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It's his finger

Posted at 2:25 PM on May 12, 2006 by Bob Collins (19 Comments)

Kennedy press boss Heidi Frederickson sends an e-mail. The mystery arm is the fisherman's finger.

I've attached several pictures below and there will be more e-mails that follow with additional pictures. The picture on your blog has not been doctored/photoshoped in any way shape or form. I was in the boat when he caught the fish, yes he really caught the fish - it was not in a live-well, caught by anyone else, etc. I was the one who took the pictures.
If you look closely and look at the additional photos and how Kennedy is holding the fish you'll notice that 'thing' is his finger. While I understand the idea of a "doctored" photo is much more amusing to some than others, it was really disappointing to see something completely false and misleading on your blog... again.

A simple phone call could have prevented all of this - I hope you will consider that in the future. My cell is xxx-xxx-xxxx if you ever need to reach me.

Here's the pictures:

Here's the close-up of the finger.

That's definitely a knuckle.

For the record, I continue to believe the picture is real. I'm rethinking the notion that it's eaten a human, however.

Still too dangerous. And I need someone to bait the hook.

Comments (19)

Finger? You've got to be kidding. If that's his finger he must exercise that thing a lot. It's as big around as his neck in that picture.

Posted by Smartie | May 12, 2006 2:53 PM

That officially makes no sense to me. If she would like to explain how his finger became as big as his arm in width, I'd be happy to pull me post and offer an apollogy. Right now, I'm just very scared to ever shake his hand. He obviously could crush me with his Paul Bunyon grip.

Posted by rew | May 12, 2006 2:55 PM

I think it's because he's stiff-armed the fish. So the fish is actually about 2 feet closer to the camera than the arm -- or a piece of an arm. My fishing expert, Mike Edgerly, says that's what he does to make the fish look bigger. He wrestles grizzlies, too.

Posted by Bob Collins | May 12, 2006 3:04 PM

Upon further reflection, I think I get it. The Finger Picture shows the fish is from gill to fin one finger long. In the large picture, from gill to fin is about 1/4th of the fish. So Kennedy is showing his 4 finger long fish.

or, math comes in again:

finger/fish = 1/4

Fish = 4 fingers

The shadow agrees with said statement.

As my father in law would say, "That's no hog."

Posted by rew | May 12, 2006 3:09 PM

Bob,

Brian Melendez, who last saw a fish at UnderWater World at the Mall of America, sends you a press release alleging photoshopping and you bit -- HARD.

You need to look in the mirror, my friend.

Mark Kennedy seems guilty of the offense of posing with a smallish fish.

God, even Melendez and co. can't believe the sh*t they get away with putting in a press release.

Posted by Gary M. Miller | May 12, 2006 3:19 PM

When were the pictures allegedly taken? I haven't seen sun like that in a long time. And I'm still having a hard time believing its his finger, unless the fish is about 6 inches long.

Posted by bsimon | May 12, 2006 3:25 PM

Gary,

The press release was based off of what they found here. i'll explain it in small words to you tonight.

;-)

Posted by rew | May 12, 2006 3:29 PM

Actually, no, DFL Senate first called people's attention the picture early this morning. I believe I credited that in the original post. The DFL news release, as I figure it, was sent out this afternoon. Everyone needs to lighten up.

But I do think your scenario is funny too. I'm apparently the last person in Minnesota who finds politicians funny.

Adding to the slapstick, by the way, is the fact I can't find the press release on the DFL site.

Posted by Bob Collins | May 12, 2006 3:34 PM

You know what they say: big hands...

Posted by Gary M. Miller | May 12, 2006 3:48 PM

So do I have this right, you and Power Liberal are getting together this evening? Isn't that something that we warned about in Back to the Future?

Posted by Bob Collins | May 12, 2006 4:19 PM

He is matter. I am anti-matter.

Posted by rew | May 12, 2006 4:22 PM

If that is his finger, that is one small small fish

Posted by FishermanBob | May 12, 2006 4:36 PM

Un-be-lievable.

No, not that someone could be confused about the first picture..it was one of those odd angles that easily mislead.

What is unbelieveable is that there is not one, but two sets of parents out there that raised two kids, about the same age, so poorly that they are willing to continually display such mind boggling ignorance as the "powerliberals".

Look kids, it's called perspective..things that are clooooser look biiiigger than things that are faaaar away.

See?

Fisherman have been using perspective to make their pitiful catches look less humiliating since the day that the camera was invented, and from the looks of this picture, this was a classic case in point.

Posted by Swiftee | May 12, 2006 6:56 PM

Has anyone seen the movie Elf? Same principle (forced perspective), but not quite as funny (take a look at the outstretched arm in the third photo).

I'm sure both sides have done this type of thing, but seems a little more pathetic as Kennedy's group has done damage control. I guess I would rather go away empty-handed than look like a dope.

It's not the crime, it's the cover-up.

Posted by craig | May 12, 2006 11:34 PM

I guess Kennedy's campaign is saying that since it's not photoshopped, it's not wrong. But using a wide angle lens and perspective to make a 5-inch fish look like a two-footer is no less deceptive than if they used software.

Besides the fingerling, what really stikes me was how nattily the guy dresses for fishing. He looks thanks more like an insurance adjuster on Casual Friday than a Minnesotan spending a weekend in the boat.

Posted by rca | May 13, 2006 9:31 PM

In the first two shots, you can see the fish is still on the line. Then he breaks for a wardrobe change and regrips the fish.

Opener is such pathetic theater. I think politicians of either party should be excused from ever participating again. Instead, they should be required to vote for actual conservation bills.

Posted by Charlie | May 13, 2006 10:30 PM

Kennedy: "Cut taxes, defend the nation, get government out of peoples' lives".

Kennedy's opponents: "Look! A Photoshopped fish!"

Bring on November!

Posted by Mitch Berg | May 15, 2006 1:10 AM

My goodness, this is all such a revelation to you guys? Such outdoorsmen! It's common amoung most outdoorsmen and has been for decades for most small game. There's still a controversy raging about the Art Lawton's world record muskie based on a similarly staged photo that's spawned tons of discussions and analysis by mathematicians and whatnot.

Posted by nerdbert | May 15, 2006 8:26 AM

Even if not doctored, then it looks like he showed up, was handed a fish & pole, took a few pics and left for a fundraiser. If so then still not really true.

Show me an honest Republican and I'll show you... no, wait, you can't there is no such thing as an honest Republican.

Posted by steve | May 23, 2006 3:28 PM

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