Posted on 09/14/2001 4:55:09 PM PDT by sarcasm
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 (AP) President Bush waded into the ruins of the World Trade Center today. |
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 (CNN) President Bush spoke to rescue workers at the site of Tuesday's attack on the World Trade Center. (AP) Clad in rain gear, a national guardsman works near the collapsed buildings on Friday morning. |
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fter leading the nation at the National Cathedral in Washington in a day of prayer and mourning, President Bush arrived in New York City today and received an emotional reception from rescue workers at the devastated site of the World Trade Center.
The President made a short helicopter tour of the area and then walked between the piles of rubble, looking at ease as he talked with firefighters, police officers and volunteers.
To insistent chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" from the crowds of workers, Mr. Bush took hold of a small bullhorn and climbed atop a small pile of rubble. He then shouted over a chorus of cheers that he wanted the rescuers to know that all America was deeply grateful for their efforts.
"This nation stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey and Connecticut, and we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens" he said.
To cries of "George, we cant hear you!" the President replied:
"I can hear you! I can hear you!"
"The rest of the world hears you," he added. "And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!"
That last remark was greeted by louder and louder cheers. And as he tried to continue he was continually interrupted by further chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" and, in an allusion to the terrorists behind Tuesday's attacks, shouts of "Don't let them get away with it!"
Mr. Bush finished his comments by exclaiming above the continuing applause and cheers, "Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for making the making the nation proud. And may God bless America!"
The President arrived in mid-afternoon from Washington aboard Air Force One at McGuire Air Force base, in Pemberton, N.J., about 60 miles from New York, escorted by Air Force fighter jets.
He was then taken by Marine One helicopter to Lower Manhattan, where he flew over the site of the collapsed twin towers to witness the magnitude of the destruction. The helicopter was accompanied by at least one fighter jet.
After landing at a heliport near the Hudson River he climbed into an SUV and headed off in a motorcade and began his tour of the area on foot.
Mr. Bush was accompanied by Gov. George E. Pataki and Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and a number of Congressional delegates from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The Congressional delegates, who included New York's two Democratic senators, Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, had accompanied Mr. Bush on Air Force One from Washington.
It was the first time Mr. Bush had used the presidential jet since Tuesday, the day of the terrorist attacks when officials said Air Force One had been one of the potential targets.
Very strict security measures were in place for the visit, with no advance word to the news media on where Air Force One would land or how large a contingent would be traveling with the President.
Before his arrival hundreds of firefighters, police officers, construction workers and other emergency workers dug through tons of debris for a fourth day in what is still officially a search and rescue mission, a persistent and sometimes heavy rain slowed their progress.
"There's no question that they're hampered by it," Mayor Giuliani said at a news conference this morning. "Things have to proceed more carefully, more cautiously. At the same time they're going on because there is still a strong hope that we'll be able to recover people and find people and save them."
"So we will try very hard to conduct the operations today," he added.
A rescue volunteer, Richard Coppo, told The Associated Press that the rain had "made the footing a little more dangerous," adding, "We thought that maybe the rain would settle the dust and make things better, but actually it stirred it up."
Mayor Giuliani sounded a note of caution today about a flurry of misleading and incorrect media reports about the possible rescue of people from the debris. These included a report late last night that a woman had been in cellular telephone communication with what she said was 10 or 15 people trapped in a subbasement of the North Tower. The woman's claim turned out to be false, but it was widely reported on local and national television before that came to light.
Reports of that kind "leads to lots of families becoming very, very hopeful and then finding out that it's just not plain true," the mayor said. "It also leads to sometimes a lot activity that can be very dangerous, recovery activity and people who become very excited about it."
In a plea to reporters, Mr. Giuliani said: "There's no reason to run with it until it's actually verified by the police or the F.B.I."
Mr. Giuliani also issued a separate warning about a telemarketing company that he said was calling people asking for donations.
"If somebody call you and asks for a donation to help the surviving families or the heroes or anything like that," he said, "call up the police or the F.B.I. and tell us who's calling you because we'll go out there and arrest them."
SJ 22 ES
Expressing the sense of the Senate and House of Representatives regarding the terrorist attacks launched against the United States on September 11, 2001.
Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and destroyed four civilian aircraft, crashing two of them into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and a third into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C.;
Whereas thousands of innocent Americans were killed and injured as a result of these attacks, including the passengers and crew of the four aircraft, workers in the World Trade Center and in the Pentagon, rescue workers, and bystanders;
Whereas these attacks destroyed both towers of the World Trade Center, as well as adjacent buildings, and seriously damaged the Pentagon; and
Whereas these attacks were by far the deadliest terrorist attacks ever launched against the United States, and, by targeting symbols of American strength and success, clearly were intended to intimidate our Nation and weaken its resolve: Now, therefore, be it
Passed the Senate September 12, 2001.
Compare that wimpy drivel to this:
JOINT RESOLUTION
Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial Government of Japan and the Government and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.
Whereas the Imperial Government of Japan has committed unprovoked acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America:
Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared;
and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial Government of Japan; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.
Approved, December 8, 1941, 4:10 p.m. E.S.T.
Apparently there is some major funny business going on in the Senate, even in this time of "bi-partisanship".
I am disgusted.
Please US House save us from this insult to all who have died.
I just saw that clip on Fox News Channel. As soon as GW said this, the crowd of rescue workers went NUTS, with resounding chants of USA!! USA!! USA!!, fists pumping in the air.
I'm not the sentimental sort, but my eyes welled up in spite of myself.
Add In New York</font size> :>)
I'm getting a little pissed off that Congress is trying to shirk its Constitutional responsibility to freakin' DECLARE WAR!!!
This pansy-ass international law entitlement waiting for the freakin' UN to give us a green light is BS!
Can't Congress do what it is actually designed to do instead of passing bill after freakin' bill providing handouts and unconstitutional social programs!!?? This makes me physically ill! I've never seen such a clear cut case for Congress to act accordingly and THEY STILL CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT!!! Republican and Democrat alike - they're really pissing me off. A formal declaration of war is the obvious mandatory response to having our highest military headquarters attacked on our own fetchin' soil!
Every one of these milquetoast weenies needs to be asked exactly what would have to happen to get them to support a formal declaration of war!? Really - what would it take? I'm disgusted that anyone actually voted for these idiots.
It's time to hit the phones, the faxes, and the letters. Get it across to these politicians that they need to formally DECLARE WAR on those bastards that did this and anyone that supported them. It is their damn job and they better do it and do it right!
Go back to Boolean logic class. You don't know a logical OR-clause from a logical AND-clause. The international law provision is part of an OR-clause. It wouldn't be needed. It's just there to encourage international cooperation.
God Bless the U.S.A. & God Bless all of the brave rescue workers in New York
This quote gave me the shivers, it was so moving.
I don't remember reading about X42 getting down as far as the actual WTC site, but did see some remarks on a thread about him hugging the relatives of the missing. One comment was that a young lady was more interested in trying to get a photo of a missing relative seen rather than getting a hug from the rapist-in-chief. In my opinion, these days he's just a buffoon; Hitlerly is the evil one, especially so since she has power and is looking for more.
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