A Day in the Life of President Bush (photos) 1.5.04

Yahoo, Reuters, AP | Jan. 5, 2004 | TruthNtegrity

[TruthNtegrity]

Pres. Bush traveled to St. Louis to promote his "No Child Left Behind" education law. Pres. Bush spoke at the Pierre Laclede Elementary School, which he said in his Saturday radio address had risen "to meet our new standards."

Pres. Bush also visited with about 50 fourth-graders. One asked Pres. Bush if he had wanted to be president when he was a child.

"No," Bush told the children, all nearly a decade shy of voting age. "It can be pretty hard." Still, he called his job "a very rewarding experience" and took credit for "a world that's more peaceful, (where) more kids are learning to read."

He also appeared at his first campaign fund-raiser of the year, adding to a record total of more than $110 million in contributions for a primary race in which he has no Republican opponent. Pres. Bush now has $120 Million in his campaign bank account.

On Thursday, the second anniversary of the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act, Pres. Bush will hold a similar event at West View Elementary School in Knoxville, Tenn. Both events are paired with re-election campaign fund-raisers.

[homemom]

You and my daughter need to get together. She brough another stray kitten into our home yesterday. She's such a tender heart. She named it Lucky, and he/she (I won't even guess on the sex as have been wrong too many times with too many animals!) really is Lucky. My daughter was playing with it and all of the sudden (don't read this if you're eating) a bunch of pus came out of its side. There was a big open wound. We kept Lucky in last night and the vet brought a shot of penicillin to my husb. today--we'll give it tonight. But that poor little kitten would not have made it without some help. So anyway, if you need anything else following you around, I have two cats for you!

[ohioWfan]

In the end it is ONLY the character that matters.........

[TruthNtegrity]

Thanks, kit.

I was so busy welcoming TWINKIE - yes, the actual Twinkie has graced us with her presence, and teasing about Brad's Gramma who sounds like she believes in slave labor for our poor Twinkie, that I missed spacey's blurb and the comments to it (him/her?) whatever.

This thread might get into some political discussion on occasion, but for the most part, we are here to see pictures of the President and First Lady that we just won't see anywhere else.

On occasion, later in the thread, we may get into sharing recipes, or photos of the President and family from our personal photo albums.

Dropping in and dropping a bomb on us is NOT appreciated.

Take it somewhere else.

For your personal edification, Pres. Bush doesn't see Pres. Fox of Mexico for five days, at the Conference of the Americas. Hold it until then - and take it to the threads that I'm sure will be around for you to post on. But mind your manners, or the Lead Moderator will start blipping your posts, if you start flaming instead of engaging in intelligent conversation on the subject.

No more immigration/amnesty bombs on here, got it?!!!

Truthy

[DrDeb]

. . . one more article before I go workout:

Interesting excerpt:
"As for the current president, Bush is the first since Democrat John F. Kennedy who has had a job approval rating above 50 percent throughout his administration."


Historical Precedence Gives Bush Advantage in 2004
By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
January 5, 2004

With his job approval rating at 63 percent and unemployment falling, President George W. Bush is in position to maintain his role in the White House for another four years according to past trends in presidential elections.

Historically, an incumbent president whose approval numbers are above 50 percent less than a year from the general election has won reelection. Additionally, an incumbent president has traditionally been reelected after there have been successive months of unemployment dropping leading up to the election.

However, Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, said these statistics do not usually begin to factor until the spring of an election year.

Nevertheless, an election model already developed by Yale University economist Ray Fair predicts Bush will win reelection with 58 percent of the vote.

Republican political strategist Bill McInturff says people generally judge presidents on how well they perform in office.

"Presidential reelections really do hinge on whether or not people fundamentally believe that, overall, the president has done a good job," McInturff told McClatchy Newspapers. "For a comfortable majority of Americans, the answer will be yes."

Yet, McInturff says anything can happen to change this dynamic, especially with the possibility of another major terrorist attack on the United States.

Democrat presidential front-runner Howard Dean says Americans do not like Bush because of his public policy decisions both domestically and in the war on terrorism.

"Only a small group of people have benefited from President Bush's economic and Iraq policies," the former Vermont governor said in a statement.

Despite the historical precedence of winning reelection, since President Franklin D. Roosevelt won a third term in 1940, only Jimmy Carter in 1980 and the elder Bush in 1992 have lost reelection after beginning an election year with approval ratings above 50 percent.

In December 1979, former President Carter had a 54 percent job approval rating according to a Gallup poll. However, the numbers were inflated partially because of American hostages in Iran as well as the invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union. Before these events and in the months leading up to the general election, Carter's approval rating was in the mid-30s and contributed to Republican Ronald Reagan being elected president.

Bush can learn from his father's mistakes in the 1992 election that was eventually won by Democrat Bill Clinton. Then-President George H. W. Bush had approval ratings around 70 percent in August 1991 following the first Gulf War. Yet, that number plummeted to a low of 31 percent less than a year later as a result of rising unemployment among other factors.

The unemployment rate went up in the years that both Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush were running for reelection. These statistics partially led to their defeats.

As for the current president, Bush is the first since Democrat John F. Kennedy who has had a job approval rating above 50 percent throughout his administration.

