Booker Elementary: The Perfect Alibi?

Bush's being at Booker Elementary at the exact time that the attacks began has bothered me for a while. I figured that I may as well put what I'm thinking to the group and hopefully get some resolution.

If you could choose an alibi to cover your butt while committing the biggest act of treason ever committed what would you come up with?

Witnesses are important. Lot's of witnesses is better and witnesses + video is pretty much iron clad.

Gotta look innocent. If you're up to something bad you want to look like you're doing the exact opposite. If it's really bad then the alibi has to be really good. If it's REALLY REALLY bad, well you get the point.

Now for the icing on the cake. If you know that this alibi will become part of the biggest news story ever, and you're a politician, then you might as well turn it into the biggest photo opp of all time.

Booker Elementary fits all of these criteria perfectly. It's an alibi that John Gotti himself would be proud of.

Only problem is that planning is one thing and execution can be effected by the real world.

I bet that little Georgie's instructions to his staff were very clear. "I don't want to be bothered FOR ANY REASON. Whatever it is can wait until after we're done."

The alibi's great. Only thing is that there also has to be a delay. The President has to be "unavailable" for a period of time. The response to the attack has to be slow. It's the only way to allow it to complete.

Andrew Card messed that up for him by DOING HIS JOB. An attack on America isn't just any "whatever" it's an immediate and overriding call to action. DEFCON 1 is the most serious situation any President could ever face. Once it was plain to Mr. Card what was going on it was his duty to inform The President of the situation. NOTHING ELSE mattered. In a REAL administration he would have likely faced severe consequences for not telling The Commander In Chief what was going on. He did it tactfully and poignantly. The simple message, "The nation is under attack." is directly to the point. Any normal President would have immediately but politely excused himself as a matter of national security has come up and demands his immediate attention.

In a matter of seconds Bush's alibi was in SEVERE jeopardy. That blank stare that's been mentioned so many times is COLD HARD FEAR. The plan that was just starting was already coming apart. It must have been the worst moment of that sheltered and coddled mans life. HE might have to actually face up to the consequences of his actions.

According to Bush his first reaction was anger.

"My first reaction was anger. Who the hell would do that to America? Then I immediately focused on the children, and the contrast between the attack and the innocence of children," Bush says in an excerpt of the interview shown to television writers on Thursday.

Bush said he could see the news media at the back of the classroom getting the news on their own cellphones "and it was like watching a silent movie."

Bush said he quickly realized that a lot of people beyond the classroom would be watching for his reaction.

"So I made the decision not to jump up immediately and leave the classroom. I didn't want to rattle the kids. I wanted to project a sense of calm," he said of his decision to remain seated and silent.

"I had been in enough crises to know that the first thing a leader has to do is to project calm," he added.

Source

The quote comes from a 2011 interview. Even after he's had 10 years to think about it his own words betray him. No wonder Cheney had to sit with him during their UNofficial statements for the 911 whitewash committee.

"My first reaction was anger. Who the hell would do that to America?"

The anger was pretty obvious, course that was really directed at Andy Card for disobeying orders and messing up the plan. He had to have a plausible explanation.

There's the words that in a sane World would haunt him forever. "Who the hell would do that to America?"

HE DIDN'T KNOW who attacked America. Or at least he shouldn't have. He didn't know how America had been attacked either. The simple & direct words Andrew Card used didn't carry any information other than the absolute fact that THERE WAS AN ATTACK. Andy Card did his job and it SHOULD have been up to The President to take that fact and act on it. AN ATTACK was going on and as Commander in Chief it was up to him to decide what to do.

An attack on America could very well have been an all out ballistic nuclear missile launch. That's why the Nuclear Football exists. If an attack warrants a nuclear response The President has to be able to press the button (or whatever it takes) to launch an appropriate response.

SECONDS COUNT, the Government has plans & procedures for pretty much any conceivable situation. An attack on America should have set those plans in motion. Obviously it didn't happen as we would expect. Obviously, there's parts of this story that still haven't came to light even after 10 years. Will we ever know the truth? I doubt it. Too big to fail can be used here as well.

