Posted on 02/19/2005 2:32:18 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: On Wednesday, the President hosted the bipartisan Congressional leadership at the White House. It was an opportunity to talk about a range of issues, including the President's upcoming trip to Europe. The President and First Lady, who are spending a quiet day in the White House today, will leave Washington Sunday enroute to their first stop in Brussels, Belgium. The President will hold summit talks with leaders of NATO and the European Union, and will meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Russian President Vladimir Putin among a number of other leaders. (The President's itinerary does not appear to include time for a meeting with the socialist Spanish PM, however.)
PHONE CALLS WITH FOREIGN LEADERS: Monday, the President spoke with Crown Prince Abdallah...to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the meeting between President Roosevelt and King Abdallah Aziz, that opened the modern period of U.S.-Saudi relations...The President commended the Crown Prince on the successful start last week of municipal elections in Saudi Arabia. He also complimented the Crown Prince on last week's successful counter-terrorism conference in Saudi Arabia. Finally, the two leaders discussed the murder...of former Prime Minister Hariri in Beirut.
THE WEEK AHEAD:
Sunday evening: President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will arrive in Brussels.
Monday morning: President Bush will meet with King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
Monday afternoon: The President will deliver a speech on United States and European cooperation at the Concert Noble in Brussels.
Monday evening: The President will have a "working dinner" with French President Jacques Chirac.
Tuesday morning: The President will meet separately with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The meeting between GWB and Tony Blair will be at breakfast.
Tuesday afternoon: The President will hold a joint press conference with European leaders, including European Council President and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, and European Union Security Policy Representative Javier Solana. The President will visit the EU headquarters.
Tuesday evening: The President will participate in a working dinner with the European Union representatives.
Wednesday morning: The presidential party will travel to Mainz, Germany, where GWB will meet with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The two leaders will greet American and German soldiers who have served in Afghanistan.
Wednesday afternoon: The President will participate in a roundtable with German citizens and visit the Gutenberg Museum.
Wednesday evening: The President and First Lady will travel to Wiesbaden, Germany, to meet with members of the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division. They will then travel to Bratislava, Slovak Republic. "We are honored that the President and Mrs. Bush have chosen Wiesbaden to visit soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and family members of the U.S. European Command," Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, 1st AD commander, stated in a news release. [This is the same unit the President visited in Iraq during his surprise Thanksgiving trip.] "I’m sure many Iron soldiers still remember with great pride the visit the commander-in-chief made to Baghdad to spend Thanksgiving with us during our deployment," Dempsey stated. Details on what the 1st AD is doing to prepare for the president’s visit have not been released -- but this time, the visit isn't a surprise, so the base is closing schools and facilities, and is giving all non-essential personnel the day off. German schools in the Mainz and Wiesbaden areas also will be closed for the day, according to a statement issued by the Rheinland-Palatinate state chancellor’s office. [Let's hope the weather's good, because we here on the Dose will be eager for some great photos. I'm sure I speak for most "Dosers" in saying that are hearts are with our troops, not with a bunch of European stuffed-shirt politicians.]
Thursday morning: GWB will meet with Slovak Republic President Ivan Gasparovic and Prime Minister Mikulás Dzurinda, and deliver a speech to Slovak citizens.
Thursday afternoon: GWB will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Thursday evening: The presidential party will depart for Washington, D.C. [We on the Dose will welcome them home with open arms and hearts grateful for their safe return.]
IN MARCH:
March 7: The President and Mrs. Bush will host the King and Queen of Norway for a lunch at the White House. The visit of their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja will mark 100 years of U.S.-Norwegian diplomatic relations.
QUOTES OF THE DAY: During his news conference last Thursday, there were several examples of the President subtly giving the rhetorical version of "the finger" to the media. The following exchange gives us an insight into how the nation's first MBA chief executive manages his people:
Q: Will you back him [Negroponte] if he goes up against Don Rumsfeld, [if] Rumsfeld wants a certain amount of money for his intelligence budget and Negroponte says, I don't think so?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think it necessarily works -- I know that's how the press sometimes likes to play discussions inside the White House -- X versus Y, and butting of heads and sharp elbows. Generally, it works a little more civilly than that. People make their case, there's a discussion, but ultimately John will make the decisions on the budget.
"Backing" means it's kind of zero-sum; that's not the way our team works. It's not a zero-sum attitude in the White House, it is -- people have strong opinions, by the way, around here...I would hope you'd want your President to have people around who have...strong opinions; people who are willing to stand up for what they believe; people who say, here's what I think is right and it may not be what so-and-so thinks is right. Then the question is, do I have the capacity to pick the right answer, to be able to make a decision. I think people have seen that I'm capable of making decisions. And one reason why I feel comfortable making them is because I get good advice. And John is going to be a great advisor.
The following passage is from Vice President Dick Cheney's speech to the Annual Conservative PAC Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, Thursday. [This passage gave me chills, because I didn't know that one of the NYFD men who helped raise one of the flags at Ground Zero was later killed in Iraq.]
