Posted on 09/02/2004 2:00:06 PM PDT by EllaMinnow
September 2, 2004 -- THE first lady walked in, and the room erupted. Then the president walked in, and more than 100 New York City firefighters — everybody in the room wearing a dark blue polo/golf shirt with "NYC firefighters UFA Bush-Cheney '04" and the seal of the Fire Department — broke into the chant, "four more years."
My lifelong pal Jimmy Boyle walked in with President Bush, along with UFA President Steve Cassidy, plus Karen Hughes, Condi Rice and many more.
I was already inside, along with Gov. Pataki and Rep. Vito Fossella. When the president got to me, he grabbed my shoulder and said, "Thanks — this was a great idea. These guys are the best — they're the best, the best."
Eventually, he made it to the middle of the room, and stood with Steve Cassidy, who started to talk — then lost his composure. The president put his arm around him.
Then Steve said it, "We're proud to endorse" President George Bush for re-election. He talked about Sept. 14, 2001, the president's visit to Ground Zero, and how much it meant to them, that day and afterward.
The president was pretty choked up, too — very emotional — as they presented him with a special firefighter's helmet with the words "UFA Commander-in-chief Bush."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Thanks- great article.
W is just so real. I hope a lot of people see this article.
Awesome.
Great story, thanks for posting it
Powerful
These firefighters are special! I love em all!
Great article. :)
gimme that box! sniff....
Peter King was terrible on impeachment, but he's redeemed himself, IMHO, with his loyal support of President Bush.
ping
You can't BS these guys. They know Bush is the real deal and Kerry's an empty suit.
And I bet that these guy's Union endorsed Kerry!
Nope....
NEW YORK (AP) The union representing the city's 8,600 firefighters will endorse President Bush Wednesday night at a social club in Queens, bolstering the Bush campaign's efforts to focus the nation's attention on the president's leadership following the Sept. 11 attacks.
NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS TO ENDORSE BUSH (FIRST NYPD AND NOW THIS WHOOOO HOOOO!)
Very nice. I bet Kerry reads this and just can't understand how a President could have anything to talk to these guys about.
In all my three decades of politics, I have never seen anything come close to the electricity that was in the room.
The symbolism and meaning of having these men, who on 9/11 fought the hardest and suffered the most in the first great battle of the 21st century, standing there with President Bush, could well be the defining moment in this year's presidential election.
Wow! What a tear-jerker. I love our President - more every day.
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