A Day in the Life of President Bush (photos) - 1.15.04

Whitehouse.gov, Yahoo.com | 1.15.04 | ohioWfan

[ohioWfan]

The President had a very busy day today, leaving this morning for New Orleans, Louisiana, appearing first at a roundtable discussion on faith-based initiatives, then at Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church where he spoke to faith based and community leaders, and finally at a fundraising luncheon at the National D Day Museum.

He then traveled to Atlanta, Georgia where, accompanied by Coretta Scott King and King's daughter, Christine King Ferris, he placed a wreath on the tomb of Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 75th birthday, and this evening is at a fundraiser this evening with Democrat, Zell Miller, who will be campaigning for the President‘s reelection this year (Go, Zell!)

Enjoy this MUCH needed visit to Sanity Island as you revel in your Daily Dose of Dubya!!

[DollyCali]

FYI .. a past post from MamaB re; Jan.. /d

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Posted by MamaB to notpoliticallycorewrecked
On News/Activism 12/09/2003 12:20:54 AM EST #147 of 224

I am getting ready to go to bed and thought I would tell you some more of Jan's story. She was just a normal teen until she was about 18 or 19. She started having all kinds of GI problems. She was seeing some very good doctors here and they thought they could treat it. In Dec. 96, she was unable to keep anything down and she would vomit for no apparent reason. She went to several doctors here with no good results. On March 12, 97, she was so sick that she had lost about 60 pounds and looked like one of the people from Nazi Germany with the sunk in eyes. I was getting ready to go to church so I told her to go take a nap while I finished doing some things before I left. She came back into the den later and I took one look at her and told her that I was taking her to the ER. She said no, that she wanted to see the oncologist who was treating her for a blood problem. I called his office and talked with the receptionist who knew me. She asked me how long would it take for us to get there and I told her about 10 minutes. She then said for us to get down there. I think I ran every stop light on the way. She went on back when we got there and they were doing lab work. A few minutes later, the tech came back and said she needed more blood for lab. We finally got to a room and a few minutes later, the dr. came in. He took one look at her and said she was a very ill young lady. We knew that! He said he could not admit her to the hospital without stepping on her other dr's toes so he called around and found a GI who would admit her. Well, that was a Wed. night and on Friday, my husband was at the hospital when her usual dr. came in and told them that nothing was wrong with her except in her head. Boy, no one says anything like that to my husband. He called me and told me to start making preparations to go to the Mayo Clinic in MN. We got to St. Mary's about 4 on Monday. We met her team of drs. and they were wonderful They came back later that night and said they wanted to do a simple barium swallow the next day. When I had walked across the street from the motel to the hospital, they had already taken her down for the test. She came back hours later and said the swallow would not go through her system and they wanted her to stay in her room for a while to give it more time for it to go through.They recommended surgery to remove her colon to stop the spread of the disease. When the surgeon came in to talk with us, he said it was a miracle that she was still alive because she had been bleeding internally for years--why she needed the blood transfusions. He was not to impressed witht he doctors here! We stayed up there for 3 weeks. Hubby had brought his laptop so he could stay in touch with his business. We are trying to make arrangements to go back up there. She may have to have more surgery so if she does we want the doctors there to do it. The nurses, doctors, and staff at St. Mary's were wonderful. Thanks for staying with the rest of the story! Prayers would be wonderful. Thanks again everyone.

[omegatoo]

It was a wonderful experience. I was one of the volunteers checking people in at the shuttles that took them from parking at the superdome to the church. It was so much fun just to meet everyone. It was mostly an african-american crowd, but not all, and everybody seemed very excited to be attending.

Once we got to the church, I felt like I was the official "dose photographer". I kept trying to catch our favorite expressions. I had to make myself stop taking pictures and actually watch and listen. I also had to remind myself that I don't ACTUALLY spend every day in close proximity with the president, although the dose makes me feel that way.

In case you couldn't tell, this was my first real event with my new digital camera, and I am not used to the delay you get as the camera auto-focuses and does whatever else it does between the time you press the button and the time the picture is taken. The pictures are blurry because I thought I was finished taking the picture and moved. I promise to do a better job next time :-D

O2

[DollyCali]

and another..

