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CNN Live Saturday
President Bush Acknowledges Military Families In Radio Address Today
Aired November 29, 2003 - 12:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: We are turning now President Bush. He is just back from his secret mission to visit troops in Iraq and he is now reaching out to the families of those troops in his radio address today, the president asked all Americans to remember not only the sacrifices of soldiers, but also their families.
CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now live from Crawford, Texas. Dana, what is the president saying in his radio address about that very secret trip?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESOPNDENT: Hi, Kelly. The president did use his radio address today to reminisce about the trip he took. To talk about the fact the two one-half hours he spent on the ground he thought was helpful for the morale of those troops, the 600 troops he addressed.
He also, as you mentioned, did acknowledge not only those in Iraq, but also deployed in Afghanistan have been out for quite some time, long deployments. So he made an effort to acknowledge the families they left behind.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans are also thinking of the military families that must face this holiday with sorrow of recent loss. It is the nature of terrorism that a small number of people can inflict such terrible grief. Every person who dies in the line of duty commands a special gratitude of the American people and the military families that mourn can know this, our nation will not forget their loved ones and the sacrifice they made to protect us all.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: And Kelly, there you also heard President Bush talking about those who have been killed in Iraq. It has been quite a deadly month in Iraq. Certainly been a point of controversy. The president has been criticized by his Democratic rivals, but also by some families of those who died because he doesn't attend funerals and because they feel sometimes he isn't as public in discussing these casualties. So here you heard him make an effort to do that, to acknowledge their sacrifice and the fact he says, America mourns their losses.
One last thing. He also made a point of saying that Americans should volunteer, as much as possible, to get out to help the families of those men and women who are military veterans, to do as much as possible, to help the people who have been left behind, the people who are here while their brothers and sisters and sons and daughters serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Dana, thank you very much. CNN's White House correspondent, Dana Bash reporting from Crawford, Texas.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Address Today>
Aired November 29, 2003 - 12:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: We are turning now President Bush. He is just back from his secret mission to visit troops in Iraq and he is now reaching out to the families of those troops in his radio address today, the president asked all Americans to remember not only the sacrifices of soldiers, but also their families.
CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now live from Crawford, Texas. Dana, what is the president saying in his radio address about that very secret trip?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESOPNDENT: Hi, Kelly. The president did use his radio address today to reminisce about the trip he took. To talk about the fact the two one-half hours he spent on the ground he thought was helpful for the morale of those troops, the 600 troops he addressed.
He also, as you mentioned, did acknowledge not only those in Iraq, but also deployed in Afghanistan have been out for quite some time, long deployments. So he made an effort to acknowledge the families they left behind.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans are also thinking of the military families that must face this holiday with sorrow of recent loss. It is the nature of terrorism that a small number of people can inflict such terrible grief. Every person who dies in the line of duty commands a special gratitude of the American people and the military families that mourn can know this, our nation will not forget their loved ones and the sacrifice they made to protect us all.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BASH: And Kelly, there you also heard President Bush talking about those who have been killed in Iraq. It has been quite a deadly month in Iraq. Certainly been a point of controversy. The president has been criticized by his Democratic rivals, but also by some families of those who died because he doesn't attend funerals and because they feel sometimes he isn't as public in discussing these casualties. So here you heard him make an effort to do that, to acknowledge their sacrifice and the fact he says, America mourns their losses.
One last thing. He also made a point of saying that Americans should volunteer, as much as possible, to get out to help the families of those men and women who are military veterans, to do as much as possible, to help the people who have been left behind, the people who are here while their brothers and sisters and sons and daughters serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Dana, thank you very much. CNN's White House correspondent, Dana Bash reporting from Crawford, Texas.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Address Today>
