Quote of the Day:
President Bush: We're going to recite the Little League Oath.Are the players ready? All right, here we go. "I trust in God. I love my country. And I will respect its laws. I will play fair, and strive to win. But win or lose, I will always do my best."
Play ball! (Applause.)
Photos of the Day:
President George W. Bush, baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, left, and Country singer Kenny Chesney, front, cheer on players participating in the Tee Ball on the South Lawn All-Star Game Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Mrs. Laura Bush shows her enthusiasm for the spirited game of tee ball as young All-Star players from across the United States gather to play on the White House South Lawn on July 16, 2008.
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President Bush: Mr. President, thank you for coming. I first started my conversation with the President by complimenting him on his leadership in the United Nations and in the region. You've been a constructive force for peace and stability.And we talked about Zimbabwe. I made my position abundantly clear that, one, we are disappointed with the veto of the U.N. Security Council resolution, for which both our nations worked in concert. Secondly, we deeply care about the plight of the citizens of Zimbabwe. And we hope there's a peaceful resolution soon. I told the President, in the meantime our government is looking at, you know, sanctions beyond that which would have been levied out of the U.N. Security Council.
President Compaore: (As translated.) First of all, the President and I seized this opportunity to meet, and the first thing I did was to show gratitude to President Bush for the engagement of the United States in favor of our country, Burkina Faso, and especially in terms of poverty reduction and economic development and all the help.But I said to the President, other than Burkina Faso, all the continent of Africa is very grateful to the initiatives taken by the United States administration in terms of debt reduction, public aid to development, fight against HIV/AIDS, and building schools in our country.
Hi
Country music singer Kenny Chesney, President George W. Bush and National Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson unveil the new Take Me Out to the Ball Game stamp during a White House All-Star tee ball game July 16, 2008 at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. The stamp was issued to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the unofficial anthem of baseball.
Country music singer Kenny Chesney sings Take Me Out To The Ballgame as President George W. Bush listens.
President Bush: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this historic occasion. The Commissioner and I -- that would be Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame -- (applause) -- welcome you for the first All-Star game here on the South Lawn of the White House.We've got 50 players from 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, who have come to show off their great baseball skills. And we're excited you're here. We welcome you, we welcome your families.
We want to thank Kenny Chesney for lending his great talent. We're proud you're here, Kenny. (Applause.) Thanks for coming.
And finally, Mr. Commissioner, we are so lucky to have Shelby Shayler with us today. She will be presenting you and I with the first ball -- but not quite yet. Before we do, we're going to recite the Little League Oath.
Are the players ready? All right, here we go. "I trust in God. I love my country. And I will respect its laws. I will play fair, and strive to win. But win or lose, I will always do my best."
Play ball! (Applause.)
President George W. Bush and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson offer words of encouragement to 8-year-old Shelby Shayler of the Little League Challenger Division in Norfolk, Va., Wednesday, July 16, 2008, as she places a ball on the tee to start the first game of a doubleheader on the South Lawn of the White House. White House photo by Eric Draper
President George W. Bush greets Country music singer Kenny Chesney, former MLB All-Star Rick Monday (front) and Baltimore Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar (left) as he takes his seat during a White House All-Star tee ball game July 16, 2008 on the South Lawn.
Meredith A. Bailey of Greeneville, Tenn., with red helmet, runs to third base during the Little League All-Star tee ball game on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2008, in Washington.
First base coach Hall of Fame baseball player former Chicago Cubs' Ryne Sandberg, right, congratulates Kelsey Brauer, left, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., on her hit during the White House All-Star tee ball game on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2008, in Washington.
First base Coach, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, gives some tips to Abigail Purcell of the Eastern U.S. All-Stars, Wednesday, July 16, 2008, during an All-Star Tee Ball doubleheader on the South Lawn of the White House. White House photo by Eric Draper
Kaleb Karpstein, from Oregon runs to second base as he participates in the White House All Star Tee Ball baseball game, Wednesday, July 16, 2008, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.
Baltimore Orioles baseball player Kevin Millar, top, congratulates Parker Byrd, left bottom, of Warner Robins, Ga., as John Cloer, right, of Sierra Madre, Calif., covers first base during the White House All-Star tee ball game on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2008, in Washington.
Former major league baseball player Rick Monday, right, cheers on little leaguer Sam Bryant, 5, of Irmo, S.C., during the All-Star tee ball game on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2008, in Washington.
Tee-ball All-Star Joshua Miyazawa, age 5, gets a boost from his Hawaiian fan club as he plays on the South Lawn of the White House on July 16, 2008. The banner also holds a greeting for President George W. Bush, who watched the demonstration of teamwork and discipline from a nearby bleachers with Mrs. Laura Bush and the families of the children attending.
Reggie Graff, right, age 6, from St. George, Utah, tags North Carolina's Avery Shane, age 5, center, as Hawaii's Joshua Miyazawa, age 5, watches during All-Star tee ball action on July 16, 2008 on the South Lawn of the White House. Shane, from Rutherfordton, N.C., was on the Southern team and Graff and Miyazawa, from Honolulu were on the Western team.
Families root for their kids as they also document the All-Star tee-ball action at the White House, July 16, 2008 a hot Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
Five-year-old Alex Thaler of the Eastern U.S. All-Stars makes a valiant effort as Jackson McGough of the Central U.S. All-Stars crosses the plate Wednesday, July 16, 2008, during All-Star Tee Ball at the White House.