Newsreports from 6/18/04 the day Cindy met Bush at Fort Lewis

[Generic Other]

It's interesting to review what was going on that day when Bush gave Cindy a few minutes of his precious time.

Newsreports from the day Bush met Cindy Sheehan June 18, 2004:

Fort Lewis officials declined Thursday and Friday to talk about the president's possible itinerary. But there's no shortage of folks for him to visit:

•There are more than 1,000 soldiers who have returned from long combat tours in Iraq.

•There are some 400 troops getting ready to leave soon for the Middle East, in some cases for their second trip.

•The 5,000 or so troops of the Army's second Stryker brigade are getting ready to go to Iraq in the fall.

•And there are thousands of family members who have loved ones in Iraq with the first Stryker brigade.

Post officials said they'd say more about the visit later this week in coordination with the White House.

http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/798/2/


Washington Post:

Fort Lewis is home of many special operations forces and lighter combat brigades that are part of Bush's plans to transform the military. McCain noted that "26 soldiers who deployed from here have given their lives in this war," including Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals football player who was killed by "friendly fire" in Afghanistan in April. Bush used the speech for an aggressive defense of his handling of Iraq, saying, "The future of a free Iraq is now coming into view."
McCain sat wedged between two of the 50 soldiers in the front row of the 200-soldier backdrop that the White House had set up behind Bush in a hangar that was so steamy the troops fanned themselves throughout Bush's 38-minute remarks. McCain joined, but did not lead, the 51 interruptions for applause.

Afterward, Bush met privately with 10 wounded soldiers and then spent 2 1/2 hours with 106 relatives of 28 fallen soldiers. McCain held similar meetings separately, and wept, an official said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53413-2004Jun18.html

Bush getting chummy with the troops:



Another report:

Although administration officials acknowledged that they have found no evidence of an Iraq link to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Cheney did not rule it out. During a stop at Fort Lewis, Wash., Bush said he has had no second thoughts about the Iraq invasion. He cited Iraq’s support for anti-Israel terrorists as one of several justifications for war. “This is a regime that sheltered terrorist groups. This is a regime that hated America,” he said. “I had a choice to make — either to trust the word of a madman, or defend America. Given that choice, I will defend America every time.”

http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/929.html

MSNBC:

Bush spent much of his speech here offering a fresh defense of the war he launched 15 months ago, trying to ensure that morale among troops does not sag.

[Lefty48197]

1. "trust the word of a madman, or defend America."

OBVIOUSLY they're mutually exclusive.