Posted on 02/26/2005 2:37:32 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President and First Family returned safely from Europe late Thursday. They are spending a quiet weekend in Washington, where GWB went for one of his now-famous "maniac" bike rides this morning.
Yesterday, the White House website put up a lot of photos from last week's trip. Most were taken by WH photographers. They frequently show different perspectives from those taken by the media, and many are only available on the WH website. Today and tomorrow, the Dose threads will have a retrospective on the trip, using mostly WH photos. Today's Dose covers the events in Brussels.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Due to the presidential visit to Europe, there were no White House press briefings or "gaggles" this week. Therefore, only the following is available regarding next week's schedule: The President will be traveling to New Jersey and Indiana as he continues to promote his Social Security initiative. (The Saturday Dose will continue to bring you week-ahead and month-ahead updates as information is released by the WH.)
What's the difference between a WH press briefing and a press "gaggle?" A press briefing is the formal, regularly scheduled conference between the White House Press Secretary (or designee) in the WH press briefing room. A press "gaggle" is an informal, non-scheduled briefing by the Press Secretary (or designee) that takes place outside the WH. They typically occur during domestic presidential trips, either at the back of AF1 while in flight, or at an airport or hotel.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: From the President's Radio Address, 2/26/05:
I have said repeatedly that all options are on the table for strengthening Social Security, with the exception of raising the payroll tax rate. I'm willing to listen to any good idea. And I will work in good faith with members of Congress from both parties on this issue. Some in Washington want to deny that Social Security has a problem, but the American people know better and you have the power to determine the outcome of this debate.
Should we point out and openly discuss members of the President's Secret Service detail we notice in photographs posted on these threads?
NOTE: This is a friendly debate. Any trolls, or those whose arguments get nasty, will be zotted immediately. There are good, legitimate arguments for and against this question. So it seems worthwhile to invite you to participate in a discussion/poll. For the opening arguments to set up the debate, CyberAnt has agreed to take the CON position, while I take the PRO. The purpose will be to govern how we "Dosers" handle this in future "Day in the life..." threads. Once today's thread has run its course, CyberAnt and I will add up each individual's yes or no "vote." The results will be published no later than the Saturday, March 4 thread, and we would hope that all "Dosers" will join us in abiding by the results in the future.
PRO Opening Statement by Wolfstar:
I see no harm in openly discussing and pointing out members of the presidential Secret Service detail on Dose threads from time to time. Why? If he is not THE most photographed and televised person on earth, any president of the United States is certainly among the two or three most photographed/televised. With the exception of events that occur inside the White House, anytime a president appears in public, his Secret Service detail is on view for all to see. Anyone with evil in their hearts does not need us to ID the president's agents. They can easily do it for themselves.
In fact, the identity of agents on presidential details is not secret in the same sense as, say, CIA field agents. The Secret Service is "secret" only in the sense that their budgets, operational and protective methods are secret. Like all domestic law enforcement agencies, the identity of Secret Service agents easily can be discovered by the media and others. Every member of the White House press corps knows most, if not all the agents. When an occasion warrants (as when the dust-up occurred a few months ago in Chile and GWB rescued his own #2 agent), the media even publishes the names of agents. The lead agent who was guarding GWB on 9/11/01, and during the immediate aftermath, became something of an unsung hero, and many of us here on FR followed his story afterwards. The agents who saved President Reagan’s life, and who were in Dallas in 1963, became semi-celebrities.
As with all government agencies, our tax dollars fund the Secret Service. So we do have a right to hold at least some curiosity about them and the most famous protective detail in the world, the presidential detail. I doubt that anything we do here on FR could possibly endanger the agents or the president's security in any way.
CON Opening Statement by CyperAnt:
Should we or shouldn't we be posting pictures and highlighting the Secret Service people who protect our First Family?
I am taking the "con" position - and these are my reasons:
While we are all aware there are Secret Service officers on duty every place our First Family goes, the word "secret" to me means these people should remain "secret"...or in the background. Giving out specifics about who they are seems dangerous to me.
