Bush spends quiet day at Texas ranch

AP | 11/28/03 | JENNIFER LOVEN

[kattracks]

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) There yesterday, here today. His lifestyle ? both presidential and personal ? was as different from Thursday to Friday as it could be. There, indeed, was a nocturnal landing near here, but nothing that could rival the spectacular, lights-out landing in Baghdad on Thanksgiving day.

President Bush made it back to his 1,600-acre Central Texas property shortly before daybreak after a nearly 36-hour journey that had him starring at a holiday dinner for U.S. troops at Baghdad International Airport.

But a presidential trip so secretive that it was almost without precedent was possible partly because the White House falsely told news reporters he was enjoying Thanksgiving here with his family Thursday ? information that was published and broadcast to the world even as Bush's darkened plane soared toward Iraq.

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan, however, assured reporters that Bush really was there Friday.

He taped his weekly radio address, which offered a similar message of resolve and gratitude to troops in Iraq. Bush also saw his parents briefly in the morning before they had to leave.

He went fishing with his father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president. Neither his father nor his mother, Barbara Bush, knew of their son's absence until they arrived at the ranch Thursday morning and had to eat their holiday meal without him.

The president also chopped cedar and did some other mind-clearing chores around his land, Buchan said.

But though the trip was over, the airwaves still were full of talk of the Baghdad visit. Some carped that it appeared a political stunt designed to produce striking images and public sympathy for a president under fire about his Iraq policies.

"Let the chips fall where they may," said Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, who accompanied the president to Baghdad. "But for the American people, I don't care what your party, they know that the president of the United States, as commander in chief, going to see these troops is an important step."

At a school where the White House press corps set up shop when the president is in town, Rice was questioned about the deceptions the White House used with reporters, and thus with the public, to protect the secrecy of the trip.

"It wasn't going to Cleveland, we knew that," she said. "Everyone knew that this was extraordinarily sensitive and it would have to be scrapped if word leaked out."

Rice dodged questions about whether the Secret Service had lodged objections to the trip, saying only that agents were "prepared to go forward" and were "right in the middle" of the planning.

"I'm not going to try to characterize what they thought, but they were involved in the planning from the very beginning," Rice said. "The president made clear that he wasn't going to take undue risk."

[Servant of the 9]

Bush spends quiet day at Texas ranch

Got Proof?

So9

[WinOne4TheGipper]

In other news:
So What?

[Texas Eagle]

My favorite part of the whole thing was the part where the reporters on board Air Force One were told that if word leaked about where the plane was going, they'd all be thrown overboard and the plane would turn around and come home.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

U. S. President George W. Bush walks down the steps of Air Force One after returning to Texas following his surprise Thanksgiving Day trip visit to U.S. military troops stationed in Iraq , November 28, 2003. REUTERS/Larry Downing Reuters - Nov 28 3:28 PM

[anniegetyourgun]

The press seeths over the fact that they were out of the loop. This is why I'll never be asked to do a job like Ms. Rice. When confronted on who knew what and when, I'd want to stick out my tongue and say, "that's for me to know and you to find out."

[mylife]

"He went fishing with his father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president" I had considered going fishing myself this morning, but the fishing ain't so good in Texas at the moment, but I'm sure a slow fishing day lends itself to a father son chat. :^)

[mylife]

the duck hunting ain't great right now either!

[Right_in_Virginia]

He went fishing with his father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president.

Welcome home, Mr. President. We respect and love you, sir.

[deport]

Bush also saw his parents briefly in the morning before they had to leave.

He went fishing with his father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president.

---

Well which is it? or was it one cast and I'm outta here son? Don't catch them all.

[PhiKapMom]

"that's for me to know and you to find out."

Do you know what I would give to see a press secretary say that? It would be priceless!

Cannot imagine having to deal with these bunch of whiners posing as members of the press! UGH!

[mylife]

Well which is it? or was it one cast and I'm outta here son? Don't catch them all.


Im gonna take a wild guess that mom and dad didnt have more pressing matters to tend to, but also realized GW needs some time for himself. They spent time together together and the folks went home. Thats normal isnt it?

[mylife]

"They spent time together together"

Guess that there is one of them freudian slips! LOL!

[crz]

You think he might have slept a little. If he's like me and cant sleep on a plane he was in for a long flight..of course that wee bed they got for him on there might help and he can wander around. Still, I cant imagine some 30 some hours in the air. I often think of the bombers crews who had to make those long runs during the campaign.

[mylife]

You think he might have slept a little. If he's like me and cant sleep on a plane he was in for a long flight..of course that wee bed they got for him on there might help and he can wander around. Still, I cant imagine some 30(?) some hours in the air.

Im sure GW cut the visit short.

Funny how even folks in the know want to celebrate upon return from a trip from overseas.
They get down right hornery if you tell them you gotta get some ZZzzzz's, Hehehe!

Rest well George...tomorrows another day

[kattracks]

Maybe...maybe not :o)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The reports said that ten minutes after the flight left for Baghdad that the president was asleep. I think he takes sleep seriously, I would, in his position.

[Defender2]

#5. Good Photo, Oldeconombuyer!!!!:-)

[Guillermo]

Exactly.

They think it's "their right" to know what the President is doing every second of the day.

[padfoot_lover]

Wish our troups can come back and enjoy the holidays with their loves ones like mr. prsdient is doing. It is easy to make a secret trip and come back, but the troups he has sent to fight a phony war don't have such luxury.

Yeah, and I wish 9/11 had never happened, but it did. It's easier for our TROOPS to fight the terrorists making their way to Iraq now there in Iraq than in our cities here. I'm sure glad we have a GROWNUP in charge who is not afraid to look at the LONG TERM goals of the war on terror, including taking out evil dictators in cahoots with Al Quaeda. He's not a perfect president, but I admire him because he does what he thinks is right, not bothering with popularity polls.

[EGPWS]

President Bush made it back to his 1,600-acre Central Texas property shortly before daybreak after a nearly 36-hour journey that had him starring at a holiday dinner for U.S. troops at Baghdad International Airport.

But a presidential trip so secretive that it was almost without precedent was possible partly because the White House falsely told news reporters he was enjoying Thanksgiving here with his family Thursday ? information that was published and broadcast to the world even as Bush's darkened plane soared toward Iraq.

Hang him, hang him HIGH! /sarcasm

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I'd want to stick out my tongue and say, "that's for me to know and you to find out."

I would pay to see that. Or just tell them, "That's need to know and you don't need to know." Who do I bribe to get you that job for the day?

[Wolfstar]

Well which is it? or was it one cast and I'm outta here son? Don't catch them all.

Thanks for the hearty laugh. I'm still grinning as I type this response to you. Apart from your terrific busting of this sloppy reporting, the way you phrased it just tickled me enormously.

[Wolfstar]

What a way to make a living — other people get to do interesting and worthwhile things, but all you get to do as a reporter is live vicariously by describing or chatting about it. No wonder all the media seem able to do is diminish, poo-poo, and whine about the achievements of others. Collectively, they sort of remind me of the arrogant, grasping, evil stepmother and ugly/stupid/evil stepsisters in Cinderella — always wishing it was them whose foot fits the glass slipper, but knowing it never will.