Posted on 01/07/2007 3:43:37 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: Rarely does a weekend go by when there is no news as to where the President spent the weekend, but this is such a weekend. There almost seems to be a palpable if metaphorical holding of breath in the American news media and body politic as they await President Bush's speech on Iraq this week. No date or location for the speech has been announced by the White House press office.
The first family received some good news today, as former President George H.W. Bush left the hospital after his successful 2nd hip replacement.
Sun Jan 7, 12:06 PM ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former President George H.W. Bush, 82, has been discharged from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota following surgery to replace his right hip, the clinic said on its Web site.The brief statement issued late Saturday said the former president had returned home earlier in the day following his successful surgery.
Bush, a World War Two pilot who skydived to celebrate his 80th birthday in 2004, underwent surgery on Wednesday January 3.
The former president had his left hip replaced at the same hospital in 2000.
In the meantime, in a news report published yesterday, a recent Gallup poll ranks the 50 people Americans believe are most admired in the world. Topping the list is none other than the man the media (and many FReepers) keeps telling us is practically the most unpopular president in the history of the world, George W. Bush.
Savvy Dose readers might wish to ponder this question: How can President Bush be the man Americans think is the most admired person in the world, while his domestic poll numbers hover near the mid-to-high 30's?
By the way, the fact that President Bush came out on top in this poll is made even more remarkable by the fact that it's results skewed way Left. Finishing in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place (ahead of the Rev. Billy Graham) were Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Barak Obama. Go figure.
As for the most admired women, the top five were Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush and Margaret Thatcher, in that order.
Survey results were based on telephone interviews with 1,010 adults, conducted Dec. 11-14, 2006.
THE WEEK AHEAD: On a day and at a location yet to be announced, next week President Bush is expected to give his much-anticipated speech on Iraq policy.
Jan. 8, 2007: The First Lady will present the National Awards for Museum and Library Service to three museums and three libraries during a ceremony at the White House. The San Antonio Public Library, and the Frankfort Community Public Library are among the recipients. Jan. 8, 2007: Jury selection in the trial of Vice President Cheney's former Chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby is scheduled to begin in Washington, DC.
Jan. 9, 2007: First Lady Laura Bush travels to New Orleans, LA. Although no information was mentioned as to what her trip was for, in all likelihood it will pertain to rebuilding schools and libraries in post-Katrina New Orleans.
EXTENDED SCHEDULE:
Jan. 16, 2007: The trial of Lewis Libby is scheduled to begin. Jan. 17-20, 2007: Republican National Committee winter meeting takes place in Washington.
Jan. 23, 2007: President Bush delivers the State of the Union address. Always filled with political theater, this year will be filled with hypocrisy as the Dims try to put on a pleasant face for the television viewing public.
Jan. 30, 2007: Vice President Dick Cheney's birthday.
The next three events are included because the President and/or other administration officials usually address these meetings:
Jan. 24-26, 2007: U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, Washington. Feb. 24-27, 2007: National Governors Association annual winter meeting, Washington.
Mar. 1-3, 2007: 34th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Washington.
LOL! That is one cool shot of Beezie. She may be small, but she's quick, so the photographer must shot a number of frames in seconds, like if he was shooting a sporting match or something.
Hi Wolfie ... pics of the pooches are so adorable. Thank you for the schedules, as well. Can you imagine the confidences they share with W and Laura, especially these days? You *know* how much I love that SOTU speech. I doubt if any official speech I'll ever hear in my lifetime will touch me like those stirring words do.
Please .. everyone. Go here and vote. Needs some "Dosing."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16128101/site/newsweek/#anc_nwk_061209_bush_withdraw
Informative article, with information from Gen. Ray Odierno. He's also giving input to Pres. Bush, and it sounds like his analysis jibes with what we're hearing about the blueprint of what's to come:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16399081/site/newsweek/page/2/
"I was in Basra today and they told me JAM [Jaish Al Mehdi, or the Mehdi Army militia] pays people $500 per assault to attack coalition forces down in Basra. They also said if they got a permanent job they would work for less, they'd rather have a job at $400 a month that's safer. That's the dynamic we deal with.
That's what we have to change. The problem we have is that the newly elected Iraqi government is trying to stand up; [we've done] nothing to connect that Iraq government to an Iraqi individual on the street.
We have not done local elections, so there's no local representation. We have not provided security forces that are competent yet, we have not yet created jobs they can keep for a period of time.
We have to shorten that gap between the Iraqi government and the Iraqi individual on the street. It takes time for a brand-new government to do that, and we have to help them to do all of that."
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God Bless and Protect President Bush ~~ the weight on his shoulders is unimaginable. Prayers.
I hope you're feeling better.... I was sick with similar for 3 weeks. *sigh*
If I had to guess, I'd say they spent the weekend at the White House where the President is working on the speech he will give sometime this week. But normally if they are at the White House on a weekend, we at least see some photos of them at St. John's. Nothing this weekend.
If they went to Camp David, I would have expected to see photos of them returning. Again, nothing.
We shouldn't read too much into this, though.
Should the Bush administration set a firm date for the start of withdrawal from Iraq? * 9097 responses
Yes
70%
No
24%
Don't Know
6%
I love the sweet doggie graphic.
That's what we have to change. The problem we have is that the newly elected Iraqi government is trying to stand up; [we've done] nothing to connect that Iraq government to an Iraqi individual on the street.We have not done local elections, so there's no local representation. We have not provided security forces that are competent yet, we have not yet created jobs they can keep for a period of time.
We have to shorten that gap between the Iraqi government and the Iraqi individual on the street. It takes time for a brand-new government to do that, and we have to help them to do all of that."
Awww...cute puppy. :)
Great minds think alike... ;)
I hear ya. Maybe he's speaking in the collective (Iraqi/Coalition) "we."
Sorry to hear that.....I don't know what this crud is but I had it for almost a month...it's finally gone....hang in there.
I think I've gone through 3 boxes of tissues! And .. though I know it's weird to post this, it's only from my left nostril. And it's unending. What in the world does that mean?? LOL
LOL...I don't know...but I had to send Mike down toWalmart to get several boxes of Puffs with aloe...I thought my nose was going to fall off.....I also went through several bottles of Mucenix which I recommend...I finally had my Doc bil call me in an antibiotic....it only helped a little...but kept me from coughing my lungs up.....Mike never did get this, everyone else had it though.
I'm okay. I'll be back to school in SC this semester. I'll probably go back to DC after I graduate in May. I'm SO ready to graduate. I feel like I've been in school forever. Oh, wait. I have. :P
Maybe I'll be the next Rummy. ;) I've really tried to give Gates a chance but I don't think he'll ever be the SecDef to me. I don't think anyone would after Rummy...
Yeah!!!! Thank You!!!
To me, Rummy was IT. He wasn't just a SecDef, he was THE SecDef. The ideal. He was exactly what a SecDef should be. The DoD will never be the same without him.
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