Posted on 05/09/2005 1:06:56 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
The city center in this former Soviet Republic was spruced up for President Bush's arrival Monday, with locals hoping the international attention he has brought will help revive the tourism that suffered under political unrest.
Bush, the first U.S. president to visit Georgia, was greeted by giant billboards bearing his image, U.S. flags and freshly painted buildings and paved roads. Those roads were emptied, as police shooed pedestrians away for security. Few complained.
"When the leader of today's free world turns his attention to you, you should be proud," said Katya Chichua, 50, who watched workers lay colorful Oriental rugs on a stage in Tbilisi's old town where Bush visited Monday night.
Georgians staged a phenomenal welcoming ceremony for Bush in Old Town Tbilisi, complete with hundreds of whirling dancers, acrobats and a fireworks display. Cheering citizens lined Bush's entire motorcade route for the 25-minute drive from the airport to the ceremony.
The White House expects 100,000 people will attend Bush's speech to the nation Tuesday. He planned to speak from Tbilisi's Freedom Square, once called Lenin Square, where hundreds of thousands of Georgians gathered after the fall of the Soviet Union.
-SNIP-
Much of Georgia has stabilized, although peace remains fragile in some separatist areas. But many hope a successful visit by Bush will put Georgia back on the map as a tourist destination.
"It is a big honor for us," said Nino Bakradze, 26, who spoke in hesitant English, which is fast replacing Russian as the foreign language of choice among students here. "It is giving a chance that we haven't had in years."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
that's funny - when I first looked at the headline I thought it said: "Georgian City hopes Bush spurs terrorism"
"When the leader of today's free world turns his attention to you, you should be proud,"
This kind of comment warms my heart.
It's a shame when a person from a foreign country has more respect for the U.S. President than almost 1/2 the people in this country. These people understand what Freedom means unlike the spoiled softees in US.
Thanks, my son and I are "following our president" in travel there in a few weeks.
Dang, Bush may think about moving there---it seems they like and appreciate him more than a lot of Americans do.
You notice the Russian was speaking in English and that it is the fastest growing new language?
HA---it is the fastest language being DROPPED here---none of the immigrants coming here will learn Engish any more...
well, maybe some do, but not the ones that come illegaly!
Very nice article. I hope it gets posted over at DU!
When the leader of today's free world turns his attention to you, you should be proud," said Katya Chichua, 50<<<
I feel the same way, so, please, President Bush, it is now time to PAY ATTENTION TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Pretty Please???!!!
Same here, but I read "spurns terrorism"...I need a nap ;)
Looks like there's plenty of "Freedom Babes" there too. They're popping up all over.
Kewt!
(About 2,000 people demonstrated in Amsterdam and another 300 protested in Maastricht before)
That's it? The anti-war socialist movement must be in trouble. I remember demonstrations in the hundreds of thousands during Reagan's years!
There is one supreme irony that many have missed. Putin
recently said it was a catastrophe that the Soviet Union
collapsed. Bush has been frank in his defense of the
democratic aspirations of many of the old Soviet states
(Ukraine, Baltic states, etc.). But HERE is that ironic
note: Georgians cheered Bush and it was in the little
town of Gori in Georgia that one Josef Djugashvili was
born in 1879. After he left seminary to join the revolutionary movement he changed his name to Stalin!
Isn't that beautiful? Do you suppose Putin gets it?
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.