Freedom's advance in the broader Middle East is bringing new hope to a troubled part of the world, and freedom's victory in that region will make America safer for generations to come. The effort has been difficult, and there is more hardship and hard work ahead. And our whole nation is grateful to every member of our military, and to the families who share in their sacrifice.
Our deepest debt is owed to the men and women who have fallen in service to America. (Applause.) We think of young volunteers like Jeff LeBrun, the son of Haitian immigrants, who used to ride the A train into Manhattan -- and passed under the World Trade Center every morning on the way to school. After experiencing the events of 9/11, both he and his brother, Stanley, decided they were going to join the military to defend the country. Jeff became an Army specialist, and was serving in Iraq when he was killed by terrorists last month. He was 21.
We think of soldiers like Sergeant Christian Engeldrum. He was a New York City firefighter, and was one of those who helped raise the flag over the ruins at Ground Zero. Last year his National Guard unit was deployed to Iraq. He was killed in action near Baghdad, age 39. At his funeral, the New York Fire Commissioner said that Christian Engeldrum "gave more than most men who live twice as long." [NOTE: At his death, Sgt. Engeldrum left two teenage sons and a wife pregnant with their third child.]
A top European Union official said that Dr. Rice's trip, Secretary Rice's trip to Europe was very positive. He described it as "romance blossoms once two are determined to get married." (Laughter.) He also said...he did not expect that there would be any kind of substantive differences in U.S. policy on your own trip to Europe, but he hoped that it would help increase the sense of trust between the United States and European allies. What do you have to offer or say to European allies to help restore that trust, particularly the trust in U.S. intelligence?
Malveaux places responsibility for any "loss of trust" and its restoration solely on GWB, totally ignoring and excusing Chirac's and Schroeder's betrayal. She also slides in a slam at U.S. intelligence, completely ignoring and excusing the fact that all of the world's top intelligence agencies believed Iraq had WMD. And she couches her question in the most insulting terms, "What do YOU have to offer..."
The President was outwardly gracious, but his answer was extraordinarily smart, beginning with some platitudes and then lowering the boom with a reminder of the different perspectives brought on by 9/11/01.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, you know, my first goal is to remind both Americans and Europeans that the transatlantic relationship is very important for our mutual security and for peace, and that we have differences sometimes, but we don't differ on values, that we share this great love and respect for freedom.
September the 11th was an interesting phenomenon in terms of our relations. For some in Europe, it was just a passing terrible moment. And for us, it was a change of -- it caused us to change our foreign policy -- in other words, a permanent part of our foreign policy. And that -- those differences, at times, frankly, caused us to talk past each other. And I recognize that, and I want to make sure the Europeans understand I know that, and that as we move beyond the differences of the past, that we can work a lot together to achieve big objectives.
Saturday Dose going up. Please hold off from posting other photos/images until the all clear. Thanks.
Thank you!
Woohoo, another early dose! Thanks, Wolfstar! Eagerly awaiting....
Sgt. Chris Engeldrum.
Fellow NYFD firefighter Daniel Swift was seriously injured in the same roadside bomb attack that killed Sgt. Engledrum. Wearing an eye patch (due to shrapnel that pierced his right eye) and walking with a crutch, Swift is escorted from the funeral of his colleague and friend.
A memorial in Iraq.
Love ya, Dubya. Thanks, Wolfstar.
Whoa! Top 10?
Hey, ladies!
Here!
Evening all
Here's a couple of amusing exchanges from Thursday's press conference:
THE PRESIDENT: Let's see, have I gone through all the TV personalities yet?
Q Yes. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Herman.
Q Mr. President, good morning.
THE PRESIDENT: A face made for radio, I might add.
Q Thank you. My mother appreciates it. (Laughter.)
GWB tweaking a reporter...
THE PRESIDENT: Let's see here, let's see here, John.
Q Sir, can you talk a little bit --
THE PRESIDENT: If you don't raise your hand, does that mean you don't have a question?
Q Not necessarily, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good, because you didn't raise your hand.
What I wish the President could say to the media: "Yo! Listen up, dummies. Spiro Agnew nailed it when he said you're, 'Nattering nabobs of negativity.' You sit on the sidelines making a living nitpicking other people's lives, achievements, and tragedies. In the meantime, I'm here in the arena, doing my best to leave the world a better place for my having been in it awhile. Tell me, which of us will be remembered long after our bones have turned to dust?
#41 looks out from a helicopter at tsunami damage as he toured Ban Nam Khem, southern Thailand.
Former President Bush greets children orphaned by the December 26 tsunami in Ban Nam Khem village, north of the Thai resort island of Phuket, February 19, 2005.
#41 greets villagers.
Former President Bush with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra before a joint press conference.
Former U.S. president George Bush (L) walks with Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.
#41 speaks with reporters.
Hi Wolfstar .. thank you. Out of toaster range, but still pretty early ;-)
What would we do without you?? :o)
May he rest in God's arms..
Good evening Jonny from jolly old England
The President at the American military cemetery in Normandy France.
The President reviewing European troops.
He's been on the national stage since mid-1999 when he first announced his presidential run, but some in the so-called mainstream media still don't quite get it. GWB means what he says.
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