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; 15)3)45-1+ &: An Interesting Day: several edits and ends before Bush leaves the on Terrorism—From Inside the Bush White President Bush's room, so it also doesn’t tell us exactly how long House, by Bill Sammon, 10/02, p. 90] Finally, he went to an empty classroom next door where he stayed. One newspaper suggested he Movements and Actions remained “for eight or nine minutes”— his staff was based. [ABC News, 9/11/02] Given that Bush’s program was supposed to end sometime between 9:13 and 9:16, since Card’s on 9/11 arrival is uncertain. [Tampa Tribune, 9/1/02] at 9:20, he left the classroom only a couple of When Bush finally did leave, he didn’t Continued from Page 33 act like a man in a hurry. In fact, he was minutes earlier than planned, if even that. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/16/01] described as “openly stretching out the Meanwhile, Secret Service agents burst moment.” [Fighting Back: The War on Why Stay? into Vice President Cheney’s White House Terrorism—From Inside the Bush White House, office. They carried him under his arms—nearly by Bill Sammon, 10/02, p. 89] When the lesson The reason given why Bush didn’t leave lifting him off the ground—and propelled him was over, Bush said to the children: “Hoo! as soon as Card told him the news is: “Without down the steps into the White House basement These are great readers. Very impressive! Thank all the facts at hand, George Bush had no and through a long tunnel toward an you all so much for showing me your reading intention of upsetting the schoolchildren who underground bunker. Accounts of when this skills. I bet they practice too. Don’t you? had come to read for him.” [MSNBC, 10/29/02] happened vary greatly, from 9:06 [New York Reading more than they watch TV? Anybody do Advisor Karl Rove said, “The President thought Times, 9/16/01 (B), Telegraph, 12/16/01] to that? Read more than you watch TV? [Hands go for a second or two about getting up and after 9:30. [CBS, 9/11/02, Washington Post, up] Oh that’s great! Very good. Very important walking out of the room. But the drill was 1/27/02] Cheney’s own account is vague and to practice! Thanks for having me. Very coming to a close and he didn’t want to alarm contradictory. [Meet the Press, 9/16/01] The one impressed.” [Transcribed from Booker video, the children.” [ABC, 9/11/02] This excuse is eyewitness account, by White House Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism—From patently absurd, given the security risks and photographer David Bohrer, said it happened Inside the Bush White House, by Bill Sammon, importance of Bush being informed and making just after 9:00. [ABC, 9/14/02 (B)] It’s easy to 10/02, pp. 89-90] Bush still continued to talk, decisions as Commander in Chief. Nor was the see why the White House would have wanted advising the children to stay in school and be drill coming to a close: one drill had ended and this event placed at a later time (after Bush’s good citizens. [Tampa Tribune, 9/1/02, St. another was about to begin—it was a perfect initial statement to the nation rather than after Petersburg Times, 9/8/02 (B)] One student time to simply say, “Excuse me” and leave the the second crash) to avoid the obvious question: asked Bush a question, and he gave a quick room. Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport if Cheney was immediately evacuated, why response on his education policy. [New York is only 3½ miles away; in fact, Booker wasn’t Bush? Post, 9/12/02] was chosen as the location for the photo-op The only source to describe what partly because of its proximity to the airport. The Photo-Op Goes On happened next is Fighting Back by Bill [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/12/02] Hijackers Sammon. Publishers Weekly described could have crashed a plane into Bush’s After Card told Bush about the second Sammon’s book as an “inside account of the publicized location and his security would have plane and quickly left, the classroom was silent Bush administration’s reaction to 9-11 [and] a been completely helpless to stop it. Remember, for about 30 seconds or so. [Tampa Tribune, breathless, highly complimentary portrait of the Bush’s schedule had been announced on 9/1/02] The children were about to take turns president [showing] the great merit and September 7 and two of the 9/11 hijackers came reading from a story called The Pet Goat. [AFP, unwavering moral vision of his inner circle.” to Sarasota that same day. [White House, 9/7/02] Bush picked up the book and began to [Publisher’s Weekly, 10/15/02] Sammon’s 9/7/01, Longboat Observer, 11/21/01, read with the children. [Tampa Tribune, 9/1/02] conservative perspective makes his account of Washington Post, 1/27/02] Furthermore, the In unison, the children read out loud, “The— Bush’s behavior at the end of the photo-op all Secret Service was aware of the strange request Pet—Goat. A—girl—got—a—pet—goat. the more surprising. Bush is described as for an interview a few hours earlier and the But—the—goat—did—some—things—that— smiling and chatting with the children “as if he previous night’s report of a person in town who made—the—girl’s—dad—mad.” Bush mostly didn’t have a care in the world” and “in the most had made violent threats against Bush. listened, but occasionally asked the children a relaxed manner imaginable.” White House aide Indeed, a few days after 9/11, Sarasota’s few questions to encourage them. [Washington Gordon Johndroe, then came in as he usually main newspaper reported, “Sarasota barely Times, 10/7/02] At one point he said, “Really does at the end of press conferences, and said, skirted its own disaster. As it turns out, terrorists good readers, whew!… These must be sixth- “Thank you, press. If you could step out the targeted the president and Air Force One on graders!” [Time, 9/12/01] door we came in, please.” A reporter then asked, Tuesday, maybe even while they were on the Who was really in control? Certainly not “Mr. President, are you aware of the reports of ground in Sarasota and certainly not long after. Bush. In the back of the room, Press Secretary the plane crash in New York? Is there The Secret Service learned of the threat just Ari Fleischer caught Bush’s eye and held up a anything…,” But Bush interrupted, and no minutes after Bush left Booker Elementary.” pad of paper for him to see, with “DON’T SAY doubt recalling his order, “DON’T SAY [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/16/01] ANYTHING YET” written on it in big block ANYTHING YET,” Bush responded, “I’ll talk letters. [Washington Times, 10/7/02] Some about it later.” But still the president did not Continues on Page 36 person or people had overruled the security who leave. “He stepped forward and shook hands wanted Bush evacuated immediately, even as with [classroom teacher] Daniels, slipping his Vice President Cheney was taken from his left hand behind her in another photo-op pose. White House office to a safe location. Bush’s He was taking his good old time.… Bush security overruled Bush on security matters lingered until the press was gone.” [Fighting later in the day on Air Force One, but who Back: The War on Terrorism—From Inside the overruled them that morning? Bush White House, by Bill Sammon, 10/02, p. 90] When Did Bush Leave the Classroom? Think about that: rather than rush out of the room at the first chance, Bush actually Nearly every news account fails to stayed until after all the dozens of reporters had mention when Bush left the classroom after left! Having just been told of a Pearl Harbor- being told America was under attack. Three type attack on US soil, Bush was indeed mention 9:12 a.m. [New York Times, 9/16/01 “openly stretching out the moment.” But he still (B), Telegraph, 12/16/01, Daily Mail, 9/8/02] wasn’t done. Bush then turned to principal Remaining in the classroom for approximately Tose-Rigell, who was waiting to take him to the five to seven minutes is inexcusable, but the library for his speech on education. He video of Bush in the classroom suggests he explained to her about the terror attacks and stayed longer than that. The video contains why he had to leave. [Fighting Back: The War