Posted on 01/16/2009 6:20:28 PM PST by silent_jonny
More lasts today …
This morning President & Mrs. Bush departed the White House for Camp David, Maryland, where they will spend their last weekend as the First Couple before Tuesday’s inauguration.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave her final press conference today at the State Department in Washington. She also met with Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Dr. Rice’s last official act as Secretary of State was signing a memorandum with Foreign Minister Livni that will help prevent arms smuggling to terrorists in Gaza.
And today Press Secretary Dana Perino delivered the Administration’s final press briefing (Transcript). Dana took time to pay tribute to her predecessor Tony Snow and to all the members of the White House press staff. But one name was conspicuously absent from her remarks.
Q Dana, you mentioned Ari and Tony, but I don't think I heard you mention Scott. Was that a slight or was that -- was anything deliberate --Dana: No harm meant, I just didn't mention him.
What did you think of his comments [on MSNBC] last night?
Dana: I didn't bother watching them.
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
January 18, 2009
Dinner With Rice
On the next to last night of his presidency, President Bush made a rare foray out for dinner Sunday — not to a restaurant, but to the Watergate apartment of the woman he recently described as “like my sister,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Mr. Bush, who spent the weekend at Camp David but returned Sunday afternoon, left the White House at 6:23 pm. All seemed quiet at the grand white mansion. The presidential pooch, Barney, could be seen standing outside the South Portico, looking well-fed, as the president’s motorcade pulled out.
Outside the White House gates, though, the scene was anything but quiet. Just 40 minutes before Mr. Bush left, President-elect Barack Obama’s motorcade arrived at Blair House, the presidential guest house across the street from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The streets were packed with people cheering and taking pictures as the Obama motorcade sped past them. Secret Service held the crowd back to the sidewalks.
Although the Obamas have been frequenting Washington restaurants, the Bushes rarely go out to eat, and if they do it tends to be at a private home.
The president and his wife, Laura, slipped quietly into the Watergate on Sunday night. The dinner was private, and the White House would not provide a guest list.
At 8:30 pm, Mr. Bush left the Watergate for another unannounced stop–a party at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park in Maryland, hosted by the White House chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten, and his predecessor, Andrew H. Card Jr., for about 600 current and former White House staffers.
Mr. Bush, whose early-to-bed, early-to-rise habits once prompted Mrs. Bush to jokingly call herself a “desperate housewife,” stayed for just 5 minutes before heading back to the White House.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/dinner-with-rice
****
He holds his friends near and dear ... There’s a very special bond between the Bushes and Condi. I wouldn’t be surprised that their affiliation continues onto Pres. Bush’s new Freedom Institute.
That was very nice of Josh Bolten and Andy Card.
~~~~
Bush goes out! (And Hanks can’t get in a party)
POSTED January 18 2009
President Bush never goes out to dinner. And technically, he didn’t go out to dinner Sunday night. But he went out, off the White House grounds, which almost never happens.
The president for the next day and a half went to the Watergate apartment of his Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice for the next two days, departing the White House at 6:23 p.m. First lady Laura Bush went with him.
Perhaps Mr. Bush was inspired to go out by President-elect Barack Obama, who went out to dinner a few nights ago at Equinox, which is a few blocks from the White House.
Or maybe he wanted to speed through the streets of Washington and let people think he was Obama, so they would wave and cheer.
Whatever the reason, it’s another unusual occurrence in a remarkable few days here in the District.
We’re also told that at Maureen Dowd’s house party in Georgetown, the crowd is so thick that not even Tom Hanks could get in the door.
Forgive me if this has previously been posted ...just saw this email from Floridawomenformccain@gmail.com and thought I’d share....note last sentence...
It’s easy. Just go to: gwbfarewell@gmail.com and share your personal appreciation and thoughts with President and Mrs. Bush.
Please do this today, and no later than January 19. Karl Rove will be collecting the emails and delivering them personally to President Bush.
Yike ... deadline’s tomorrow, folks ! See above post.
Thank you, 4integrity !!
snugs, so happy to hear your Dad is going home! Thoughts and prayers will continue for his ongoing recovery.
Done!
God bless you Mr. President and thank you for all you have done to keep our country strong and safe during these past 8 years. I know you have been through a lot as our leader, and I appreciate everything you have done. I know at times it hasn’t been easy with the press and the opposition in Congress, but you didn’t tire, you didn’t falter, you didn’t fail!
I will be looking for you in Midland, Texas, on Tuesday and we will show you how Texas still loves you and the first lady!
Prayers of peace, safety and strength to you and yours in the years to come.
OMG, Star.....are you like me....never sleep?? LOL.
Glad I saw that email tonight.....I shot off an email which made me cry ...again.
Wow....we, ‘dosers’, really are of the same mind....below is what I wrote..note similar words....lol (but, you’re a LOT more succinct that I, LUV....I tend to ramble..)
Frankly, it’s difficult to find the words that sufficiently express my appreciation, respect and affection for you and Mrs. Bush. You restored dignity to the Office of the President. I’m proud that I was able to visit the White House during your term in Office.
