Question: One thing, Mr. President, is that you have no idea
how much you've done for this country, and another thing is that how did you
feel when you heard about the terrorist attack?
Bush: Well... (applause)
Thank you, Jordan.
Well, Jordan, you're not going to believe what state I was in when I heard
about the terrorist attack. I was in Florida. And my chief of staff, Andy
Card -- actually I was in a classroom talking about a reading program that
works. And I was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw
an airplane hit the tower -- the TV was obviously on, and I use to fly myself,
and I said, "There's one terrible pilot." And I said, "It must
have been a horrible accident."
But I was whisked off there -- I didn't have much time to think about it,
and I was sitting in the classroom, and Andy Card, my chief who was sitting
over here walked in and said, "A second plane has hit the tower. America's
under attack."
A forwarded email regarding GWB's now infamous lies about what
he was doing at the time of the September 11th attacks.
============================================
I am a sound engineer in Sarasota, Florida. Last night I was working an event
for a program called "Let's Roll into Reading", put on by students
at a local school to honor the heroes (firemen, police, etc.) who had been
reading to school kids over the last few months.
After the program, I had the opportunity to talk with Principal Gwen Rigell
of Booker Elementary school for about twenty minutes. It was quite an interesting
conversation. I asked her if in fact the President had been watching the events
of 9-11 unfold on TV before he went into that classroom and she told me "Absolutely
not." There was no TV in the corridor or anywhere near that classroom
(not to mention that the footage he allegedly saw didn't even exist at the
time).
She said that he knew from his people that the first plane had hit and was
told by Andy Card during his time in the classroom about the second plane.
After he left the classroom, he was whisked into another classroom (their
green room if you will) where they had a TV. However, this was the first opportunity
he had to see any footage.
Why would he go to such great lengths to make up a story, complete with details
about what he was feeling while watching this TV, not once but twice? And
why did he sit there as long as he did, knowing that not one but two planes
had just struck?
It's sad that the picture that was plastered all over the programs and banners
last night was of our Commander in Chief sitting on his ass reading children's
books while our country suffered as it did. That is the picture I will always
remember.
Thanks,
Steve Lemke
Digital Olive Productions
Sarasota, Florida