It's been almost 50 years since TPTB killed our President in broad day light in front of hundreds of witnesses and got away with it. The people involved were powerful enough and influential enough to pull it off. If the truth of who killed JFK was ever brought before a court of law and found to be factual it would probably be the end of America. The coverup involved too many people directly tied to the Government. The same is true about 911. If the truth became real America as we know it would change drastically. TPTB count on the fact that the people who know the truth will maintain their silence out of a misguided patriotism.

Does anybody know how many times Bush made a similar appearance to a school to promote "a reading program that works."? I know after 911 that he was probably pretty busy running the country and stuff but up till that time he'd had plenty of time on his hands.

i always thought what was first said to him was mr president a plane just crashed into the twin towers
if he was just told we are under attack and nothing else it seems strange that he would just sit there not knowing what kind of attack was happening

reply to post by irishskeptic


OK, I guess in my enthusiasm, I forgot that Card had told Bush about the second plane hitting the second tower. It weakens by argument but my core theory still holds. Booker Elementary was chosen to be a strong alibi that also had the benefit of showing The President doing something humanitarian.

I'm interested in whether Bush did any school visits previous to 911.

It looks like the reading program was called the Reading First Program and that it was part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The United States Senate passed it on June 14, 2001 and President Bush signed it into law on January 8, 2002.

en.wikipedia.org...]Reading First
en.wikipedia.org...]No child Left Behind

The "Reading program that works" that Bush mentions when asked about what he was doing on 911 isn't specific. The Reading First Program is simply a federal program that provides money for schools. The program requires that schools funded by Reading First use "scientifically based" reading instruction.

Personally, I can't imagine Bush going to Booker Elementary for any other reason than an alibi.

Originally posted by LazyGuy
Bush's being at Booker Elementary at the exact time that the attacks began has bothered me for a while. I figured that I may as well put what I'm thinking to the group and hopefully get some resolution.

If you could choose an alibi to cover your butt while committing the biggest act of treason ever committed what would you come up with?

Let's be honest here. Bush could have been at the elementary school, at his desk at the White House, or playing frisbee. If you're of a mind to imagine Bush is cooking up these sinister secret plots to take over the world, you're going to find reasons for why what he was doing at the time was part of the sinister secret plot to take over the world regardless of what it was. He could simply be wearing a red tie and you conspiracy people will be insisting that his wearing a red tie that day was the signal for his evil minions to proceed with the sinister secret plot to take over the world.

Entire threads on ATS would thereafter be devoted to demanding inquiries on why Bush "suspiciously" chose to wear a red tie THAT VERY DAY!!!! Of course paranoid crackpots like Alex Jones would be going back through years of video to see how often he wore a red tie and check for coinciding patterns of other events throughout the world. In turn, the conspiracy theorists will use THAT to "prove" how some native in Borneo falling off a cliff while hunting pigs in the jungle was part of a sinister secret plot to take over the world becuase it suspiciously happened ON THE SAME DAY BUSH WORE A RED TIE!!!!! (insert spooky music here).

If you want to imagine you're finding patterns of sinister secret plots to take over the world out of randomly occurring events that have to relationship to each other, go right ahead, but you need to know this isn't a search for the facts. This is a Rorschach test that only reveals what you have cooking inside your own head.

Originally posted by irishskeptic
i always thought what was first said to him was mr president a plane just crashed into the twin towers
if he was just told we are under attack and nothing else it seems strange that he would just sit there not knowing what kind of attack was happening

And what do you expect the President of the United States to do in this instance? Get up an call 911?

Originally posted by GoodOlDave

Originally posted by LazyGuy
Bush's being at Booker Elementary at the exact time that the attacks began has bothered me for a while. I figured that I may as well put what I'm thinking to the group and hopefully get some resolution.

If you could choose an alibi to cover your butt while committing the biggest act of treason ever committed what would you come up with?

