A day in the life of President Bush (photos): 2/1/03

yahoo.com, netscape.com, whitehouse.gov

[rintense]

For the second time in two years, President Bush spoke to console and grieve with the rest of the nation in remarks regarding the tragic loss of the space shuttle Columbia. Bush left Camp David early this morning and returned to the White House as he followed the events over the Texas sky. In his speech, Bush succinctly expressed the fears of by stating, 'The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.' The President exchanged condolences with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as the first Israeli astronaut lost his life with six other Americans. All federal flags have been lowered to half-staff.

God bless the families of the brave souls who have joined the heavens they so willing chose to explore.

[rintense]

Thank you for sharing your prayer with us, and for joining us on today's thread.

[kitkat]

..............................HAPPY BIRTHDAY........................

[Wait4Truth]

he isn't obsessed with how history will see him.

That's an interesting thought...I agree...he isn't interested in how history sees HIM..but he is very interested in seeing to it that history is served well. He always says we have been called by history to act. He should one day be shown as one of our greatest presidents..my only fear is the liberal historians that are re-writing clinton's legacy as we speak. These people do not like President Bush and I worry about what lies they will write about him. Truth is more important, though, and that's what he lives by.

[reDublican]

Dear Lord,

Thank you...



Thank you...



Thank you...

[FoxGirl]

He just looks so tired to me.

Exactly what I was thinking as I scrolled through the photos. Such a burden he carries..

[Republic]

We are joining in prayer for our President, McGavin999. God answers prayers so awesomely and together, as we ask our Father to lift the burden way to heavy for any one man to carry, we can trust that He will and then some. Our Father loves President Bush...and the fire inside our President reveals this withing every single speech he has given. God has asked that we pray for our leaders, and our leader has asked that we pray for the safety of our homeland, so by joining together, we are obeying God's will and answering a request from our President. It is a privilege and in my case, a desire, to do just that.

kitkat-I am so sorry. I will be praying for Ruth. There are no words to describe a truly close friend. God Speed, kitkat.

[malia]

-and don't forget 'talk radio'. When a FoxNews reporter mentioned OKC and how well Clinton responded I just about chocked. For I remember Clinton's response.

[ReaganandDubyaForever]

Thank you for posting a dose tonight. I'm so numb! I feel so drained of all emotions.

[DrDeb]

Fournier (AP) actually produces a touching review of the President's day:


Bush Consoles Families of Shuttle Crew
Sat Feb 1, 7:54 PM ET Add Science - AP to My Yahoo!

By RON FOURNIER, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) sadly informed the nation Saturday of the worst space tragedy in 17 years, saying "The Columbia is lost. There are no survivors."

He consoled the families of the astronauts in a telephone call. Then in an address from the White House Cabinet Room he said of the seven-member crew, "We can pray that all are safely home."

Bush said the tragedy "brought terrible news and great sadness to our country," but he pledged to make sure their lives' mission continued.

"Our journey into space will go on," he said. The nation's flags, starting at the White House, were lowered on Bush's orders.

"I wish I was there to hug and cry and comfort you right now," an emotional Bush told the family members from the Oval Office. They were holding hands in a NASA (news - web sites) conference room in Florida, where they had expected to welcome their loved ones home from space.

Bush took calls of condolence from Mexican President Vicente Fox (news - web sites), Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites), French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) before the address. He talked to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien afterward.

Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, was aboard the shuttle. Bush and Putin discussed how the tragedy would affect plans for a shuttle to bring provisions to the space station manned by both Russian and Americans.

"These men and women assumed great risk in this service to all humanity," Bush said.

Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) telephoned Israeli Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (news - web sites) to express condolences and received calls from Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites).

The accident occurred as Bush was readying the nation for potential war with Iraq. He received word of the shuttle's loss shortly after a national security briefing at Camp David, where he had planned a restful weekend away from Washington.

The call came from NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe.

Addressing the nation later, Bush quoted Scripture and said, "The same creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to earth but we can pray that all are safely home."

His eyes were glistening as he asked God to bless the families and their nation.

Flanked by two flags, Bush spoke slowly, his voice falling almost to a whisper at some points, his brows furrowed and his mouth downturned.

He read the names of the seven astronauts — six Americans and the Israeli.

"All Americans today are thinking as well of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You are not alone," he said.

"The cause in which they died will continue," Bush said. "Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on."

Earlier, NASA Administrator O'Keefe, announcing the shuttle's demise, said he had spoken with Bush and the president had offered his "full and immediate support" to determine what had gone wrong and what to do next. O'Keefe spoke at a news conference in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

After getting word from O'Keefe, the president drove by motorcade from Camp David to the White House. A cold drizzle fell on Bush's shoulders as he strode to the Oval Office.

Later he went to the White House residence with chief of staff Andrew Card, looking down at his feet as they walked along the colonnade.

Inside the West Wing (news - web sites), several top aides, including foreign policy advisers and speechwriters, gathered outside the Cabinet Room. The rectangular room, located a few paces from the Oval Office, was lit brightly with television lights, its chairs taken to a nearby hallway and lined against a wall.

Bush stared into those lights 90 minutes later and spoke of the grief suffered by family members left behind. "Our entire nation grieves with you," he said.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge coordinated the government response. He contacted officials in five states, including Texas, where debris from the shuttle fell.

FBI (news - web sites) spokeswoman Angela Bell said there was no indication of terrorism.

Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) was briefed Saturday morning in Texas, where he was spending the weekend hunting, said spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise. She said he was not in the part of Texas where the shuttle was lost.

Late Saturday, Bush invoked his emergency powers to authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (news - web sites) to spend whatever federal funds are needed to faciliate the debris recovery and otherwise pay expenses in Texas and Louisiana related to the Columbia incident.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20030202/ap_on_sc/bush_space_shuttle

[NYC GOP Chick]

He's a prick, through and through.

I thoroughly despise him and his hideous family for what they did after 9/11. They have not one shred of decency nor dignity.

[Republic]

Oh geez, now I'm crying.

[kitkat]

***I will be praying for the will of God to be abundant in your friend's life. She is
blessed with your friendship.***

Thank you,BlessedAmerican, but I have to say that Ruth isn't the one blessed with friendship. I am the one who is blessed. She came along and decided to be my friend at a time in my life when I most needed a good friend.

[DrDeb]

Thank you for the moving pictorial-- the pix of the President and Barney touches my soul!!!!

Night All!

[CyberAnt]

You can always ask GOD for "boldness" to speak to her from HIS heart. GOD will give you the words. If she's your friend, don't allow her to shut you out; give it one more try.

I know ... that's asking a lot ... but isn't her life worth it ...??

[ReaganandDubyaForever]

I keep asking myself why God would allow this when so much has already happened.

[goodnesswins]

Prayers for your Friend Ruth as God helps her make her choices and helps you deal with them, too.

[rintense]

A friend walks in when the whole world walks out.

[Carolinamom]

KK.....many prayers for your friend and for you.

As for the cutting back on funding for the space program, I read on one of the threads today that it was Jimmy Carter who first cut back the space program. Funding was restored afterwards until, that is, Clinton who cut it once more.

I've often heard that the Lord does not give us more than we can bear. God must think a lot of President Bush to have given him so much of it. Thank you, God, for giving US this man as our leader.

We need this quiet haven tonight more than ever, rintense. Thank you so much for your selfless service.

[USMC_tangocharlie]

Thanks..I have been lurking for quite some time...today I felt I had to register and join the FReeper family.
There is no other place I have found on the net that combines intelligence, compassion, emotion, debate, humor, news, politics, research and discovery in such a selfless manner.

TC

[admiralsn]

Welcome sir!