You want a transcript, not the video. President Bush could not have done a worse job, it was stiff, poorly read, lacking emotion, and he looked stunned and frozen. Deer in the headlights, indeed. A stunning contrast to President Reagan, President Bush came across as tiny and ineffective. Pray that the media doesn't play this clip over and over, its the kind of moment that can doom a campaign, an oratory 'Dukakis in a tank'.
He better step up to the plate for the televised funeral. Where the heck were his advisors, why did no one have him at least practice this to make sure it would go off ok? No exaggeration, the delivery was horrible. Is Rove MIA?
I take no joy in noting this, President Bush is a good man, a good leader, and must win in November. But this is the kind of gaffe that cement media myths and sink campaigns. Hopefully nobody saw it.
Shame on you. I wonder how eloquent you would be if you had kept the schedule President Bush has kept in the past few days.
This was a last minute change.
He was originally going to just release a written statement.
Give the main a friggin' break.
Geez give the man a break.
You take great joy in this.
So are you going to jump on every thread and bemoan that the Republicans don't jump into campaign moan a la Paul Wellstone when Mr. Reagan died?
I saw it, and I don't know what you're talking about.
He did step up to the plate as he has done countless times before. He'll continue to do so.
I couldn't disagree with your more!!!!!!!!!!
Pray for W and Our Wonderful Nation
Bush, who is in France for ceremonies honoring the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, had been notified of Reagan’s death in Paris at about 4:10 p.m.,
msnbc
Bush was at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Paris when Card told him of Reagan’s death less than half an hour after Bush left a working dinner with French President Jacques Chirac.
toronto star
Bush hastily summoned reporters to the residence of the U.S. ambassador in Paris where Bush was staying overnight in between meetings with French President Jacques Chirac and Sunday's D-Day ceremony in Normandy.
Bush walked somberly down an arcing staircase into a sitting room and assumed his position behind a lectern with the presidential seal.
He blinked back tears as he said this line: "He always told us for America the best is yet to come.
"We comfort ourselves in the knowledge that this is true for him too," Bush said. "His work is done. And now a shining city awaits him.''
reuters
Bush, who planned to make a full public statement on Sunday, was told about Reagan's death as he was about to go to bed after a working dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris with French President Jacques Chirac
He spoke about Reagan's legacy in christening the USS Ronald Reagan at Newport News, Virginia, on March 4, 2001.
"As president, Ronald Reagan believed without question that tyranny is temporary, and the hope of freedom is universal and permanent; that our nation has a unique goodness, and must remain uniquely strong; that God takes the side of justice, because all our rights are His own gifts," Bush said
((Looks to me like he had things well in hand when he was told the news the report of it alone is enough to knock a sitting president off kilter especially when he looked on with such high regard as President Reagan was!))
I just saw the clip and thought it was just fine. As I understand he had been in bed a couple of hours and was awakened with the news, although I'm not 100% certain I have that right.
Regardless, his words were steady, clear, and the Pres made continual good eye contact with the camera.
Their was a LOT of background noise during the remarks. Cameras perhaps, but distracting.
The Pres did fine with it. sheesh
Prairie