Bush misses seeing G.I.'s, White House food; seeing relatives of dead soldiers "was very uplifting"

[tj2001]

BENTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Flying on Air Force One, eating meals prepared by the White House kitchen staff and drawing inspiration from his encounters with U.S. military personnel were among things former President George W. Bush missed since leaving office, he said Thursday.

The often-tearful meetings he had with relatives of fallen soldiers were "in some ways... very hard and in some ways, it was very uplifting," the Texas Republican said in a speech to The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College.

About eight people protested Bush's appearance outside the venue, carrying signs that called him a murderer and a traitor. The speech Thursday was one of the first made by the former president since leaving office in January.

Bush, the nation's 43rd president, spoke to 2,500 people about "the fog of war" that followed the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bush_speech

-------------------------------------------------------------

9/11
9/11
9/11
zzzzzzzzzz

[liberal N proud]

1. Yet a week ago he told a group of seniors that he was liberated

But that was before Dick told him to get out there and defend his ass.

[Ron Green]

2. Who are those 2,500 people? Why were they there? What are they expecting?

It's dismaying that he can draw any crowd that's not protesting.