Sgt Schultz
08-07-2004, 11:33 AM
"9/11 School Principal Praises Bush Reaction to Attacks
Taking his cue from conspiracy filmmaker Michael Moore, John Kerry attacked President Bush this week for not reacting quickly enough when he got word of the 9/11 attacks during a visit to Sarasota, Florida's Emma E. Booker elementary school.
Booker school principal Gwendolyn Tose-Rigell says, however, that Bush did just the right thing by staying put and continuing to read to her children. And she says the president's performance that day made her want to vote for him, even though she's a Democrat.
"I don't think anyone could have handled it better," Tose-Rigell recently told the Sarasota Herald Tribune. "What would it have served if he had jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room?"
She recalled the scene at 9:05 a.m. on Sept. 11, two minutes after the second plane hit Tower 2, when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card squeezed past her to alert the president.
The Booker school principal didn't hear what Card said, but told the Tribune, "I knew it was something serious. The president bit his lip and clenched his jaw. I didn't know what happened, whether it was something with his wife or children or something with the nation."
"I remember praying that God would watch over our school and protect our children," she added.
Tose-Rigell didn't vote for Bush, but said that after watching the way he handled himself in her classroom while under incredible pressure, "That day I would have voted for him."
"I've heard people say, 'Why didn't you get the children out of there? Where were they supposed to go? Many of their parents weren't home. Some didn't have rides. It would have created chaos."
Principal Tose-Rigell concluded, "There is nothing anyone can tell me to change my perspective, because I was there."
end of story
My comment - Bush is in a total lose-lose here with those who hate him. We already know they think he reacted like a "deer in the headlights" on 9/11.
But what if he did what they claim he should have? Let's say Bush jumped up and sprang out of the school to his limo and thence to his waiting plane. Then, ignored all of the advice of his advisors and the Secret Service and raced back to Washington D.C. - totally ignoring the pre-planned scenario of protecting a democratically elected leader of the free world that was implemented by the Secret Service.
The result? The left would say he was a "reckless cowboy" and did it all for show. By the time he got back to Washington the attacks were over (how convenient!). He acted so "bravely" as part of this show to show what a big tough guy he was knowing (because after all, he knew the attack was coming) full well he was in no danger. If this were a "real" attack that the President was not aware of beforehand he'd have known that he would be a prime target and speeding back to Washington and the White House would have endangered countless people in Washington! All part of a vast conspiracy to guarantee re-election in 2004.
The reality? Card told him what happened and his aides and the Secret Service sprang into action to prepare for the Presidnent's departure and flight on Air Force One. Bush had to wait several minutes before he could leave. I can't imagine waht was going through his head - being a President of a country receiving its worst attack EVER? It would have been rash and stupid to leap up and run for his limo and plane without the added security measures that had to be set up for his departure. Many contingencies had to go into effect.
If the left would simply take off their "conspiracy blinders" and let go of their deep hatred of Bush they could see this rationally. But alas, that won't happen.
Taking his cue from conspiracy filmmaker Michael Moore, John Kerry attacked President Bush this week for not reacting quickly enough when he got word of the 9/11 attacks during a visit to Sarasota, Florida's Emma E. Booker elementary school.
Booker school principal Gwendolyn Tose-Rigell says, however, that Bush did just the right thing by staying put and continuing to read to her children. And she says the president's performance that day made her want to vote for him, even though she's a Democrat.
"I don't think anyone could have handled it better," Tose-Rigell recently told the Sarasota Herald Tribune. "What would it have served if he had jumped out of his chair and ran out of the room?"
She recalled the scene at 9:05 a.m. on Sept. 11, two minutes after the second plane hit Tower 2, when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card squeezed past her to alert the president.
The Booker school principal didn't hear what Card said, but told the Tribune, "I knew it was something serious. The president bit his lip and clenched his jaw. I didn't know what happened, whether it was something with his wife or children or something with the nation."
"I remember praying that God would watch over our school and protect our children," she added.
Tose-Rigell didn't vote for Bush, but said that after watching the way he handled himself in her classroom while under incredible pressure, "That day I would have voted for him."
"I've heard people say, 'Why didn't you get the children out of there? Where were they supposed to go? Many of their parents weren't home. Some didn't have rides. It would have created chaos."
Principal Tose-Rigell concluded, "There is nothing anyone can tell me to change my perspective, because I was there."
end of story
My comment - Bush is in a total lose-lose here with those who hate him. We already know they think he reacted like a "deer in the headlights" on 9/11.
But what if he did what they claim he should have? Let's say Bush jumped up and sprang out of the school to his limo and thence to his waiting plane. Then, ignored all of the advice of his advisors and the Secret Service and raced back to Washington D.C. - totally ignoring the pre-planned scenario of protecting a democratically elected leader of the free world that was implemented by the Secret Service.
The result? The left would say he was a "reckless cowboy" and did it all for show. By the time he got back to Washington the attacks were over (how convenient!). He acted so "bravely" as part of this show to show what a big tough guy he was knowing (because after all, he knew the attack was coming) full well he was in no danger. If this were a "real" attack that the President was not aware of beforehand he'd have known that he would be a prime target and speeding back to Washington and the White House would have endangered countless people in Washington! All part of a vast conspiracy to guarantee re-election in 2004.
The reality? Card told him what happened and his aides and the Secret Service sprang into action to prepare for the Presidnent's departure and flight on Air Force One. Bush had to wait several minutes before he could leave. I can't imagine waht was going through his head - being a President of a country receiving its worst attack EVER? It would have been rash and stupid to leap up and run for his limo and plane without the added security measures that had to be set up for his departure. Many contingencies had to go into effect.
If the left would simply take off their "conspiracy blinders" and let go of their deep hatred of Bush they could see this rationally. But alas, that won't happen.