"Yes sir President Bush...A bad ass chopper with a picture of John Kerry's face on the seat. Got it. Yes sir, we'll have it ready before the Republican convention!
/American Chopper fan ;-)
Posted on 05/30/2004 2:27:16 PM PDT by Laverne
WASHINGTON (AP) - Members of the Rolling Thunder motorcycling group revved their engines on the White House driveway Sunday during a visit with President Bush, who took about 10 bikers in jeans and leather jackets for an Oval Office tour.
The roar from bikers on the Mall nearby could be heard on the South Lawn as eight motorcycles, headlights illuminated and American flags jutting off the rear seats, rolled up the driveway to the South Portico where Bush was waiting to greet them.
Bush shook hands with Artie Muller, president of the veterans' advocacy group, and kissed Muller's rider, singer Nancy Sinatra, a veterans' supporter, who was dressed in a skirt, cowboy boots and a pair of dark shades.
Later, Bush addressed, via a telephone hookup, a Rolling Thunder rally at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the capital.
The president noted the letter of endorsement he received from the group last week. "Artie, I thought you were going to offer me riding lessons," Bush joked, thanking Rolling Thunder for backing his re-election campaign.
"Ride safe," he told them.
Other bikers who rode up the driveway included White House budget director Josh Bolton, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, and various Rolling Thunder leaders.
The group endorsed Bush in 2000 over Democrat Al Gore, a Vietnam veteran. This year, they chose Bush, who served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard during Vietnam, over John Kerry, a decorated veteran of the same war who is also a motorcycle enthusiast.
For the past 15 years, the group has announced its arrival with the roar of motorcycles - not unlike the sound of the 1965 bombing campaign against North Vietnam that was called Operation Rolling Thunder.
Rolling Thunder is an organization that seeks to create awareness of POW/MIA issues and promotes increased veterans' benefits. It has 70 chapters and over 7,000 members throughout the United States and abroad.
"In the Oval Office, I looked you in the eye as you told me of your relentless pursuit of finding out the plight of many of our POW/MIAs, and I appreciated so much your concern, your care and your persistence," Bush told the rally. "I also want to thank you and your organization, Artie, for honoring the men and women of our military who fight today in Afghanistan and Iraq."
The Kerry campaign said Bush's proposed budget cuts would affect veterans.
"It's pretty audacious of the president to brag about looking the leaders of Rolling Thunder in the eye considering that his most recent veterans initiative is a secret plan to cut almost $1 billion from the Veterans Affairs," Kerry spokesman Phil Singer said.
The administration, according to White House documents, has told officials who oversee veterans programs to prepare preliminary 2006 budgets that would cut spending after the presidential election. The documents show spending for the Veterans Affairs Department would fall 3.4 percent from $29.7 billion in 2005 to $28.7 billion. The White House says the memos sent to agencies contain routine guidance, and insist final spending decisions will not be made for months.
Gary Scheffmeyer, vice president of Rolling Thunder, said the president showed the group around his office, pointing out busts of presidents and paintings. Scheffmeyer said they talked about the war in Iraq, the fight against terrorism, veterans' health benefits and soldiers still missing from Vietnam.
Usually they have Rolling Thunder on CSpan but I didn't see it today, is it going to be tomorrow? There is nothing like the sound of all those bikes and knowing that each is a vet who loves their country.
Ping a ling.
I was out walking on the Mt Vernon train along the GW Parkway today, I was seeing big groups of riders the whole time. Lots of bikes in town.
I don't know what it meant to the Marine, but this old Vietnam Navy veteran shed a tear or two. The Marine stood in the saluting position with his elbow parallel to the deck for several hours at least. It was quite a physical feat with his right arm quavering to maintain the saluting position. The crowd was taking pictures and the cyclists were saluting him back. It was a real spontaneous happening, which will be remembered forever by those who saw it. We live in a great country and it will be great as long as we keep producing men and women like this Marine.
Now the party of Viagra, anti-smoking, and Yanni.
Is it my imagination, or is the author grinding her teeth?
What dork Kerry is.
Do we have an Freeper Psychologist that are bikers?
The reason I ask his he sold his Ducati and bought a Harley to ride it on Jay Leno's show to show he is a "real guy".
Analyze that one...This guy doesn't know who he is...
Breaking news, Kerry was in Vietnam
Good Lord, he probably won't be able to lift that arm for a week. What a tribute from that young Marine.
It is a Honda Goldwing. Right click picture and select properties. Rooters excellence in journalism shines yet again!
I bet they set a record this year. I really wish I could have been to this one.
A friend of mine who works at our Detroit plant is actively involved in his Mt. Clemens chapter of Viet Nam vets and I talked to him last week when he called me up to do a pension calculation.
I asked him "Jerry, who does your chapter support, Bush or Kerry?"
He replied "Kerry".
I then asked him why and he replied that Kerry served in Viet Nam and was wounded and earned medals.
This is not a personal attack on my friend Jerry who has a heart of gold and does a lot of volunteer work with veterans but all things being equal, he is not very intelligent but can repair a hi-lo with the best of them. I suspect he and the rest of the members of his post know very little about the controversy surrounding Kerry's alleged medals simply because their only news sources are the alphabet networks.......
Blatant teeth grinding! The author insinuates disbelief of the endorsee through TWO election cycles!
Dontchaluvit! <|:-)~~
"Yes sir President Bush...A bad ass chopper with a picture of John Kerry's face on the seat. Got it. Yes sir, we'll have it ready before the Republican convention!
/American Chopper fan ;-)
Artie is a great guy....I bet he would offer the Prez riding lessons if they could figure a way to get that "Evo" motor in a "Sedgeway"
He's already got his riding boots!!
Mikey, Get off the Dang Phone and Take Out the Garbage!! NOWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! <|:-)~~
Easy there big fella, that'll take a littel gettin' used to! :-)~
little even! :_(
It was quite a show. I watched from The Ellipse.
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