While January 20, 2009 will be a very sad day for me because I do not want you to leave, my heart is happy for you and our beautiful First Lady since you will return to a calmer life, your dear friends and your beloved Texas.
President Bush, the liberal media would never report comments from people like me so, please know there are millions of people like me who supported you from day one( I worked on both of your campaigns) and continue to support you. Even when we didn’t fully agree with your position on an issue, we trusted you to do what was right for our great country. And, dear President Bush......you never tired, you never faltered and you never failed........and for this, you are loved!
Mr. President, may GOD continue to bless and protect you, Mrs. Bush and your entire family! May all the good you did for others be returned to you manifold. May God protect and bless our military and their families. And, may God continue to bless and protect our great country.
With respect, admiration and affection.
Great luvvie ... didja email it to gwbfarewell@gmail.com ?
That way, KRove will get it to him.
You did a beautiful job. I have never been able to put
my complete thoughts into words.
Thank you SO much for giving us this link so we can have
this opportunity!
Yes, I used the link that was provided. Thanks for pinging me.
I am glad I didn’t miss this opportunity to tell him how
I feel...though I am NOT a wordsmith!
Wow! Just got a response from Karl Rove! LOL! Automatic, but
kinda cool anyway!
silent-jonny, thank you for expressing so well what I feel. I, too, am grateful to all who hosted the Dose...including you! Not sure if you all know how much joy you brought to the rest of us and how comforting it was to share sentiments about our good President with others who felt the same. I also appreciated, so much, your drawings...especially those of President Bush and Tony Snow. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with us.
It’s been an honor to be among so many patriotic people. I hope that, some way, we can all remain connected.
‘..On Fox News Sunday Pelosi hinted to Chris Wallace that she open to criminal probe of some Bush administration officials ..’
Don’t mean to sound dramatic....but, if Pelosi or Conyers brings charges against President Bush, it will be a call to action for all patriotic Americans. We CANNOT let that happen!
Thank you for the ping.
I also sent a thank you, but I am not good with too many words.
Frankly, I hope she does, because that means that lawyers for those officials will be able to compel testimony from leading Democrats, and the Dems won't like that one bit. It will be a big old can of worms that she'll be opening for her party.
May George W Bush finally have some peace in his life.
God and history as well as the people know he kept us safe.
Thanks for reminder
Sent mine out
Pelosi is a real loser and she will go down in history if she is mentioned at all as one.
God bless President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. My tagline says it all...
###
Karl Rove
Thanks for your Farewell Note to President George W. Bush
I'll deliver the letters on January 20th — sorry, I can't deliver any letters sent after 6:00 PM ET on January 19th.
Karl Rove
December 10, 2008 7:00 am
Seven Years of Peace and Plenty
No Terrorist Attacks In the United States! Why?
###
* On October 12, 2002, in Bali, Indonesia, Al-Qaeda’s Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists targeted packed nightspots, killing 202 people, including more than 160 foreigners.
There are even more nightclubs in the United States, why didn’t al-Qaeda target us here?
* On March 11, 2004 in Madrid, Spain, 191 people were killed and more than 1,800 injured in a series of explosions on four trains. al-Qaeda took responsibility for that accomplishment to avenge the presence of Spanish troops in Iraq.
But why didn’t the terrorists bomb American trains on American soil? We had even more troops in Iraq than did the Spanish.
* On the morning of Wednesday September 1, 2004, in Beslan, Russia Muslim terrorists and Arab mercenaries wearing explosive belts stormed a school taking 1,200 parents, students, children, and infants hostage. They wired the room with explosives and threatened to blow up the school during a three-day standoff. The children were refused food and water and were held in stifling heat in a gymnasium while the world waited.
As Russian forces were collecting corpses from the initial raid outside the school, the militants in the school triggered the explosives inside the school. As the surviving hostages attempted to flee, the terrorists shot them and their rescuers in their backs. At least 326 people — 156 of them children — were murdered at that school and more than 700 wounded. Although 26 of the terrorists were killed, several escaped.
Why did not these terrorists take over an American school on American soil? We have lots of schools here.
* On July 11, 2006, in Mumbai, India, seven high-powered blasts on suburban trains killed more than 200 commuters and injured at least 800.
America has commuter trains too, why did not al-Qaeda target American trains with bombs?
* On November 26 of this year, again in Mumbai, India, Islamist gunmen launched attacks against luxury hotels. Gunmen from al-Qaeda’s Deccan Mujahedeen group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed more than 100. A rabbi, Gavriel Hertzberg, and his pregnant wife were sought out and murdered as were other Jews and Americans. America has many luxury hotels, many Jews and many, many more Americans.
Why did al-Qaeda spare American hotels and tourist on American soil?
Could these “Seven Years of Calm in America” have had anything to do with the leadership of America’s Commander in Chief, George W. Bush, his administration and the fighting men and women of his military?
http://kerfuffles.blogsome.com/2008/12/10/seven-years-of-peace-and-plenty/
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