WP Account of *'s Meeting with 9/11 Families

[kskiska]

Intimate Moments With the President

Newsday columnist Lawrence C. Levy describes this scene at yesterday's groundbreaking for a Long Island memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks:

"After turning over the first shovel of dirt, Bush walked toward the families at the ceremony. Perhaps drawn to the large portrait of a young firefighter that she carried, Bush first sought out Pat Kiefer, whose son Michael perished at the World Trade Center.

"Bush didn't know that Mrs. Kiefer held him responsible for her son's death. 'I don't have any problems with the ads,' she later told me, referring to footage of Ground Zero in Bush's commercial. 'He's trying to show he was there after the attack, and he was, but I'll never forgive him for not doing something before it happened.'

"But as the police bagpipers played Amazing Grace, she recounted that the most powerful man in the world put his arm around her shoulder and looked into her eyes as they talked about her son's love of firefighting. 'He's a handsome boy,' Bush said before moving on to the next survivor. 'It's obvious where he got his looks.'

"Bush, she said, made her giggle and blush. She never told him what was on her mind."

Ken Fireman of Newsday also spoke with Kiefer after the event.

"'Where was he before 9/11?' Kiefer said. 'He should have been around before, knowing that our security was so lax. Somebody was asleep, and he should have known. Then my son and all these people would still be here.'

"Asked if such sentiments would lead her to vote for Kerry in November, Kiefer shook her head. 'I will never vote again,' she said. 'I have no faith in any of them. The most important thing in my life was taken from me, and they could have prevented it. I will never forgive them for that.'"

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/administration/whbriefing/

[boobooday]

1. I can't believe her response is not to vote at all!

WAH! If she wanted to do something, why wouldn't she want to vote against him?

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Skittles]

2. perhaps she is still deep in grief

I can't imagine if I'd lost a loved one on that day; who knows what it could do to you.

[PaDUer]

3. It would be a COLD DAY

in hell before he'd put his arms around me! I can't believe the woman forgot what she was going to say..heaven help us!

[kskiska]

4. Immediately after meeting these families

he went to his fundraiser:

Here is the text of Bush's remarks at the fundraiser. "We have had a fantastic day here today," he said. "And it's topped off by what is a successful effort to make sure that my campaign is properly fueled -- (laughter) -- for the charge ahead."