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Strategery is the latest book from the pen of Bill Sammon wherein Bill Sammon further explores George W. Bush's presidency.
His last one was called, what, MISUNDERESTIMATED.
As we all know, neither of the titles of those books are actual words. Sammon made them up to reflect how George
Bush gets words wrong.
Remember and don't forget now, in 2002, in his book, FIGHTING BACK, Sammon tags President Bush Dawdler-in-Chief.
Surprisingly, Sammon didn't make up words for the title of that book.
He could have.
He could have titled that one Fudgighting Hack.
Think that would have gotten him a re-issued White House Press pass and one-on-one interviews with President Bush?
Why did Sammon tag President George W. Bush "Dawdler-in-Chief?" Sammon noted - observed first-hand - because he was one
of the pool reporters in the classroom - on the morning of September 11, 2001 that after being told a second plane had crashed
into the World Trade Center, and America is under attack, President George W. Bush remained seated in the second grade classroom
for some, Sammon tallies, 6 minutes.
Sammon says from the back of the room, Card held up a large note to the President which said: "Don't Say Anything
Yet."
This is discussed in This is Not a Conspiracy Theory.
Sammon has yet to reveal whether he ever asked President Bush if Bush had learned prior to entering the second-grade
classroom that day that one plane or more than one plane had been hijacked.
Sammon has yet to reveal whether he asked George Bush anything about the contents of the Presidential Daily Briefing
of that morning, which was given approximately at 8 a.m.
So do we believe anything Sammon says in books he entitles with made up fudge-words, uh, no.
"Dawdler-in-chief" from FIGHTING BACK, Bill Sammon.
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timesrepublican.com -
At 9:03, the second airplane hit between the 87th and 93rd floors of the south tower.
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So too the reported time President Bush was informed of the second plane crash vary according to news reports.
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patriotresource -
This site has a timeline which puts crashes at differing times of 9:05 for Card whispering in Bush's ear about second crash
and says Rice probably informed Bush of first crash before he went into the school!
@8:50 A.M. - President George W. Bush arrives at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida and is probably
briefed by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice on the first plane crash.
9:05 A.M. - While preparing for a photo op with a second grade class, chief of staff Andy Card entered and gave him news of
the second crash.
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craig.blurfl.com -
In Florida, Bush was reading to children in a classroom at 9:05 a.m. when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered into
his ear. The president briefly turned somber before he resumed reading. He addressed the tragedy about a half-hour
later.
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The similarity of the reports is easily explained by the fact that pool reporters turn in copy to all news agencies in the
pool.
The discrepancy in times of Card whispering to Bush is somewhat harder to understand.
One would think there would be a time stamp on an AP photograph.
All of America may never know with certainty which time is accurate.
9:05 a.m. 9:07 a.m. 9:10 a.m.
However, all of America knows that Andrew Card told Bush America was under attack, and all of America knows he was told this
while sitting in an elementary school classroom.
I will go with the time of 9:07 a.m. since Bill Sammon reports that time in his book, FIGHTING BACK, and Sammon is confirmed
to have been one of the pool reporters in the second grade classroom at the time.
I'll check which time is shown at the Washington Times!
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sptimes.com -
Bush's day started in Sarasota, where he was scheduled to read to second-graders in Kay Daniel's school room. He smiled gamely
for the students, even though he had just learned of the initial plane crash at the World Trade Center.
A few minutes later, Bush's chief of staff whispered in his ear -- apparently to tell him that a second plane careened into
the Trade Center -- and the president's face went dark.
published September 12, 2001
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As well, the President's appearance is similarly described. somber
Yes, that's the wording of many pool articles about the president's reaction after Card whispered in his ear that America
was under attack, terrorists... his reaction = somber. But remember throughout this page, after Card whispered news of the
second plane crash in Bush's right ear, Bush continued allowing kids to read, and he joked with them when he could have been
SCRAMBLING MILITARY PLANES.
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The president briefly turned somber before he resumed reading.
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WXYZ-TV Scripps Howard Broadcasting Company -
In Florida, Bush was reading to children in a classroom at 9:05 a.m. when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered
into his ear.
The president briefly turned somber before he resumed reading. He addressed the tragedy about a half-hour later.
