A day in the life of President Bush (12/9/06): photos & food for thought

WhiteHouse.gov ^ | 12/9/06

[Wolfstar]

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush are spending a quiet weekend. On Thursday, the President announced this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients. Among them are B.B. King, David McCullough, former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta, William Safire and Natan Sharansky. Click here to see the full list.

PRESIDENTIAL SCHEDULE: The President will be holding a series of high-level meetings on Iraq next week. He will go to the State Department Monday to meet with senior officials. Later that day, he'll host outside experts on Iraq at a session in the Oval Office. On Tuesday, the President will have a video conference with military commanders and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad. Wednesday, he'll meet with senior Defense Department officials at the Pentagon, including outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

The following excerpt is from Press Secretary Tony Snow's press briefing yesterday:

Q And what can we expect next week? I know that he's going to be meeting with Secretary Rice, Secretary Rumsfeld. Do we expect in those meetings with the State Department and Pentagon that he's going to get those reports from them? Or is this --

MR. SNOW: No, this is not an exercise where they sort of push their homework across the table. Instead, what he is going to get is some briefing. For instance, the State Department, they'll talk about the political and economic situation in Iraq. Obviously, of great importance, as well, is the reconciliation process.

He's also going to hear from provincial reconstruction teams. And Secretary Rice, Ambassador Khalilzad, and the provincial reconstruction team leaders are going to take part in the briefing. So obviously there's going to be a lot of discussion of fact, and there will be some discussions of ideas. But this is not, in any sense, sort of a final report time in any of the meetings. He will be getting briefings.

On December 14, President Bush will welcome President Boni Yayi of the Republic of Benin to the White House.

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With the release of the so-called Iraq Study Group's horrible "report," it seemed critical to me to remember 1776. No one living at the time could have predicted such a positive outcome for the then-colonies struggling to become a new nation. It's little known now, but not only did the Americans seeking independence have to fight the British, but often other Americans who did not want independence. The strife between the "Patriots" and "Tories" was often brutal, bloody and deadly. Go back with me and imagine how dark the times seemed to those living in the America of December 1776...

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
Thomas Paine, The Crisis, December 23, 1776.

Three days after Paine published this first in a series of articles called, collectively, "The Crisis," General George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River in order to surprise the English and Hessian troops in the Battle of Trenton the day after Christmas 1776.

The weather was well below freezing, with a heavy snow cover. Washington and his army had suffered a series of disastrous defeats, including the loss of Boston, and the loss of the city and state of New York. The British chased the American army across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. But despite all this; despite the immense odds against them, the ragged Continental Army won the Battle of Trenton. It was an enormous victory, both in real terms and in psychological terms, and gave a much-needed lift to the Revolutionary cause.

There were hard times and years of war still ahead, including the horrible winter at Valley Forge in 1777, but Trenton proved that the Americans could defeat the British and their mercenaries, the Hessians. Trenton bought Gen. Washington time to build a real army.

Although the differences between Iraq in 2001 and the fledgling United States 1776 are great, there also are inescapable parallels. So, to the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots among us -- on both the Left and Right -- I offer this next Paine quote. It's not as widely known as the opening paragraph of "The Crisis," but it goes straight to the heart of what the American nation faces today:

THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must...undergo the fatigues of supporting it...It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same.
Thomas Pain, writing in Philadelphia, Sept. 12, 1777.

[Wolfstar]

Paraphrasing Thomas Paine: Like Washington and his army in 1776, our current Commander-in-Chief, the armed forces he leads, and all Americans who stand with them, are winter soldiers who do not shrink from the service of their country even in dark, stormy times.

If you are a winter soldier, take a pen and piece of paper, write a few little words -- Mr. President, I support and pray for you and our troops. Put the note in an envelope addressed to:

The Hon. George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Slap a stamp on the envelope and mail it this week.

It's the least we winter soldiers can do.

[onyx]

HI

[Wolfstar]

Pinging you to a Saturday Dose that is both thought-provoking and happy.

[onyx]

I am first by a mile. WOW!

[onyx]

Winter soldiers --- what a grand idea and post, Wolfstar!

