A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PRESIDENT BUSH (PHOTOS): 3.31.04

yahoo, whitehouse.gov ^ | March 31, 2004 | GretchenEE

[GretchenEE]

Baseball fans, draw near. President and Mrs. Bush hosted a luncheon for baseball's Hall of Fame members and new inductees in the State Dining Room at the White House. (Mr. Bush will throw out the first pitch on Monday in St. Louis.)

Laura Bush continued hosting Marta Sahagun de Fox, wife of Mexican President Vicente Fox, as the two First Ladies visited Martha's Table, an organization that helps low-income and homeless children, families and individuals in Washington. They packaged sandwiches for distribution and read a book in English and Spanish to children in a bilingual day-care class.

In an unwitting effort to carry on the cherry tree vs. magnolia tree controversy from yesterday's Dose, Mrs. Bush met with the 2004 Cherry Blossom Princesses in the East Room of the White House.

Welcome to Sanity Island!

[jlyspio]

Hey,
Glad to hear the news about your son. So glad to see your pictures online!
here's a website for all the Bush babes out there... you can save it and print an 8 by 10 picture of President Bush.
http://www.victorystore.com/gw-portrait.jpg
Now how do you post a picture again?

[CyberAnt]

Well bless your heart! I hope he gets to spend a little more time at home with you. I'll be praying.

[ohioWfan]

Just like this.......

Hoo boy!! That's a BIG picture in that link of yours!

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

THIS WILL MAKE YOU PROUD!



I was sitting alone in one of those loud, casual steakhouses that you find
all over the country. You know the type-a bucket of peanuts on every table,
shells littering the floor, and a bunch of perky college kids racing around
with longneck beers and sizzling platters. Taking a sip of my iced tea, I
studied the crowd over the rim of my glass. My gaze lingered on a group
enjoying their meal. They wore no uniform to identify their branch of
service, but they were definitely "military:" clean shaven, cropped
haircut, and that "squared away" look that comes with pride. Smiling sadly,
I glanced across my table to the empty seat where my husband usually sat.
It had only been a few months since we sat in this very booth, talking
about his upcoming deployment to the Middle East. That was when he made me
promise to get a sitter for the kids, come back to this restaurant once a
month and treat myself to a nice steak. In turn he would reassure the
thought of me being here, thinking about him
until returned home to me. I fingered the little flag pin I constantly wear
and
wondered where he was at this very moment. Was he safe and warm? Was his cold
better? Were my letters getting through to him? As I pondered these
thoughts, a high pitched female voices from the next booth broke into my
thoughts.

"I don't know what Bush is thinking about. Invading Iraq. You'd think that
man would learn from his old man's mistakes. Good lord. What an idiot! I
can't believe he is even in office. You do know, he stole the election."

I cut into my steak and tried to ignore them, as they began an endless tirade
running down our president. I thought about the last night I spent with my
husband, as he prepared to deploy. He had just returned from getting his
smallpox and anthrax shots. The image of him standing in our kitchen
packing his gas mask still gives me chills.

Once again the women's voices invaded my thoughts. "It is all about oil,
you know. Our soldiers will go in and rape and steal all the oil they can
in the name of 'freedom.' Humph! I wonder how many innocent people they'll
kill without giving it a thought? It's pure greed, you know."

My chest tightened as I stared at my wedding ring. I could still see how
handsome my husband looked in his "mess dress" the day he slipped it on my
finger. I wondered what he was wearing now. Probably his desert uniform,
affectionately dubbed "coffee stains" with a heavy bulletproof vest over it.

"You know, we should just leave Iraq along. I don't think they are hiding
any weapons. In fact, I bet it's all a big act just to increase the
President's popularity. That's all it is, padding the military budget at
the expense of our social security and education. And you know what else?
We're just asking for another 9-11. I can't say when it happens again that
we didn't deserve it."

Their words brought to mind the war protesters I had watched gathering
outside our base. Did no one appreciate the sacrifice of brave men and
women, who leave their homes and family to ensure our freedom? Do they even
know what "freedom" is? I glanced at the table where they young men were
sitting, and saw their courageous faces change. They had stopped eating and
looked at each other dejectedly, listening to the women talking.

"Well, I for one, think it's just deplorable to invade Iraq, and I am
certainly sick of our tax dollars going to train professional baby killers
we call a military."

Professional baby killers? I thought about what a wonderful father my
husband is, and of how long it would be before he would see our children
again.

That's it! Indignation rose up inside me. Normally reserved, pride in my
husband gave me a brassy boldness I never realized I had. Tonight one voice
will answer on behalf of our military, and let her pride in our troops be
known.

Sliding out of my booth, I walked around to the adjoining booth and placed
my hands flat on their table. Lowering myself to eye level with them, I
smilingly said, "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. You see,
I'm sitting here trying to enjoy my dinner alone, And, do you know why?
Because my husband, whom I love with all my heart, is halfway around the
world defending your right to say rotten things about him."

"Yes, you have the right to your opinion, and what you think is none of my
business. However, what you say in public is something else, and I will not
sit by and listen to you ridicule MY country, My president, MY husband, and
all the other fine American men and women who put their lives on the line,
just so you can gave the "freedom" to complain. Freedom is an expensive
commodity, ladies. Don't let your actions cheapen it."

I must have been louder that I meant to be, because the manager came over to
inquire if everything was all right. "Yes, thank you," I replied.

Then turning back to the women, I said, "Enjoy the rest of your meal."

As I returned to my booth applause broke out. I was embarrassed for making a
scene, and went back to my half-eaten steak. The women picked up their check
and scurried away.

