Posted on 02/11/2005 3:42:07 PM PST by Wolfstar
TODAY'S EVENTS: Vice President Dick Cheney met with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon in private. The North's announcement and its decision to pull out of six-nation disarmament talks was "a matter of grave concern," South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told reporters in Washington, where he arrived on a previously scheduled trip to meet Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. (The Foreign Minister had been scheduled to meet with the Secretary and members of Congress during this visit.)
The Vice President and Foreign Minister discussed the North Korean situation. News reports from Seoul indicate that South Korea initially reacted with shock and suspicion on Friday to the first declaration from the reclusive North that it had nuclear weapons and had pulled out indefinitely from six-party disarmament talks. China and South Korea joined in urging the north to return to the negotiating table. Australia, one of the few Western countries to have official ties with the North, tried to mediate.
President Bush sent an envoy to China last week to urge a renewed push to get North Korea back to stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons program, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. The envoy, Michael Green, an Asian expert on the National Security Council, carried with him a letter for Chinese President Hu Jintao, the officials said. Similar letters were given to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
[Note that GWB took this initiative a week before North Korea's announcement -- just in case the MSM or Dims decide to whine about how the President is "not doing enough" to deal with this matter.]
In addition to the Korean matter, the President attended the formal swearing in of the new HHS Secretary, Mike Leavitt. That was the President's only public appearance so far today, as he prepares for his first 2nd-term trip to Europe (10 days from now).
Also today, President Bush nominated U.S. ambassador to NATO, Nicholas Burns, to a top position at the State Department. Burns is a former ambassador to Greece and has served as the State Department spokesman. He was nominated to become undersecretary for political affairs. In addition, the President has picked the US ambassador to Egypt, David Welch to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near East affairs.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: From the President's remarks at the formal Leavitt swearing in ceremony.
"To reinforce America's health safety net we are also increasing support for community health centers. These compassionate facilities meet a critical need by providing primary care to the poor and the uninsured. They also take the pressure off of our emergency rooms and our hospitals. When I took office, I pledged to open or expand 1,200 community health centers by 2006. Thanks to the hard work of this Department, we've opened or expanded 619 centers so far, and we're on track to meet our objective by the end of next year. Now Secretary Leavitt and I are working toward a new goal: We will ensure that every poor county in America has a community health center."
It's way too easy -- especially on the social threads like "Day in the life..." -- to let our guard down and reveal too much about ourselves. Even in cases where we trust a particular poster because we've encountered them many times and have had nothing but positive interaction, we forget this:
Every FReeper needs to fully absorb the fact that, of the many, many thousands of views FR gets every day across all threads, not every lurker is a conservative and/or a Republican, or someone who harbors only good will toward those of us to the right of center in our politics.For every person who actively posts to any thread, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of lurkers. (For the benefit of those who don't know the meaning of the terms, "lurkers" are people who read threads but never post.) The "Day in the life..." threads routinely get several hundred replies, and well over 6,000 views. For events like the SOTU or inaugural, views in the 10,000 range are not uncommon.
The stats are undoubtedly much higher for the really hot "live" threads.
FYI to #1 here.
Hi, Wolfie.
Here.
Hi!
Thanks for linking the thread.
Friday Dose going up. Please wait until the all clear before posting other photos/images. (Am filling in for MJY1288, just for today.)
Hello everyone
Here!
I saw that picture before. I just wanted to say "It's ok, Mr. President. You're doing great." I know he does not need me to tell him this, but that was my reaction.
Howdy...MUD
Wolfstar, as always, thank you for your infomative, interesting doses, I so look forward to them...GM
The First Lady listens as boys participating in the Passport to Manhood program share ideas about respect and love during a visit to the Germantown Boys and Girls Club Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2005 in Philadelphia. Passport to Manhood promotes and teaches responsibility through a series of male club members ages 11-14. White House photo by Susan Sterner.