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Based on news articles found on the Internet, I have narrowed down just a few of the pool reporters who were actually in Mrs.
Daniels' classroom when Card whispered to Bush the news of the second plane crash.
We know Bill Sammon was there in the classroom.
Sarasota Magazine's, Robert Plunket, editor-at-large, reports his observations and the words of Channel 40 reporter, Linda Carson.
Sonya Ross was also one of the pool reporters on assignment, but it is unclear whether she was among the reporters inside
the classroom.
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Sarasota Magazine -
According to editor-at-large Robert Plunket in Sarasota Magazine, Mr. Plunket relates another (in-the-classroom) reporter's
accounting:
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I saw Linda Carson from Channel 40. She had been one of the two or three pool reporters with the President in the classroom
when White House aide Andrew Card whispered into the Presidents ear that a second plane had hit the twin towers and that it
was now presumed to be a terrorist attack.
Linda described to Rebecca and me what had happened next. Mr. Bush absorbed the news without changing his expression. For
the next six minutes he let the second graders and their reading lesson proceed. He seemed to be going in and out of focus.
At one moment he would listen carefully and smile at the kids, then a faraway look would come into his eyes as he stared out
into the distance, the horrible implications of what he had just heard going through his mind. Finally the kids put away their
readers. As the President complimented them, aides descended on him. A reporter called out a question about the attacks. The
President held up his hand.
"Well talk about that later," he said, not wanting to alarm the children.
Someone from the school board announced that the President would be making a short statement. An eerie silence descended over
the room for several minutes as we all waited.
Mr. Bush entered looking grim and carrying several sheets of white paper. He made his now-famous remarks, which were brief
and to the point, the only jarring note being his pledge to track down the "folks" responsible. I can only surmise that in
moments of stress he reverts to the idiom of his Texas homeland.
Then he grabbed his papers, hurriedly shook hands with Frank Brogan, Wilma Hamilton, several of the teachers, and was gone.
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telegraph.co.uk -
As soon as the news was received, Andrew Card, the White House chief of staff, walked over to Mr Bush and whispered into his
ear. The president's eyes narrowed and his tone became more sombre but he continued reading.
When he had finished, a reporter asked him whether he had heard about the attack. He said: "I'll talk about it later." Officials
said they were anxious not to alarm the children or to give any impression of panic.
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When he had finished - it is those mere few minutes of seeming to go in and out of focus which define
Bush for all of history.
There is more, however, as if it isn't enough that Bush remained in a classroom with children so as not to alarm the children
or to give any impression of panic.
The children of America might not understand now what the following shows, but any adult reading of the following fact will
surely assess what staying put means when you know America is under attack.
After Andrew Card whispered news of this second plane crash to the President, Andrew Card goes to the back of the classroom,
according to Bill Sammon in his book, FIGHTING BACK, and Card holds up a notepad.
Written on the notepad, according to Bill Sammon in FIGHTING BACK:
AND THIS IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT TELLS JOURNALIST BILL SAMMON HE WAS THINKING AS THE CHILDREN WERE READING
Analysis: Notice how Sammon uses dawdler in chief. It's almost like an endearing description. Ha ha. The
President dawdled after he learned that America was under attack, oh, you were supposed to forget that Bush learned specifically,
America was under attack in a second-grade classroom, which he could have left immediately after learning America was under
attack.
THE DAWDLER-IN-CHIEF. Is that what the children will learn?
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amazon.com -
From Publishers Weekly
George W., this one's for you.
In Washington Times correspondent Sammon's inside account of the Bush administration's reaction to 9-11 and the resultant
war on terror, readers are tendered a breathless, highly complimentary portrait of the president and an overly simplistic
moral tale about the great merit and unwavering moral vision of his inner circle.
What could be an extremely interesting if one-sided account is often undercut by Sammon's penchant for editorializing (Bush
was "more directly affected than most Americans by the attacks themselves"; Osama bin Laden "giggled" when speaking about
the attacks; and the president often "twinkles" when he speaks) and novelizing (Bush "never thought he would be so relieved
to see the White House again. He scanned the magnificent curve of the South Portico...He gazed at the Rose Garden").
