrong way to cough? As someone who has worked in the health care industry, I had to watch a coughing video. I wish our leaders would lead by example. :)
Cecelia

Well, I suppose this rings true since we know she wasn’t watching anything harrowing due to a 20 minute blackout.
BeckFinallyDemoted

Obviously she was doing a drive-by nose picking.
Barack Must Go

Cecelia said:
Well, I suppose this rings true since we know she wasn’t watching anything harrowing due to a 20 minute blackout.

alleged…
WCinWI

Cecelia said:
Well, I suppose this rings true since we know she wasn’t watching anything harrowing due to a 20 minute blackout.

Story?
THE REAL ROYAL KING

WCinWI said:
Let’s say her “excuse” is correct.

Where’s Kathleen Sebelius to tell her that that’s the wrong way to cough? As someone who has worked in the health care industry, I had to watch a coughing video. I wish our leaders would lead by example. :)

Today’s winner of the Sarah N. Italy Award for Cyberspace Pettiness.
THE REAL ROYAL KING

BeckFinallyDemoted said:
Obviously she was doing a drive-by nose picking.

Perhaps Bidet in Wisconsin can tell us the proper, hygienic method for nose picking.

All the Marys in Heaven! What is wrong with being shocked by this? A good and decent person ought to be shocked when anyone is killed.
jo hoochie

Progressive Liberals, Can they ever tell the truth???
BR

Probably looked up and saw a mirror
“Real” American

BR said:
Probably looked up and saw a mirror

Some people still love their childhood jokes.
Barack Must Go

Hillary was feeling sick to her stomach watching that 20 minutes of alleged lost tape, while thinking, that _____ing bastard is going to send me out before the American people to lie for him ……AGAIN. That’s why Hilly made that face.

I bet she wishes Obama had a pair of balls just so she could kick him in them.
ModerateMan

Maybe she was watching OBL getting capped in the back of his head in front of his children (not that there is anything wrong with that).
CAconservative

Probebly the same allergic reaction he had in Bosnia when she had to duck and run from imaginary bullets. Can this administration get any loonier?
jo hoochie

She doesn’t want the public to think she looked like a woman who has just viewed something horrible. Might hurt her image.
BeckFinallyDemoted

jo hoochie said:
She doesn’t want the public to think she looked like a woman who has just viewed something horrible.

I hate to admit it but this might be true.
As a woman she doesn’t want to appear to be the squeamish one in the room.
Cecelia

Barack Must Go said:
Hillary was feeling sick to her stomach watching that 20 minutes of alleged lost tape, while thinking, that _____ing bastard is going to send me out before the American people to lie for him ……AGAIN. That’s why Hilly made that face.

Oh, please. It’s not like her husband hadn’t done that already when he sent her out as First Lady to hit all the morning shows in order to deny the rumors of his having an affair with Lewinsky.
BarneyFranken

Mark: I assume you meant raid, not “rain” on the compound.

I thought there was no live feed of the raid?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8493391/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-Blackout-during-raid-on-bin-Laden-compound.html

If that’s the case, then what was this picture depicting?

Can we get a real journalist on the case here, or do those even exist anymore?
Barack Must Go

BarneyFranken said:
Mark: I assume you meant raid, not “rain” on the compound.

I thought there was no live feed of the raid?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8493391/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-Blackout-during-raid-on-bin-Laden-compound.html

If that’s the case, then what was this picture depicting?

Can we get a real journalist on the case here, or do those even exist anymore?

When you see a room full of ” journalists ” these days you can spot the ” real ones ” immediately. They’re the ones without the worn out trouser or panty hose knees, scuffed toe of penny-loafers and tell-tale dab of special sauce at the outer corner of their lips.
Cecelia

BarneyFranken said:
If that’s the case, then what was this picture depicting?

Can we get a real journalist on the case here, or do those even exist anymore?

********* WORD!!!!!!************
Cecelia

BarneyFranken said:
I thought there was no live feed of the raid?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8493391/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-Blackout-during-raid-on-bin-Laden-compound.html

If that’s the case, then what was this picture depicting?

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”WORD!!!”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”

Worth saying twice to Mark Joyella and company!
BarneyFranken

to further the point, from the Telegraph story:

“A photograph released by the White House appeared to show the President and his aides in the situation room watching the action as it unfolded. In fact they had little knowledge of what was happening in the compound.”

Does that mean that this photo was staged? Or is this a picture of something else? Or is the Telegraph wrong?

Am I the only one curious about this?
OxyCon

If you just woke up from a 5 year coma and someone asked you to look at this picture and pick out the President of the United States, I’d bet most people would choose Secretary Gates. Obama looks small and panicked, like he’s having an “oh shit” moment. Biden looks like he’s watching a movie and getting ready to grab a handful of popcorn.
OxyCon

If Hillary had allergies then what the hell is going on with Obama in this picture? Panic attack?
BushClintonCrimeFamily

Losers Repukes. Your guys lost. The other guy got Bin Laden. Spend your time analyzing the picture all you want. It won’t change anything.
CAconservative

BCCF:

You think it’s about the picture? The only thing this picture shows is the anxious moments Obimbo and his crew of misfits were going through because, if this didn’t go right, Obimbo’s sorry ass would be blamed for one more huge failure! Bush’s fingerprints are all over this. In fact, about the only things Obimbo has done right since taking office is follow Bush’s plan. Yes Sir, you and the rest of the Liberal-Sheeple can deny but, the facts don’t lie.
hgarner2000

The photo of the President with some of his top advisors in the command center (?) reveals a countenance of the President that is a stark contrast to his smiling visage during the Correspondants Dinner. I’ll bet he gained some new gray hairs that day.
X-3

If I had to believe something other than Mz. Clitton reacting in shock, I would prefer to believe she was stifling a belch.