[Wolfstar]

PHOTO OF THE DAY: The true "greatest generation" of Americans was the one that voluntarily fought our Revolutionary War, gave us our Declaration of Independence, wrote and ratified our Constitution, and bequeathed to us a country that has done more good, and freed more people, than any other nation in human history.

The man whose image is seen in this photo was the greatest man of that greatest generation. He was wealthy and comfortable on his Virginia estate. He did not have to leave all that he held dear to become the Commander-in-Chief of a ragtag, untrained citizen army and take on what was then the greatest power on Earth, the British army. But he did so willingly, as did the men who served under him and the women (like Martha Washington) who followed the camps to cook, clean, sew, nurse the sick and wounded, and tend to their citizen-soldier husbands.

They risked all -- in the famous phrase, their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor -- so that the seeds of FREEDOM they planted on this soil would flourish. They were not perfect men and women. They made mistakes. They lost not just battles, but cities such as Boston, New York, and the then-national capital, Philadelphia. They froze and starved at Valley Forge; bled and died from New England to the Carolinas. Had they lost the war, they would have been peremptorily hung or shot as traitors.

From the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, to the battle of Yorktown in October 1781, the main part of the war lasted for over six years. It was longer still if one counts the Boston Massacre as the earliest battle in the war. Yet the winter soldiers of the Revolution persevered...and here we are, able to enjoy today's Photo of the Day, as well as the fruits of this bountiful land we call home.

Miss Beazley, with George Washington looking on, gets a closer look at the Christmas decorations Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2006, in the East Room of the White House.

[Wolfstar]

President Bush calls Barney to the Oval Office, Friday, Dec. 1, 2006, to tape their segment for this year's Barney Cam video.

Sitting across the presidential desk from The Boss, Barney listens to GWB during their meeting in the Oval Office to discuss plans for the 2006 Barney Cam.

[Wolfstar]

The First Lady with Barney, Miss Beazley and the family cat, Willie, nicknamed "Kitty," Dec. 1, 2006, next to the White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room.

Willie (aka "Kitty") takes a stroll to visit the Christmas decorations in the East Room.

[SevenofNine]

How cuteeee Miss Bezazley get into the Christmas spirit that cute BTW I seen new Barney video that cute

[onyx]

I can't believe we're the only ones posting...... :)

[Wolfstar]

Barney sits next to a Christmas wreath on the South Lawn while waiting for the decorating to begin Nov. 28, 2006.

Barney and Beezie relax on the South Lawn in front of a White House decorated for the season.

Barney is framed through a Christmas wreath on the South Lawn.

[Wolfstar]

Barney and Beezie (with red bow) sit on the Grand Staircase at the White House, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006, deciding whether to begin touring the Christmas decorations upstairs or downstairs.

The Scotties make a visit to the Red Room...

And check out the main White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room.

[Wolfstar]

The cute pair pose beneath a decorative red ornament Christmas tree in the East Wing.

Looking almost like a beautiful little ornament, Miss Beazley sits beneath the red ornament tree.

[SevenofNine]

ME TOOOO hey btw is that India the first tabby COOL

India is Greta Garbo of that adminisation she disappear all the time

[Wolfstar]

Barney and Miss Beazley show their best sides to the camera during the making of the 2006 Barney Cam, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006, in the East Wing.

Their photo session over, Beezie makes a dash down the East Wing Colonnade, with a now middle-aged Barney following behind.

[Wolfstar]

President Bush welcomes Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, to the Oval Office Friday, Dec. 8, 2006.

[Wolfstar]

Mrs. Bush sits with patient escorts Allison Meads, left, and Matthew Morgan, as she reads to an audience of children, patients, and hospital staff Friday, Dec. 8, 2006, at The Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where the First Lady visited with patients and debuted the 2006 Barney Cam video.

[SevenofNine]

Miss Beazley look like giving Barney THE LOOK stop misbehaving Barney LOL! act like good behavior dog while Barney look at her leave me alone LOL!

[Wolfstar]

Barney Cam V -- This White House web page has a link to the video, with your choice of Windows Media, Quicktime and Real Media video players. For those who may have cranky computers that won't play the video, the page also has the script for this year's Barney Cam. While you're reading, you can also play your choice of soundtracks.

[onyx]

I love ALL of the Christmas pics with their pets. WOW!