G’day everyone! Your local Bushbot reporting ...
Happy to report that President Bush has arrived safely in Sydney.
I sat up last night and watched on cable tv Air Force One arriving. That was rather amusing as the commentators had no idea if the plane was AF1 or the replica that had landed at 10:27pm....They were still debating whether it was AF1 meanwhile the plane was taxiing towards the VIP area rather quickly. Then the doors opened and minutes later the President bounded down the steps! Oh yeah ...that is AF1!
It was interesting for me to see live on TV how it is all done to get the President de-planed, through the meet-and-greet then into his limo. It was all very quick!
Prime Minister Howard did not meet the President at the airport last night; he was busy at our football (rugby league) player of the year awards and made an amusing aside that he hoped that his friend would understand that football takes prescedence over official visits. Howard does love football; he supports St George Illawarra - they have had a frightful year and so has the PM. Not long until election time for him and it will probably be his last hurrah.
The President is staying at one of the finest hotels in Sydney not far from the Sydney Opera House; that’s where all the APEC meetings will take place. What a venue! I hope the weather holds even though it has been forescast to rain until Saturday. Boo! Hiss!
President Bush and PM Howard have met this morning and are holding a joint presser (even as I write) which includes local lunatic media.
Speaking of lunatics...yes, rent-a-crowd are out in force with the predictable chants, slogans ... blah, blah. Fortunately they will kept well away from the President and left to rant in the pouring rain (tee hee).
PB has a busy schedule whilst he is town and there will be plenty of photo ops in some of the city’s most spectacular places. I hope he gets to have a little local exposure as the majority of us folks and fauna are really quite friendly!
Local web sites that have coverage of APEC include:
http://www.smh.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph
I can’t guarantee you journalistic integrity (is that an oxymoron?) on the sites but at least the pix will be good!
I’ll keep y’all posted.....
THANK YOU for providing us with an ‘inside’ report . . . AWESOME! . . . can’t wait for more!
Thanks for your report. I will check it out later
I am proud to know some of your RAAF Guys and Gal’s up here in Seattle,WA, Just Fantastic People, Class Act all the way around.
Thanks for your post re: Pres. B.’s trip “Down Under!”
Neat addition!
Nice report - thanks so much!
You’ve got some of the finest warriors in the world. I’ve got some incredible photos of ya’lls Special Ops teams in my other computer. I’ll try and post them later tonight or tomorrow. Your SP teams taught our SP teams a thing or two over the last few yrs. It’s really amazing how those teams go into areas for weeks and weeks at a time blend in with those cultures...and come back with incredible recon info. Thank You! And thank you for this report. Hehehehe...those poor old lunatic demonstrators got soaking wet...
Oz, thank you, so much, for your terrific report! Being a sportsman himself, I’m sure President Bush understands Prime Minister Howard attending the football awards...lol.
G’day! Freepers are Everywhere! Thanks for your eye witness reports.
I was in Vancouver when APEC met and when Bill Clinton closed the Lions Gate Bridge (as major as the Sydney Harbour Bridge), so he could jog on a scenic path around Stanley Park. (two different visits of Clinton, I think.)
My brother was in Manila for the APEC meeting when Clinton and his entourage took over an entire hotel, and traffic on a major highway was totally closed (a divided highway made one way on both sides).
So don’t let any Aussies get away with b!tching about traffic problems during these events. It happens at every venue.
In Vancouver, when the protesters sat in the street to prevent the limos from departing from the meeting place to the airport: 18 heads of state all going to 18 departing aircraft; the police used pepper spray on them in full view of the TV cameras. What an uproar! But it was effective, and the limos passed through.
It was great TV!!!!
What fun to hear your perspective! Keep us posted from you unique position. I have a feeling that GWB wouldn’t mind at all that PM Howard was busy with sports! :)
Thanks for the report! :o)
Thanks for local information and also links for photos you are certainly seeing good quality visitors first the VP and now the President.