WH Pool Report: Parade Route
In this WH pool report, we get a list of signs that lined the inaugural parade route. Neither side has a monopoly on banality.
Viva BushFull report, including snowball missile account, after the jump.War Begins with W
We the People Say No to the Bush Agenda
Jesus Christ Is Not the God of War
“Four More Years”
Bush Hates America
The Search for WMD is Not a Faith-Based Initiative
What About the 98,000 Iraqi Civilian Deaths?
Evil Rules in the Land of Fools
Represent, My Ass
Thousands of Dead in Iraq, and Bush Says He’s Pro-Life
“Stop The War”
“Hold Somebody Accountable”
“Tell the Truth”
Bring the Troops Home Now
Worst President Ever
Shame (painted with gray paint on fabric)
God Bless the Red (painted over the map of the U.S.)
Free Elections in Iraq, Thanks to Bush
Draft the Twins (the `w’ in Twins was circled and crossed out)
No More Dead Soldiers
A War is No Moral Value
God is Pissed
Bush 2004 (campaign sign)
What if the Enemy Doesn’t Lie in a Distant Land? What if the enemy lies Behind the Command?
Impeach Bush
From: White House Press Releases
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 5:53 PM
Subject: POOL REPORT #3, 1/20/05
Pool Report #3, 1/20/05
Inauguration Day
POTUS movement from Capitol to parade reviewing stand at the White House, until end of parade
President Bush appeared upbeat as your pool encountered him entering the presidential limo at the East Front of the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. You know better than we do why he was running so late. He, in overcoat, and Mrs. Bush remained in the idling vehicle for at least five minutes as the motorcade assembled.
As the pools and stills waved to the president and made the international sign of shivering figures out in the cold, the president waved several times, laughed and gave the thumbs-up sign when your pooler opened her arms to signal something like, “How was it?” The president got Mrs. Bush’s attention (she was seated to his left) and she also waved, after adjusting or putting her scarf around her neck while they waited.
The Cheneys also moved on foot from the Capitol to their limo as the POTUS and FLOTUS watched. The vice president and Lynne Cheney approached their waiting young grandchildren, who were hopping patiently from foot to foot to keep warm. When they saw their grandparents, they rushed them for hugs. By 3 p.m., the Cheneys were in the limo and the motorcade began to move. By 3:05 p.m, it had reached First and Constitution N.W., and the assembled crowd let up a huge uproar of approval.
You saw this on TV, but the waving and cheering quickly became mixed with the shouts and signs of the protesters who appeared in large groups for five straight blocks, or at least until Pa. Ave. and 5th St. NW. Protesters were sprinkled through nearly the entire length of the parade. As you saw from the pictures, the president saw and heard the loud comments of disapproval from just feet away.
One snowball press trucks was tossed from the crowd on the north side of Pa. Ave. toward one of the press trucks.
Some protesters were silent, turning their backs to Bush as the limo passed them.
In no particular order, here is a sampling of some of the signs (some professionally printed and many handmade) visible along the route (crowd comments shouted to Bush are in quote marks):
Viva Bush
War Begins with W
We the People Say No to the Bush Agenda
Jesus Christ Is Not the God of War
“Four More Years”
Bush Hates America
The Search for WMD is Not a Faith-Based Initiative
What About the 98,000 Iraqi Civilian Deaths?
Evil Rules in the Land of Fools
Represent, My Ass
Thousands of Dead in Iraq, and Bush Says He’s Pro-Life
“Stop The War”
“Hold Somebody Accountable”
“Tell the Truth”
Bring the Troops Home Now
Worst President Ever
Shame (painted with gray paint on fabric)
God Bless the Red (painted over the map of the U.S.)
Free Elections in Iraq, Thanks to Bush
Draft the Twins (the `w’ in Twins was circled and crossed out)
No More Dead Soldiers
A War is No Moral Value
God is Pissed
Bush 2004 (campaign sign)
What if the Enemy Doesn’t Lie in a Distant Land? What if the enemy lies Behind the Command?
Impeach Bush
By 3:15 p.m., when the press trucks had reached Pa. and 7th ahead of the presidential limo, the police along the avenue were three deep at the Archives/Navy Metro stop.
Police clearly were borrowed from around the country; the uniforms were from Tulsa, Danbury, the Ohio state police, etc.
By 3:31 p.m., the president was making the turn up 15th Street to wind around the Treasury building, w here the viewing stands were not full (there appeared to be open seats all along the route, perhaps because of the weather).
By 3:40 p.m., POTUS was out of the limo and walking along Pa. Ave. with Mrs. Bush, as you saw on TV, and making his way to his waiting family, friends, Cabinet colleagues, and other dignitaries in the partially glass-enclosed reviewing stand. As you could tell, the group looked cold and hovered near the heating vents. Mrs. Bush kept chemical warming packs in her gloves.
The president departed the parade stand at 5: 40 p.m. to return to the residence.
Misc. note: At the Capitol after the ceremony, various dignitaries departed the building with large silver shopping bags in hand. Secretaries Chao and Abraham had them, for instance. When your pool saw Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., on his cell phone walking our way with silver bag in hand, we waved him down to find out what was in the bags. Still on the phone, he stopped several yards from the pool truck, opened the bag and showed us that it contained a commemorative bound program that looked to be the size of a large restaurant menu, and a boxed crystal bowl. The silver bag had the presidential seal on its sides.
Alexis Simendinger
National Journal
