Posted on 08/20/2005 12:50:39 PM PDT by Cougar66
WACO, Texas (AP) - It's no yellow jersey, but President Bush on Saturday presented Lance Armstrong with another shirt to show off his biking experiences - a red, white and blue T-shirt emblazoned "Tour de Crawford." The leader of the free world and the world's biking master rode for 17 miles on Bush's ranch for about two hours at midmorning. Bush showed Armstrong the sites of the ranch that he calls "a little slice of heaven," including a stop at a waterfall midway through the ride.
They were accompanied by a small group of staff and Secret Service agents and a film crew from the Discovery Channel, Armstrong's Tour de France sponsor, which had exclusive media access for the ride. Footage was shot for a program on Armstrong to air next week.
Neither Bush nor Armstrong spoke to reporters, although White House spokesman Trent Duffy said the president was impressed with the seven-time champ's skills.
"Recognizing what the world has known for years, the president said, 'He's a good rider,'" Duffy said.
The president has taken up biking with a fervor since a bad knee forced him to give up his running routine a few years ago. He's been spending a lot of time riding while staying in Texas this month. It was Armstrong's first ride at the presidential ranch, which is about 100 miles north of Armstrong's adopted hometown of Austin.
Duffy wouldn't say whether they talked politics, a topic that Armstrong has said he is getting more interested in now that he's retiring from biking at age 34. Armstrong calls Bush a friend, but he has spoken out against the war in Iraq and has said he wants the government to spend more money on cancer research.
At the end of the ride, Bush gave Armstrong and the rest of the riders the T-shirts, which said "Tour de Crawford" on the front in Western-style rope script and "Peleton One" - a reference to the densely packed group of riders in a race - on the back. Bush also gave them red, white and blue riding socks with the presidential seal on the inner ankle.
After the presentation, Duffy said, they posed for pictures and the president announced, "OK, let's go swimming." Armstrong and the rest of the group were invited to stay for lunch.
I didn't know the guy was that young. I thought he was in his 40's... I thought that was why his wins were so impressive. Yes, it's impressive to win the TDF so many times in a row, but it makes it more impressive when you're 40-plus. I think a lot of people had that same impression.
And here I thought his wins were impressive because in the beginning of his streak he battled testicular cancer....that had spread to his abdomen....and won.
I think the fact that he had testicular cancer probably led to the impression that he was older in the first place.
I'm all for him exercising. But it is a one-month vacation, and today's bike ride was a publicity stunt. There are far better uses of his time.
I found one....posted above.
And to his brain.
I'm sure that was supposed to bear some resemblance to a coherent sentence and yet, nothing.
I didn't read this as a cheapshot. I think it shows the magnanimous nature of our President. Lance has spoken out against the war and President Bush still invites him to Crawford and shows him a good time.
Don't ya just love the man...
>Was Lance's liberal girlfriend anywhere in sight?<
One must be evil to have a personal hatred for someone they haven't met.
He's going to ride his bike no matter who is there. So does it matter that Armstrong went along?
Somehow I doubt that W is hanging out in his jammies reading comic books and watching the soaps all day.
I'm sure he and his staff are still plugging away at the important issues of the day. (They're all connected eletronically 24/7) But he's able to do it without the media looking over his shoulder, and with a bike ride or a swim now and then.
I doubt that anyone with that much responsibility ever REALLY gets a respite. Well, excpet for Bill and his favorite sink.
Pinz
If you were president we would all be joining Alec Baldwin in France. Oops, he forgot to go. Oh well, we would have left him behind, anyway.
"If I were the President,"
Big if, that.
When you get elected President, twice, then you can decide what is and what is not done with the President's (your) vacation and time.
I'm gonna send the President some meth so he can stay up for a week or so and get things fixed.
There'd be a chicken in every pot. Whatever.
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