The newest member of this cycle club: President Bush

Perhaps we now know what George W. Bush -- who leaves office on Jan. 20 -- will be doing next Memorial Day weekend: joining the thousands of motorcyclists who yearly vroom-vroom through the streets of the nation's capital in a tribute by veterans to their lost colleagues.

On Sunday afternoon, Bush was made an honorary member of Rolling Thunder, the Vietnam War POW-MIA group that is holding its 21st annual gathering. Every year, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, they start from the Pentagon parking lot, going past Arlington National Cemetery, across Memorial Bridge and around the Lincoln Memorial, and finally make their way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

A few of them, though, traditionally take a detour to the White House ...

... and thanks to Dan Eggen of the Washington Post, the White House pool reporter on Sunday, we've got details of this year's meeting:

On a cloudless, beautiful Sunday, 10 motorcycles -- most of them Harley-Davidsons, and at least two Hondas -- rumbled up the South Lawn drive at the White House about 12:35 p.m. The lead position was occupied by former Army Sgt. Arthur "Artie" Muller, founder and national executive director of Rolling Thunder, sporting a black beret and a leather Rolling Thunder vest bedecked with military medals, a flag and other insignia.

Among the motorcyclists were four Bush administration officials, all of whom appeared to be on Harleys: White House chief of staff Josh Bolten (a Hog fan from way back), wearing a black collared shirt and jeans; Transportation Secretary Mary Peters (a simple white shirt); Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer (blue casual oxford); and Edward P. "Eddie" Lazear, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisors, who sported a leather Harley vest and a black bandanna.  (And yes, they all wore helmets.)

Eighteen minutes later, Bush arrived by chopper from Camp David, disembarking from Marine One to "modest clapping" (as Eggen put it) from the Rolling Thunder gang. The president called the event a "magnificent sight," telling Muller that as he flew over the city he "saw your brothers and sisters cranking up their machines and driving through the nation’s capital –- many of them have got the flag on the back." He praised the group as "so patriotic ... loving your country as much as you do." 

"Our troops appreciate you, the veterans appreciate you and your president appreciates you," Bush said.

Muller announced that Bush -- a Vietnam-era veteran of the Texas Air National Guard -- was being made an honorary member of the organization, and presented him with a black leather vest featuring a POW-MIA patch on the front and a large eagle insignia above the words "Rolling Thunder." Bush took off his jacket and put on the vest but said he wasn't planning to take a ride.

Well, now that he's in the club, he'll have a year to practice -- and a lot of open space at his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Texas to do so.

-- Leslie Hoffecker

Comments

[William O'Reilly]

" a Vietnam-era veteran of the Texas Air National Guard"
I'm not from Missouri, but show me.

[al]

perhaps he will fall off the bike

[Bubba]

You moron leftists.. the president is honoring Vets, and you run him down..Did you serve in the military... most likely not.. probably talked about someday going to the peace corps but couldnt live with out your college funding from Mommy and Daddy... go count your chads and shut the ... up...

[Audrey Butcher]

Another case of incompetentcy by our War president.

[Flt Engineer]

The dude needs to finish up some "active duty time" he skipped out on. Don't want or need anyone in the club who didn't walk the walk. Think hard brother before you award Honorary membership to this person, President or not. Don't do our missing brothers a disservice.

[Virginia Bolger]

My oldest brother - straight out of college - died in Vietnam. My other brother, who was in country at the same time, suffers from Severe Past Traumatic Stress Disorder.
George Bush DID NOT SERVE in Vietnam and I would prefer that he stay away from anything to do with Vietnam Vets. He is a hypocrite and is responsible for so many young men & women dying in IRAQ. Bush couldn't hold a candle to my brothers & should not desecrate their sacrifices by coming near to anything honoring Vietnam vets,

[Audrey Butcher]

George WAR Bush's father served honorably in wwll. No other relatives have bothered to serve since, including Bushie's war profiteering brothers or his two service age daughters. Let all those others die for Bushie's ongoing wars

[Tom in California]

Guess we're really getting down to the last part of Bush's political base left that still supports him . . .

[madisonhack]

Bush never misses an opportunity to rally around soldiers to make a political point or have a photo-op. Now actually serving with these guys - well, that's a different story. Oh, and Bubba...yeah, I'm a vet so YOU shut the f**k up.

[EmbarassedbyBUSH]

Rolling Thunder embarasses itself, veterans, and Rolling Thunder members everytime it shows up at the White House to kiss Bush's backside on Memorial Day.

I guess they didn't hear about the VA administrator that was caught a few weeks ago by CBS News trying to hide how many veterans suicides there are, or about the VA manager that was telling VA employees not to award a diagnosis of PTSD because it was costing too much and they didn't have the time to deal with it. I guess Artie Mueller was too busy sewing the eagle on Bush's leather vest to read about those things.

Instead of FIGHTING for veterans, the national leadership of Rolling Thunder has turned into a bunch of cheerleaders for a president that doesn't give a crap about veterans and shows it time after time, from underfunding the VA by BILLIONS of dollars to trying to hike enrollment and medication fees; remember Walter Reed? That was just the tip of the tiip of an iceburg of the cold indifference that this administration has shown continually to caring for veterans, but Rolling Thunder's national leadership has its head so far up its own backside it can't see it.

Too bad national politics are more important to Artie Mueller than veterans, but I guess that's why no one shows up for his speech on the Mall; but once there's a Democrat in the White House Artie will be screaming blue murder, even though Democrats have done more for veterans in the last 6 months than the Republican did during 6 years of having the House and Senate. But let's not let facts get in the way of a good time, right Artie?

[GEAH]

Audrey Butcher clearly has no respect for those who serve in the National Guard.

I'm betting she's a big Obama support.

[mikeusmc]

Last year, Rolling Thunder gave Bush a copy of Bill Hendon's astounding book, An Enormous Crime. Bush promised to read it. Am I missing something here? Given the complete and total lack of ANY action , from the Bush government, regarding the issue of abandoned, LIVE, US servicemen in SE Asia, why in hell would Rolling Thunder want to shake his hand? It appears that the Rolling Thunder hierarchy is more concerned with photo ops than they are with POW's. Man, what a sell out!

[Sgt Hardkill]

I'll bet President Bush's detractors here would be the first to tell me how I ought to respect Obama.

I'll give Obama the respect you leftists gave President Bush--none.