The less our enemy knows about who surrounds our leaders; how many Secret Service people are in each group with each person; the names of the Secret Service personnel; their gender; their stature; their race, the better protected our leaders are.
I realize my perspective may be due to the fact that I was once part of a police unit. However, I am also cautious because of 9/11.
I don't think we should discount the ability of our enemies to peruse the web site at FreeRepublic, and make use of the information we might carelessly provide about our Secret Service personnel guarding our President and his family. While we may consider them [the agents] part of our "family," they're not. They're a police unit with a job to do -- a "secret" job to do -- to protect our First Family.
We can help the Secret Service to do their job even better -- if we help them to remain "secret".
Ping for Saturday Dose going up. Please wait to post other photos/images until the all clear is given. Thanks.
Thanks.
Wow--under 10! I am amazed at myself!
This next photo is a favorite of many FReepers. It should have had it's own caption thread, but it was a busy week. My caption, Chirac to Jean-Claude Junker: "It's your fault we misunderestimated this cowboy. Now there's no more oil-for-food money coming in, and the Iraqis won't invite us back!" Junker to Chirac: "No, it's your fault, you greedy French whiner. You wanted to be King of the World, but now we're just Old Europe stuck between the Brits and the Eastern Europeans."
Chirac and Shroeder: "So what do we do now that Bush has exposed us for the fools we are?"
President Bush delivers a foreign policy speech at the Concert Noble Ballroom.
President George W. Bush meets with Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt of Belgium in his office in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 21, 2005.
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush are welcomed by King Albert II and Queen Paolo of Belgium at the palace office in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 21, 2005.
Thank you!
What a treat! Thanks mucho.
The President speaks with staff at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Brussels.
Good evening
I guess I have to say that whatever we do here it has to be respectful of our First Family and whatever will keep them safe from the harm some would do them. I know no one here would do or say anything to do injury or harm to them, but we never know who is "lurking"! Now....on with the pictures!
"I wanted to help but he wouldn't let me"
President Bush hosts a bilateral meeting with Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko.
President Bush meets with the NATO-Ukraine Commission at NATO Headquarters.
President Bush meets with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at NATO Headquarters.
During a meeting with European Union Leaders at the EU Council Building, President Bush talks with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
GWB with EU President Jean-Claude Juncker during a joint EU-US press conference. At left is Jose Manuel Barroso and at right is Javier Solana. My caption for this photo: "A little gloating never hurt anyone."
Tony Blair turns to speak with someone. In the background, EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana greets GWB. "Hey, Javier, you EU socialist weenie, take your hands off our President!"
With Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. So, for a Texas cowboy the Euro-socialists hate, how come they can't keep their hands off him, huh?!
With European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, left, European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker, and European Union Council Secretariat Javier Solana. Another of GWB's famous "looks." (Sheesh -- these Euro-socialists love fancy titles, don't they.)
GWB laying down "the law" to Junker.
Could Junker be begging for a little Texas mercy?
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero speaks with Tony Blair and GWB during the NATO summit in Brussels. Notice how, unlike most other leaders at the summit, Zapatero gets "the look" from our President.
"Hey, Jacques, as far as 'red state' America is concerned, you're still out in the cold, dude."
One center-Left, the other conservative, but buds forever -- and forever linked by history.
...and thank you for all the great pictures!
President George W. Bush speaks with his staff before a Feb. 22, 2005 joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
President George W. Bush speaks with Czech President Vaclav Klaus as world leaders take their place for the official NATO photo at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels
Laura Bush walks with Queen Paola of Belgium during a tour of the Royal Palace of Belgium in Brussels Monday, Feb. 21, 2005.
The First Lady tours Brussels.
Monday, Feb. 21, 2005, Laura Bush tours the Erasmus Museum located in the Brussels’ home of the late Desiderius Erasmus, author of “Moriae Encomium.”
The First Lady at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 22.
Audience members listen to a speech by Laura Bush praising the sacrifice and hard work of the U.S. military and their families Tuesday
Laura Bush visits with U.S. Army Specialist Garrett Larson who is recovering from injuries sustained in Iraq at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Tuesday, Feb. 22
I get the top bunk right?
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