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Posted by MamaB to notpoliticallycorewrecked
On News/Activism 12/08/2003 11:17:36 PM EST #107 of 224

I want to thank everyone for all your help. Hubby and I, plus Jan, are at our wit's end. The doctors here do not seem to know what the answer is to her problems. She is a wonderful clarinet player--plays them all from the contra bass to the smallest one whatever that is. She has been so sick since May that she has not been able to go to orchestra practice. I told our orchestra leader that Jan was the bravest person I had ever been around. She has been ill off and on since the summer before high school graduation. She had mono which was so bad that she missed her whole senior year and was homebound. She says now that she wishes she had just taken a few classes and finished a year later so she could have been a part of senior activities. She went to Austria and Germany with her band after her sophomore year and got ill over there and has had something wrong with her ever since. Crohn's is an awful disease. My nephew's daughter who is about 15 has Crohn's and was very ill for quite some time. Hers started after her dad died. Some doctors say it is hereditary but I have only come up with one ancestor who might have had a similar problem. She was my dad's sister who was born and died before he was born. My mother says she had colitis which could have been anything back then. Think she died in 1896 or 98 when she was 2.
Again, thanks for all your help. You are the greatest! hugs and kisses!

[Carolinamom]

Since hundreds of us did not have tickets to the debate, a building outside the auditorium which turned out to be a cattle barn...I think it was for auctions or something like that but I really don't know. During the debate, we viewed it via giant TV screens set up there in the barn.

Afterwards, Dubya and Laura came by to greet us. He talked a bit about the coming election, and if it had been possible that night, we would all have voted that night!.......there were roars that could have been heard a county away I'm sure!There was country music/musicians (cowboy hats!)and crowds of us stacked to the ceiling in the stands. I was within 30+ ft. of the President-to-be, caught a handtowel thrown out to the crows with a giant red W on it (!), and was thrilled to be there.

[Carolinamom]

crows ? + crowds

[Carolinamom]

crows = crowds

[hoosierpearl]

Thanks for the extra pictures, and the report of what you saw. Looks like you were close. Glad he had at least one friendly face in the crowd.
How did you think the people in the church responded to the President?

[hoosierpearl]

Carolina, I'm glad you survived your troubles. I can only imagine what you went through, and what MamaB is going through. I pray too that she can find peace.
In all the things MamaB said about Jan, she was troubled about her medical problems and grieved at all the trips to the hospital, but never once did I get a hint that she thought Jan's condition might be terminal. That she was in danger of dying.
If that is true, she must be in shock. Jan was so young.

[Brasil]

I am so sorry. You are in my prayers for strength and comfort in this sorrowful time.

[ODC-GIRL]

I just checked in and got the awful news.

There are never any words that can possibly express the sorrow or relieve the pain.

Prayers for the family, may they find comfort.

[Lemondropkid31]

My gosh!! :o( I haven't posted much in here but have been keeping up with MamaB and her daughter. What a shock!! Prayers on the way.

[hoosierpearl]

Thanks for your comments. My husband was not too far away but he didn't know what was going on, and no one went to get him either. He has been a big support for me. They're gone, I'm much better, but I still see those people who wouldn't help every week and they disgust me.

But I thought that was an understandable reason to have a problem like that and it is not understandable for Dean to have that problem in the situation he was in. I'd never put myself in a position of a lot of stress [knowingly] again and he wants to be in the bulls eye??? What kind of judgement is that?

[baseballmom]

Omegatoo, thanks for sharing your experience. It must have been the most wonderful day. I was able to see our W on Nov 4, 2000 in the Phila. suburbs. Laura was with him - it was an electric experience. I'll never forget it.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

I agree with the comments of both of you ...

We here post mostly as faceless screen names.. but each of us has a life, pain, joy and "situations".. It is fun to revel in Pix of Dubya..........and to share in our countries victories & our "opponents" flaps. But the really important thing is to be there when our "faceless" friends need us. somehow it seems so trite to post words of condolences.. but all of us are sincere and deep in our expressions of sympathy & of sorrow for MamaB.

You are so right about never expecting the parent having to mourn the death of a child instead of vice versa.

I feel that I am closer to my Freeper brothers and sister than I am to my own flesh and blood brothers and sister.
Perhaps it is because we "talk" almost every night. I haven't been able to get on the dose for the past year due to my night school class schedule, but I am currently taking this semester off for a little R&R and FR.

[DrDeb]

On another thread, the anti-Bush/anti-immigration/"if we didn't have the issue of immigration to whine about we'd just complain about something else" crowd is salivating over Drudge's link to a supposed GA fundraiser who indicates that some are withholding their contributions to the RNC/President in response to the President's immigration proposal [of course, there's no consideration that some might be doing just the opposite ; in fact, out of pure spite, I plan to make yet another contribution tomorrow.]