Let's be honest here. Bush could have been at the elementary school, at his desk at the White House, or playing frisbee. If you're of a mind to imagine Bush is cooking up these sinister secret plots to take over the world.

If you want to imagine you're finding patterns of sinister secret plots to take over the world out of randomly occurring events that have to relationship to each other, go right ahead, but you need to know this isn't a search for the facts. This is a Rorschach test that only reveals what you have cooking inside your own head.

Yes, he could have been taking a dump at the time but he wasn't. If he had been simply at the White house, or playing Frisbee, or jogging with the Secret Service then it wouldn't have established a good alibi much less one that also had a positive spin on his political career.

Reading between the lines isn't a Rorschach test.

reply to post by LazyGuy


Well, he normally did wear blue ties......but was wearing a red one that day......



Get serious, the President (whoever they may be) does stuff like that all the time. Its not an alibi.

reply to post by LazyGuy


I'm confused. Alibi for what? In case he was accused of flying one of the planes? He is being accused of plotting 9/11, not carrying out 9/11. How could being in an elementary school on the day of the crime clear him of planning the crime? The whole premise is just mind boggling.

Originally posted by hooper
reply to post by LazyGuy

 

I'm confused. Alibi for what? In case he was accused of flying one of the planes? He is being accused of plotting 9/11, not carrying out 9/11. How could being in an elementary school on the day of the crime clear him of planning the crime? The whole premise is just mind boggling.

The plan could have came apart. The conspiracy could have came to light early on. There was probably a contingency plan to blame someone for what happened. A patsy was chosen. Maybe it would have been John O'Neill. TPTB would have loved it have been him.

reply to post by hooper

And what do you expect the President of the United States to do in this instance? Get up an call 911?

Perhaps not, but is "get up" really too much too ask?

Originally posted by LazyGuy
Yes, he could have been taking a dump at the time but he wasn't. If he had been simply at the White house, or playing Frisbee, or jogging with the Secret Service then it wouldn't have established a good alibi much less one that also had a positive spin on his political career.

Reading between the lines isn't a Rorschach test.

You are basing this statement upon absolutely nothing. Bush doesn't just go hitchhiking around the country carrying a dead cell phone when he goes to these events. He's escorted by an entourage of security, advisers, and communications specialists to keep him informed on events and to relay his orders. The next time you see his motorcade on TV, take a look for several black Cadillac Escalades, with polarized windows. Every one of those things have concealed miniguns that pop up from the roof that can saw a tree in half. Take a look at his own limousine and you'll see some star wars looking antenna on the trunk. This is because the lomousine has its own communications nerve center that keeps him constantly in touch with the rest of the world. So, yes, he could literally be taking a dump in an outhouse in Arkansas AND still issue orders for this sinister secret plot to take over the world. This happened in 2001, not 1814.

Reading between the lines isn't a Rorschach test, but imaging there's something sinister between the lines that you think you're reading to begin with most definitely is.

reply to post by LazyGuy

The plan could have came apart.

I'll play along - yes it could have.

The conspiracy could have came to light early on.

Yes.

There was probably a contingency plan to blame someone for what happened.

OK, whatever.

A patsy was chosen.

Again, OK.

Maybe it would have been John O'Neill.

Whoever.

TPTB would have loved it have been him.

If you say so.
Anyway.
Why did GWB have to be in an elementary school in Florida? How does being in Florida when the plan was enacted clear him from planning it in the first place? I thought I was confused. I think you may confusing the idea of an alibi.

Originally posted by Darkwing01
reply to post by hooper

 

And what do you expect the President of the United States to do in this instance? Get up an call 911?

Perhaps not, but is "get up" really too much too ask?

