HoodaThunk?

A photo montage by a couple of “artists” showing President Bush and 5 other members of his administration, current and former, is being displayed by the New York Public Library. Each member is shown holding a DC police placard of the type used for arrest booking photos. Not only is the library management guilty of misuse of public funds but they think we’re all dumb as a box of rocks, too.

“This exhibition has no political agenda,” the library said in a statement issued Thursday. “The work described in the media has been presented out of context and is not a complete or fair representation of the entire exhibition — which showcases 23 different contemporary printmakers from around the world, featuring a range of subject matters.”

The library also said that nothing in the exhibit is reflective of the views of the institution.

“Portions of this exhibition … should not be viewed as a political statement by the library,” it said.

Oh, sure, I can understand that any old art exhibit would contain doctored photos of the duly elected leader of this nation being booked by the police force of Washington, DC and not making a political statement in any way. Sure I can.

Garbage. This little photo essay is nothing but a political message and the management of the library made a decision to display it publicly. If there had been a thought in their heads that they didn’t want to make a political statement, they would have hung a sign up next to the display saying exactly that because any reasonable person would come to the conclusion that the library thought it would be entertaining simply by the fact that the pictures wouldn’t get hung up if the management hadn’t thought so.

That they would indulge in this kind of treatment of the President and his staff without so much as a clarification before they got busted for it says they’re fine displaying this message. What’s the message? That the President and his staff are crooks and should be treated as such. Once someone complained – and, gee, who would have seen that coming? – suddenly they’re complaining about context and agendas.

Here’s a thought. Since they’re taking it upon themselves to allow partisan political messages, how about we revoke their public funding? Or mandate that they should display something they had a political issue with before. For example, they can display the Danish Mohammed cartoons in the same spot this grouping currently sits. Or they can give the space over to the local Right-to-Life organization so they can display anti-abortion material. How about they do like the 1 person quoted in the story suggested and fake up similar booking photos for Democrats like Bill Clinton and Sandy Berger. Oh, wait – you can just post Sandy Berger’s real one.

People like those in charge of the NYPL are the first ones to squeal about “the message” things send. “Messages” like displaying Christmas Trees or pictures of Christopher Columbus are routinely decried by the type of left-wing bigots that would display such a photo array as described in this story. If there’s no intent of sending a political message in something like this, then perhaps they can demonstrate their advocacy of such a notion by putting up a tree for the Christmas Season and a big, honkin’ Merry Christmas sign over the top.

I’m not holding my breath.