Posted on 04/01/2009 6:15:10 PM PDT by snugs
As we enter April 2009 we are being bombarded by the media hyping up the first 100 days of President Obama I thought it would be nice to look back at the first 100 days of George W Bush Presidency.
The White House Website for the Bush Administration had a photo essay for the first 100 days which I am sure will provoke fond memories.
At the weekend I will post photos covering the first 2 weeks of April 2001 which once again I am sure will make us all feel nostalgic for the President we supported, respected and trusted to keep us safe for the last 8 years. Later this month I will post photos from the second half of Aril 2001 plus a selection of other photos that I am sure will be breath of fresh air and produce fond memories.
First of all before the photos I will post the text of remarks that George W Bush made at a Congressional Luncheon marking the first 100 days of the Bush Adminstration - ah those were the days.
I will also post some photos I have found of the Bush family for March 2009 including some of the former First Lady.
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island
President Bush was raised by kind, intelligent and respectful
parents and he is just like them. He was vilified by the
press but he NEVER wavered! NEVER!
I have never been more proud of a fellow Texan as I am this
President of mine!
Thank you, kas ....!
“It’s been fashionable in Republican circles to refer to his agenda as socialism, but I think President Obama is actually much closer to a classic fascist model in which he leaves the economy in nominally private hands while dictating every last move that it makes. If you wanted to create a blueprint for how you strangle a free economy and the dynamism that comes with it, you would do exactly what Obama is doing right now.”
The Texas Medal of Arts Awards were held at the Long Center Tuesday night. The bi-annual event is a chance for the Texas Cultural Trust to honor legendary artists and people who use their position to help advance the arts.
The awards were handed out to former First Lady Laura Bush, Clint Black, Robert Rauschenberg, Lake/Flato Architects, James Dick, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Robert Rodriguez, Edith O’Donnell, T.R. Fehrenbach, Austin City Limits, Betty Buckley and Keith Carter.
Sit down with the Former First Lady
Before the awards ceremony the former first lady sat down for an exclusive interview with KVUE News. Bush was genuinely excited as she talked about being back in Texas.
"It's great to be back home," said Bush. "It's actually a very welcoming feeling. We're very happy to be back in our home state. We feel very welcomed. There are lots of signs that say 'Welcome Home to George and Laura.' That makes us feel really great. It's fun to be back. It's fun to be back where all of our friends are."
Reporter: Maybe not in the spotlight as much?
Bush: That's nice. It is kind of a private life to live in a neighborhood again to do all the things we did before so it's been very nice.
Laura Bush says her family is living in Dallas, but they spend as much time as possible in Austin.
"I miss Austin. I miss everything about it. I miss the way it looks and how pretty the lake is. I miss all my favorite restaurants and, of course, all of my friends that live here, but I get to see them. A lot of them came to see me when I lived in Washington and they’ll keep coming to see me in Dallas. And I’ll be in and out of Austin a lot."
Mrs. Bush says she’s visited several times since leaving the White House -- sometimes to visit friends, other times to shop.
"I’ve been looking for furniture and other new things for our new house," said Mrs. Bush.
Her work to help children earned her a Texas Medal of Arts Award. The Texas Cultural Trust says Mrs. Bush deserves credit for making the arts a part of everyday life for kids through the Laura Bush Endowment for Education and Outreach at the Austin Museum of Art. They also wanted to honor her efforts to make books more accessible through her Book Festival program.
"I'm thrilled to be able to get to accept this medal on behalf of all the people here and across our state that have worked so hard to raise money for public libraries. The Texas Book Festival has given over $2.5 million to Texas public libraries," she said.
Mrs. Bush says she worries that the economy will force people to cut back their contributions to the arts.
"That’s very worrisome. It’s worrisome for art education which I think is a very important part of a person's education. It's something we ought to be able to offer our children in school. People don't realize it, but the arts play a very important part of our economy," said Mrs. Bush. "And a lot of Texas art institutions are supported by individual citizens, by philanthropists who give to the arts, who give to their local museum.
I think it's important for people who support the arts to remember to continue to support the arts, to prioritize what they give and to not forget all of our art institutions because they are really important."
Mrs. Bush was able to introduce many of these programs on a national scale while in the White House.
There are lots of things Mrs. Bush says she misses about White House.
"I miss all the people that work there that we were so close to that are so terrific and that make life so pleasant for the family that lives there," she said. "I miss living with all the beautiful antiques and art and all the flowers and things that are there."
When asked if she’s taken up cooking like President Bush said she might, she said, "So far I haven’t done that. If I had we’d be a lot skinnier."
Mrs. Bush says the family has enjoyed spending time together in their home, surrounded by their things. They are taking time to enjoy each other’s company.
As for her mother-in-law, she says Barbara Bush is doing well. "She received a clean bill of health from doctors and has been enjoying some time with the family in Dallas," said Mrs. Bush.
Returning to a more "normal" life in Texas has been refreshing for the first family, but it’s clear they want to continue supporting causes true to their hearts.
"Life has slowed down a bit, but yesterday we were at the ball park in Arlington. (President Bush) George threw out the first pitch. We’re very busy still. It’s great to get to be here tonight in Austin for this really fun event and to honor all these other artists who are very, very important to our state," she said.
Great report! Thanks for sharing it with us, Starwise!
Oh, how I miss this gracious lady in our White House!
She WAS right-on, but that piece-of-garbage column needed a
barf alert at the top! LOL!
I know ... it’s so shocking how many are SO
opposite of us and so hateful, isn’t it ?
Thank you for this thread. I am going off to bed now trying to pretend that GWB is still our president. Maybe I will be able to sleep. I know he received a lot of heat at the end of his presidency, but I still love him as well as a very classy first lady.
Thanks for the info & ping, *!
They soooooo deserve all the R & R & Fun they again get to have at Home!! Nice to read about/hear.
So lovely....they were so gracious!
This picture is a real favorite of mine.
They’re just special beyond words.
President Bush is going to be busy next week:
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WITH A REUNION PLANNED, BUSH EASES BACK INTO THE PUBLIC EYE
[Are pigs flying somewhere?! — the NYTimes has managed to publish an almost snark-free article about President Bush.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/us/politics/11web-baker.html?em
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MR. BUSH GOES TO CHINA [That’s PRESIDENT Bush to you Stahl!]
Lori Stahl/Reporter
Former President George W. Bush will speak in China next week about his time at the White House and his outlook for the future.
This is Bush’s first overseas trip since leaving office in January. He gave a paid speech in Canada last month. Aides have declined to say whether Bush is paid for the appearances. The invitation only audience in Canada paid $315-a-plate for the luncheon speech.
In China, he’s scheduled to give the keynote speech at the 2009 Bo’ao Forum for Asia in south China’s Hainan Province. Bush took a strong interest in opening up trade with Asian countries while in office.
The trip comes as pundits are still musing about President Barack Obama’s recent overseas trip. He and other world leaders met in London to strike an emergency response to the global financial crisis. Beyond that, the visit was cast as a way to improve the U.S. image abroad.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/04/mr-bush-goes-to-china.html
very nice. see how president bush was in person from a confidant
uber ping
I hope that he and the former VP aren't seriously quarreling. It says VP Cheney won't be at the reunion because Mr. Cheney and the President had quarreled over not pardoning Scooter Libby. Hope that's just the media getting in their digs again.
Absolutely Kaslin yet the media have twisted that kind humanitarian action and compared it with Zero’s bow. Unfortunatley BDS is still alive and well.
One day I am certain many many people will miss him and realise the change they voted for was not quite the change they thought they were going to get.
Thank you for update lets hope there are some photos
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