Just thought I'd provide you and THEM with a little reality check:

According to the most recent NBCNEWS/WALLSTREETJOURNAL POLL (1/10-12/04) the President HANDILY defeats any of the Democrat contenders by a margin higher than anytime since September (other than the day after Saddam's capture -- an artificial spike):

DEAN
01/12/04: GWB 53% Dean 37% (+17)
12/13/03: GWB 51% Dean 39% (+12)
11/03: GWB 50% Dean 35% (+15)
09/03: GWB 48% Dean 35% (+13)

CLARK
01/12/04: GWB 53% Clark 35% (+18)
12/13/03: GWB 50% Clark 34% (+16)
11/03: GWB 49% Clark 37% (+12)
09/03: GWB 45% Clark 38% (+7)

KERRY
01/12/04: GWB 55% Kerry 34% (+21)
12/13/04: GWB 51% Kerry 35% (+16)
11/03: GWB 52% Kerry 36% (+16)

Additionally, Rasmussen's daily tracking poll of likely voters places GWB's approval rating at 56% (34% strongly approve vs 29% who strongly disapprove). This same poll put GWB's approval rating at 55% at the beginning of January.* -- where's the dramatic decline?!

*FYI: Rasmussen uses a strongly approve/somewhat approve/somewhat disapprove/strongly disapprove schemata so his approval ratings are actually lower than those who use a strict approve/disapprove schemata like Gallup!

Again, I thought a little perspective would be nice!

Night all!

[Howlin]

Bush picked up 2 million this week.

Yeah, people have stopped giving.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

MamaB...

I am so deeply, deeply sorry for your loss...
What a terrible shock...

Words seem insignificant at time like these...but please know that I am thinking of you, and keeping you in my heart and prayers..

Ms.B

[omegatoo]

Hmmmm, blow-by-blow....

Union Bethel is a very nice church in the Central City area of New Orleans. Right between 2 housing projects. Needless to say, security was tight. There were bomb sniffing dogs checking the cars at a lot around the corner from the church. Traffic was shut down for 2 blocks in every direction at about 9 am.

The roundtable started at 9:30 or 10, in a separate area of the church. We didn't see the president arrive for that. Everyone was pretty well settled into the church by 10 for the speech that was to start at 11. The church choir sang several rousing hymns, with people clapping and singing along.

Just before 11 the roundtable participants entered from the side door near me, then the VIPs including Representative Vitter and Governor Blanco, (who got a standing ovation which I found a little disconcerting).

Since everybody was standing, I thought the president had come in, too, but he hadn't. Everyone sat back down,and someone introduced Reverand Brown, who entered from the choir area to introduce the president. The president suddenly appeared right behind him before the reverand even got to the podium. Everyone was back on their feet immediately (which un-disconcerted me).

The president's speech was very well received. He was interrupted by applause several times, especially when he spoke about his executive order eliminating discrimination against faith-based programs in the distribution of federal grant money. He got lots of "amens" when he talked about the importance of not trying to take the "faith" out of the programs to meet governmental regulations.

He introduced several local leaders of faith-based programs, one of whom just received a federal grant for her battered women's shelter that had been refused before he signed the executive order.

I think he started out trying to win people over, but it was soon obvious that he was "preaching to the choir". He went on to encourage those with successful programs to help others start similar ones. He got a standing ovation at the end, and spent about 5 minutes greeting people in the front rows. Then he was gone. :-(

Everybody still seemed happy when they left, and while we were waiting for the shuttles a pastor asked the founder of the women's shelter how she had gotten her grant and she explained to him how to go about doing that. Hmmm, wasn't that the president's idea??

O2

[Howlin]

Take a look at this:

The first result is that the Republican Party is more unified than ever before. Ninety-one percent of Republicans approve of the job President Bush is doing. In 1992, Bush's father didn't have anything like that level of support, and even the Reagan administration was split between so-called pragmatists and ideologues.

Today's Republicans not only like Bush personally, they also overwhelmingly support his policies. According to a Pew Center study, 85 percent of Republicans support the war in Iraq, 82 percent believe that pre-emptive war is justified, and 72 percent believe the U.S. is justified in holding terror suspects without trial.

From The Bush Democrats

[Lemondropkid31]

I wonder if it's because of the immigration issue, or the fact that discretionary spending is up to 9%? Or both. We are spending ourselves into bankrupcy.