Posted on 09/05/2007 5:24:02 PM PDT by silent_jonny
President Bush arrived in Sydney, Australia yesterday to attend the annual Asian-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC). Today he met again with his friend and ally Australian Prime Minister John Howard as they toured Sydney Harbor.
The two leaders then met with Australian troops on Garden Island Naval Base where they joined them for lunch. President Bush personally thanked the troops for their continued service in the War on Terror. (Transcript)
Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino: “[The president] said he was very proud to be with them, they're very courageous. And one of the things I overheard him say to some of the troops I was sitting with is that our military is very proud to serve along with them” (Transcript)
Prime Minister Howard and President Bush held a press conference this afternoon at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney. Afterwards, they formally signed a defense trade agreement and then joined each other again for dinner.
Back in the States, First Lady Laura Bush held a roundtable with the press at the White House, discussing the situation in Myanmar (Burma). The Bush Administration condemns the country’s recent crackdown on pro-democracy activists and the president is expected to speak about the matter during APEC.
President Bush: "It's inexcusable that we've got this kind of tyrannical behavior in Asia. It's inexcusable that people who march for freedom are then treated by a repressive state … And those of us who live in comfort of a free society need to speak out about these kind of human rights abuses." (Transcript)
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island 
I was watching & waiting too...LOL!
Till I noticed someone made it in,then I went to answer someone’s freepmail.
It’s all good!
President Bush smiles as he travels by boat on Sydney Harbour to Garden Island naval base for a lunchtime visit with Australian troops, September 5, 2007.
That’s not a yaught, this is a yaught!
:)
HUBBA HUBBA..thanks jonny. ready for a bath & sleep & those are two great pix.. Nick has put on a few pounds & has gotten a bit more salt mixed in with the pepper but he looks terrific.. When POTUS was in Ohio during the campaingsn in 2004 Nick was most often along & very pleasant to talk with.. He has a great voice
Hi Purple
Howdy... ;o)
Hi K.!
Hi. :) How’s it going?
President Bush poses with members of the Australian military during a visit to Garden Island naval base before the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Sydney, September 5, 2007.
BBL. I’m going to watch the debate
Good evening thanks for the ping
The people and the scenery, look very welcoming and inviting!!
Congratulations - what would you like on your toaster?
Prime Minister Howard: I want to welcome all of you here today. And can I take this opportunity, because it is a gathering of the men and women of the ADF, can I take this opportunity of expressing on my behalf and on behalf of all of the people of Australia the immense admiration we have for the wonderful things you do, for your fighting qualities and for the way in which you not only fight well but you work well with the local communities of nations of where you are dispatched.
President Bush, center, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, rear left, sit with Australian troops during lunch at Garden Island Naval Base in Sydney, Australia, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007.
Prime Minister Howard (speaking to the president): We are delighted that you are accompanied by your Secretary of State, who is held in very warm regard in this country for the wonderful work she does. And can I say that the relationship between our two countries has never been stronger. It's a relationship that is deeply rooted in history and common values and something that is very important to all Australians.
President Bush: So the Prime Minister said, do you want to eat lunch with some of our finest citizens? I said, sure. He said, fine, I'm going to introduce you to the Australian Defense Force folks. And I appreciate you having me. It's a nice barbecue you threw for us. Looking forward to a little cowboy music. (Laughter.)But most of all, I've been looking forward to saying thanks for those who wear the uniform.
These are tough times. They're times I know that your families wonder whether or not it's worth it for you to be in the military. For those of you who have been to Iraq or Afghanistan -- I saw this wounded man over here -- you know that people wonder, is it worth it? Is it worth the sacrifice? And I told some folks today at a press conference, if it wasn't worth it for our own peace and security, I wouldn't put our own troops in.
I believe the work that you're doing along side our forces is necessary for peace. I believe we are writing one of the great chapters in the history of liberty and peace. And the Prime Minister has given me a chance to thank you, so I want to thank you. You've got a fabulous military.
