Posted on 02/16/2008 3:25:45 PM PST by STARWISE
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
The President, First Lady and their party are on a five-country African visit, until Feb. 21, 2008. Click on the banner below for further background and details.
Press Briefing by Ambassador Jendayi Frazer (aboard Air Force One)
Excerpt:
I think that it's important to know that our -- that we have a major initiative that's intended to build the capacity of Africans, themselves, to respond to conflict. That's the Global Peace Operations Initiative.
It's called GPOI. And that was an initiative that the President pushed the administration to develop. It started in 2005. It provides $660 million over five years to train 75,000 peacekeepers worldwide, with a focus on Africa.
To date, we've trained about 39,000 Africans in peacekeeping, and also equip them. And of the Africans deployed around the world in peacekeeping operations -- of which the majority are, again, Africa -- 80 percent have been trained by the United States. So we think that this is a major contribution to conflict resolution on the continent.
PHOTO(s) OF THE DAY
U. S. President George W. Bush right is greeted by Tanzania's President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, left, on his arrival to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008. Bush spent three hours in Benin, the first U.S. president to visit the West African country, before flying to Tanzania where he will stay three nights
An image of U.S. President George W. Bush is shown on the dresses of Tanzanian women as they await the arrival of Bush at Julius Nyerere Airport in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, February 16, 2008. (( I WANT THAT FABRIC ! )
According to the itinerary released by the White House, Bush and his wife Laura will land in Benin Saturday to begin the trip. After a brief stop, he then heads to Tanzania.
During his visit, Bush is expected to visit hospitals, schools, AIDS and malaria projects.
In Tanzania, he will sign the biggest ever grant of 698 million U.S. dollars to fund water, energy and infrastructure.
Previously, Bush administration officials said the trip is aimed to show the caring side of the U.S. policy towards Africa.
"The trip will be an opportunity to demonstrate America's commitment to the people of these countries and to Africa as a whole," White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters Thursday.
Analysts said the trip focused on a number of strategic issues and all the countries on his itinerary are related to U.S. strategic interests.
Geopolitical interests will also play a role in the trip, including the newly-formed U.S. Africa command (AFRICOM).
QUOTE(s) OF THE DAY
President's Radio Address ~ February 16, 2008
Good morning. At the stroke of midnight tonight, a vital intelligence law that is helping protect our nation will expire.
Congress had the power to prevent this from happening, but chose not to.
The Senate passed a good bill that would have given our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep us safe. But leaders in the House of Representatives blocked a House vote on the Senate bill, and then left on a 10-day recess.
Some congressional leaders claim that this will not affect our security. They are wrong. Because Congress failed to act, it will be harder for our government to keep you safe from terrorist attack.
At midnight, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence will be stripped of their power to authorize new surveillance against terrorist threats abroad.
This means that as terrorists change their tactics to avoid our surveillance, we may not have the tools we need to continue tracking them -- and we may lose a vital lead that could prevent an attack on America.
In addition, Congress has put intelligence activities at risk even when the terrorists don't change tactics. By failing to act, Congress has created a question about whether private sector companies who assist in our efforts to defend you from the terrorists could be sued for doing the right thing.
Now, these companies will be increasingly reluctant to provide this vital cooperation, because of their uncertainty about the law and fear of being sued by class-action trial lawyers.
For six months, I urged Congress to take action to ensure this dangerous situation did not come to pass. I even signed a two-week extension of the existing law, because members of Congress said they would use that time to work out their differences. The Senate used this time productively -- and passed a good bill with a strong, bipartisan super-majority of 68 votes. Republicans and Democrats came together on legislation to ensure that we could effectively monitor those seeking to harm our people. And they voted to provide fair and just liability protection for companies that assisted in efforts to protect America after the attacks of 9/11.
The Senate sent this bill to the House for its approval. It was clear that if given a vote, the bill would have passed the House with a bipartisan majority. I made every effort to work with the House to secure passage of this law. I even offered to delay my trip to Africa if we could come together and enact a good bill. But House leaders refused to let the bill come to a vote. Instead, the House held partisan votes that do nothing to keep our country safer. House leaders chose politics over protecting the country -- and our country is at greater risk as a result.
