White House Guests for Bush Address

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-wh/2003/jan/28/012803738.html ^ | January 28, 2003 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Liz]

White House guests at the State of the Union address (one seat left empty to symbolize "the empty place many Americans will always have at their tables and in their lives" because of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks):

-Four people who volunteer in or run organizations that help the needy: Henry Lozano of Los Angeles, who works with a group called Teen Challenge and runs Californians for Drug-Free Youth; Tanja Myles of Baton Route, La., who founded the "Set Free Indeed" program for addiction problems at the Healing Place Church; Sister Maria Fest, a Pittsburgh nun who directs a family support services center for the Sisters of Divine Providence, and Lenwood Compton, a college student from Detroit who hopes to teach middle school math and mentors other youth through AmeriCorps and other programs.

-Two doctors hurt by malpractice insurance costs: Kurt Kooyer, a pediatrician who relocated from Mississippi to West Fargo, N.D., because of rising liability costs and who helps provide health care to underprivileged families, and Denise Baker, a Bradenton, Fla., obstetrician/gynecologist who stopped delivering babies last fall because her insurance expenses exceeded her salary.

-People, families and small business owners, who would benefit from President Bush's tax-cut proposal: John Cochran and Greg Hantak, co-owners of JS Logistics in St. Louis; Joseph and Kristen Pappano of Sterling, Va., and Richard Phillip and Georgia Louise Beck of Colorado Springs, Colo.

-Two members of the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan: Air Force Reservist Capt. Maureen Allen of Montgomery, Ala., - seated next to the first lady - who served as the senior medical member of an evacuation flight crew in Afghanistan from last June to September, and Army Master Sgt. Juan Carlos Morales of Holley, N.Y., a reservist who served five months at Bagram Air Base and over six months in Kabul with a team that worked on school repairs, medical clinics and water wells.

-Marine Corps Corp. Michael Vera, of Jersey City, N.J., who was less than 20 yards from the site of impact of a hijacked plane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11 and who, with a fellow Marine, went into the burning building 14 times to rescue people.

-Presidential historian David McCullough.

-A Peoria, Ill., couple, James and Mildred Beemer, who switched health care coverage to a cheaper network plan when premiums got too high.

-Two Bush family members, the president's sister Doro Koch and a sister-in-law, Margaret Bush.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Henry Lozano of Los Angeles, who works with a group called Teen Challenge

Teen Challenge is associated with the pentecostal denomination that John Ashcroft is a member of-- the Assemblies of God-- that should thoroughly piss off daughter of Satan Nancy Pelosi.

[Alissa]

I can't help but remember how the Supreme Court boycotted one of Clinton's SOTU speeches. The media mentioned it, but otherwise totally ignored it. I thought it was a HUGE story. I assume the boycott was for lying under oath to a Federal judge.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Satan Nancy Pelosi

:-)

[barker]

-Marine Corps Corp. Michael Vera, of Jersey City, N.J., who was less than 20 yards from the site of impact of a hijacked plane into the Pentagon on Sept. 11 and who, with a fellow Marine, went into the burning building 14 times to rescue people.

Words fail me here. Bless the Marines

[colorado tanker]

Looks like the emphasis will be the economy and domestic policy instead of Iraq. So the Dims rev'd up the wrong spin machine earlier this week. Dubya has learned from his father's mistakes, all right. He'll probably give a prime time speech devoted to Iraq in a few weeks.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Isn't Assemblies of God the Tammy Faye Baker group?

[kitkat]

***He'll probably give a prime time
speech devoted to Iraq in a few weeks.***

More likely next week when Tony Blair is here.

[SuziQ]

I assume the boycott was for lying under oath to a Federal judge.

I believe you're right! I can't tell you if the media mentioned their absence, or not, because I never watched any of x42's SotU addresses. I couldn't stand to look at the man, and I certainly didn't need to listen to his lies!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Who’s Not There Entire Supreme Court Bench Sits It Out

The Associated Press W A S H I N G T O N, Jan. 27, 2000 — It’s the Supreme Court’s latest unanimous decision — a no-show at President Clinton’s State of the Union speech tonight.      Supreme Court officials told the House sergeant of arms earlier in the day that none of the court’s nine members would attend.      “Justices of the court had planned to attend the State of the Union address but travel changes and minor illnesses have intervened,” a brief note said. “No justices will be in attendance but they do thank you for the invitation.”      At least some Supreme Court members, wearing their robes, have represented the federal government’s third branch at every State of the Union address in recent memory except 1986, when President Ronald Reagan’s speech was rescheduled because of the explosion of the Challenger shuttle.      The absences of Clinton’s two appointees to the nation’s highest court — Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer — are health-related. Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Breyer has the flu and Ginsburg is “coping with side-effects of radiation therapy.” The justice had colon cancer surgery in September.      Justice Clarence Thomas was in New Orleans following the death Sunday of his younger brother, Meyers. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was believed to be traveling today to New York City, where he was scheduled to speak Friday at St. John’s University. At Work Earlier Today As of this afternoon, at least three of the court’s members — Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and David H. Souter — were at work in their offices across the street from the speech’s venue, the U.S. Capitol.      Justice John Paul Stevens, often at his Florida condo when the court is in recess, was believed to be at his suburban Washington home, where his wife is recovering from recent hip surgery.      Inquiries into the whereabouts of Justice Antonin Scalia went unanswered today.      Energy Secretary Bill Richardson was also staying away. By tradition, one member of the president’s Cabinet is instructed not to attend in the event of a catastrophe at the Capitol.

[GraniteStateConservative]

No. That was PTL.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Yep! That's my fellowship. Teen Challenge has the highest rate of "cured" drug and alcohol re-hab patients (5 years clean is the government standard for "cured"). 81% according to a study in the late 80's I believe.

[Damocles]

Henry Lozano of Los Angeles, who works with a group called Teen Challenge

We have had a local chapter of Teen Challenge come to our church several times in the past. They have a quality, tough minded, effective program for helping strung out addicts. They offer the guys involved something they have rarely had; somenone who genuinely cares for their welfare.

Great program!

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

It was before we kicked her and Jim out! We also kicked out Swaggart a couple of years later.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Jim and Tammy were credentialed with us, but since they would not comply with Church discipline, they were removed from the Fellowship. Jimmy Swaggart was removed for the same thing.

Good to say that Jim Bakker has turned his life around, even published a book titled "I Was Wrong", and works at a homeless shelter in inner-city LA.

[Alissa]

Thanks! What the AP doesn't say is hilarious!

[N. Theknow]

Anybody hear how lunch went today with the talking heads?

[colorado tanker]

More likely next week when Tony Blair is here.

I'm sure there will be speeches then, probably a declaration that the Blix report proves what we've been saying, that Saddam is in material breach of 1441. My guess is the final decision to proceed will be taken then, but the public face will be just to prove to the world we've done all we can to avoid war we're giving Saddam one last chance to disarm by an ultimatum date, probably mid to late February.

When the deployments are complete and we're ready to move, Bush will need to give a rally the nation speech.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Flame away, but I don't like these staged salutes to guests in the audience at State of the Union addresses. It seems like a way for the President (in general, not W in particular) to cover himself in reflected sympathy or glory, to force members of the opposition party to applaud, etc.

I suppose in the age of television it's almost inevitable that there would be these kind of staged events, but I think they usually detract from the dignity of the event and amount to cheap props.

Lincoln didn't need a wounded Civil War veteran to make his point in the Gettysburg Address.

[Liz]

Dummycrats couldn't figure this out?