Posted on 09/18/2007 4:00:20 PM PDT by kristinn
President Bush and Angelwood
Mr. Trooprally
Mrs. Trooprally
Front: Angelwood, tgslTakoma; debm29palms. Middle: Kristinn, Flib, Mr. Trooprally, ponsdorf. Back: Laura Youngblood.
President and Mrs. Bush
Vice President Cheney and Angelwood
Angelwood, Karen Hughes, Mrs. Trooprally
SEcretary of State Rice
President Bush with military families.
Members of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com were invited to the White House today for an event for troop support organizations with President Bush. Other groups included Vets for Freedom (in the beige polo shirts), Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission (in the red polos shirts), Move America Forward, Gathering of Eagles, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
It was a beautiful and moving day. The President spent what seemed like two hours meeting with everyone who wanted to speak with him. There were many Gold and Blue Star parents there who wanted to tell the President they still support the mission.
During the President's speech, the crowd erupted in to a loud, boisterous chant of "USA! USA! USA!" Yep, the Freeper table started it, LOL!
President Bush Meets with Military Support Organizations
South Lawn
9:07 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. Laura and I are honored to welcome you here to the South Lawn. Welcome to the people's house. (Applause.) First, I'd like to thank Katy Benko for singing the national anthem. It's not only a beautiful morning to sing the national anthem, it's a beautiful setting in which to sing the national anthem. Katy's husband, Ryan, is deployed to Iraq. Katy, make sure you email him and tell him how appreciative we are of your service, and tell him how appreciative all of us are of your voice. (Applause.)
Laura and I want to thank the members of our -- my administration for joining us. Mr. Vice President, we're really thrilled you're here. Thank you for coming, sir. (Applause.) Secretary of State Condi Rice is with us today. Madam Secretary, appreciate you being here. (Applause.) Secretary Jim Nicholson of the Veterans Affairs Administration; thanks for coming, Jim. (Applause.)
For you veterans who are here, there is no more solemn obligation by your government to make sure you have all it takes to -- for your health care, and for your support. I feel a very strong obligation, since it was my decision that committed young men and women into combat, to make sure our veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan get all the help this government can possibly provide. (Applause.)
I appreciate the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, for joining us; the Secretary of the Navy, Don Winter; General "Hoss" Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife Sandee. By the way, General Cartwright is a Marine. (Applause.) I'm not playing to the crowd or anything. (Laughter.)
I want to welcome members of this crowd who have lost a loved one in this war against terror. Our hearts go out to you. We love you. The best way to honor the sacrifices that your loved one made, as well as the sacrifice you have made, is to accomplish the mission, is to achieve the peace. (Applause.)
Laura and I welcome the families who have got a loved one overseas, whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan, fighting these extremists and terrorists. The best way to honor your loved one is to make sure that he or she has the full support of the United States government as you accomplish the mission that we have set. (Applause.) By the way, for the loved ones here, I fully understand the best way to sustain a volunteer army is to make sure you're happy -- (laughter) -- is to make sure you've got good housing; to make sure that you've got good health care; to make sure that you understand that we know that you're in this fight along with your husband or wife or son or daughter. And that's exactly how this administration feels. (Applause.)
For the veterans who are here, for those of you who are veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan, thank you for volunteering in the face of danger. (Applause.) And for the people who aren't veterans yet, still remain on active duty, thanks for wearing the uniform of the greatest country on the face of the Earth. We're proud of you. (Applause.)
I want to thank the service organizations and those who have come together to support our families and our troops. I can't tell you how important it is for organizations like the Vets for Freedom or the VFW or the American Legion and other groups to -- Gold Star Mothers, got you, okay, thank you -- Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Mothers, all the mothers, yes. (Applause.) Every day is Mother's Day as far as your concerned, isn't it? (Laughter.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Don't forget the dads.
THE PRESIDENT: And the dads, yes. I knew this was going to happen. (Laughter.) Yes, the wives; okay, fine. (Laughter.) Everybody is supporting our troops. I want to thank you for doing it. (Applause.)
It's important people hear from you. It's important people hear your voice. And I want to thank you for organizing. I want to thank you not only for the grassroots support of our families, I want to thank you for going up to Capitol Hill. And here's a message I hope you deliver: The Commander-in-Chief wants to succeed -- (applause) -- and the Commander-in-Chief takes seriously the recommendations of our military commanders. General Petraeus came back to the United States to deliver the recommendations he made to me. Inherent in his recommendations is, one, his belief we're succeeding, his belief we will succeed, and I ask the United States Congress to support the troop levels and the strategies I have embraced. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. When the history books are finally written about this chapter in the war against extremists and radicals, they will recognize certain truths: one, that we recognize that if we were to retreat from the Middle East the enemy would not be content to remain where they are, but they would follow us here. We recognize that the best way to protect our homeland is to defeat an enemy overseas so we do not have to face them here on the streets of America. And we recognize that liberty is powerful, that liberty will yield the peace that we want for generations to come; that will recognize that this generation of Americans did the hard work now, so that future generations could live in security and peace.
And so on this beautiful morning we thank you for your steadfast resolve, we appreciate your support of those brave souls who have volunteered in the face of the danger. We ask for God's blessings on the families and our troop in harm's way. And we thank you from the bottom of our collective hearts. God bless you all. (Applause.)
END 9:15 A.M. EDT
Kristinn - great to see this. How did the invite come about?
Keep up your good work---hope to join you on those 4 corners again one day soon.
see page 376 of Barbarba Bush’s book “Reflections” Doro, Sam, Ellie and Robert were with you guys
Good point.
No group is more deserving of a White House invitation than those who were there today. The families of the slain, those serving, vets, and DC’s faithful FReepers.
I am looking...:)
Snappy outfit on Mr. T.
I’m thrilled for each one of you!!
Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of folks!
I’m so happy and tickled for you and the rest of the Freepers getting to meet the President! I can’t hardly believe it... After all the years of work and hard labor....Congratulations and God Bless you!! What a wonderful honor.
I’m sure I speak for all of FR when I say how proud we are to have you representing us in DC.
You all so deserve the praise!!
You all are so Special!!
All of us FReepers out here in FReeperland are proud of all you DC FReepers that got the special invitation to the WH. You DC FReepers are the very best to represent FReeRepublic.com and we’re happy that Prez GW and the first lady thinks so too.
Way to go!!! You all are very deserving!!! : ))
Nam Vet
WOW!
The tie is my Marine Bull Dog tie. You can just make out the Bull Dogs on it.
We'll get a narrative up hopefully today about at least [Mrs] T's and my time there. We'll ping you all.
[Mr] T
I’ll call Al Gore, see if he’s got any ice! LOL!
Eager to hear every little detail! Don’t leave anything out!
tgsl, thanks for the ping.
I know BufordP is way jealous.
Thanks to all for representing the DC Chapter and FreeRepublic.
Thanks to Jim Robinson without whom none of this would be possible.
Don’t tell me. Tell trueblackman...and Sean.
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