Because Beth is going to have to enlarge the door frames now:
Today, the Armorer and a group of milbloggers participated in a tiny bit of history.
We got to meet the President of the United States. And talk with him for an hour.
With two of us linking in courtesy of the 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad, we sat down a little before 10AM in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and literally had a chat with the President.
President Bush observed, that as far as he knows, this was the first time that a sitting President had hosted a group of bloggers for a chat at the White House. If that’s in fact true – then we got to make a little history today. If it’s not true, I’m sure the Peasants with Pitchforks will quickly disabuse us of the notion!
My goodness, and to think we used to call him bucket-head. There’ll be no keeping him in his spot from now on, oh no.
Congrats, John!
I’m just delighted that the milbloggers are being recognized for trying to get the truth and details out for all to see. I really think there’d be a different attitude – less apathy – toward the war if the general public read the milblogs to complement, expand, and sometimes truthfully contradict the MSM. Good for the bloggers and good for Pres. Bush!
Tres cool!
I liked his comparision of early newspapers to blogging.
“Early newspapers came in the form of broadsides, usually distributed and posted in the lobby of an inn or saloon where one of the more literate colonials would proceed to read a story aloud for the dining or drinking clientele. Others would chime in with editorial comments during the reading, making for a truly democratic and interactive forum.”
Never thought of it that way before, but it strikes a note. Makes a lot of sense.
You know, I’ve always said one of the best things about blogs was that they enabled me to get to know someone I’d never cross paths with in a million years, otherwise. You were always the prime example of that, in my mind.
Gotta say, though… I’m more star-struck over John, now.
*running like hell*
Bravo to the President’s staff for arranging this. I guess someone in the big white house reads the blogs.
I really like that early newspaper analogy. Unfortunately today it seems that so many are not able to digest info unless it is fed to them in small sound bites.
Babs, while it’s quiet a stunner that a group of milbloggers got to spend an hour(!) with the President, it didn’t happen out of nowhere. If I recall correctly, Tony Snow took note of milblogs back when he had a radio show. Around the time Snow went to the White House, some of the bigger milbloggers started noticing “hits” on Sitemeter from ISPs that ended in whitehouse.gov. Then, Andi had quite the coup this Spring when her contacts at the White House got her a pre-recorded statement from President Bush addressing the MilBlog Conference.
My understanding is that regular reading of leading political and military blogs (of all stripes) is now standard at least in the Communications Office, if not elsewhere in the Executive Branch.
But of course, getting to sit down and and actually talk with the president is a real stunner.
I was able to identify The Donovan at that table from the port-quarter view. I’d know that neck anywhere!
And I’ve never been within a thousand miles of him, AFAIK!
(Wrestlers gots big neck musckles)
Come to think about it, we *did* install some wider doors in the remodel.
But that was just a waistline or need-the-room-to-get-the-mortar-baseplate-through-the-door-kinda-thang.
Fuzzybee – my server logs have always had traces from state.gov, justice.gov, uscourts.gov, epa.gov, doe.gov, etc. But the hits from whitehouse.gov were only intermittent. Until about a month ago.
JTG – after spending all day at the rallies and protests yesterday, I am the Redneck of Argghhh with a very nice burn.