[GretchenM]

QUOTE: 1. In referring to Canada's former Prime Minister who did not wait for Hitler's Nazis to attack Canada before sending Canadian troops to fight in the Second World War, President Bush quoted PM Mackenzie King, "We cannot defend our country and save our homes and families by waiting for our enemies to attack us. To remain on the defensive is the surest way to bring the war to Canada." The president added: "Mackenzie King was correct then and we must always remember his words today... There is only one way to deal with enemies who plot in secret and set out to murder the innocent and the unsuspecting. We must take the fight to them."

2. (Tuesday) "Canada and the United States share a history, a continent, and a border. We also share a commitment to freedom and a willingness to defend it in times of peril."

[GretchenM]

Dose going up.

Please wait to post or repost photos till the all clear.

[GretchenM]

I don't know if this was posted already. It was on the WH web site today. Bush leaving for Canada ...

Some comments from this thread are worth reposting here. Bush Is Toronto's Study of the Day :

"President Bush's speech was EXCELLENT.

"He is so clear, so firm in his beliefs, and so bold to say what he knows to be right, regardless of how it could be received. He is a leader.

"His delivery is so genuine and passionate that he could change minds just with his confidence.

"His comments were far more gracious than the liberal government of Canada deserved. I believe he won over many people yesterday and today. He was truly a gentleman, showing sincere appreciation to those very kind and generous Canadians who were there to help Americans in need.

"He truly makes his opponents look so small, because he is so big.

"When he gets those stupid "Why do they hate you" questions, I wish he would just respond with "Because they don't know me." Then flash that big Texan smile."

"Bush's speech was so well-researched that the hypocrits at the CBC are beside themselves trying to find out where he got all the quotes from. Bush came off as knowing more about Canadian history than most Canadians!"

From UpHereEh: "There was a discussion on CBC about the coverage of President Bush in Canada (or lack of). We get 8 seconds here and 13 seconds there, and not much more. When you get a chance to listen to him for 20 minutes or more, you really get a feel for the man himself. He's very endearing, and authentic when given the time. It was a very successful visit in the sense that it gave Canadians a chance to get to know the man behind the policies."

[GretchenM]

Listening to PM Martin speak

[ladyinred]

I am early again! Wow

[W04Man]

thanks for the dose.

[ThePythonicCow]

Thanks for the dose.

[My2Cents]

We've had Hillary's conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt, and Dan Rather's admission that he's communed with the spirit of Edward R. Murrow. Now President Bush is seen holding a ghostly apparition of Winston Churchill.

[Mo1]

GREAT FIRST PICTURE!!

[UpHereEh]

[Wolfstar]

Here's a link to the thread that has the transcript of today's Halifax speech.

[Clypp]

tag

[Libertina]

Thanks, Gretchen! I was lucky to catch a lot of the President's speech on KVI in the morning. He was so funny! BUMP

[DrDeb]

The photo of our courageous president juxtaposed with that of Winston Churchill is just priceless (and prescient)!!!

FYI: C-SPAN will re-air the President's speech at 11:39 PM EST tonight
http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/schedule.csp


The following is a heartwarming story from Putnam County -- a tiny county near Lima (NW Ohio) which just happens to be where hubby and I grew up:


Putnam couple heading for party with prez
By JEANNIE WILEY WOLF
Staff Writer

COLUMBUS GROVE -- Jerry and Larry Hurley are ringing in the holidays in a big way this year.

On Thursday, the Columbus Grove couple will attend their first Christmas party of the season -- at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- hosted by President and Mrs. George W. Bush.

"This is just amazing," said Mrs. Hurley. "Christmas at the White House. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like."

The couple was invited to the holiday reception because Mrs. Hurley participated in one of the president's "town hall" meetings in Columbus this summer.

"It all came up because I wrote the president a letter," she explained.

In her note, she talked about the opportunities she's had since losing her job at Philips Display Components in Ottawa. She went to a Job and Family Services center and learned about the educational opportunities available to her.

"I got my associate degree" from the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, she said. "I was doing so well, I decided to go on and get my bachelor's degree."

All with help from the government, she said.

"I was telling my sister how happy I was, how this is a whole new way of life," said Mrs. Hurley. "She said, 'You need to write the president. He needs to hear a positive voice. He needs to hear your story.'"

"So I wrote that the American Dream is still attainable. I really believe that," Mrs. Hurley said. "I worked in a factory for 26 years. With everything that's happened in the last two years, I just can't believe it. I'm just one of many who have been successful since leaving Philips."

Not long after she mailed the letter, Mrs. Hurley got a call asking her to participate in the president's focus group.

"There were five participants. We were one-on-one in a room with him. It was just like I was dreaming," she said.

That meeting ultimately led to Thursday's invitation, she said.

"They (the White House) called on my birthday," Mrs. Hurley said. "I thought it was a joke. I thought my friends were playing a joke on me."

But the professional manner of the caller -- a member of the White House Social Office -- soon convinced her otherwise.

"When they asked me to come to a holiday reception, I know I stopped breathing," she said.

A formal invitation arrived in the mail a few days later.

Next, the couple had to decide whether they could afford the trip to Washington, D.C. Since they are a one-income family -- Mrs. Hurley is currently a student -- the expense was something they had to consider.

"My family came to the rescue. That's just how we are, we help each other out," she said.

A brother-in-law offered them his "frequent flyer" miles, while other relatives agreed to help with the cost of accommodations.

"We knew we were going to go. If we didn't, we'd regret it for the rest of our lives," Mrs. Hurley said.

The couple will spend several days in the nation's capital. Although Mrs. Hurley has been there before, this will be her husband's first trip to Washington, D.C.

"He's a Vietnam veteran and I want him to see the Vietnam War memorial and Arlington National Cemetery," she said. "We're so excited. I just can't wait."

But the highlight of the trip will be their visit to the White House, she said.

On the night of the reception, the President and Mrs. Bush are scheduled to light the national Christmas tree. Those attending the party will also get a tour of the White House and a photograph of themselves with the Bushes.

"My husband said he just wants to stand beside Laura," laughed Mrs. Hurley. "It's funny because he's such a quiet guy. But he just thinks so much of her."

"I'm just so excited," she said. "This is everybody's house. Everybody should get a chance to see it."

Contact staff writer Jeannie Wiley Wolf at: (419) 427-8419 jeanniewolf@thecourier.com

http://www.thecourier.com/