Also, since unemployment reached a high of 6.4 percent in June 2003, there has been a steady decline to the current 5.9 percent. Most economists predict unemployment will continue to fall to at least 5.5 percent in 2004.

In fact, Wells Fargo chief economist Sung Won Sohn predicts there will be 2.8 million new jobs created in 2004.

"With healthy economic growth and earnings gains, employment gains should accelerate," Sohn told McClatchy Newspapers.

This is more than a recent Conference Board report that estimates more than one million new jobs will be created in 2004 as unemployment continues to fall significantly.

Talon News reported last week that unemployment benefit claims have dropped to their lowest level since George W. Bush was inaugurated president.

A recent AP poll found that 57 percent of Americans are either as confident or more confident in their job security than they were six months ago.

Additionally, Talon News has previously reported the economy grew at a blistering 8.2 percent in the third quarter, which was the best since the Reagan administration.

A USA Today survey of 57 economists taken recently predicted 2004 will be the best year for growth in the American economy in a decade and that unemployment will fall to 5.5 percent.

These same economists unanimously concluded that Bush will be reelected in 2004 because of the improvements in the economy and the job market.

http://mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/0104/010504-bush.htm

[homemom]

I would like to read a factual account of the whole issue. Seems I heard Tom Ridge say something like the amnesty would be granted to long-time immigrants (even if they were here illegally) who had worked, paid taxes, etc. Is that correct?

Someone on this thread recently gave a good synopsis of the Iraq loan issue and steel tariffs, explaining the issues very clearly and simply.

[ohioWfan]

But the US President has remained on course. Others are following his example. On this New Year’s Day what is powerfully encouraging is to witness throngs of human beings crying out for their own democracy — a fully equipped democracy for their everyday lives.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, indeed!

Beautiful article, Deb!

[azGOPgal]

I think all the pictures of our President are number one. They're all just in random order.

Many have expressed that President and Mrs. Bush would be great with grandkids. You can't doubt that when you see the two of them and how they interact with all these kids.

[Maigrey]

Okie Dokie.

[ohioWfan]

But.....but, Deb. Didn't you hear?

Some guy in Seattle has this Bush popularity thing figured out.

It seems that the answer is that we are all STUPID. Seriously.....that's what he said.

Well......somebody had to break it to you............dummy!

[azGOPgal]

I've kinda been out of the news loop for awhile, so could somebody please inform me to their best of knowledge on what the President's intentions are with the illegal immigration issue. I can understand if it's too tender a subject to discuss here.

[TruthNtegrity]

I have good news just in case you haven't seen it.

The "Lead Moderator" put up a thread today that sniping and flaming on immigration threads will no longer be tolerated.

It amused me that on that very thread, the Lead Moderator had to remove some posts!! I guess he got a case in point of just how some people just can't be civil on a topic, no matter what.

Basically, LM said that flaming, abusive comments directed at others on the thread will no longer be tolerated, and called for reasoned participation by those who care to post. LM said that it has long been known that there are the usual cast of characters that either show up and don't want ANY immigrants here (5%), no matter what, OR those who believe that we should let 'em all come (5%). But the problem is that they start sniping and critizing anyone who doesn't agree with them, and take the thread hostage to their flame wars.

Somewhere inbetween, are people who have comments to make, and who can do so without vitriol and diatribe. It is this reasoned, intellectual, calm approach that LM wants to promote on FR.

But the warning was strong that the posters who violate this request will be banished to the "smokey back room" - and I guess that means their posts get deleted, post haste.

I have bookmarked the thread and if you can't find it, let me know - I'll post the link here so that you can read it. I was SO glad to read this that I actually let out a HOO AHH! right out loud in my kitchen.

Truthy

[mystery-ak]

Thanks for posting that article...very interesting and I pray that it's right.

[hoosiermama]

Part of me is legal. Can that part stay?

[hoosiermama]

Not only easy to get to know.....but you don't have to worry about them "not treating the servants as servants"

Did you catch that from Dean's mama today. He may have been raised on fifth avenue but he didn't...

[TruthNtegrity]

That would be "move-on.org" - the group that George Soros, who's manipulation of currency has caused unrest and governments to fall around the world, has given $15 Million to, in order to assure the defeat of Pres. Bush.

I honestly believe that the reason Pres. Bush hasn't stopped fundraising for the primaries, even though no one is running in the (R) party against him, is that he is going to use that war chest to fight these millionaire dems, who are just skirting election law by a smidgeon.

The ad with the Nazi references has been pulled and they've tried some "lame excuse" that it was a film sent to them and they didn't do it. What does that have to do with it, if they put it out on the air?

[azGOPgal]

Does anybody know the all time low of unemployment during Bush's term?

[homemom]

Hi Mystery!

How are you today? Still snowed in, or did you get to the mall?

[hoosiermama]

They posted a second one today, after they pulled the first one... Doesn't sound like they're too serious about stopping the Nazi references.

[ohioWfan]

Hmmmmmmm............which half do you want to stay?

[mystery-ak]

No snow...just ice and bitter cold...no I haven't gotten to the mall yet..maybe I'll go Wed...wanna go?