Attorney General Alberto Gonzales addresses Justice Department employees on his last day of work as Attorney General in a ceremony in the Great Hall at the Department of Justice Building, Friday, Sept. 14, 2007 in Washington
Posted on 09/14/2007 5:51:55 PM PDT by silent_jonny
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice embraces Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, left, at a farewell ceremony at the Great Hall at the Department of Justice Building, Friday, Sept. 14, 2007 in Washington.
Great choice of photo for your toaster and great choice of color
President Bush waves as he walks with outgoing White House Press Secretary Tony Snow as they head to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 14, 2007.
Sigh. I can only hope. He IS the best. God love his heart.
Just to look at him sets my entire world right. :)
Alrighty now, snugs thinks he belongs to her, so tread carefully.....
Anyone know what “Patraeus” would be anglicised? Peters?
LOL. Lynn Cheney must be the most blessed woman in America. :)
I have always loved that man. I think he is the VERY best the Republican party has ever produced. PLUS, he is an excellent dancer. :) He is Sooooooooo to die for, has the BEST shoulders in the Country and looks SO fine in a suit.
***Anyone know what “Patraeus” would be anglicised? Peters?***
My guess, and only my guess, would be more like Pater, or Father. Or perhaps a Patriarch.
More on that day from All American: Why I Believe In Football, God and the War In Iraq by Robert P. McGovern, Captain US Army--
I returned to Ground Zero each day to continue digging. On Friday, September 14, I was walking back with some firefighters and construction workers to the pile after taking a break when we came across some yellow police tape blocking our path. Was the area unsafe? I asked some of the other workers nearby what was going on. One guy told me that no one could pass through right then because President Bush was on his way to the site. Security personnel were basically creating a path for the president and his party to follow.I was glad to hear that the president was coming because, frankly, some of the volunteers at the site were beginning to wonder if he was going to show up at all. We all heard the reports that it might be too dangerous for the president to travel to New York City so soon after the attack. The huge pile of debris was very unstable and the site was actually still burning in some areas. There was also concern that there might be another terrorist attack. Based on these circumstances, the Secret Service had advised President Bush to stay in Washington, but he refused.
President Bush knew he needed to get to Ground Zero and see for himself the destruction inflicted upon his fellow citizens. In the ruins of the World Trade Center, in a piece of Manhattan instantly turned into sacred ground, those of us who saw the carnage firsthand believed that our commander in chief ought to share our outrage.
As we stood there wondering if we were even going to get a glimpse of the president, someone in the advance team approached me and some guys standing with me. “Would you guys like to meet the president?” he asked. “Sure,” we replied.
We were escorted under the yellow police tape and asked to stand in a line near the remains of 7 World Trade Center. I stood there with some construction workers and a police officer. We said nothing to one another. We didn’t know one another and probably never would, but we were now about to experience something that none of us would ever forget. That seemed to be happening a lot the past few days.
After a few minutes, we saw the president coming toward us in his motorcade. They pulled up and the president, Mayor Giuliani, and Governor George Pataki climbed out of the big black Suburban … They all looked somber and deeply moved. The president was dressed in dark slacks and a gray bomber jacket, not the usual suit and tie. His face was taut, and he seemed older than he looked on television. He shook the hands of a few firefighters, police officers, and construction workers who were standing across the street from us. Then he made his way over to our side.When the president approached me, I saluted him as any soldier should when approached by the commander in chief. I was also the only military person there, so it seemed like the thing to do. He saluted me back. No smile, no twinkle in his blue eyes. I saw the face of a man who was determined to right a horrible wrong.
We gripped each other’s hand and he looked me in the eye and thanked me for helping. I thanked him for coming, but then, for some reason, I didn’t stop with that. I blurted out, “We’re ready, sir.” I don’t know why I said that, and in retrospect, it was a crazy thing to stay. Here I was, a reservist—and a JAG officer, not a combat solider. Who the heck was I to tell the president of the United States that “we” were ready?
But that’s how I felt. I wanted him to know that his military was up to the task … It was time for me to do my part … That’s how I felt at Ground Zero in the presence of my commander in chief. And that’s how I still feel now …
So when I said, “We’re ready, sir,” to the president, I was awkwardly trying to let him know that I had seen these great men and women in action and I knew what they were capable of. I knew they were up to the task of capturing and killing the men who were responsible for September 11 and for protecting us from future attacks. I knew it in every fiber in my body—I knew it in my bones—and I just wanted him to know it, too.
At first the president just nodded silently and moved on down the line, but after shaking a few other hands, he stopped, and then walked back over to me. I was startled, but I remembered to return to the position of attention as he approached. What was he doing? Did I say something wrong? The president then put his hand on my left shoulder and looked me right in the eye. “I know you’re ready,” he said. “And we’re going to hit more than just dirt this time, too!”
Of course, I knew what he was talking about—the failed attempt to take out bin Laden in 1998, when our cruise missiles hit nothing but dirt in Afghanistan. He had said exactly what I was feeling at that very moment—what I think most Americans were feeling. We had been hit hard and now it was time to hit back.
The president then surveyed the destruction of 7 World Trade Center with Mayor Giuliani and Governor Pataki. A few minutes later, he and his party returned to their motorcade. The cars passed near where I was standing, and as the president passed, I saluted the motorcade. I could see him inside the car. He returned my salute. By this time, a huge crowd of rescuers was gathered at the fare end of the street—hundreds of people held back by just police tape and wooden barricades that outlined a path just wide enough for the motorcade to pass through on its way to the next destination. As the president’s Suburban disappeared into the throngs of people gathered to see him—pumping their fists and cheering—I couldn’t help but feel an incredible sense of patriotism. As I slowly followed up the street on my way back to the pile, I was struck by the sound of the crowd chanting “USA! USA!”A few minutes later, Bush visited another work party just east of where I was. That’s when he captured the world’s attention by throwing his arm over a retired firefighter, grabbing a bullhorn, and vowing that the people who knocked down the World Trade Center would soon be hearing from us. I didn’t see that famous scene unfold firsthand, but when I saw it on TV, I let out a cheer. “Damn right!” I said out loud. Those bastards would pay for what they did.
Pinging you to some Tony Snow pics I think you’ll like :)
I like Tony Snow. I pray for his recovery.
You know, I had the chance to meet Dick Cheney one time. I had to decline. More’s the pity. I just couldn’t see spending the rest of my life in a Federal jail for trying to molest the Vice President of the United States. :)
One of my dreams is to get a Christmas card from him. I haven’t put forth any effort, but it would be wonderful.:)
No--the woman in the cartoon is too attractive to be Sheehan ;)
Anni of Ground Zero rubble shots... moved to renewed memories & tears!
Never forget!...Never surrender!
Good night Jonny...gotta go tend to my supper/dinner.
Spaghetti water is boiling!
You are a woman who knows herself! Too funny!
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.