Get up and.....what? Jump into a phone booth and change into his superhero costume? There was nothing physically for him to do that would change the situation. He stayed where he was until such time as the people tasked to keep him safe decided that it was time to get going. This is all much ado about nothing.

reply to post by hooper


if he was just told we were under attack and no other details given to him i would expect him to do a lot more then just sit in a classroom full of kids

Originally posted by irishskeptic
reply to post by hooper

 

if he was just told we were under attack and no other details given to him i would expect him to do a lot more then just sit in a classroom full of kids

Why? Really, why? Please don't forget he didn't sit there for hours contemplating the spots on the ceiling. I believe he got up and left about 7 minutes after he was told something was wrong, not even sure at that point if anybody in his circle was refering to it as an "attack". Thats 7 minutes. He finished what he was doing with the kids and left. And I think he was right in this one instance. The last thing anyone wants to see is the President of the United States jump up and start running. Well, maybe the second last thing. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of workers driving away real fast from a nuclear power plant.

Originally posted by hooper

The last thing anyone wants to see is the President of the United States jump up and start running.

Andrew Card's exact words were reported to be "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."

The motorcade, including President Bush, had already heard about the first plane crash while they were en route to the school.

So with that knowledge, and with his chief of staff saying those words, yes - I'd like to see the President jump up and start running. An active response is needed. A sense of leadership is important. To sit and do nothing for seven minutes when the nation had just been attacked was, and is, inexplicable and inexcusable.

reply to post by magicrat


I think that would amount to the type of opinion generally reserved for a spot on TV with the mass media. Deciding what is right and proper to do in an emergency is not any of our jobs. Sure, he could have jumped up and left, but we know he was terrible with words, so he might have said something stupid and made the country look really weak. Instead, he waited until he was briefed with what to say that would not throw people into a panic. That's my opinion, of course.

reply to post by magicrat

So with that knowledge, and with his chief of staff saying those words, yes - I'd like to see the President jump up and start running. An active response is needed. A sense of leadership is important. To sit and do nothing for seven minutes when the nation had just been attacked was, and is, inexplicable and inexcusable.

This is well said and true, except for "inexplicable".

It could be explained if GWB and staff knew the locations and number of planes that were attacking the country. And if fighter jets were in the air to defend the POTUS motorcade, the nuclear football, and communications with the military commanders of the world's only remaining superpower. Unlike the supposed stand-down in defending the WTC, the Pentagon, and wherever flight 93 was headed.

W.'s behavior that day was nothing more then the actions of a puppet.That's all he was regardless of all of the claims of his handlers and himself.Cheney pretty much confirms this:Link

Originally posted by Varemia
reply to post by magicrat

 

I think that would amount to the type of opinion generally reserved for a spot on TV with the mass media. Deciding what is right and proper to do in an emergency is not any of our jobs. Sure, he could have jumped up and left, but we know he was terrible with words, so he might have said something stupid and made the country look really weak. Instead, he waited until he was briefed with what to say that would not throw people into a panic. That's my opinion, of course.

You're saying I could be a media pundit? Thanks for that!

I understand your opinion that he may have waited to say something for fear of not saying the right thing - in fact, it's been reported that Ari Fleischer was holding up a sign saying "DON'T SAY ANYTHING YET" (I can't link directly to the Wash Times through the wayback machine, but this link has the source, and the link there works), so it seems others in the administration may have had the same fear.

In my opinion, that's not leadership. Waiting for people to tell you how to respond is kind of the exact opposite.

I'm basing that opinion on all the available knowledge I could find about the circumstances that morning, and my own experience in positions of leadership - I've certainly been in positions where deciding what is right and proper to do in an emergency is my job, and I think a lot of us probably have.

And, coming back to the OP (and the post above from 1SawSomeThings), I feel like it's impossible to explain his non-action without speculating about information we don't have - I meant inexplicable in the sense that I can't explain it without imagining additional information, which there must be, of course.

Personally, I can imagine the Alibi theory (that he was in on the plans and chose to be there), the Incompetence theory (that there's no hidden agenda or inside job; just really lousy leadership skills), or the Puppet theory (that he was placed there by TPTB as part of their plan, which he was unaware or only partially aware of).

I can't really come up with any other context that would justify or explain what we know happened at Booker Elementary School that morning.