Happy Veterans Day.
Today, at a re-dedication ceremony for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on the Hudson River, the west side of Manhattan, President Bush received the Intrepid Freedom Award. In his speech he said the part of his job as President that he will miss most is having the honor of being Commander-in-Chief of the men and women of the Armed Forces.
Laura Bush received a standing ovation when the President mentioned her and she received the loudest of applause. In contrast, Hillary Clinton barely received a smattering of applause from those in attendance. The audience remained sitting. Interesting.
The Bush administration has more than doubled the money going to veterans programs and care, as well as implementing advanced programs for mental health.
It is a disgrace that some of the nation's largest newspapers don't even acknowledge the day on the front page of their publications. The New York Times was all about leaking military secrets yesterday on the front page but no acknowledgement of Veterans Day today, much less any thanks to the brave men and women who have lost their lives in pursuit of freedom of speech, even the hate filled speech of The New York Times.
The Houston Chronicle, the newspaper in my city, put a story about a group preserving and recording stories from battlefields on the front page. Below the fold. The heading above the headline of the story did say "Veterans Day". Better than nothing, I suppose. The large photo of the President and Barack Obama in the Oval Office took the front page above the fold spot.
Some in the Bush administration are expressing displeasure that the staff of Barack Obama leaked some of the details of the discussions held yesterday. Rookie mistakes. Hopefully they will mature and receive better job training.
The incoming administration is receiving top coordination with the outgoing staff. They will benefit from a well organized transition, one not given to the Bush administration when they came into office in 2000. The tone is set at the top. This President, with dignity and grace, has paved the way. There will be intact keyboards, no letters missing. No furniture taken. No offices vandalized.
Leading by example.
3 comments:
America's veterans put their lives on hold, deploy overseas, incinerate our enemies, return home and continue to build this awesome place.
America and the world can never thank ya'll enough.
President Bush's administration, for all its faults, has been nothing short of mature and professional in its conduct. I've heard the Clinton White House described as yuppies in a frat house; just look at how they trashed the place before turning over the premises to the incoming Bush team, including tearing off the "W" on keyboards. Compare that with how Bush has taken good care of the White House and how gracious he's been in welcoming the Obama family and doing everything he can to put the welfare of the country first and make a smooth transition happen.
The MSM puts on page one what they value most as "news." In this case, I suppose it is true: a picture is worth a thousand words.
"The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools."
-Thucydides
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