President Bush Cheers Departing Troops

The Washington Post reports that President Bush, delayed his departure from Main when he heard a plane carrying Army reservists and National Guard members bound for Iraq was about to refuel here:

"May God bless you all," the commander in chief said over the plane's public address system. "May God keep you safe." As he worked his way up and down the plane's aisles, posing for photographs, signing autographs and shaking hands, the happily surprised troops called out to him.

"That's my president, hooah!" shouted Sgt. Wanda Dabbs, 22, a member of the 230th Area Support Group, a Guard unit from Tennessee. Others seconded her cheer.

The Whitehouse has posted this transcript of the President's visit with the Iraq bound troops:

THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank you all very much. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Hooa!

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate your service to the country. I appreciate being in the presence of such fine men and women. May God bless you all. May God keep you safe. May God bless America, as well. Thank you all. (Applause.)

According to the Post the troops were joyous when their commander in chief appeared:

"I can guarantee you right now this is the best thing that ever happened to me in my lifetime," said Sgt. 1st Class Bill Freeman of the 230th, a Goodyear Tires worker in Tennessee and a Bush supporter.

When asked if the boisterous reception meant these were all Bush supporters, one troop replied "We're commander-in-chief supporters," and pointed out:

"It ain't every day you land somewhere and the president gets on your plane."

Well done Mr. President!

The President's visit with the troops didn't get a lot of attention in the mainstream media. Hopefully the blogoshere will give this story it deserves.

At Blogs for Bush, Mat Margolis posts the press pool report. At Southern Watch, V-man posts that you should read it all.

Bonfire posts that maybe President Bush's visit will remind the American public that there are men and women willing to fight for their country instead of tearing it down with rhetoric, flip-flopping and troop-demoralizing speeches.

Pardon My English posts that President Bush's visit provided the troops a morale boost.

At The Llama Buthchers, Robert also posts "'Hoooah,' indeed."

UPDATE: As I discover other posts concerning the President's visit i will add links here.

At PowerLine, Hindrocket posts photos showing President Bush thanking and interacting with the troops.

Feste...a foolsblog posts that the press pool report managed to take a snarky shot at the President.

At Reasonable Force, SCPanther notes that the press pool reports tried to taint the story with political motivations.

At Brutally Honest, RickinVa posts that the President's visit makes him proud.

At Grim's Hall, Grim posts that President Bush's visit is an an object lesson in how to be Commander in Chief.

Blackfive, Quibbles-n-Bits, Kilabe's Hive, The Mudville Gazette, and In Bill's World also post about the President's visit with the Iraq bound troops.

Comments

[California Yankee]

Thanks Bill.

[Bill Faith]

I just linked back to you from a comment on my post at "In Bill's World." Good roundup.