Bush skips Texas to avoid hampering Rita response

[tocqueville]

By Adam Entous
36 minutes ago

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, still smarting over criticism for his slow response to Katrina, flew to a Colorado military base on Friday to monitor Hurricane Rita after abruptly canceling a trip to Texas to avoid interfering with relief operations.

The White House said Bush now planned to make two stops in Texas on Saturday to get a closer look at state and federal response efforts.

En route to the U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base, in Colorado Springs, where he saw satellite images of the storm and flooding projections, Bush spoke to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Coast Guard Vice Adm Thad Allen about the New Orleans flooding, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

Bush had planned to visit San Antonio on Friday before flying on to Colorado. McClellan said the cancellation came after the Federal Emergency Management Agency decided to reposition search-and-rescue teams from San Antonio closer to the storm zone.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050924/pl_nm/rita_bush_dc

[TomInTib]

1. "Two stops in Texas on Saturday"

Have these guys ever heard of College Football?

How much live airtime could they expect?

The Gang Who Still Can't Shoot Straight

[Robertwf]

2. But Will He Bring His Surf Board?

What was the actual reason Colorado Springs trumped his visit to Tx? Do staff fear for his security? Do they think he's going to say another insensitive comment to people who are on edge because of all they are going through w/ the evacuation and the uncertainty about what they will return to? For crying out loud, he was governor of Tx. You'd think he'd be able to politic his way through a little visit. Oh, besides the breaking surf, where would he go? A few words by the side of I-45? Check in on a refinery? This is not a lame duck pres. It's a lame president.

[Xipe Totec]

3. We should ask him to skip the US for a few years

while we pick up the pieces.

[Maru Kitteh]

4. The last thing in the world they needed was David Gregory asking him if he

was going to get in the way promptly followed by footage of him. . . .



getting in the way.

[fleabert]

5. I wish he had skipped taking office, to avoid hampering the country...nt

[Cleita]

6. Good boy!

He finally figured out that staying out of the way is probably the best he can do. I really wish he would try to coordinate efforts from even Colorado, but then maybe not. Let's let the efficient people run this one.

[bucknaked]

7. As Nagin and V ADM Allen roll their eyes, and make jerk-off gestures

Why is it, that I picture every recipient of Bush's "official" photo-op phonecalls, doing that gesture when there are no cameras on the other end of the call?