WH Pool Report: Don't Worry, It's Only a Ford Wound
In this White House pool report, the President inaugurates a war on gas:
The presidential and vice presidential motorcades departed together in gas-guzzling tandem at 9: 51 a.m., arriving at Fort Myer at 9:57 a.m. for the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute and Armed Forces Hail marking retirement of Gen. Richard Myers as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and swearing-in of Gen. Peter Pace (first Marine to hold the job) as his replacement. . . . Cannon fire in honor of Gen. Myers set off at least one car alarm, meaning either the vibration was sufficient to set off the alarm or that our troops had successfully downed a Chevy.
Oh, the tragedy of friendly fire.
[ Reuters ]
Full report after the jump.
From: Press.Releases@WhiteHouse.Gov
Subject: POOL REPORT #1, 9/30/05
Date: September 30, 2005 12:18:44 PM EDT
Reply-To: Press.Releases@WhiteHouse.Gov
Pool report #1
9.30.05
The president goes to Fort Myer
The presidential and vice presidential motorcades departed together in gas-guzzling tandem at 9: 51 a.m., arriving at Fort Myer at 9:57 a.m. for the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute and Armed Forces Hail marking retirement of Gen. Richard Myers as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and swearing-in of Gen. Peter Pace (first Marine to hold the job) as his replacement.
Honor guards, bands, etc., were arrayed on the Summerfield Field parade ground when we arrived, making it seem as if we had arrived at halftime. Cannon fire in honor of Gen. Myers set off at least one car alarm, meaning either the vibration was sufficient to set off the alarm or that our troops had successfully downed a Chevy.
Event was open to correspondents. Bush text has moved. Other speakers included Rumsfeld, Myers and Pace. Rumsfeld spoke of Pace taking over “at this time of peril and promise.” He praised Myers for his work in helping topple “two brutal regimes” and freeing “50 million people.”
Myers said the stakes in current war “simply couldn’t be higher,” likening it to struggle faced in 1776. “We’re all in this war on terrorism together and we will win this war together,” he said, acknowledging Japanese, Canadian and Australian officials on hand.
Myers became emotional, stopping to gather his composure, when he talked about his wife Mary Jo and family.
Pace praised Bush and said “every single one of us in uniform knows that you are leading us and knows that you are supporting us at the same time.” He talked about an enemy “whose stated public intent is to destroy our way of life.”
“The men and women in uniform say not while on our watch,” Pace said.
Motorcade rolled from Fort Myer at 11: 38 a.m. and was back on campus at White House at 11:42 a.m.
Your pooler ran into Josh Bolten of Office of Management and Budget as we headed back into White House. Your pooler asked Mr. Bolten which was going better at the current time, management or budget. “Management,” he said with a smile.
Ken Herman
Cox Newspapers<.>