The latest in Bush's 9-11 exploitation propaganda blitz [2]. This is especially perverse given how the first responders have been shamelessly screwed [3] by the federal government. The trick for New York activists is to find some way to protest this without seeming to disrespect the first responders (and to avoid the egregious errors [4] of some of last Sept. 11's protests). From the Daily News [5], Sept. 8:
Bush will visit firehouse and make trip to The Pit
President Bush will mark the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by having breakfast Monday with some of New York's Bravest at a lower East Side firehouse.The President will visit "Fort Pitt," the home of Ladder 18, Engine 15, Battalion 4 on Pitt St.
"The guys are thrilled about it. We feel like we're being singled out for this honor. We were among the first responders at 9/11," Chief Pat Clifford of Battalion 4 said.
"It's not every day that the President comes to your workplace for breakfast," he added.
Bush will share a specially catered breakfast with 25 firefighters from the station, 25 NYPD officers from the 7th Precinct next door and 25 Port Authority police officers.
"It's a real honor," said a firefighter who didn't want to give his name. "He's showing his respect for those that perished. He's recognizing all the first responders."
Firefighter Pete Syrett said they were "cleaning up the place" in anticipation of the commander in chief's visit, but "we're not going to go nuts."
"We're going to buff the trucks, but we do that anyway," said Syrett, 55, a 20-year veteran of the FDNY.
The President and First Lady Laura Bush will arrive in New York on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11. At Ground Zero, the President will descend into The Pit to lay separate wreaths at the sites where the twin towers once stood.
At the request of the Secret Service, PATH trains won't run to and from the World Trade Center site for two hours while the President and his entourage are nearby, sources said.
Afterward, the President and the First Lady will participate in a prayer service at St. Paul's Chapel and will remain overnight in the city.
After the breakfast Monday at the firehouse, the first couple will participate in a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. to mark when the first plane hit the north tower. It will be followed by a ceremony commemorating the fifth anniversary of the attacks.
The Bushes will then head for Shanksville, Pa., where a passenger revolt forced hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 to crash in a field before it could hit a target in Washington. They will conclude their day at a ceremony at the Pentagon.
See our last posts on the politics of the GWOT [6] and the struggle for 9-11's legacy in New York City [7].
