Bush wasted 27 minutes, not 7.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Velociryx
Tubes...the point remains. He got information well in advance that there were plans afoot to hijack big airplanes and crash them into buildings.

After the first big airplane DID crash into a building, the sensible thing...the thing that a LEADER woulda done would have been to cancel the photoshoot at the school before he even got there.

He didn't do that, and the world got treated to seven minutes of "Howdy Doody Goes to Washington" on camera.

THAT is the point.

-=Vel=-

So what?

ACK!

[Velociryx]

So what?

Here's what:

The Commander in Chief of the USofA gets word that "America is under attack."

Said attack occured exactly as had been outlined in a brief he received a month and change earlier.

Appropriate response: Sit and read "My Pet Goat" for the span of several minutes?

Nope, but thanks for playing.

-=Vel=-
(with advance warning of the possibility of such attacks, had ANY thought been given to it at all, a contingency plan could have already been formed, and put into action the moment the attacks occured. Of course, it would have meant cancelling the photo-shoot, but...that's the job, you know?)

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Velociryx
So what?

Here's what:

The Commander in Chief of the USofA gets word that "America is under attack."

Said attack occured exactly as had been outlined in a brief he received a month and change earlier.

Appropriate response: Sit and read "My Pet Goat" for the span of several minutes?

Nope, but thanks for playing.

-=Vel=-
(with advance warning of the possibility of such attacks, had ANY thought been given to it at all, a contingency plan could have already been formed, and put into action the moment the attacks occured. Of course, it would have meant cancelling the photo-shoot, but...that's the job, you know?)

"America is under attack" conveys that planes have been flown into buildings and we should activate our contingency plan?

Or does it convey that America is under attack? Possibility that it took seven minutes to get more information?

Possibility that it took 20 minutes to get the contingency plan started?

Possible that it was recommended he stay there and not alarm the kids he was reading the book to?

Your point seems to be that, since there was a threat a month previously, the President shouldn't leave the Oval Office.

ACK!

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Tuberski
Possible that it was recommended he stay there and not alarm the kids he was reading the book to?

Who in their right mind would choose not alarming a few young kids over attending to the largest terrorist assault on America.

[Velociryx]

Tubes, you are aware, are you not, that there are methods of leaving a building without sounding a general alarm or starting a panic?

Or, even better, since he already knew the first plane hit before he got there, maybe just not showing at all?

But, let's assume that he thought (as I did) that the first plane was simple pilot error...so on with the photoshoot.

After hearing that a second plane hit the towers and that America is under attack....yeah.

That should be fairly BLINDINGLY obvious that something's going on, and whatever it is, it's probably a bit more important than the contents of "My pet Goat" (however riviting that book might be).

How hard would it have been to politely excuse oneself from the classroom, walk to the car, and get on the horn with your subordinates?

But no.

That's not what we got, cos nobody was there to hand hold the Shrub and walk him through his paces.

You've seen it lots of times before.

When he reads the cue cards like a good little lamb, we get decent (sometimes) action.

When left to his own devices we get:

"Wanted, Dead or Alive"
"Axis of Evil"

or...Howdy Doody.

-=Vel=-

[DinoDoc]

I'm kind of curious what you people think he should have done. The best I got the last time Kid decided to beat this dead horse is that he should have gone to another place to not be able to do anything. That seems to be the consensus forming again but I want to be sure.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Velociryx
Tubes, you are aware, are you not, that there are methods of leaving a building without sounding a general alarm or starting a panic?

Or, even better, since he already knew the first plane hit before he got there, maybe just not showing at all?

But, let's assume that he thought (as I did) that the first plane was simple pilot error...so on with the photoshoot.

After hearing that a second plane hit the towers and that America is under attack....yeah.

That should be fairly BLINDINGLY obvious that something's going on, and whatever it is, it's probably a bit more important than the contents of "My pet Goat" (however riviting that book might be).

How hard would it have been to politely excuse oneself from the classroom, walk to the car, and get on the horn with your subordinates?

But no.

That's not what we got, cos nobody was there to hand hold the Shrub and walk him through his paces.

You've seen it lots of times before.

When he reads the cue cards like a good little lamb, we get decent (sometimes) action.

When left to his own devices we get:

"Wanted, Dead or Alive"
"Axis of Evil"

or...Howdy Doody.

-=Vel=-

Who care if there are ways to leave a building without causing alarm. If the Secret Service wants him to stay, now listen carefully, HE STAYS.

I did not know that the first plane had already hit before he got there.

I do question why he still went, as this is still a national emergency and he did have the advanced notice of a terror attack that described just such a scenario.

However, he wasn't left to his own devices, at that point he was being told what to do.

Which was, probably, stay right there until we it's safe to come get you.

That being the case, am I going to rage at being stuck there, or am I going to occupy my mind with a novel?

ACK!

[Velociryx]

Well DD, I agree that in the timeframe we're talking about, there's not a lot that could be put into play, BUT....

Information he could have recieved en route to the limo, and then to AF1....who knows....seven minutes is a long time in a crisis situation.

The main point though, is that the information at his fingertips with a cell phone and a laptop at his fingertips (had he gotten up and left the building) would have been one helluva lot more relevant than the contents of "My Pet Goat" TO the crisis at hand.

On that, we can agree?

-=Vel=-

[GePap]

Well, given that I have already said I don't give a damn:

He could have gone to confer with his advisors to see what could be done- even if there is nothing they could have done, at least they were discussing their actions.

[Velociryx]

If I'm the prez, and I wanna leave...I'm leaving. What? Are they gonna shoot me on camera in front of third graders and a room full of cameramen to stop me?

-=Vel=-

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Velociryx
If I'm the prez, and I wanna leave...I'm leaving. What? Are they gonna shoot me on camera in front of third graders and a room full of cameramen to stop me?

-=Vel=-

Yeah, but are you a puppet doing everything you are told?

ACK!

[Velociryx]

Nope...but you just brought us full circle.

It's a non-issue in the sense that it underscores that which we already knew.

It's an issue cos the guy is an idiot of the first order.

-=Vel=-

[shmily_dana]

We used to live near an Airforce Base. I work near the airport. I was playing with my 10month old son on Sep11th. After the first plane hit, I could tell my son was getting scared. I don't think he understood what was on the TV, but he could see my face. He was starting to cry. I turned him away from the TV and played with him for a while. I was still doing this after the 2nd plane hit.

I imagine if I was running for office, Michael Moore would probably carp about the fact I did not call my co-workers or leave my house and head for the hills.

[Velociryx]

Nahhh, I think he'd give you a nod for admirable reactions to the crisis.

It's all scalar, and in your case, you immediately began caring for the needs of the people who look to you to lead and provide direction (in this case, your child)

Would that the Shrub had acted so decisively....

-=Vel=-

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I'm kind of curious what you people think he should have done. The best I got the last time Kid decided to beat this dead horse is that he should have gone to another place to not be able to do anything. That seems to be the consensus forming again but I want to be sure.

I would have thought he could have at least asked a few questions. What? Where? When? How? Are we expecting more attacks? Are there still hijacked planes in the air? Are we still under attack?

Even accounting for the shock value and difficulty to think straight most people would at least have had a WTF?! reaction in the mind to guide them. He appears he didn't react in anyway.