Posted on 04/29/2006 3:20:36 PM PDT by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The President and First Lady have spent a quiet day in the White House today prior to attending the annual correspondents dinner this evening.
President Bush joins the reporters who cover him tonight at their annual Washington banquet, the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.Bush has attended every correspondents' dinner since he took office, and he says he's looking forward to this one. The White House isn't saying what the Bushes are planning for this year in the way of Washington humor. Last year, the first lady interrupted the president's after-dinner speech with one of her own, lampooning her husband's cowboy pretentions.
The president's after-dinner speech is traditionally the evening highlight. Comedy Central's pretend pundit Stephen Colbert serves as this year's host.
In a comparatively quiet news day, the follow items are getting the most play on Yahoo News:
Bush backs English-only anthem
BY KEN HERMAN
Cox News ServiceWASHINGTON President Bush, adept in Spanish and the host of next week's annual Cinco de Mayo event at the White House, took a firm no-Spanish stance on Friday when it comes to "The Star-Spangled Banner.''
"I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English," Bush told reporters, "and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."
Bush Speaks Out Against Boycott Over Immigration ReformPresident Bush has spoken out against a planned economic boycott next week protesting proposed immigration reforms for millions of illegal immigrants.
Many businesses across the nation are expected to close as a demonstration of support.
Bush says he supports "comprehensive immigration" reforms but he is not a supporter of boycotts. The President said "most Americans agree that we've got to enforce our border."
Meanwhile, fears of deportation raids are spreading across the nation, keeping many illegal immigrants away from work.
Thousands of illegal immigrants stayed home this week amid rumors of immigration roundups that federal officials say were unfounded, leaving some industries scrambling for workers.
Construction and agriculture were among the industries most affected.
Katie A. Edwards, executive director of Florida's Dade County Farm Bureau, said nearly a third of farm workers did not come to the fields this week.
In lighter news, the President's father addressed the annual Acadian Ambulance luncheon Friday in Louisiana.
Former President Bush Visits Lafayette
by Marcelle FontenotFormer President George H.W. Bush captivated the audience at the annual Acadian Ambulance luncheon Friday afternoon. The former president praised the people of this area for their response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. President Bush also said through the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, $125 million was raised for hurricane recovery.
"It was a deeply rewarding task for me..." Bush says. "We were motivated in large [part] by the dedication during in the aftermath. A lot of people were surprised to see [us] working together...in fact Barbara still calls us the odd couple." President 41, as he is commonly called, says he is extemely proud of his work...but admits he is most proud of seeing his son as President of the United States.
"People ask me what's harder, you being criticized or your son. By far it's is my son. You know how it is when your son is called out at home plate when he's actually safe, it just makes you mad."
Former President Bush says he's served his country and has stepped away from the political arena, and says the titles he holds now matter most.
"That's father, grandfather and husband."
THE WEEK AHEAD: Just as an aside, I'll be interested to see how incoming White House Press Secretary Tony Snow handles announcements of the President's week ahead schedule.
May 3: The President welcomes German chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House
May 4: President Bush meets with the President Vazquez of Uruguay
May 4: Vice President Dick Cheney travels to Lithuania, Kazakhstan, and Croatia
May 6: President Bush delivers the commencement address at Oklahoma State University
ALSO UPCOMING:
May 11: President Bush delivers the commencement address at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, MS
May 21: Former President George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush are the commencement speakers at the George Washington University in Washington, DC
Shot in a spare, near-documentary style, with almost no background music, this is one of the most remarkable films made by Hollywood since the end of its Golden Era. It brings the viewer into the control tower, military command center and FAA command center, as well as on the plane itself. The perspective is as though you are an inside observer in the various control rooms, and nearly a participant on the plane.
The movie is a work of fiction that does take some small creative license here and there (particuarly since no one knows for certain exactly what happened onboard), but it focuses very tightly on the plane and command/control centers, and uses phone and in-flight recorder transcripts, results of investigations and other real-world material to tell the story as accurately as possible. The film is non-political.
One small bit of creative license used in the film is this: One of the hijackers clips a photo of the U.S. Capitol building to the steering yoke in the cockpit. In fact, we do not know for certain if their primary target was the Capitol or the White House. It is believed one was the primary, and one was the backup target, but the available evidence conflicts as to which was which. In the end, it really doesn't matter because if that plane had been able to strike either one of those buildings, the result for our nation and the world at large would have been catastrophic.
Congress was in session that morning, and the First Lady was among those in the Capitol building. Neither she nor the congressional leadership were immediately evacuated.
At the White House, although the President and some of his domestic aides were in Florida, the Vice President and most of the senior staff were at work along with hundreds of other people who work at the WH complex -- including all of the Secret Service White House detail. Because the VP chose to stay in the PEOC underneat the WH, the complex was never fully evacuated that morning.
Thanks to the heros of Flight 93, a national atrocity of immense proportions was averted. What did happen to them and thousands of others that day was horrific enough, but the heros of 93 prevented something even worse, the near total decapitation of our government. Can you imagine the effect on our President if that plane had hit the Capitol with the First Lady inside?
I thank God for the crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, and will love them forever even though I never met any of them.
In my opinion, every American owes it to them to see this film. Spending a couple of hours in a movie theater is nothing compared to what they suffered. They gave us an immense, immeasurable gift. We surely can give them a couple of hours in a theater. What courage does that take? None, and if we aren't capable even of that, we aren't capable of dealing with what might come our way some day at the hands of the Islamofacist monsters.
May the crew and passengers of Flight 93 rest in the loving arms of the Lord forever. (Obviously, when I refer to the passengers, the Islamofacist scum are totally excluded.)
hi
Bump!
Emergency workers look at the crater created when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001.
As depicted in the film "United 93," the passengers and flight attendants of United Airlines Flight 93 charge down the aisle to reclaim the plane from hijackers.
President George Bush gets a kiss from his wife during a ceremony honoring the 2006 National Teacher of the Year at the White House Wednesday.
;-)
First Lady Laura Bush stands with former President Bush as his wife Barbara speaks during dedication ceremonies at the restored childhood home of President George W. Bush in Midland, Texas, April 11, 2006.
Thanks, Wolfstar! --Off to check out a beer in the gazebo, and watch a bit of the Draft (NFL) ;-) before things get started. I might bring the laptop outside later...hmmm.....What a wonderful day to be an American! --Course, EVERY day is a wonderful day to be an American!!!
View of the kitchen.
View of the living area.
Will it be televised?
HAPPY DAY....hi, Wolf....Thanks for the pics....I LOVE that green suit! We are heading out to see United 93 in about an hour.....
*gasp* There were MORE puppy pictures?! He's SO cute and sweet and playful. The puppies are cute too. I can't wait to see him in a tux tonight!
Do I see a Bear Book and a Cub Scout Uniform?
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