House leaders have no excuse for this failure. They knew all along that this deadline was approaching, because they set it themselves.
My administration will take every step within our power to minimize the damage caused by the House's irresponsible behavior. Yet it is still urgent that Congress act. The Senate has shown the way by approving a good, bipartisan bill. The House must pass that bill as soon as they return to Washington from their latest recess.
At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning a new attack on America. And Congress has no higher responsibility than ensuring we have the tools to stop them. Thank you for listening.
Bush Says Congress Putting US In Danger
~~~
((US House of Representatives, Switchboard #: (202) 224-3121))
I’ll bet the reception that our dear president gets in these African countries is like a stick in the eye to the demoRATS. I say GOOD!
“By the way, I absolutely love those Tanzania women in their “Bush” dresses!”
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I want one of those dresses!!
Thank you STARWISE, nice pictures. I’ve been offline for a week repairing my computer and just got it running again. Nice to see the reception of our President gets in those counries.
I LOVE that fabric ..gotta see if
there’s any available here. And they ARE
obviously joyous at seeing the Bushes ...
great reception for our Great First Couple.
When you stop and think about it,
this being the President’s last year,
his travel time is now very limited.
Therefore, he could’ve chosen any foreign
trips he wanted to in this last year.
They could’ve gone to richer countries,
in grander vistas, more deluxe accommodations,
rubbing shoulders with the “elites” and
European royalty, etc. without these visuals
of sadness and poverty.
But instead, they chose to focus the
world’s attention on places in very
desperate straits ...in not so pretty
surroundings... that need the help
of the world, out of the goodness of
their hearts and love of humanity.
God bless and protect them always, and
on this journey, until they’re safely
back home with us.
***(Suzi - IMO, THAT House-woman’s life
should be miserable and her sleep intruded
by nightmares for the rest of her life for
her diabolical words and actions. She’s
already blamed any future attack on our
stalwart President. I’ll withhold the
rest of my wishes for her here, but you
get the drift.)***
I didn’t think ANY of the SOCIALISTS could ever say anything more egregious against the President than they have done before, until I heard Pelosi’s outrageous lie. How can the woman live with herself?
Me 2! Wasn’t that brilliant of them?
I do hope they bring home a dress or two to put in the Presidential library.
But, thankfully, we still have the most extraordinarily strong and decent man in the White House, and we relish every day that remains of his historical journey.
“THAT House-woman’s life
should be miserable and her sleep intruded
by nightmares for the rest of her life for
her diabolical words and actions.”
Good way to put it!
I’m seriously going to miss the Dose when he leaves office.
Nice to have you back .. hope things
are better for you on the homefront...;)
We’re already starting to sense that awful withdrawal.
It’s incomprehensible to even think about...;(
I’m betting all the Bush ladies
were given several. So clever.
.... you're a 
Many thanks for doing the work that Big media won’t do. I called cspan this morning to ask why they would not show President Bush’s speech on Thursday at the Smithsonian, a terrific talk describing his commitment to African people, and -— they cut me off! I don’t know how much of what I said got on the air.
You’re welcome ... cspan is
so transparent, aren’t they?
Starwise, Thank you for posting these FANTASTIC pictures! It is soooo nice to see people who appreciate our good President and beautiful First Lady. And, ‘THE’ dresses....wow! How imaginative to have dresses with the President’s picture!
You’re welcome .. and I also love
those dresses .. and since I’m a
fabriholic .. the fabric ..LOL.
I just might call DC and find
someone who can point me to the
source.
Starwise, Thank you for posting these FANTASTIC pictures! It is soooo nice to see people who appreciate our good President and beautiful First Lady. And, ‘THE’ dresses....wow! How imaginative to have dresses with the President’s picture!
oops, sorry for double post.....didn’t seem like it went through the first time. But, double thanks are in order for this wonderful post! lol
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