Posted on 06/24/2004 8:34:01 AM PDT by kattracks
Michael Moore took a shot from Gwendolyn Tose'-Rigell, the principal at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota Florida where President Bush was speaking to students when he learned about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.In his film, Moore attacks the President for listening to Sarasota second-graders read a story for nearly seven minutes after learning the second Twin Tower had been hit by a jet.
Tose'-Rigell fired back, saying that instead of panicking the country and needlessly upsetting the children, the President did the right thing.
"I don't think anyone could have handled it better," she told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in a story published Wednesday. "What would it have served if he had jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room?"
Bush told the 9/11 Commission that he remained in the classroom because he felt it was "important to project strength and calm until he could better understand what was happening."
In his film, Moore says Bush failed to take charge.
Tose'-Rigell, who was at Bush's side, said she did not hear what White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered to the President but "I knew it was something serious."
"The president bit his lip and clenched his jaw," she said. "I didn't know what happened, whether it was something with his wife or children or something with the nation. I remember praying that God would watch over our school and protect our children."
Bush's presence, she said, had a calming effect and "helped us get through a very difficult day."
She told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune she didn't vote for Bush in 2000. "But that day I would have voted for him."
I HATE Democrats!
RATS are EVIL.
if Bush had waited any less the same critics would accuse him of rushing off to war half-cocked without any assemblance of thought.
You can bet If Bush had jumped up, screamed and ran out of the room, Sloppy the Hutt and all the other Bush bashers
would have accused him of over reacting, rushing to war,
and obviously scaring toddlers.
W did the right thing. Decisions were being made according to protocol.
Lol, you beat me to it. Quit typing what I'm thinking! ;)
Dittoes.
Keeping Calm because you have put competent people in decision making spots is the sign of a great leader! Democrats are weak knee-jerkers.
I suppose he coulda asked the teacher to accompany him to the faculty lounge, then implored her to "Kiss it! Kiss it!" :)
ping
Let's see what comeback Lumpy Reifenstahl as for this woman.
I'd love to have seen the expression on that pig-boy Moore's face when HE first heard that a plane had hit WTC.
Then again, maybe he was HAPPY about it.
When your a pessimist, every situation holds an opportunity to criticize. Mikey, no doubt, is on the wall of honor at the Pessimists' Hall of Fame.
Is it asking to much to refer to the man as "President Bush" rather than just "Bush"??
BTTT
Bush became the "damned if he does, damned if he doesn't" President in the wee hours of November 8, 2000 when Al Gore rescinded his concession of the election.
This is why the FEC is looking at limiting the run of this movie! It's a purely political film and needs to be treated as such. Not much more than a Democratic Infomercial.
She better watch her back now. Doesn't she know prayer in school is verboten?
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