White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card speaks beneath a poster of President Bush during the Maine Republican Party convention at the Augusta Civic Center on Friday night
Posted on 05/15/2004 3:29:25 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER
White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card speaks beneath a poster of President Bush during the Maine Republican Party convention at the Augusta Civic Center on Friday night
AUGUSTA — White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card talked about President Bush the man on Friday night, describing his respect for the office of the presidency and the tears he shed with families in the aftermath of Sept. 11.
Card shared some of his personal recollections of Bush with several hundred people gathered at the Augusta Civic Center for the state Republican Convention.
“Maine is going to be in the right column Nov. 2,” Card said. “We all know it.”
Card talked about the president's respect for the office his father once held and how he informed the president of what happened Sept. 11.
He described bending down and whispering in the president's ear: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.”
With images of Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Sen. Olympia Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins projected behind him, and American flags on every table, Card spoke of the president's leadership in a time of war and his ability to give detailed commands to the FBI and members of his cabinet.
As the Republicans at the convention ate a late supper, Card spent 40 minutes talking about why Maine Republicans need to work hard this election year to make sure Bush gets another term.
Most in the room listened in near silence, clapping politely at a serious, and at times solemn, speech from a man in the president's inner circle. Card, a native of Holbrook, Mass., has been chief of staff in the current Bush administration since November 2000.
While introducing Card, Peter Cianchette, a gubernatorial candidate in 2002, said the convention drew the largest crowd in the history of the party. Throughout the weekend, 1,600 people were expected to participate in the convention.
He also mentioned Card's New England roots and that he owns a home in Maine.
Card worked his way up the political ladder, starting as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, a former General Motors vice president, and a former special assistant in the Reagan administration.
From 1988 to 1992, Card served as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff under former President George Bush. After that, he worked as Secretary of Transportation.
He spoke of the “dark ages” — referring to the Clinton Administration — and the joy he felt as he watched Bush take the oath of office in January 2001.
Much of his speech focused on the days following Sept. 11, when Bush gave the FBI a new mission and refocused the duties of his cabinet. He said the FBI was transformed the day Bush put the agency in charge of preventing a future attack.
He described the president's visit to Ground Zero, his speech on top of a crumpled fire truck and his visit with victims' families. Instead of going to a microphone to address everyone in the room, the president spent two hours with individuals.
“He went to every single person in that room,” Card said. “He spoke with them. He prayed with them. He cried with them. He comforted them.”
Card used his description of the president's actions as a way to rally the people who will be out campaigning for him throughout the summer and fall. He reminded them to pay their respects to the men and women who are fighting overseas, and noted that Maine is supplying a large number of soldiers to the war effort.
“The president's leadership is very critical at this time,” he said. “It's critical for our land. It's critical for the world.”
Maine Republicans opened their biennial state convention this morning at the Augusta Civic Center.
(Augusta-AP) -- After the opening formalities, Republicans heard from President Bush himself in a five-minute video in which he declared his vision for the country and took a couple of jabs at Democratic candidate John Kerry.
Party leaders are now introducing legislative candidates who they hope will win them a majority in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
GOP leaders say party unity will be a major theme at this year's gathering, which will also give the party to showcase candidates Brian Hamel and Charles Summers, who are trying to unseat Maine's two Democratic members of the U.S. House. President Bush's chief of staff, Andrew Card, will be keynote speaker at this evening's convention banquet.
http://www.wlbz2.com/newscenter/article.asp?id=13619
Any first hand FReeper reports?
I'm still awaiting the link for the photos. Meanwhile, here are some related items.
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Charles Summers, who wants to replace four-term U.S. Rep. Tom Allen in southern Maine's 1st District, made a pitch for party support as he took the stage before Republican delegates at the party's state convention Saturday......"But let me say this, I believe that when facing someone who has been as inattentive to Maine, and as partisan in Washington, as my opponent ... we're going to win."
...Summers accused Allen of doing too little to help Maine defense installations and contractors, and chided him for opposing President Bush's tax-cut plan and Medicare prescription drug benefit...
...Summers, who has no primary challenger, pledged to support legislation to let small businesses pool together to leverage lower group health insurance costs...
..."I won't walk away from their needs," said Summers, who is also a public affairs officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves. "I'll stand and fight for Maine's interest on defense issues ... I will make it happen."
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Aroostook County redevelopment executive Brian Hamel, whose sights are on Maine's 2nd Congressional District seat, touted his record for creating jobs as he introduced himself to Republican delegates at their state convention Friday.
"I think Mainers are ready for a congressman who brings a proactive agenda to Washington," Hamel said in his address at the Augusta Civic Center. "A congressman who will work tirelessly to reverse the job losses in the Second District." Hamel, of Presque Isle, hopes to defeat first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud in November. Like the Republicans' 1st District candidate Charles Summers, Hamel has no primary challenger...
...The 2nd District comprises most of Maine, except for a southern and coastal swath that includes Portland and Augusta. The 2nd District includes Limestone, home of the former Loring Air Force Base, a former bomber base whose closing in 1994 hit like an economic bomb shell...
Hamel gained a measure of prominence as president of the Loring Development Authority, which helped to transform Loring into a business center. Hamel said it has restored more than 1,000 jobs in the hard-hit region.
"We now have 20 thriving organizations at Loring -- more civilian workers employed today than prior to the closure," said Hamel, adding that Aroostook's population has reversed a steady decline.
Isn't this Charles Summers guy one of O'SNOWE's lackeys?
He looks like the fellow who regularly represents her at the County Committee Meetings?
Didn't the GOP run one of her RINO quisling rumpswabs (unsuccessfully, of course) for 2nd District in the 2002 election?
Is this HAMEL chap any good? Is he a real Old-Line Constitutionalist Republican, or another RINO SNOWE-CLONE?
Is anyone other than one of Sen. SNOWE's personally picked Staff members allowed to run for Congress from Maine any more?
Just what we need; replace a 'Rat with another RINO Snowe-Clone in the US House!
Mao Tse Tung would call that "A great leap forward" no doubt... not that Summers stands a snowballs chance of winning, or even coming close here in New Somalia.
Have you heard the radio ad recently sponsored by moveon.org praising our 2 RINO Senators for their "courage" in resisting Pres. Bush's "Tax cuts for the rich"?
That pretty much proves to me which trough these two Queens of Democracy are feeding at!
I've still got a few 2' X 8' red plywood COLLINS signs from her last campaign, by the way; if anyone wants them please advise. Otherwise they are going to the dump, or will be cut up to panel my new outhouse up t' the camp with.
I'm kinda glad I wasn't at the Convention this year, frankly. Probably would've shot my hyperkinetic gob off and offended the sap out of some liberal RINO up there...
...Again.
You've got mail
Charlie on the radio.
The next Speaker of the Maine House, David Bowles introduces 166 House candidates (for 151 seats)
The candidates line up.
I heard about 1600 delegates were in attendence.
Our next Governor, Peter Cianchette, heads up the Maine Bush Campaign.
Brian Hamel, 2nd Congressional District Candidate.
Wonderful, uplifting GOP thread Bump!!
Thanks RL!!
Ms.B
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