A Day in the Life of President Bush (photos): 7/31/02

yahoo.com; whitehouse.gov; netscape.com ^ | July 31, 2002 | GretchenEE for rintense

[GretchenEE]

President Bush, while meeting with his cabinet, denounced the attack against Israel that killed seven and injured 80 people at the Hebrew University cafeteria. He issued a statement on America's current economic growth -- not as strong as he would like, but showing strong signs within the new Department of Commerce report (echoed by some private forecasters) that there will be growth of three to five percent, rather than the 1.1 percent for the spring quarter just past.

Bush met privately with Rudy Guliani, who was in the DC area to give a speech.

Ari Fleischer noted at his press briefing that 60 presidential nominees are awaiting confirmation in the Senate, among them: the Deputy Secretary of Energy; FEMA's Deputy Director; NASA's Deputy Administrator; the Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director; 29 foreign policy nominees (some for critical functions); and of course, judicial nominees. He noted that yesterday Daschle "made a commitment" (undefined by Ari) to the President about the nominations on hold and that some Senate members now are objecting to the commitment.

We're a little light on photos today.

[ohioWfan]

Yes, I see them in post #65. Beautiful!!

When I get out there again, I'm going to try to get to that museum!

(And maybe I can meet you too!)

[GretchenEE]

You're too funny.

Can you put yourself into those beach pictures and imagine the salt and sea?

Oh dear Lord I love the Puget Sound!

[GretchenEE]

Well, I can categorically say that I am (sniff), Much more interesting than a dusty old historical site! ;-) And I would love to meet you (and hubby) if you arrive here on another Washington vacation.

Where did you visit when you were here before?

[ohioWfan]

OH, that is SUCH a beautiful shot, Howlin, and I never saved it!! Thank you!!!

[Howlin]

I stole it from rintense!

[mtngrl@vrwc]

I stole it from rintense!

Uh oh. If that's the case most Bush Babes/Bucks are thieves!

[ohioWfan]

Well, I kinda figured you'd be more interesting that a bunch of old Army uniforms, but you never know these things for sure, ya know! ;o)

We took our Pacific Northwest vacation in 1997. It was our penultimate trip in order to cover all of the 48 continental states, the last of which took us to Louisiana, and the Big Easy.

When we were there we spent several days at Mt. St. Helens (FASCINATING!), spent some time in Seattle, Olympic Nat'l Park, ferry to Victoria, Canada, and a little bit in Oregon. We camped the whole time, and wondered why it never got warm the entire time we were there! It is SO beautiful, and it was clear enough to see quite a few of the major peaks. We got some fabulous shots of Mt St Helens and Spirit Lake.........wonderful trip!!

[GretchenEE]

You selected some of the best places to see while here.

When I was a child (way before St. Helens had her hissy fit), my church had a summer camp on the shores of Spirit Lake -- called The Camp of the Holy Spirit. It was blown to oblivion ... I had camped as an adult on the Toutle River, in another area that was obliterated by the St. Helens' eruption. Thankfully I was living in the Seattle area when it blew so the ash wasn't so very bad up here, but it was hellacious to the south, west, and east.

I love taking the ferry to Victoria - I love the Olympic Peninsula (there will never be enough vacation days to explore everything!).

About being warm - you just have to leave that notion behind! When it gets warm, we remove a few layers. hehe

[McLynnan]

I hope Crawford, Texas, spontaneously combusts as soon as the media gets there.

What did I do to deserve such a wish? Please, please, please no! It is nasty, icky, disgustingly hot here (that's a whine and your cue to feel sorry for me). We need to get word to Helen to pack only black polyester so the deadly sun rays will be absorbed by her skin and keep her nice and toasty.

[McLynnan]

Gretchen, thanks for tonight's Dose and I am blown away by the beauty in the first picture. Absolutely gorgeous!

[GretchenEE]

Thank you, hipixs, for posting Remarks by the President in Photo Opportunity with the Cabinet, including the text of Bush's speech on the latest attack on Israel, and the economy.

[Inspectorette]

WooHoo, GretchenEE!! I'm actually here on the same day ;-) Thank you for your hard work (although I know it's a labor of love).

[GretchenEE]

It's kind of mind-boggling to me that one can walk along Seattle's Elliott Bay, right in the middle of one of the largest deep water ports on the West Coast, and find such tranquility.

[ohioWfan]

Have you been to Mt St Helens recently, Gretchen? We were so shocked by the devastation......what was it, 17 years after it erupted? It was unbelieveable! We hiked down to the lake itself which is covered with logs, and went to the side with the Visitors Center, and hiked on that side too. I think it was called Lava Canyon.

I wondered what progress has been made in the 5 years since we've been there.

Interesting side point. The mud flow erosion that took place at Mt St Helens formed a canyon there, in just 5 days that is 1/40th the depth of the Grand Canyon, with the same geological make-up, that scientists claim took millions of years to make. As believers in a young earth, my husband and I noted, that possibly.....just possibly, the Grand Canyon might have been formed by something catastrophic......like say, a Flood?

When we asked the Park Ranger to comment on it, he ignored us. :o)

[Howlin]

I know she thinks I forgot, but I did not.

McGavin's birthday gets lost in the Christmas rush, so I promised her we'd have a fake birthday for her in July.

So here it is.......let's all celebrate McGavin's BIRTHDAY tonight!

[GretchenEE]

McGav, I am SO HAPPY to be able to celebrate your mid-year celebration of last year's overlooked birthday notice! Here's a summer-looking b-day wish.

[Howlin]

Well, I meant figuratively. How about just the gym or whatever it is where the press meets? :-)

[mystery-ak]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

[McLynnan]

There is a place on the side of the highway where the press parks all their trailers and satellite equipment. Perhaps a little grass fire? The Crawford PTA is going to make the gym as miserable as possible for the press. They don't like the press, big surprise, huh? They don't like the air turning blue around their children, the cigarette butts tossed on the ground, the Starbucks cups, etc. I bet those career PTA mommies will be sticking to the press like white on rice watching their every move.

[Howlin]

Get down there and do some firsthand reporting!