LIVE THREAD: Bush Flies to USS Abraham Lincoln for Historic Speech

http://www.freerepublic.com ^ | May 1, 2003

[Howlin]

On MSNBC, Keith Olberman just asked if this trip today was to shore up Bush's bad reputation in the Texas Air National Guard.

[Grampa Dave]

I believe that there is still no alcohol allowed on any US Navy ship. They had/have medicinal brandy if you fell in (falling in at Gitmo didn't count)to warm you up or were on deck exposed to very cold weather for a long time.

[archy]

Can any of you folks with experience tell if W is wearing the standard sidearm?

It's tough to tell from the pictures with all that equipment...

I'd expect the S3 uses the seat-mounted survival pack, in which a handgun is sometimes stowed when the SV-2U or SRU-21 aviator's survival vests aren't worn. It didn't look like either Bush or the other aircrew were wearing the vests, and frankly, likely wouldn't have needed them even if an aircraft problem had developed.

-archy-/-

[Bushfanatic]

I hope you don't mind if I change my tag line to that too.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Oh, good grief!

[El Gato]

I believe he's spending the night in the President's suite (formerly the Captain's quarters) on board.

And then will take a helicopter back to San Diego, since the ship will be much closer by then.

[Unknown Freeper]

Thanks to all of you who provided commentary for those of us trapped in cubeland today. This thread was great. I could feel the emotion as I read along.

Side note: I saw some cnn bits later (don't ask.) They were whining and bashing as usual. It was as if they wanted something to go wrong.

One hour til speech.

[cyncooper]

Ack.

I had MSNBC on as I was watching Chris Matthews. So when Olberman's show came up at the top of the hour he's ticking off what stories he'll be covering.

One is "Was today's stunt to cover up the president's record in the Air National Guard".

Olberman = clymer

[backhoe]

Dave, for some weird reason I recall that the whiskey ration for workers on the Panama Canal was a quart (!) a day... people in our time forget that in the old days cooling was either rare or nonexistent, and keeping fluids fresh & safe to drink was a real problem- one you could solve with alcoholic beverages. Not sure I'd want to be around a gunner or demolitions man who drank that much hard liquor, however...

[texasbluebell]

Great story about Old Ironsides. Here's a photo of her that I love.

[AGreatPer]

Keith Olberman was a writer for Salon.com. Nough said.

[netmilsmom]

Is this a record for the most posts on a thread? Anyone? Anyone?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

What bad reputation? What is it with the rumor that Bush skipped out on his duty in the guard? Any truth to that?

[texasbluebell]

(And I, for one, would MUCH rather see a POTUS looking like that than wearing shades and playing a sax - and poorly, I might add.)

Gak!! Ptooey! That left a bad taste in my mouth!

[Bushfanatic]

Amen!

[Mihalis]

George W. has style and class.

[netmilsmom]

Do you know which thread had the most posts? Just curious. This is the longest I've seen, but worth it.