Nor does Sammon seem to appreciate the irony of quoting some of the president's less eloquent statements, such as: "The role
of a president is to seek great objectives for the country, big goals."
Sammon, author of the bestselling At Any Cost, largely writes for the converted, so the intended audience for this volume
will no doubt love it.
Those more skeptical of the government's policies, however, will find his narrative more hagiography than history, and will
want to wait for Bob Woodward's forthcoming Bush at War, which covers the same territory from a different angle.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Analysis: is there anybody who cares how Sammon describes Bush other than as a Dawdler-in-chief?
Bush exits the second-grade classroom about 9:12/13 a.m.
Why are there no other photographs of Bush in the second-grade classroom, other than the one shown of Card whispering in his
ear?
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whitehouse.gov/ -
Photo of President Bush
Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 11, 2001.
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whitehouse.gov -
Bush stayed in the media holding room for about 18 minutes. 9:12/13 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. when he made remarks to the nation.
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whitehouse.gov -
September 11, 2001 transcripts Bush speaks at 9:30-9:31 a.m.<
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Someone from the school board announced that the President would be making a short statement. An eerie silence
descended over the room for several minutes as we all waited.
Mr. Bush entered looking grim and carrying several sheets of white paper. He made his now-famous remarks, which were brief
and to the point, the only jarring note being his pledge to track down the "folks" responsible. I can only surmise that in
moments of stress he reverts to the idiom of his Texas homeland. Then he grabbed his papers, hurriedly shook hands with Frank
Brogan, Wilma Hamilton, several of the teachers, and was gone.
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whitehouse.gov -
9:30 A.M. EDT Bush gave his first remarks on the terrorist attacks
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He spent time to shake hands with Frank Brogan, Wilma Hamilton, several of the teachers.
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gazettenet.com -Card, a Holbrook native and former Massachusetts state representative, made his comments during a speech
before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce lunch.
Friday, November 2, 2001 -- (BOSTON AP) - White House official recalls Sept. 11 "I remember when I took the phone call, what
a horrible, horrible accident. The pilot probably had a heart attack and the plane went off course and crashed into the World
Trade Center," Card said.
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President George W. Bush's statement to a gathered audience after two planes crash into World Trade Center twin towers
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wunderlin -
Laura Wunderlin-vanArsdall, EEB Staff
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He was with one of our 2nd gr. teachers, listening to her kids doing a reading lesson, when his chief of staff came in the
classroom to lean over and whisper in his ear.
"The other World Trade Center Tower has been slammed into by a second jet. We are under attack."
The rest of us were all lined up to stand behind the President for his education speech while this was going on. Some of us
had been grouped there for as much as an hour beforehand, soaking up the excitement with one another, taking photos, laughing.
...
Finally, someone told the group of us standing in our area behind the podium that two planes had hit the World Trade Center.
We murmured shocked exchanges, imagining two, probably small, planes accidently hitting into each other and the buildings.
Then someone said it had to have been on purpose. We wondered some more. Someone offhandedly remarked, "I guess this replaces
us as the front page news". Having no TV footage in front of us to see what was happening, we couldn't know the catastrophic
magnitude of what had taken place, and was continuing to take place, as we stood there... still waiting for the President.
I find it interesting that this person mentions the actual length of Bush's brief comments.
Wonder whether she is aware how long Bush remained in Daniels' second-grade classroom?
As we all know, Bush did make his quick appearance and 1 minute speech to the Nation (the first time he addressed the nation
about the terrorist attacks). He turned immediately, gave a sad smile to the staff with a small wave of his hand, and left.
Ron Paige, Secretary of Education, finished the speech that Bush was supposed to give. We had to give President Bush credit
for staying long enough to even finish the reading lesson with the kids, and coming in to where we were all standing- he quite
appropriately could have left immediately to go back to the limo & Airforce One. Needless to say, it was quite a shock and
crash for us, sort of like air being let out of a balloon.
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whitehouse.gov -
As Director of Communications Dan Bartlett points to news footage of the World Trade Center Towers burning, President George
W. Bush gathers information about the attack at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 11, 2001. Also photographed
are Director of White House Situation Room, National Security Council, Deborah Loewer (directly behind the President) and
Senior Advisor Karl Rove (right).
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