A few days ago I visited my wife’s preschool class and someone — my memory is confused on this point, but I suspect it was my wife — suggested that I read to them. I sat down and within about 5 seconds had 8 books in my lap. I said I would read a page or so from each, and proceeded.
Audience participation was excellent —
they seemed to know their letters and numbers pretty well — and I found myself wondering, why can’t I get the Legislature to pay attention like this? For that matter, why don’t more of our lawmakers know their letters and numbers this well?
The first time I met these kids, it happened to be "W week," so my wife introduced me as "Mr. W," which is the way the kids greet me now. I think that gives me extra cachet with them — I’m not just some guy, but the guy behind the famous letter.
Anyway, it was nice to have such a civil audience, although a brief fight did break out over who had chosen the book I had just read from. That kind of behavior we do see from lawmakers.
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At least you didn’t cowardly continue to read to the children for seven minutes while your country was being attacked, and your citizens awaited some display of leadership. That would have made you the real Mr. “W”.
Jimmy… give your lame broken record lecture a break. At the time President Bush was notified, one plane had struck the World Trade Center… for all anyone knew at that point in time was that it could have been an accident.
Fortunately for us, we didn’t have someone like you want to see in that chair a few years ago. I can only imagine the chaos stirred up by our president jumping up, screaming, and looking for the nearest doorway to stand in while waiting for the sky to fall down around him. I can picture George Costansa (Seinfield) pushing the kids out of the way during the birthday party fire episode.
I’ll take a cool and collected president over a screaming hysterical one any day.
Bill, I haven’t herad that story in a long time; I didn’t think there was anyone left who’s still telling it.
Here is what Andrew Card said to President Bush at about 9:10 AM on September 11:
“A second plane has hit the second tower. America is under attack.”
So your understanding of what happened is totally wrong.
And I don’t understand Bush’s leaving a room would have caused chaos. Suppose he had said, “children, something important has come up, and you’ll have to excuse me,” and left. Wouldn’t the children have been able to accept that?
I can only imagine the chaos stirred up by our president jumping up, screaming, and looking for the nearest doorway to stand in while waiting for the sky to fall down around him. I can picture George Costansa (Seinfield) pushing the kids out of the way during the birthday party fire episode.
-Bill C.
In the black and white mind of the conservative there are only two options available in any given situation, both of which are extreme. Here the only other action the president could have taken when notified that a SECOND plane (that fact is not in dispute) had struck the WTC was to jump up and run around histerically. No third option was available to the president that would have both addressed the urgency of the situation AND maintained a sense of calm within the classroom was possible. This whole episode shows just how shallow conservative thinking is.
Even if these were the only 2 options available I would maintain he choose the wrong option.
Hal and Bud: So have you decided who you will vote for in the primary… Hillary or Obama???
Bud: Too bad we won’t have a third option next November. It’s a shame that you’re above human, or one hell of a great Monday morning quarterback.
Rather than vote I think I’ll finish My Pet Goat. If it’s good enough for the president it’s good enough for me.
The real smoking gun is that the secret service didn’t sweep Bush out of there the second they realized that hijackings were under way.
The President’s schedule was well known in advance; Booker Elementary was very near an airport. Had there not been foreknowledge, the agents would have swept Bush out of there faster than you can saw toot sweet. The possibility of frightening a classroom full of children would not be a consideration. The President’s feelings about the matter would not be a consideration. They are trained to physically pick up POTUS and remove him to a secure location. End of story.
Unless they knew exactly how many hijackings to expect. Unless they knew exactly where those planes were going.
Think about it. Yet another “failure” of the system, I suppose.