Posted on 03/19/2006 2:39:18 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: The first couple arrived back at the White House from Camp David earlier today. The President then walked over to the White House press corps and made a brief statement about Iraq. Here is the full transcript:
Remarks by President Bush Upon Arrival at the White HouseWASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --
The South Lawn
12:56 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: This morning I had a phone call with our ambassador to Iraq. And the ambassador informed me of the progress that the Iraqis are making in forming a unity government. I encouraged the Iraqi leaders to continue to work hard to get this government up and running. The Iraqi people voted for democracy last December; 75 percent of the eligible citizens went to the polls to vote. Now the Iraqi leaders are working together to enact a government that reflects the will of the people. I'm encouraged by the progress. The ambassador was encouraged by it.
Today, as well, marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Iraq. And it's a time to reflect. And this morning, our reflections were upon the sacrifices of the men and women who wear our uniform. Ours is an amazing nation where thousands have volunteered to serve our country. They volunteered to -- many volunteered after 9/11, knowing full well that their time in the military could put them in harm's way. So, on this third anniversary, the beginning of the liberation of Iraq, I think all Americans should offer thanks to the men and women who wear the uniform, and their families who support them. We are implementing a strategy that will lead to victory in Iraq. And a victory in Iraq will make this country more secure, and will help lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.
May God continue to bless our troops in harm's way. Thank you.
Most Americans are accustomed to thinking of the illegal alien problem in terms of Mexico and our southern border. So I found it somewhat tragi-comical that Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern discussed his concerns about illegal Irish immigrants to the U.S. with President Bush on Friday in a manner very similar that of the Mexican president. The following short item comes from an Irish newspaper's online edition:
Ahern makes plea to President Bush to help illegal IrishThe Taoiseach [Prime Minister] has made a personal plea to President Bush to assist illegal Irish emigrants in the United States.
He was speaking in the White House, at the traditional presentation of shamrock to the US President.
Mr. Ahern told President Bush that thousands of Irish people want to live out their American dream without fear of deportation.
"On this St Patrick’s Day, mindful of the resonance that this issue has for people, and Irish people, I would like to express the hope that a path may be found to enable current Irish immigrants to legalise their status in the United States on a permanent basis."
THE WEEK AHEAD: News is available through Wednesday.
Monday: President Bush is expected to discuss the global war on terror at the City Club of Cleveland the ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel on Public Square. After his speech, the president will spend about a half-hour answering unrehearsed questions from the audience.Tuesday: The President will welcome Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the White House for talks.
Wednesday: President Bush will be in Wheeling, West Virginia where he will conduct a Town Hall Meeting in regards to the War on Terror. The visit is at the invitation of the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce, and it is tentatively scheduled to take place in Capitol Music Hall.
Also this week, the Supreme Court will hear a crucial case involving presidential power to authorize military tribunals. The referenced article is excerpted from U.S. News & World Report (with an obvious typo in the article's date). Click the headline/link to read the entire piece.
Rules For An Unruly New War The high court takes up Bush's military tribunals
By Liz Halloran 3/27/06
It was November 2001, barely two months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when Osama bin Laden's personal driver was captured in Afghanistan and later shipped to the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Half a world away, President Bush was ordering up a new military tribunal system to try foreigners designated as enemy combatants and accused of war crimes in the ongoing "war on terror."
Next week those events will collide at the U.S. Supreme Court. In what is destined to be a landmark case, justices are scheduled to hear an appeal by that driver, Yemen native Salim Ahmed Hamdan, challenging the legality of Bush's tribunals--the first since World War II. The high court will finally have to weigh in on some of the most contentious and polarizing issues in the post-9/11 world: How should the United States treat non-American prisoners whose allegiances lie not with a country but an ideology? Does the president have the power to unilaterally decide not only which prisoners qualify as enemy combatants but what rights they have and under what justice system they should be tried? And, at the heart of it all, should past rules of war apply, or does the war on terrorism--so different from previous wars--require its own special standards?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: From the Presidential Radio Address, Saturday, March 19, 2006.
More fighting and sacrifice will be required to achieve this victory, and for some, the temptation to retreat and abandon our commitments is strong. Yet there is no peace, there's no honor, and there's no security in retreat. So America will not abandon Iraq to the terrorists who want to attack us again. We will finish the mission. By defeating the terrorists in Iraq, we will bring greater security to our own country. And when victory is achieved, our troops will return home with the honor they have earned.
Q Scott, The New York Times this morning devoted half a page to news from New Mexico that after police Sergeant Billy Anders killed a white supremacist Aryan brotherhood ex-convict named Earl Flippen, who had just murdered his wife, but also murdered Anders' police partner, Deputy Robert Hedman, and was shooting at a three-year-old girl with his .357 Magnum. But Sergeant Anders has just been sent to prison for one year for shooting Flippen, who was handcuffed. And my question, will you join me in asking the President for executive clemency of this police officer?
First?
Pinging you to the Sunday Dose.
He walks over to make a statement to the media while she heads inside.
Stepping off Marine One.
Thanks, Wolfstar. Just a few glimpses will carry me over to next week. lol
LOL...I love those pictures...
Maybe he needs to go to Capitol Hill and rub the heads of Biden and Levin...they aren't very good at hiding their very receding hairlines!!!
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