Posted on 09/18/2007 4:00:20 PM PDT by kristinn
I read this glorious news at work today - and had to explain the tears that came after reading it.
What a joy to know that the outstanding DC chapter of Free Republic, made up of simply the BEST in Freeperdom, had been welcomed to the White House by our BELOVED (yes, by many here) President and First Lady, and Vice President, and Secretary of State!
Congratulations, well done, well deserved, much envied, but much appreciative of the YEARS of faithful standing for the truth and for our brave soldiers at Walter Reed plus for all you have done in the past (yes, at Cheney’s House, and before that in front of the White House for all those years of protesting the Clinton crimes).
Whew. Like others want to take in every morsel of detail, please, that you can provide.
LOVE YOU GUYS and GALS! LOVE W!
Ya know, all weekend I was being asked if I was going to be in DC on Tuesday.
I just said no, vacation's over, I have to go back to work.(someone has to fund this operation)
Now, with that one comment to USMCPop, you have just scared the be-jeeezus out of me.
Dear Lord, don't hurt me now.
..and you're looking real good!
Awesome pictures of REAL AMERICANS on what must have been an awesome day...goosebumps! Thank you all.
I am happy to report that the DUmmies are really tee’d off over this.
DC FReepers ROCK!!! Whooo Hooo! What great pictures!
This still just knocks the socks off me! Tooooo cool!
I search for phrases to sing your praises
But there aren't any magic adjectives to tell you what you are
You're just too marvelous
Too marvelous for words
You're all too wonderful, I'll never find the words
That tell enough, they're just not swell enough
You're much too much and just too very very
To ever be in Webster's dictionary
And so I'm borrowing
A love song from the birds
To tell you all you're mahvelous
Too mahvelous for words
Leni
Well Done!!!!
Well Done
Leo
You guys do us and our Great Country Proud.
Pray for W and Our DC Chapter
bump!
I’ve been busy and not able to check in with Free Republic for awhile. What a great thing to see today!
Please, do a thread or link us to the DU site.
We could use a good laugh.
[Mr] T
Great pix!!!
I was with Vets for Freedom and we all had appointments on The Hill. Never got closer than 6 feet myself before we had to leave.
The Secret Service allowed a thing that was a surprise. Those who were quick to move mobbed the host, etc. It was wondrous to see. I’m kinda reluctant to use the moonbat catch phrase, but it felt good!
[Mr] T
I also need to preface this Report. CJ, FReeper chcknhawk, was at Walter Reed Friday night and related his story of seeing the President a few days earlier. He was able to sit down with the President in small groups of 15 or so. I didn't expect that type of meeting because I figured about 50 of us would be there. Kristinn said that he had 5 slots for FReeRepublic. The other groups were filling their slots, which I assumed were equally small. Instead there were about 600+ of us on the South Lawn having a real good Continental Breakfast. There were 300 or so alone from Vets for Freedom.
The groups invited were those who had people going to meet representatives on Capitol Hill this week. FReeRepublic got only 5 slots. The President gave a pep talk for our visits.
Our story begins last Thursday with a call from Kristinn asking if we wanted to see the President on Tuesday. Of course!!! Kristinn also said not to say anything to anyone in case it didn't happen. We must have looked the cat that choked on a canary when at Walter Reed. We were bursting at the seams to tell some of our FReepers friends. Sorry guys/gals.
Kristinn - A heartfelt Thanks for asking us.
Final word came Monday that we would be going. We hitched a ride with tgslTakoma and Kristinn. We arrived at the East Gate a little after 7 AM. First we went through an informal check of our IDs. At the interior fence, we went through the metal detectors. No problem there.
But we were relieved of the items we brought for the President. We had one of the buttons from GoE III (It proudly had FReeRepublic.com on it) and one of the Olney Sign Collage Mouse Pads. We also had a picture of our son shaking hands with General Pace's in Iraq. We were hoping to have the President sign it for us. The Secret Service did get our name and address so hopefully we'll get the picture back with the President's signature on it.
Now we were expecting a small crowd to meet the President IN the White House. We were surprised when we were directed to the South Lawn where the tables were set. We were dressed for inside temperatures. The upper 50 degree temps quickly chilled everyone there and the coffee was the "hot" item for everyone. The sun peeked over the trees about 8:30 and the air warmed up a little.
We meet several other FReepers there and we all sat together. We had a great table since we got there early, right on the center isle and about 50 feet from where the President was to talk. We had a great group, joking and reminiscing about Friday's Walter Reed FReep and GoE III. As Kristinn wrote, FReepers, more particularly Flib, started the "USA, USA, USA" chant.
We also kept the MSM in line. Twenty minutes before the President came out, the media moved in with their cameras and lights. They set up in the middle of the 20 wide center isle and soon started to spread out. They blocked the view of us and everyone behind us. [Mrs] Trooprally got up several times and corralled them back into the center. There were several cat calls of "AP go home" from someone in a cowboy hat. Eventually they got the hint and stayed in the center behind their cameras.
The President's speech was fairly short but rousing. The plan for the morning was for the President to visit every table after he finished. He went over to the first table to shake hands of those there and suddenly everyone swarmed him. It took the Secret Service several minutes to get through the crowd to put a loose protective circle around him and Vice President Cheney.
One of the first to make it to the President were Gold Star wives Deborah (Debm29palms) and Laura. They both got a hug and kisses from him and had their husband's picture sign by him. Angelwood, Flib and tgslTakoma were also able to make it up to him. Not sure what they got. Kristinn was one of the last to shake the President's hand and thank him for staying the course. He also gave VP Cheney a FR button.
Unfortunately, [Mrs] Trooprally and myself never made it up to either the President or Vice President. The crowd was large and pressing so we decided to take the White House walk-about first, letting the crowds shrink a little. What we did not know was that the WH walk-about was a one way walk to the exit. We could not get back to the South Lawn. One of the biggest bummers in our life. It doesn't get much worst that this.
We did get to talk to, and hug, Condi Rice and talk to Karen Hughes. We could not find General Petraeus. So it was not a complete wash out. We did get some memorable pictures and had a real enjoyable time.
We did get to see one important "person" that others didn't see. It was the President's new puppy.
Awwwwwww.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have goosebumps!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.