>>>>
A man of true leadership would have returned immediately. He would have ordered his security people to get him back to Washington safely.<<<<
It is incredible just how dead wrong you are Bob Z.
Why does true leadership involve being in DC? Hmmmmmm? What aspect of the Presidency required his presence in DC at that moment? What parts of the response is the President unable to control from Air Force One? How was the country harmed by him standing firm against terrorists from a secure location?
Indeed, the Mayor of New York - who exhibited the leadership that you seem to admire, damn near got killed while doing what you think was being a "leader" - and walking around the World Trade Center. Should Bush have placed himself at the same risk of getting killed? How exactly would that have served the country?
I was *in* DC that Tuesday. And I can tell you that all of us were wondering what the next attack would be. Were there more planes in the air? Would the terrorists follow-up the chaos they had just caused with car bombs or suicide bombers or something else? Indeed, media reports (which were later found to be inaccurate) suggested that bombs *were* going off in downtown DC.
We're now fairly certain that one or both of the planes targeted for DC had the White House as their primary target. One of them crashed in Pennsylvania. The other circled DC, apparently could not find the White House (it is very difficult to find from the air, due to the tree cover - trust me, I've tried it several times) and decided upon the Pentagon instead.
Given that these terrorists were *clearly* trying to take out the White House, but what conceivable logic would you move the President there? Indeed, Giuliani, whom you somehow are trying to contrast with George Bush did NOT stay in City Hall. No, he left City Hall and immediately headed for his command bunker.
Finally, I really think that you do not realize just how vulnerable the President is while being moved to the White House. First, he is on an airplane at low altitude, flying into Andrews Air Force Base. Secondly, he is on a helicopter - again, at low altitude, flying over the nastiest sections of DC to the White House. At either of these steps, the President would be vulnerable to Surface-to-Air missiles. Yes, that would be unprecedented - but then again, so was everything else that day. Finally, after the President lands on his helicopter, in the very heart of DC, he must walk across an open lawn to the White House, where he would again be vulnerable.
>From just about every angle imagineable, your criticisms Bob Z., are positively ridiculous.
JDG
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John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - ICQ #3527685
"Freedom itself was attacked today, and Freedom will be Defended."
-U.S. President George W. Bush, 09/11/01