After finishing my meal, and while waiting for my check, the manager
returned with a huge apple cobbler ala mode. "Compliments of those
soldiers," he said. He also smiled and said the ladies tried to pay for my
dinner, but that another couple had beaten them to it. When I asked who,
the manager said they had already left, but that the gentleman was a
veteran, and wanted to take care of the wife of "one of our boys."

With a lump in my throat, I gratefully turned to the soldiers and thanked
then for the cobbler. Grinning from ear to ear, they came over and
surrounded the booth.

"We just wanted to thank you, Ma'am. You know we can't get into
confrontations with civilians, so we appreciate what you did."

As I drove home, for the first time since my husband's deployment, I didn't
feel quite so alone. My heart was filled with the warmth of the other
diners who stopped by my table, to relate how they too, were proud of my
husband, and would keep them in their prayers. I know their flags would fly
a little higher the next day.

Perhaps they would look for more tangible ways to show their pride in our
country, and the military who protect her. And maybe, just maybe, the two
women who were railing against our country, would pause for a minute to
appreciate all the freedom America offers, and the price it pays to
maintain it's freedom.

As for me, I have learned that one voice CAN make a difference. Maybe the
next time protesters gather outside the gates of the base where I live, I
will proudly stand on the opposite side with a sign of my own. It will
simply say, "Thank You!"

Lori xxxxxx is a 31 year old teacher and proud military wife. A California
native, Mrs. xxxxxx currently lives in Alabama.

God Bless America!

[ohioWfan]

Nice dental work, Mr. President. LOL!!

[jlyspio]

http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/cousins/georgebush/portraits.htm is another link to check out when you guys get the chance....great pictures that if you don't have saved to your computer...you may want to.
Keep my cousin in your prayers...got hit in the head with a baseball going 100 miles an hour- had to have surgery on his face last weekend..he's only 14 years old too.

[Mo1]

Ohhhhhhhhh ... that's right .. it was Mars :0)

[DrDeb]

So glad the President had the opportunity to enjoy his favorite past-time (baseball) with some of his favorite people (baseball players)! As a fan of the Big Red Machine, I particularly enjoyed seeing Johnny Bench seated next to the First Lady (and in the pix frame during the President's informal remarks)!!!


ANOTHER GREAT ARTICLE FROM JOHN PODHORETZ
[FYI: If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend that you purchase his book, "Bush Country"!]
http://nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/17805.htm

I love his concluding sentence:

"Wouldn't it be delicious if Richard Clarke's book helps get Bush re-elected?"


[POLL ALERT: We need to prepare ourselves emotionally for some bad polling numbers later this week and into next week. Concern over gas prices, violence in Iraq, and what will probably be a 'less than stellar' jobs report on Friday will almost certainly combine to cause the President's ratings to dip TEMPORARILY -- this is to be expected. REMEMBER: POLLS WILL NOT MATTER UNTIL AFTER THE CONVENTION IN SEPTEMBER -- SO LET'S RELAX AND JUST KEEP DOING THE GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES NECESSARY TO GUARANTEE THE PRESIDENT'S RE-ELECTION IN NOVEMBER!!!!

[kitkat]

Prayers for your cousin.

[ohioWfan]

Mars. August 27th. Our anniversary.

We enjoyed them both. ;o)

[SuziQ]

Another birthday? DOH!

Hope it's a great one!!

[hoosierpearl]

I was a bit confused by your reply #38 to post #37. Thank you for explaining.

It might be a good idea [for someone with a sterner stomach] to do a daily thread on Kerry to track what he does on the campaign, perhaps minus pictures. Unless we can find some ugly ones, like when he was eating a cheesesteak, or falling down on the ski slopes. We could chronicle his lies and flip flops.

I can understand why you wouldn't want to. I wouldn't want to, but it might be valuable if someone else wanted to.

[ohioWfan]

Hey, Deb. I just had a long talk with the local chair of the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign.

He said I have 'moxy.'

I LOVE that word! :o)

[DrDeb]

Had a great conversation with Mike this afternoon -- decided to call and personally welcome him home! [BTW: He's just as personable over the phone as he is here at the DOSE!]

He seemed very upbeat about the procedure tomorrow -- I told him we would all be praying for him here at the DOSE!

You picked a GREAT one 'mystery' -- a genuine American hero (and all round good guy)!!!

[Hope he liked the flowers!]

[Fawnn]

mtngrl@vrwc!!!

[DrDeb]

"Hey, Deb. I just had a long talk with the local chair of the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign.

He said I have 'moxy.'

I LOVE that word! :o)"


I love that word too -- my local Bush-Cheney coordinators said the same thing about me last Saturday. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm! [We are just TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much alike!]

WE ARE GOING TO DELIVER OHIO FOR PRESIDENT BUSH -- WHATEVER IT TAKES! [. . . and I know there are other Buckeyes on this thread who join us in this cause!!!!]

[DrDeb]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SPECIAL MEMBER OF OUR DOSE FAMILY!!!!!

[Joe Hadenuf]

Gezzz, in light of what happened to our people earlier and the brutal images being shown nationwide tonight, you think it's a good time to be posting pictures of Bush at a luncheon with baseball players? Cripes......

Bad timing I would say.

[jlyspio]

got a song for you to hear...go to john michael montgomery's website and listen to letters from home.

[GretchenEE]

My stepfather loved sweet peas and planted them all along the side of one of our houses! He recruited us kids to help water them, which generally degenerated into a water fight LOL. They were fun to grow and to enjoy.