I talked to our folks all the time about what is it like to be side by side with the Aussies again? And they say, it's a great honor and a privilege. So thanks for being in the military. Thanks for representing your country. Thanks for making the sacrifice necessary for peace. The work you're doing is necessary work and we're going to win. And we'll succeed. And when people look back at this chapter in the history of the world, they're going to say, thank God there were folks like you all.
So, Mr. Prime Minister, I'm honored to be with you. May God bless you all. May God bless our countries. Thanks for having me. (Applause.)
silent_jonny:
WOW . . . THANK YOU for posting so many amazing photos from Australia!
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The following are some quotes from DEAD CERTAIN that touched my heart and I KNOW will touch yours as well:
“These days, Bush began each morning with a Presidential Daily Briefing. The first item was always Iraq, and the report listed the day’s damage: this many killed and wounded, that many targets bombed. It had become Bush’s habit to take out his pen and circle the number of casualties. Then to close his eyes for a moment. And then to turn the page.”
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“When you’re responsible for putting a kid in harm’s way, you better understand that if that kid thinks you’re making a decision based on polls — or something other than what you think is right, or wrong, based upon principles — then you’re letting that kid down. And you’re creating conditions for doubt. And you can’t give a kid a gun and have him doubt whether or not the president thinks it’s right, and have him doubt whether or not he’s gonna be supportive in all ways.”
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“I fully understand that the enemy watches me, the Iraqis are watching me, the troops watch me, and the people watch me.
The other thing is that you can’t fake it. You have to believe it. And I believe it. I believe we’ll succeed.”
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[2000 campaign]
“They (the politicos) felt a strange tingle in the presence of George W. They loved the guy. Loved the realness: pounding back the Cheetos, . . . gossiping about the sexual exploits of the traveling press. He was unfailingly kind to the B-teamers. Hated to keep anyone waiting — always on time. . . . Stepping into his hotel room in the morning, they’d find him reading his Bible over breakfast. He revered his wife, was noticeably less jagged when Laura was traveling with him. And it was kind of sweet, his unabashed longing to be back home in Texas. . . “
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MORE QUOTES FROM DEAD CERTAIN:
THE MSM . . .
“Press conferences? For whose benefit were they, in the end? Or, as Bush said to an aide, “Why should I put on makeup just so David Gregory [of NBC] can show the American people how smart he is?” (He took acrid delight in watching the TV correspondents spray their hair and apply their powder as if prepping for the prom.)”
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“. . . such obstinancy would scarcely endear the Bush White House to the Fourth Estate. The president’s calculation was that the press’s affections could never be counted on anyway . . . [relative to the NY Times] . . . he saw little percentage after the campaign in granting that bastion of eastern liberalism any interviews. And so he did not. . . . Would that rile the Times’ editorial board? Bush didn’t lose sleep over it. As he told a friendly journalist, “I don’t spend a lot of time seeking out shallow opinions.”
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“We’re going to get clobbered in the editorials,” someone sighed.
“Don’t read the editorials,” Bush snapped. “They’re never going to like what we do. Just try to figure out what the right answer is.”
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I LOVE THIS MAN! [And that’s what you’re going to get from this book. Supporters will read this book and determine (beyond the occasional snark and leftist analysis) that it verifies everything we LOVE about this President . . . Detracters (particularly those suffering from BDS) will read the exact same passages and determine that it verifies everything that they HATE about the President. After all, the reasons the left/radical right despise George W Bush are the very same reasons we LOVE the man!! So this book will actually appeal to BOTH audiences — what a deal for the author!]
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I encourage you to visit this sight and ADD a TAG that reads “great man” or “great president” or “best president ever” . . . The BDS sufferers are all over this page — we need to get busy and add some perspective!!
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Certain-Presidency-George-Bush/dp/0743277287/ref=pd_ts_b_3/103-9115649-7950262?ie=UTF8&s=books
Don’t you know...the Aussie’s are just lovin’ listening to that Texas Cowboy.
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