I ALWAYS was of the impression that Bush did not get up right away, but finished what he was doing with the kids.
I seem to remember he was lauded for his "cool", not jumping up right away and going off half-cocked.
I guess everything can be spun one way or the other.
I don't see anything wrong with sitting with the kids a few minutes more, to keep things calm and gather my thoughts.
BROWN: Major, before you get away, and I apologize if you - if I'm asking you to repeat something, I'm having a little trouble hearing you. Do we know exactly where the president was when he was told?
GARRETT: He was just arriving here in Sarasota at Emma E. Booker (ph) Elementary School. He had taken an early morning jog this morning in Sarasota. Had just arrived here with the presidential motorcade. Then the spectacular, horrific pictures began appearing on television sets here at the elementary school. The president received a telephone call from Condoleeza Rice, national security advisor. Then he received an update from his chief of staff, Andrew Card, traveling with him. Then it was made clear to the press traveling with the president he would make a statement.
Shortly before that statement he was actually sitting down with some children here at the elementary school reading them a book. Reporters asked him if he knew about the situation of the Twin Towers. He nodded and said he would talk about it momentarily, in fact he did. We just heard the president's statement, declaring this an apparent act of terrorism.
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So, what does this tell us? It certainly appears Bush continued on with the children, fully aware of the events unfolding. It also appears that he fully understood the magnitude of the events, because the press was told the President of the United States was to make a statement. It is highly probable that the president's staff (Card primarily) understood that a national address was imperative. It is also highly probable that the nation's networks were not prepared to pre-empt their programming without some short notice.
Had there not been a delay, Americans would have seen disjointed clips of the President's statement, adding to the sense of confusion that day (anyone remember how crazy things were that morning?). Waiting to speak was the right call, and remaining with the kids was, to me, an act of extraordinary self restraint. Having him bolt out of there at the first sign of trouble could have been disastrous.