A passage from the First Lady's remarks yesterday at Helping America's Youth Event, Wigle Community Center, Detroit, Michigan
Since my time as an elementary school teacher and librarian, though my years as First Lady of Texas, and now as First Lady of the United States, I have worked to emphasize the vital importance of those first few years of life for children. The first five years are critical for children to develop the physical, emotional and cognitive skills that they'll have for the rest of their lives. Infants and toddlers need parents and caregivers who read to them, who engage them in conversation, and who foster their development, so when they start school, they're ready to learn.
In fact, these first early years are also critical to the social and behavior development of young children. Research shows that boys who exhibit highly aggressive behavior as early as kindergarten have a greater chance of being involved with drugs and violence as adolescents. And research from Yale University shows there's a substantive linkage between early reading failure and truancy and depression later in life for young people.
Our children are living in an increasingly complex world, and boys especially are having a tough time growing up. Boys are more likely than girls to be arrested for crimes. The Department of Justice estimates that more than 90 percent of gang members in large cities are boys. They are also more than four times likely than girls to carry a weapon to school. And by age 18, boys are 17 times more likely than girls to be in jail.
A particularly nice photo of our new SecState as she arrived for the EU-US Summit yesterday.
Condi waives as leaves Luxembourg after the EU-US ministerial Summit.
Dang it!
In this photo released by the Department of Defense, the head of U.S. Central Command, Gen. John Abizaid, answers a reporter's question during a media availability with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and U.S. Army Commander of Multi-National Force Iraq Gen. George Casey Jr., right, in Baghdad today.
The Defense Secretary and Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi leave the Prime Minister's office after a meeting, in central Baghdad today.
I hate it when he goes to Europe. Both their media and ours goes ga-ga over all the protest-freaks that gather over there. It's like you never see the President....unless it's a picture of his burning in effigy. Euroweenies......
Truly a First LADY.
Good evening and thanks!!!
Hi back at ya' -- much happening on the diplomatic front today.
Hi everyone! I'll be checking in and out because I've got fish in the oven... mmmmm! Great photos Wolfsar, thanks!
You're welcome. Most important non-news FR thread in awhile.
Hi, snugs. The Vice President was active on the diplomatic front today, albeit in private.
Hi, Clara Lou.
YES!!! Not a first...never mind.
The photo was from yesterday, I believe. But it seemed to me to symbolize the burdens he carries -- on this day when North Korea has decided to get bellicose again.
Hi, MUD. Speaking of "mud," it seems the Dims are busy trying to drum up a scandal -- any scandal -- with which to tar the administration.
You are so very welcome, GM. Happy to oblige.
What?! [looking around pretending to be startled] Is Ted Kennedy at it again?
Amen to that. She's magnificent. I'm particularly pleased with her initiative regarding the needs of boys, and intend to do whatever small things I can to help publicize her efforts.
Late afternoon here [grin], but good evening to you, "CowgirlCop."
But there ain't no reason that we should be on the DEFENSE...we gotta go after Slick Willie and the HildaBeast with all our guns blazin'...if we don't, the HildaBeast and Slick will be moving back into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue four years from now!!
FReegards...MUD
"It" can mean a lot of things with Teddy.
Hiya, Wolfstar :)
IMHO that is what he prefers and is best at
Evening, Snugs.
Hi, "Eh." I can only stay a short time, too. Don't have the same amount of free time on a weekday as I do on the weekends.
In what way?
Sec. Rumsfeld appears to be pinning an award on an Iraqi soldier in the video grab image, it looks like several American soldiers were receiving awards as well.
They haven't learned yet that their attempts at smearing this administration usually boomerang on them.
Nice pictures today - thanks.
LOL! Ain't that the truth. I wonder if he met any mermaids while on his swim to the office today.
Hello Jonny
Yes, indeed. What, if anything, is the EU doing to help put pressure on North Korea?
I hear where you're coming from on that one ;o) I just can't get over how great Laura is looking. She seems to look better every time I see her.
Have not heard but have not watched much UK news this last couple of days what with Camilla/Charles and Blair doing whistle stop tours of the country with Brown for pre-election publicity have been giving it a miss but will try to find out and let you know.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.