BIKERS SWARM PRESIDENT BUSH AND WHITE HOUSE!
Rolling Thunder Rumbles Past White House
WASHINGTON President Bush likes a serene White House most Sundays. Every now and then, though, he is ready for rumble.
Leaders of Rolling Thunder, the motorcycling group that raises awareness about missing veterans, roared up the mansion's driveway Sunday. Bush, just back from a weekend at Camp David, stood alone outside the South Portico to meet them.
No Memorial Day weekend in the capital is complete without the ritualistic rumble of Rolling Thunder. For 20 years, the nonprofit group has led a "Ride for Freedom" along the National Mall, a full-throttle demonstration in support of soldiers held captive or missing in action.
Thousands of participants descend on Washington for the weekend-long event.
"How you doing, Artie? Welcome back," Bush said to Artie Muller, the founder and executive director of the group.
Muller led 13 visitors on eight motorcycles. The guests included Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, whose Harley-Davidson was decked out with patriotic bunting.
Bush shook hands and hugged visitors, looked at the gleaming bikes and then invited his visitors into the Oval Office.
Rolling Thunder seeks a full accounting of veterans who are prisoners of war or are missing in action. It also advocates for fair treatment of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been critical of Bush's Veteran Affairs Department on that front.
Afterward, Muller said he presented a series of concerns to Bush.
Among them were the way the Defense Department classifies missing and captured troops and the plight of soldiers who have been discharged from military hospitals and are having trouble supporting their families.
"He's always been very honest with us and supportive," Muller said. "He feels that these issues need to be addressed."
Bush held a similar greeting at the White House in 2004 for Rolling Thunder. The group endorsed him in both his presidential bids.
Overall, tens of thousands of motorcyclists took part in Sunday's rally; major streets were closed for the event. The riders began at the Pentagon, crossed the Memorial Bridge and gathered at the somber wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On Monday, Bush planned to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day.
Story And Video Here
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You know President Bush wanted to ride one of those Harley's lol. I still remember when Bush was running for President in 2004 and the Queen biker herself Nancy Sinatra lead the way on a cross country ride in support of President Bush called "Bikers For Bush". I wish I could find one of those pictures. Boy would I have loved to have seen this. Anti-war protestors BEWARE!! Anyway I thought this was awesome and wanted to share :-)
WASHINGTON President Bush likes a serene White House most Sundays. Every now and then, though, he is ready for rumble.
Leaders of Rolling Thunder, the motorcycling group that raises awareness about missing veterans, roared up the mansion's driveway Sunday. Bush, just back from a weekend at Camp David, stood alone outside the South Portico to meet them.
No Memorial Day weekend in the capital is complete without the ritualistic rumble of Rolling Thunder. For 20 years, the nonprofit group has led a "Ride for Freedom" along the National Mall, a full-throttle demonstration in support of soldiers held captive or missing in action.
Thousands of participants descend on Washington for the weekend-long event.
"How you doing, Artie? Welcome back," Bush said to Artie Muller, the founder and executive director of the group.
Muller led 13 visitors on eight motorcycles. The guests included Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, whose Harley-Davidson was decked out with patriotic bunting.
Bush shook hands and hugged visitors, looked at the gleaming bikes and then invited his visitors into the Oval Office.
Rolling Thunder seeks a full accounting of veterans who are prisoners of war or are missing in action. It also advocates for fair treatment of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been critical of Bush's Veteran Affairs Department on that front.
Afterward, Muller said he presented a series of concerns to Bush.
Among them were the way the Defense Department classifies missing and captured troops and the plight of soldiers who have been discharged from military hospitals and are having trouble supporting their families.
"He's always been very honest with us and supportive," Muller said. "He feels that these issues need to be addressed."
Bush held a similar greeting at the White House in 2004 for Rolling Thunder. The group endorsed him in both his presidential bids.
Overall, tens of thousands of motorcyclists took part in Sunday's rally; major streets were closed for the event. The riders began at the Pentagon, crossed the Memorial Bridge and gathered at the somber wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On Monday, Bush planned to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day.
Story And Video Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know President Bush wanted to ride one of those Harley's lol. I still remember when Bush was running for President in 2004 and the Queen biker herself Nancy Sinatra lead the way on a cross country ride in support of President Bush called "Bikers For Bush". I wish I could find one of those pictures. Boy would I have loved to have seen this. Anti-war protestors BEWARE!! Anyway I thought this was awesome and wanted to share :-)
Labels: Rolling Thunder
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 8:05 PM
9 Comments:
Hey, I remember those guys. We met some of them fellars down in Washington DC on St Patty's day. I was with some tough and dedicated lady from Oklahoma.
A couple of Septembers ago, I attended a counterdemonstration (I was there with RightMarch, also attending were Melanie Morgan and Move America Forward) against a bunch of liberals who were assembling in front of Walter Reed every Friday evening to remind the amputees therein that they had sacrificed "for nothing", while also claiming to "support the troops".
Earlier that day, I had taken a trip to the hospital and had the honor of meeting and speaking with a few of those brave men who had lost limbs fighting the War on Terror.
One of these young men told me gleefully (evidently this had been a popular and amusing event for most of the patients who were there at the time) of an evening when Rolling Thunder had shown up and, roaring in on their hogs, aggressively driven all the liberals away.
Rolling Thunder rocks!
If you've ever been in DC during Memorial Day weekend you'll have noticed Rolling Thunder.
Those bikes go up and down the major streets in large groups. Quite a noisy display.
But if anyone has earned the right to make a bit of noise they have.
Jenn,
You mean Me? lol
I would have said some crazy lady from Oklahoma haha
Yes we did run into some of them fellers, and by the looks of them thar anti-war protestin varments they best just keep away :-)
Seth,
What a great story. You are a really great guy Seth.
They are some pretty mean looking guy's arent they? The sweetest in the world also. If you arent an anti-war protestor.
Rolling Thunder does Rock :-)
Mike,
Nope I've only been to D.C. that once back in March. Me and Jenn ran into them at the Viet Nam Memorial, needless to say the anti-war protestors did NOT want to mess with any of them.
When I lived in LA about 20 or 25 years ago I went on a "Toy Run" where a bunch of other bikers and I from all Chapters and Clubs from all over carried toys on the backs of thier bikes proudly all the way to the Coliseum for a Christmas toy drive. I think they still do that every year. TALK ABOUT LOUD!!! Harley's as far as the eye could see, and when they all start up at once? Dont even think about talking to one another, or getting your hearing back for about 15 minutes lol
Yes if anyone has earned thier right to be as loud as they want it's Rolling Thunder :-)
I do intend to go back to D.C. again, there is so much stuff I missed seeing that I just have to go back.
Varoooooooom!...Booyah!!!
The beauty of it was there were no moonbats to be found during the Rally.
Has anyone participated in the Freedom Walk on Sept 11th in DC?
No Moonbat's must have been nice.
I participate in the walk for Freedom every year here in Oklahoma City Skye, on 9-11 we walk from our Memorial downtown to bricktown about 2 miles.
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